How come?
Since the need for vitamin C in the guinea pig is quite low,
and it is so easy to add a lot of extra vitamin C in the water
or in the food, it is easy to give too much vitamin C.
A little too much will just be flushed out via the urine, no
harm done. But the needs of the guinea pig is low and if the
guinea pig as much as 10 times too much, which is easy to
administer, then the guinea pig may get the conditon called
pseudo scurvy.
What happens is that the normal mechanism in the guinea pig for absorbing vitamin C atrophies, and when the guinea pig does get back to normal amounts of vitamin C again the guinea pig can't absorb enough vitamin C and develops symptoms of scurvy.
My advice is:
You should never give to your guinea pig
much higher amounts of vitamin C than necessary, and
always give your piggy vitamin C as fresh
vegetables. As much cabbage and carrots as the guinea
pig can eat every day will give more than enough
vitamin C for a healthy guinea pig!
For pregnant guinea pigs: give vegetables that are extra high in vitamin C!
Copyright Eva Johansson.
Last update: 2nd of December 2005.