Our guinea pigs, Snuggles and Penny have guinea pig food which has added vitamin C in.  They also get daily greens/veggies and fruit.  I've seen vitamin C additives that you can put in their water and wondered whether anyone thinks that this is necessary - although I NEVER see our guinea pigs drink - I think that they get all their hydration from the fresh food.

I have assumed that they will be getting enough vitamin C through their diet - any thoughts??

Pigbert gets the vitamins in his water regularly, but he seldom drinks water. I give him fresh veggies daily so he gets his water and his vitamin C from them. I don't think the vitamin suppliment makes any difference to his health. He certainly does not have scurvey. If there was any question about the availability of fresh food, then vitamin supliments would be necessary. If the pellets have vitamin C then that would be enough. Vitamin C gets old and ineffective however so I feel safer with fresh sources. Ginea pigs are even more vulnerable to Vit C deficiencies than we are. The lizards have Vit D/calcium problems and the suppliments are not enough. I also need special lighting. Pets can be tricky.

Thanks Catherine - as their food is vitamin enriched and they do get fresh veggies, I'll probably stick to what I'm doing then.  I find it strange how little our piggies drink - the hamsters go through much more water and are a fraction of the size.  I'll just have assume that they must get enough hydration from their fruit and veg.  It seems that Pigbert is similar, so that's reassuring  

i wouldn't add the stuff - it makes the water taste funny and will discourage them from eating even more. If you're worried about hyration feed cucmber. Also for ash i've been putting down a small bowl ( its a coffee jar lid) of baby juice ...non diluted...its not got any additives , other than the added vit c ...and he drinks it , without fail, every night when i've gone to bed...by the morning its always gone and with no spillage so i assume he does at least!!
other than the juice, ash generally doesn't touch his water much either so i wouldn't worry.
The best dried food for piggies is excel supa guinea because its discourages selective feeding and has the appropriate amount of vit c without them being able to leave anything   hope this is of some help

remember when changing a guinea pig's diet it needs to be done gradually over 2 weeks or so... i'm currently mixing gertie /supa guinea (they used gertie at the rescue centre) but am not on a 50:50 ratio, soon to be 75:25

Thanks Becci.  Our two get the complete nugget type of feed as well so that they can't just pick and choose the best bits.  They were on a muesli-type mix from the breeder but I have gradually changed them onto the complete mix over the past few weeks and they seem happy    I assume that the veggies (including cucumber) are giving them enough fluid, they certainly manage to produce enough urine to soak me and Laura yesterday!

Hope Ash is settling in - sounds like he's more than at home, lucky boy  

We gave the g piggies a run of the front room yesterday, although it looked more like a childs den because we had to block of the fire (not lit, just they could get under it) off, the couches, and because our house is a open plan house, we had to block the doorways. They looked so funny, streching out full length following eachother head-to-toe, he he. I am a bit worried about my friends g pig that gets rabbit food, which does not contain the extra VC  . I love watching the guinea pigs eat veggies, it just disapears into their mouths - am am sure those of you who own guinea pigs will know how I mean!

cucmber is ash's favourite - so i'm lucky with not having to worry too much about hydration - sainsbury have a special deal on the summerfruit baby juice justt now - or at least mine does

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I love watching the guinea pigs eat veggies, it just disapears into their mouths

I find it so funny that I could sit and watch Pigbert eat for hours, which is good since he can eat for hours. Seriously though, he drinks almost nothing, but he is in good health. If he was dehydrated I would know by now. I have to believe he is getting enough Vit C. He would have showed symptoms long ago if he was deficient. So we all have to assume that we are doing right by our piggies. As long as your GP is alert, active and eating well, then I think we can relax and assume that all is well.

The guinea pigs are in our dining room - we are constantly just watching them popcorn, jumping from cage to cage and underneath all the thick hay! They are very amusing. I agree, we could watch them for hours. Does pigbert like shop bought treats or just veggies?

He does not do shop bought treats, but then I tend not to use them as they are expensive when you are giving them to a crowd. He likes his leafy greens and carrots. The real treat is the small imported Belgium purple cabbage(not the cheap local  big ones). He will eat a bit of apple and cantelope. Green beans and pea pods are eagarly devoured as are dandylions. He will eat squash and sweet potatoes as well. Them he has hay/grass and pellets. He will eat some oats now and then. He won't eat strawberries, peaches or anything else, so far. What am I missing? This is his main diet. He always has pellets and gets a good supply of hay. He gets a dish of veggies daily, but more is given when I am home. There is a carrot fee for using my frig. Open the doorne slice of carrot    Take something out:two slices of carrot  Eat something from the frig:three carrots            You get the picture. He seems healthy so he must be getting what he needs.

Wow, is there anything he doesn't get! Ours don't eat alot of normal guinea pig food, we do supply it 24/7 but they just don't eat it as much as veggies. I don't blame them - I would rather eat fresh veg than dried guinea pig pellets/museli!

Our guniea pigs love eating parsley, carrots, apples, oranges, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage and celery.  

We also give them pelets, fresh hay and fresh grass from our garden.  Sometime they act as though they could happily eat grass all day long

Wierdly when we put ours out on the grass they just didn't eat it! Even though they were pretty frightened - you would think they would have a nibble of the lush tastiness around them! We thought they would ADORE the grass, oh well.

Pigbert just eats some pelets. They are to get him through the night while I am sleeping and while I am at work. He does eat all the time. I was going to remark "where does he put it", but I clean his cage daily so I know exactly where it goes.

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Sometime they act as though they could happily eat grass all day long

Pigbert is not the only all day eater. I bring grass in for him in summer. Penny and snuggles might do well with grass if try them again in the spring. It might have all been too new for them. I can't believe a guinea pig who choose to miss out on a food experience. Forget lawn mowers, a herd of guinea pigs should handle any lawn.

When the rabbits had 24 hour grass they really got it down to root level. They may beat even guinea pigs at the grass eating. 5-10 rabbits could get the fields down no problem!

You could test that out. You have the runs and you have the rodents. In a nibble for nibble competition who would win, the ever eating guinea pigs or the bigger hungrier rabbits. My money is on the Guinea pig. They might be smaller, but they do know how to eat. I think when he sleeps pigbert probably dreams about eating. He certainly thinks about it all day long.