Guinea pigs cannot create Vitamin C within the body so it has to get that nutrient in other places. Like people, if people do not get enough vitamin C they can get real sick and maybe come down with scurvy and that can be fatal. The vitamin C requirement for a guinea pig is about 25 to 50 mg a day.
There is any easy way to prevent this from happening, you can give them vitamins as a supplement, check the local pet store and see if they carry anything that can help. The other way is to feed your guinea pigs fruit and vegetables on a daily basis. Guinea pigs love fruits such as apples, a little bit of orange a day, not too much because of the acidity in the fruit.
Anything that you feed a guinea pig is an additional source of nutrients. Guinea pigs are used to eating grass as their main staple of diet. But grass is hard on the guinea pigs digestive track so a guinea pig has been known to eat their own feces as a source of nutrients.
Guinea pigs also love lettuce, celery, radishes, and carrots. This will give them a source of vitamins that pellets cannot provide. Be careful not to give them too much. Even too many vegetables can be hard on their stomachs so you should check is celery safe for guinea pigs and how much is enough. You can also buy alfalfa hay and timothy hay from the pet store; guinea pigs love to chew on hay.
If you let your pet run loose in the house, lift up anything that you do not want them to eat. Guinea pigs eat wires, clothes, furniture, and shoes; if it is on the floor it is fair game. Remember a healthy guinea pig is a happy one.
