How much do your piggies cost you?

Question

I am just curious here around how much other people spend on their piggies and what brands of food and stuff they use. And what they have found works the best and worst!

Each of my piggy cost about $30 a month ( I have five)

For food, I use "Zupreem" food http://www.petmountain.com/category/281/1/guinea-pig.html?Brand=157 and

I go through a couple bags a month

And for timothy, alfalfa hay and orchard grass I go to wal-mart

I break up vitamin c capsules and put it in their water

They have to have their carrot crunchies, fruit n nut cakes, and honey bar treats!

And of course countless fruits and veggies.

What I find that does not work good are those little plastic food dishes, they dump them over! So I have big ceramic dog food dishes, lol.

Pine bedding doesn't work on two of my poor little alergenic piggies..

And those "Kabob" toys, they don't even mess with them!

I am just curious to see what other people use on their piggies and some new ideas!

Answer 1

I have 4 guinea pigs. In about a month I spend

- 1 bag of oxbow pellets... $5

- 1 bag of oxbow western timothy hay.... $10

- Veggies.... $20

So I spend about $35 a month... I use fleece and towels as bedding so that saves tons of money and I trim there own nails which also saves a lot of money and for treats I just get coupons from PetsMart or PetCo that give me free Fiesta pellets and I hand feed them some of it every other day. Also for toys I just give them boxes and stuff to play in it. But for the Kabob toy we got it once for my 4 guinea pigs and they ate out of it and they had so much fun with it but then it broke so we couldnt use it anymore. This "veggie/treat ball" hangs on your cage and you just put some veggies in it and they go crazy after that too.

Answer 2

Don't even get me started, we spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on my five boys a month, not including vet appointments!

I do have some suggestions for you, though. Save your money and don't buy Vitamin C capsules for their water. It actually makes guinea pigs thirstier and less likely to drink the water, and the vitamin C evaporates to nothingness so quickly that it does more harm than good.

Zupreem guinea pig food is awful, nutritionally. I highly recommend Oxbow Timothy based pellets, they are the only type of pellet you can find in a store near you that is suitable for guinea pigs. Check out their store locator here: http://www.oxbowhay.com/index.sp?page=in...

Also, save your money and don't spend it on the awful carrot crunchies, honey bar treats, or any treats. They are really really bad for your guinea pig, they are too high in sugar and fats, and have absolutely zero nutritional value whatsoever. Guineap pigs also enjoy fresh vegetables way more than those nasty processed treats!

My guinea pigs don't touch kabob toys either. They don't touch ANY toy that I need to go out and buy! You can find things around your house, such as tubes made out of PVC Piping or Soda Can Boxes (my boys' personal favorite!). They also may like playing with toilet paper roll tubes, clean socks, stuffed animals, and tents made out of towels.

Are you looking for a cheaper bedding? Two layers of towels with fleece on the top is a miracle! In the long run it's way cheaper and only needs to go through the wash once a week.

Answer 3

As I said in your other question, the carrot crunchies are bad for your pigs, regardless of what your vet says. Many vets aren't that knowledgable about guinea pigs. Though yours seems to know a little bit.

I spend about $15 a month on bedding. $10 a month on Oxbow pellets (the best pellets out there!) $35 every 6 months for a 35 lb bale of fresh hay, better than store bought hay. Veggies vary based on the time of year. Right now I say I'm spending abour $30 a month on veggies. So... that is about $65 a month.  Only the best for my pigs!

Answer 4

$30-$40 a month

Answer 5

loads.

welll they used to, they've passed on.. :[

Answer 6

My friend had once told me that she spent about $40 a month on her guinea pig, not including the cage, food, bedding, etc.

Answer 7

First off, sugary treats are not healthy for guinea pigs regardless of what your vet said. The treats have too much sugar and fat to be healthy, and not enough fiber to be a useful addition to their diet.  Also, zupreem isn't the worst food but there are many higher quality diets out there (Oxbow, Kleenmamma's).

I spend around $12 a month on cleaning my fleece and towels for the cage.  I'm in an apartment so I have to pay for laundry.

Around $7.50 for Oxbow Cavy Cuisine for a month.  Hay is one of my big expenses right now because I buy by the flake from a rescue.  It's more expensive but it actually fits in my apartment.  Hay costs approximately $5 a month for me, but it's hard to tell for sure splitting it between rabbits and guinea pigs.

My guy refuses to play with toys except toilet paper rolls.  So, no treats or toys in the budget.  He gets plenty of carefully chosen veggies so I don't supplement with vitamin C.  Never put vitamin C in the water, it's pointless and may lead to decreased drinking  The vitamin C breaks down in the presence of light and water.  

Veggies and the occasional fruits works out to around $10 a month, I think?  I have two rabbits as well so it's hard to tell.

So, a total of around $35 a month for one guinea pig.