Guinea pigs have one non-negotiable that separates their food from every other small pet's: they can't make their own vitamin C, so they need it delivered daily or they get scurvy. That means a vitamin-C-fortified pellet (not rabbit food, not a generic rodent mix), unlimited fresh grass hay as the real foundation, and vitamin-C-rich vegetables on top. Get those three right and a cavy thrives for years. Here are the makers that fortify properly and ship hay fresh.
Published July 2026 · Updated 4 Jul 2026 · Sourcing verified 4 Jul 2026
Pellets pressed from 100% timothy hay with no binders, grains or additives — 7% protein, 35% max fibre — hand-packed into paper sacks and boxed instead of plastic-sealed, so they do not sweat into mildew on the way. Shipped straight off the family farm. Worth pairing with a vitamin C source, since guinea pigs cannot make their own and a plain forage pellet does not carry it.
Why the vitamin C caveat matters hereGuinea pigs are one of the few mammals that cannot synthesise vitamin C, and it degrades in storage even in fortified pellets. A plain timothy pellet plus fresh peppers is more reliable than trusting a bag that has been on a shelf for months.
See it at FarmerDave →Oxbow's Essentials Adult Guinea Pig food is the vet-recommended default — a timothy-based, vitamin-C-fortified pellet with stabilized C that's built specifically for cavies' needs. It pairs perfectly with their well-regarded timothy hay, giving you a complete, no-guesswork diet from one trusted source. For the overwhelming majority of guinea pig owners, Oxbow is the right, safe, complete answer, and their Garden Select line offers a non-GMO variety. The gold standard cavy keepers reach for first. Fortified, timothy-based, and vet-trusted.
Why it beats generic rodent foodStabilized vitamin C and a timothy base are built for exactly what a guinea pig needs and can't make itself. A generic rodent food skips the C — the one thing a cavy cannot go without.
See it at Oxbow →Since hay is 80% of a guinea pig's diet, hay quality matters enormously — and Small Pet Select built its reputation on it: hand-sorted, small-batch, fast-turnover timothy and orchard hay that arrives green and fragrant instead of brown and dusty. They also carry fortified guinea pig pellets. For the owner who's realized their pig's health rides mostly on the hay, this is the freshness-first choice cavy people rave about. The hay that actually smells like hay. Fresh-cut quality, delivered fast.
Why it beats a shelf bagHay is most of the diet and freshness drives both nutrition and whether the pig will eat it. Hand-sorted, fast-turnover hay arrives green and palatable — not the brown, dusty stuff that's been in a warehouse a year.
See it at Small Pet Select →Sherwood's vet-formulated guinea pig food is grain-free and alfalfa-free for adults, built on the theory that grain and excess calcium drive many cavy health problems (bladder stones, obesity). It's fortified with stabilized vitamin C and favored by owners managing pigs prone to urinary or weight issues. For the keeper who wants a cleaner, lower-calcium, science-first pellet — especially for a pig with a history of stones — Sherwood is the specialist choice. A targeted diet for the health-sensitive cavy. Cleaner ingredients, stabilized C.
Why it beats a standard pelletGrain-free and alfalfa-free means lower calcium and starch — genuinely helpful for pigs prone to bladder stones or weight gain — while still delivering the fortified vitamin C every cavy requires.
See it at Sherwood →