New foster in rescue, was being fed hamster food

[JenniferWarms]

So being a rescue owner I see lots of weird, very bad things but this seems to be the latest craze, to feed your guinea pigs HAMSTER food. This year I have probably taken in 7 or 8 surrenders that have come in with hamster food. Hamster food!

So I went to the store today, just like Meijer or Wal-Mart just to see if there was an appreciable difference in cost between GP food and Hamster food and there really isn't more than like 0.50 or so but definitely not more than a dollar. AND the Hamster food does have a picture of a Hamster on the front of it and the guinea pig food does say GUINEA PIG and has a nice picture of a guinea pig on it so I am not totally sure where the confusion is coming from.

So this two-year old little girl (Abby-mix, buff/white, very cute) is stunted in growth. She is only 708g (body condition not too horrible really, but very tiny in stature), she is scurvy, she has bugs and thus, she bites Poor darling.

So she was started on ivermec, vitamin c supp, real food, and HAY.

The family was moving and "absolutely could not take her with them wherever they were moving to." Whatever... She is way better off here than there anyway. She probably would have died within 6 months there.

People truly make me want to pull my hair out. If you don't know anything about a pet, either find out, or don't get one. It seems so simple really.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

I'm confused what is it you're wanting help with?

 

[Waterbabe]

Had to have a little read up to see what the actual difference in food was. Yes your correct, hamster food is not nutritional for G pigs. Totally different nuts seeds ect that are not good for them.
Keep doing what you are doing. Also fresh veg is what I remember feeding mine as a kid. Carrot, broccoli ect along with pellet food.
You have done good by taking her and hope you manage to bring her right back to good health.

 

[Colin_T]

I'm confused what is it you're wanting help with?

I think it's more a venting thread about mistreating animals.

For the OP, any pictures?
I like guinea pigs

What do hamsters eat that guinea pigs shouldn't?

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

I like guinea pigs too but I'm not allowed to have them...my mother in law is allergic to them which makes them all the more desirable

 

[Colin_T]

I like guinea pigs too but I'm not allowed to have them...my mother in law is allergic to them which makes them all the more desirable

maybe get her a jumper made from guinea pig hair. oh sorry dear, I didn't realise you were allergic to them. come sit in my car and I will take you to the doctors. yes that's right, sit on my guinea pig hair seat covers

 

[Lcc86]

I love piggies! Back in the 90s my local pet shop used to sell a generic muesli type mix that they said was for rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters. All my pets would eat it so I assumed it was fine until I learned MUCH later that they had different dietary needs...

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

It reminds me a lot of a story my mum told me about her parents. My grandfather used to feed their budgies canary seed until my grandmother served him up a plate of gravel. She said that's what he'll be eating until the budgies got budgie seed

 

[Colin_T]

Budgie seed and canary seed are similar. The budgie seed has oats in and the canary doesn't. The canary seed also has a couple of oil seeds in (brown and black seeds are oil seeds) and this is good for budgies to gain weight in winter.

I used to buy a budgie seed, finch seed and canary seed and mix them in equal parts for my birds.

 

[Back in the fold]

I really like Guinea Pigs and Parakeets and really want them again but SWMBO is not “budging” in her opposition. I may have to initiate Operation Surprise.

 

[gwand]

I was in Peru several years ago. To my surprise Guinea Pig was on restaurant menus. Ugh.

 

[sharkweek178]

I think it's more a venting thread about mistreating animals.

For the OP, any pictures?
I like guinea pigs

What do hamsters eat that guinea pigs shouldn't?

More of what they don't eat. Guinea pigs need a constant supply of hay or timothy grass.

 

[sharkweek178]

I clicked on this thread from the new posts section. I thought it was going to be about a fish. I was thinking "What kind of moron feeds hamster food to a fish?".

 

[Colin_T]

I was in Peru several years ago. To my surprise Guinea Pig was on restaurant menus. Ugh.

Guinea pig is regularly kept in New Guinea for food, and in the army during survival training, you are dropped naked in the bush with nothing but a Guinea pig a knife and a compass, and you have to get back to base 100km away. Most Guinea pigs don't make it back and lots of men swagger back to base with a fury loin cloth.

 

[Geoffrey]

with a fury loin cloth.

Orrr…one could say…a budgie smuggler