SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/small-guinea-pig-vitamin-c

Why must guinea pig food contain vitamin C every day?

Guinea pigs cannot make their own vitamin C.

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  1. It prevents fur loss
  2. It keeps them small
  3. Guinea pigs cannot make their own vitamin C ✔

Why: Like people, guinea pigs cannot make vitamin C and must get it from food. Without it they can get scurvy, with swollen joints, dental problems and weakness.

Huh, didn't know that: Vitamin C in guinea pig pellets breaks down, and pellets can lose much of it within a few months.

The dad joke
Why did the guinea pig go to the beach? He wanted some vitamin sea.
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References

Answer: Guinea pigs cannot make their own vitamin C. Like people, guinea pigs cannot make vitamin C and must get it from food. Without it they can get scurvy, with swollen joints, dental problems and weakness.

  1. Merck Veterinary Manual: Diet for a Guinea Pig www.merckvetmanual.com/all-other-pets/guinea-pigs/diet-for-a-guinea-pig
    Guinea pigs can't produce vitamin C, so they need to obtain it from their diet.
    Checked 2026-10-11.
  2. Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional Problems of Guinea Pigs www.merckvetmanual.com/all-other-pets/guinea-pigs/nutritional-problems-of-guinea-pigs
    foods with added nutrients can lose much of their vitamin C within a few months
    Checked 2026-10-11.

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