Whenever I am making recommendations for guinea pig foods and when deciding on the best guinea pig pellets, I am always considering a huge range of factors.
Therefore, in addition to providing fresh vegetables for your pet, you’ll need to select a food that has been fortified with Vitamin C.
The first is what is actually in the food itself. This is even more relevant when it comes to these ‘all in one foods’ that companies will try and label as healthy and ‘everything you need’. Typically, guinea pig pellets fall under this category. What does this mean? Well, any food that is designed to provide a balanced diet is also typically labeled as an all-in-one food. While this is great, the reality is, that you need to balance out your little guy’s diet as much as possible. Switch it up, and introduce some treats. No one likes to eat the same food day in and day out and guinea pigs are no different. In saying that, the best guinea pig pellets that I have found are able to cover about %90 of your guinea pigs’ dietary needs.
Now, if you are short of time and just want to see my number one recommendation, click the button below. This is my number one recommendation for Guinea Pig Pellets coming from Small Pet Select (one of my favorite companies):
Small Pet Select is amazing when it comes to guinea pig products. These guys, in my mind, as well as in many other people’s (according to reviews) are the gold standard of guinea pig products. They make everything from guinea pig treats to guinea pig hay feeders and even… yep you guessed it… the best guinea pig pellets. I go into a bit more depth about this product later on in the article, so if you are interested, keep reading.
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Guinea Pig Pellet Factors
So, deciding how to rank the different types of guinea pig pellets that are out there was not easy. I had to create my own ranking system and put these pellets to the test. This system takes into account some really important factors when it comes to the food and they are as follows:
Healthy Guinea Pigs Pellets
The food has to be healthy. No crazy chemical additives or things that guinea pigs shouldn’t be eating. In a lot of guinea pig foods, especially bulk guinea pig foods, companies will use ‘fillers’. Fillers are like additives to the food that are designed to bulk up the weight. They don’t provide any health benefits and just make it look like you are getting more bang for your buck. For example, I have seen plenty of companies using soy or corn to increase their product’s weight. The reality is, these do nothing for your guinea pig health-wise and are pretty pointless.
Along with being healthy, extra points go to guinea pig pellets that have vitamin c additives included. Now whenever I hear the word additives when it comes to food, I get a bit worried. But, believe it or not, guinea pigs are just like humans in that they can’t produce vitamin C on their own. It is up to us to provide them with vitamin C supplements (more on this here) to prevent guinea pig scurvy and other issues. Having vitamin C additives and supplements does just this.
Affordable Guinea Pig Pellets
Everyone wants to make sure they are getting good value for money. In my opinion, the best guinea pig pellets are both healthy and priced at an affordable point. Keep in mind though, typically, the cheaper you go, the lower the quality of the food gets. All of my recommendations are made so as to ensure you are getting a good bang for your buck, but also a high-quality product.
Reputable Company
Typically, the background of the company really doesn’t bother me too much, unless there are safety factors involved or if they have a terrible track record. With guinea pig foods, however, I had to take this into consideration. If you think about it, food is where you want to be most cautious. But don’t worry, I have you covered 😉
So let’s get to reviewing and deciding on the best guinea pig pellets!
The Best Guinea Pig Pellets Reviewed
Small Pet Select
As you already know, I am a big fan of Small Pet Select. They are a family-run organization and I have honestly loved every single one of their products! Their guinea pig pellets are no exception. They offer great value for money, and you can rest easy knowing your guinea pig is eating incredibly healthy food.
Is Small Pet Select’s Guinea Pig Pellets Healthy?
Honestly, it was the healthiness factor that put this food at the top of my list! These guinea pig pellets were made taking into consideration all the vitamin needs of your guinea pig. The food itself is fortified with the vitamins replicating your little guy’s dietary essentials.
On top of this, the pellets have been produced in really small batches. What this means for you is that the food is as fresh as it can possibly be. The smaller the batch, the less time it spends in storage. This means the food is sent to you at a faster rate. Also, keep in mind, that Small Pet Select sells their food in increments all the way up to 25 pounds. Yes, the food does get cheaper the larger the amount you buy, however you also have to consider storage. If you have a few guinea pigs, then, by all means, get hold of as many of these guinea pig pellets as you can. But remember, the longer you have the food on hand the less fresh it is going to be.
Now, if you are after a full list of the ingredients, check out this link here.
Are Small Pet Select’s Guinea Pig Pellets Affordable?
People are always hunting for a bargain. Now, these, guinea pig pellets are not exactly the cheapest pellets out there, but you are definitely getting a premium product. The prices typically vary from $25 to $50 depending on how much you end up buying. Once again, the more you buy the cheaper the food is gonna get.
Is Small Pet Select A Good Company?
Well, they certainly wouldn’t be my number one choice if they weren’t. These guys are a small family-run organization who really takes pride in what they do. They always put out great products and I am not the only one who thinks so. These guys are really highly rated across numerous platforms.
On top of all this, Small Pet Selects offers a 100 percent money-back guarantee. So if you are not satisfied with their products you can send them right back for a complete refund. That’s how confident they are!
Oxbox Cavy Cuisine
Oxbow makes a huge range of foods for a huge range of animals. Recently, they decided to start making pellets for guinea pigs and as a result, they have released their ‘Oxbow Cavy Cuisine Essentials‘.
Is Oxbow’s Guinea Pig Pellets Healthy?
Oxbow’s guinea pig pellets are made using a Timothy hay base. Timothy hay acts as a great source of fiber for your guinea pig. The fiber infused in this diet is incredibly healthy when it comes to supporting your little guy’s digestive system.
