In order to avoid scurvy, guinea pigs need a daily amount of vitamin C, with the help of tablets provided by the pet industry.

Like humans, guinea pigs (or cavies) have the particularity of not producing their own vitamin C. In case of vitamin C deficiency, the rodent can suffer serious health issues: scurvy, dental malocclusion, infections… That’s why we must provide the precious vitamin in their diet, with plants that are rich in vitamin C.

However, the best way to ensure that they receive their 20 mg per day (for a 1 kg guinea pig) is to give them as a supplement, in the form of tablets. These supplements are also very useful for growing pups, pregnant females and aged or sick guinea pigs.

Why tablets?

In the past, the only vitamin C available for guinea pigs were only poor quality vitamin powder, or vitamin in liquid form. Initially, many people made the mistake of putting it in the drinking water … Unfortunately, vitamin C deteriorates very quickly with daylight! Moreover, in a drinking bottle system, impossible to know what dose the guinea pig has really drunk, and it is even more difficult if they are several cavies in the cage!

This is why it is now advisable to give liquid vitamin C with a syringe (without the needle!) directly in the mouth. However, this can be difficult for some recalcitrant guinea pigs, especially if it bears scars after a surgery, for instance.

And then one day, the American brand Oxbow created vitamin C in the form of chewable tablets. Victory! Finally something easy to give to guinea pigs, and that most of the time they eat with delight! Unfortunately, the brand had to “harmonize” their range of food supplements and the once small tablets are now large “biscuits”. Those can be very hard to chew, especially for sick – and therefore tired – guinea pigs and for those with dental malocclusion.

Fortunately, other brands launched their own precious pills and we are now lucky to have several tablets of vitamin C for our guinea pigs.

Beaphar Vitamin C tablets are recommended and very easy to use. They contain a dose of 120 mg of vitamin C. The brand has also launched small hearts of vitamin C chewable, with a dose of 40 g per “heart”.

Regardless of their dosage (otherwise easy to adapt, see below) and regardless of their form, vitamin C tablets are really useful for guinea pigs. They are easy to give, and for rodents, easy to chew and swallow.

By Marie-Sophie Germain