How do guinea pigs get vitamin C in the wild?
Posted by admin on Oct 20, 2009
I know that guinea pigs need vitamin C daily from their diet because they can’t produce it or store it on their own, but I have read that their natural diet in the wild is just grasses. Where do wild guinea pigs get their vitamin C?
Most animals produce vitamin C in their cells from its component parts. This means that they do not need vitamin C in their diet, because they will produce it from the food they eat.
Guinea pigs, primates and humans do NOT produce vitamin C in their bodies, so they MUST get it from their diet. If they do not consume adequate amounts of vitamin C they will suffer from a deficiency called scurvy.
Signs of scurvy include lethargy, diarrhoea, weight loss, and internal skeletal-muscular haemorrhage.
Vitamin C is also a water-soluble vitamin, so it can not be stored in the body. These animals therefore need to get vit C in their diet every day.
Wild guinea pigs eat a variety of plant matter – and plants contain high levels of vitamin C.
If you want more detail consider this:
In the wild guinea pigs are grazers – they eat all the time. Their diet is low in calories, so they must eat a large quantity to get enough energy. It is easy to get enough vit C when you eat such a large amount of fresh food! Many pet guinea pigs are fed a complete diet, with very little fresh food. As a result you need to get all the requierd vit C in a much smaller quantity of food.
Please visit this site for more info:
http://www.guinealynx.com/scurvy.html
from the grasses they eat.
References :
Their need for vitamin C is exaggerated.
Yes, they can’t produce it for themselves, but they don’t need anymore than any other animal does.
I think that somehow people relate not being able to make it or store it means they somehow need mega doses of it. That’s not true.
They are tiny little animals. They need tiny doses of Vitamin C.
This is a question of evolution and survival of the fittest. If they weren’t getting the vitamins they need, they wouldn’t be able to live and breed. Because they are, they get enough vitamins.
References :
Bonsy is incorrect , they do need more due to the fast rate they metabolize vitamin c. Try feeding your pig plain rabbit food with no veggies added for a while. When it passes away,,this will be the reason.
The answer is same as the first person. The grasses and greens they eat provides them with the vitamin c they need.
References :
Most animals produce vitamin C in their cells from its component parts. This means that they do not need vitamin C in their diet, because they will produce it from the food they eat.
Guinea pigs, primates and humans do NOT produce vitamin C in their bodies, so they MUST get it from their diet. If they do not consume adequate amounts of vitamin C they will suffer from a deficiency called scurvy.
Signs of scurvy include lethargy, diarrhoea, weight loss, and internal skeletal-muscular haemorrhage.
Vitamin C is also a water-soluble vitamin, so it can not be stored in the body. These animals therefore need to get vit C in their diet every day.
Wild guinea pigs eat a variety of plant matter – and plants contain high levels of vitamin C.
If you want more detail consider this:
In the wild guinea pigs are grazers – they eat all the time. Their diet is low in calories, so they must eat a large quantity to get enough energy. It is easy to get enough vit C when you eat such a large amount of fresh food! Many pet guinea pigs are fed a complete diet, with very little fresh food. As a result you need to get all the requierd vit C in a much smaller quantity of food.
Please visit this site for more info:
http://www.guinealynx.com/scurvy.html
References :