Cavies should have unlimited grass hay. Dark leafy greens are also important to cavies because of their requirement for an external source of vitamin C. Other rodents, rabbits and ferrets produce their own vitamin C inside their bodies. The minimum daily requirement for vitamin C in the cavy is between 10 and 30 mg per day. Cavies can easily get this amount if you feed 1/2 to 1 cup of fresh leafy greens from the list on page XX. Dark leafy greens are high in vitamin C; for instance, a cup of fresh kale contains about 250 mg of vitamin C compared with a cup of oranges (without the peel), which contains only about 50 mg of vitamin C. Some foods particularly high in vitamin C include kale, dandelion greens, parsley, collard greens, green peppers and mustard greens. Putting vitamin C supplements in the cavy's water is not effective because of the rapid breakdown of the vitamin when exposed to light and heat. Feed fruits and other vegetables in small amounts (1 heaping tablespoon per 4 pounds of body weight). Do not feed cereal grains or sugary foods to cavies.

Commerical cavy pellets can be fed in limited quantities. Cavies can become overweight on unlimited pellet feeding, particularly if they are not allowed to exercise daily. Feed 1/8 cup of pellets per 2 pounds of body weight daily. Although cavy pellets have added vitamin C, you should not depend on them to provide the full daily amount. Cavy pellets must be used within 90 days of the day they were produced to guarantee sufficient amounts of vitamin C. In many situations, bags of pellets sit on shelves longer than three months, and the vitamin C content is drastically reduced due to breakdown by contact with air, moisture and high temperatures. Scurvy, a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, is still one of the most common diseases seen in the pet cavy fed a strictly commercial pellet diet. Rabbit pellets should not be substituted for cavy pellets because they may contain excessive levels of vitamin D, which can be toxic to cavies.

Cavies are notorious for playing with their water bottles and spilling a great deal of water into the cage. You may have to fill the bottle frequently and change the bedding underneath daily to prevent mold from growing.

Author(s): Susan A. Brown, D.V.M.

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