On top of this, being some of the best guinea pig pellets out there, Oxbow’s product has a naturally balanced infusion of calcium. Calcium is an incredibly important vitamin for your guinea pig a lack of it results in numerous health problems (read more here).
These pellets have also been infused with Vitamin C which is fantastic. Typically, if I am trying to get my guinea pig to eat vitamin C I have to administer some form of supplement (more on this here).
Keep in mind, that both myself and Oxbow recommend feeding your guinea pig these pellets alongside other foods. This helps create variety in your guinea pig’s diet and makes sure all the health boxes are ticked. To find out what your guinea pig can and can’t eat, check out my ultimate guinea pig food list here.
Are Oxbow’s Guinea Pig Pellets Affordable?
Well, this option is certainly cheaper than my first recommendation. How much cheaper? Once again, this varies according to how much of these guinea pig pellets you end up buying. However, in saying that, these pellets will typically cost around $35 unless you go further up on the old weight scale side of things. Oxbow sells their guinea pig pellets in increments from 1 pound all the way up to 25 pounds.
Occasionally, Oxbow will run discounts on their guinea pig food. Make sure you keep an eye out for these! I have seen prices drop as much as 50% depending on the time of year and what kind of offer these guys are running.
Is Oxbow A Good Company?
These guys have been in business for a long time. These guys started as a company about five generations ago with origins in the hay industry. From hay, Oxbow gradually expanded into other markets and has since become what they are today. Oxbow has an in-house veterinarian as well. This veterinarian looks at every single product that Oxbow puts out and makes sure it meets all the necessary medical and health requirements.
This veterinarian is not your average vet either. This vet has set the standard across the market for treating animal injuries and illnesses (read more here).
Kaytees Guinea Pig Pellets
As far as time business goes, Oxbow has probably been around the longest. However, Kaytee (my third recommendation) would come in at a hot second. These guys have been making guinea pig food for a seriously long time, and their standards have not changed. And believe me, these standards are HIGH!
Is Kaytee’s Guinea Pig Pellets Healthy?
The best guinea pig pellets are produced by companies that have consulted animal dieticians and vets and taken onboard their advice. Kaytee, Oxbow, and Small Pet Select have done just that with all their foods and especially in the case of their guinea pig pellets.
Kaytee has included a huge range of essential vitamins and core fibers within its guinea pig pellets. For a full list, read more here. On top of this, Kaytee has infused both prebiotics and probiotics into their food mixture. Prebiotics are essentially a non-digestible part of foods. Prebiotic fiber goes through to the small intestine of your guinea pig (undigested) and is subsequently fermented by the time it reaches your guinea pig’s gut. Long story short, they provide the building blocks for healthy bacteria.
Probiotics are live bacteria colonies that are already ready to go by the time they are ingested by your guinea pig. By infusing these in your guinea pig pellets, your guinea pig is essentially getting both the benefits of a healthy diet and the benefits of healthy bacteria supporting your little guy’s immune system. For more information about prebiotics and probiotics, read here.
On top of all this, Kaytee has also made sure their pellets help wear down your guinea pigs’ teeth. Now, those new to owning guinea pigs may not know this, but unlike humans, guinea pig teeth will keep growing throughout their entire life (kind of like fingernails). It is up to us to provide them with food, toys and treats that help wear down their teeth. A sure sign that your guinea pig’s teeth are growing too long is if your guinea starts chewing miscellaneous things like its cage or food bowls. Getting food like Kaytee’s helps prevent this altogether.
Are Kaytee’s Guinea Pig Pellets Affordable?
Kaytee probably offers the most affordable of all the guinea pig Pellets I have recommended so far. Prices range from $30 and up depending on the weight you end up purchasing.
Is Kaytee A Good Company?
As I mentioned above, Kaytee, like Oxbow, has been around for a long time. Kaytee’s business started in flour in 1866 and has since expanded into the pet sector by selling bird food. Having established a great reputation in the bird food world, Kaytee decided to expand into what we see today.
Kaytee has received a huge range of food safety standards largely due to the laboratory testing their foods undergo before they are brought to market. All of their foods are tested in formulated within a lab setting which has been independently verified by the A2LA. A2LA is an independent regulatory group that ensures lab safety and good standards of practice. Luckily for us, Kaytee passed with flying colors.
Kaytee is a great company which has been proved time and time again. Both through other customer reviews and through the rigorous safety standards they put themselves through. To learn more about Kaytee and how they produce some of the best guinea pig pellets out there, click here.
Now, as far as my best guinea pig pellets reviews and recommendations go, that is the end. However, I also wanted to mention something else that I came across. Small Pet Select recently released these Snack Bites for guinea pigs that I thought were really cool. These snack bites are made using human-grade ingredients and are great for training your guinea pig. Personally, if I am trying to teach my little guy a cool trick, I will reward him with one of these treats.
They are also great for foraging. When I let my guinea pig do some exploring, I’ll sometimes hide these little treats around the house or back garden and just watch him go wild looking for them.
The link below will take you to their offer which currently includes 5 different types of snacks. These are 100 percent chemical and preservative-free and SUPER healthy. Feel free to check them out:
In conclusion, when it comes to finding the best guinea pig pellets, it is important to do your research. There are many different types of pellets on the market, and not all of them are created equal. By taking the time to find a high-quality pellet that meets your guinea pig’s nutritional needs, you can be sure that your pet is getting the most out of its diet.
Because guinea pigs cannot synthesize vitamin C from other food substances, provide them with a dietary source of vitamin C.
Well, I hope you found all that information useful. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments section below. Alternatively, feel free to shoot me an email and I’ll get back to ASAP!