These are some charts that show some of the most nutritious foods that you can feed your guinea pig. If I left out any foods that you think I should add to any of the charts, please let me know and I will add it.

Fruit	Amount	Necessary Nutrients
Apples, no seeds	About 3 slices	Vitamin C, Fiber
Blueberries	About 1/2 handfull	Vitamin C, E
Bananas	About 2 slices	Vitamin C, B, Potassium
Oranges	1-2 slices	Vitamin C, B, A, calcium
Strawberries	1 berry	Vitamin C, B, K, potassium
Watermelon	1 small, thin slice, wash rind	Vitamin C, A, B, potassium
Grapes	2-4 grapes	Vitamin C, B, potassium

Vegetable	Amount	Necessary Nutrients
Broccoli	2 'trees'	Vitamins C,K,A, B, E, calcium, zinc
Romaine Lettuce	2-3 large leaves	Vitamins C, A, K, B, protein
Carrots (Baby)	2-3 carrots	Vitamins A, C, K, B, fiber
Tomato	One slice	Vitamins C, A, K, B, potassium, fiber
Green Pepper	1/4 pepper	Vitamins C, A, K, B, E, fiber
Dandelion Leaves (When in Season)	1/2 handfull	Calcium, Vitamin C, B, D, E, potassium
Celery (Cut in pieces)	1-2 sticks	Vitamin K, C, B, A, potassium, fiber

Foods To AVOID	Why?
Chocolate	High in oxalates; EXTREMELY poisonous
Rhubarb	EXTREMELY poisonous
Raw Beans	Poisonous
Potatoes	Poisonous skin/buds
Avocado	Poisonous
Onions	Poisonous

• Never feed your guinea pig cooked or rotten vegetables. Cooking the vegetables takes away any necessary nutrients. If you wouldn't eat it, it is not OK for your pet, either.

• Never feed your guinea pig any dry food unless it is specifically for guinea pigs. Rabbit, hamster, or chinchilla foods all have nutrients specified for THOSE pets, which could harm your guinea pig.

• Guinea pigs cannot produce their own Vitamin C. You must make sure that a substantial amount of Vitamin C is included in their diets. Look at the food charts above. Most of the healthy foods have a good amount of Vitamin C.

• Water is the most essential nutrient in all living things. It is a good idea to keep more than one bottle full of water that is easily accessible to your pet, in case one runs out. If your guinea pig runs out of water, it could become dehydrated and eventually die. You should make sure your guinea pig has enough water before you leave the house.

• Keep sugary treats to a minimum. Orange Drops or Yogurt Drops have a good amount of Vitamin C, but also a ton of sugar. If you want to feed these to your guinea pig, feed only about one per day. Obesity can become a problem for guinea pigs, so make sure your pet is not eating very many unhealthy treats.

• When you hold your guinea pig, use both hands-one to support its backside so it does not fall, and one to support its head so that it cannot wriggle free. If you drop your guinea pig, it could result in broken bones or even death. Do not hold it above your waist, just to make sure that if it does fall, it does not get hurt.

• You must clip your guinea pig's nails periodically, or else their feet could become uncomfortable. When you clip their nails, be sure not to clip the blood cell in the guinea pig's foot or paw. Although it is a minor problem if it does happen, this should always be considered while you clip the nails. Also, if you leave the nail unclipped for a long period of time, the blood cell grows with it. Soon, if you don't clip the nails, as you can see in diagram #2 and #3, you will be unable to keep your guinea pig's nails short and comfortable enough for them to walk on. Look at the diagram below to see the right and wrong ways to clip a guinea pig's nails.

The blood cell is easy to spot. Diagram #6 is a perfect example of a proper nail clipping.

• Be sure to clean your guinea pig(s)' cage at least once a week. If you have more than one guinea pig, maybe twice a week would be better. If you don't clean their cage for a long period of time, fungus and bacteria could build up in the cage, possibly doing damage to your guinea pig's feet. At almost every pet store, you can purchase cage deodorizer, which you can spray on the bottom of the cage before you put in new bedding. This helps fight infection and keeps the cage cleaner for longer time periods.

• Popcorning is when a guinea pig jumps up in excitement. This is a good sign, because it means that they are happy and enjoy their environment. Normally, it will be the younger guinea pigs that popcorn the most, because they normally weigh less than older guinea pigs. This is a good idea of what popcorning looks like.