Furthermore, most pellets are made with alfalfa because of its pleasing color and taste. The trouble is, alfalfa is too high in calcium. With long-term use, it can cause kidney problems and bone deformation.

In the wild, cavies eat a diet of mostly grass, with hardly any fruit or vegetables. The balance of their diet in captivity should be similar. Timothy hay offers the closest approximation of their wild diet, while pellets add needed vitamins and minerals. Thus, the best diet for your cavy includes:

	All the timothy hay they want...enough to swim in. Grazing outside is also okay, as long as you don't use herbicides or pesticides on your lawn.
	A daily Vitamin C supplement in the form of pellets, a water additive, Tang (fed by hand), or 1/4 cup of parsley.
	No more than 1/8 cup of pellets per day. While they're fortified with vitamins and help to balance your guinea pig's diet, they are usually made with alfalfa (see above). The fibers are also broken up and compressed, so they do little to keep a cavy's teeth healthy.
	No more than 1-2 teaspoons of vegetables per day, as starches and sugars can make cavies "burn" too hot.
	Remember also to always provide fresh, clean water.

Litter

In recent years, we've found that the oils in pine and cedar shavings can inhibit Vitamin C absorption, and cedar can cause liver damage. In most cases, the best litter is made of recycled paper or timothy hay. They don't mask the smells as effectively, but are much safer for your pig.