This is a specific conversation about Guinea pig supplies — the essentials — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
A 2.5-year-old guinea pig with sensitive digestion — that's exactly the age where pellet choice really starts to matter. Adult guinea pigs need less calcium than juveniles, and if the digestive system is already sensitive, a high-alfalfa or high-calcium pellet can tip things toward loose stools, bladder sludge, or both. Before I point you to a specific option, a couple of quick questions: is your guinea pig kept with a companion (guinea pigs really do need at least one), and when you say sensitive digestion — are we talking soft cecotropes, intermittent loose stools, or something your vet has flagged specifically?
She's kept with another female, they're bonded. The vet mentioned she's prone to bloating and suggested switching to a timothy-based, lower-calcium pellet. Nothing diagnosed officially, just ongoing sensitivity since she was young.
inparticular.ai
That's really helpful — and good that she has a companion. A vet suggestion toward timothy-based and lower calcium is exactly the right direction. Alfalfa-based pellets are fine for young guinea pigs under six months, but for an adult with a sensitive gut, they're unnecessary and can be actively problematic. Timothy-based pellets are gentler, lower in calcium, and easier to digest. What are you currently feeding her, pellet-wise? And is she eating unlimited timothy hay alongside pellets, or is the hay side of things a bit hit and miss?
She's on Burgess Excel Guinea Pig Nuggets at the moment. She eats hay pretty well — we always have it available. I just want to try something that's less likely to aggravate her stomach.
inparticular.ai
Burgess Excel isn't a bad pellet, but it does contain alfalfa, which is probably worth moving away from given what your vet said. My clear recommendation for your girl is Oxbow Essentials Adult Guinea Pig Food. It's timothy hay-based rather than alfalfa, specifically formulated for guinea pigs over six months, and has a lower calcium profile than most mainstream pellets. The ingredient list is clean — no added sugars, no seeds or dried fruit that can disrupt digestion — and it's highly consistent batch to batch, which matters when you have a gut-sensitive pig. It's widely available on Amazon UK in 1.13kg and 2.26kg bags. I'd transition slowly over about ten days, mixing it in with the Burgess at increasing ratios, to avoid any disruption from the switch itself.
That sounds sensible. How much should I be giving her daily alongside the hay?
inparticular.ai
For an adult guinea pig, roughly one to two tablespoons of pellets per day is the right amount — pellets should be a supplement to hay, not the main event. Since your girl has a sensitive stomach, I'd lean toward the lower end, around one tablespoon, and let unlimited timothy hay do the heavy lifting nutritionally. Fresh leafy greens — romaine, cos lettuce, fresh herbs like parsley in small amounts — are also great, though keep high-oxalate leaves like spinach occasional rather than daily. If her bloating improves within a few weeks of switching, that's a good sign the pellet change is helping. If it doesn't shift, it's worth going back to the vet to rule out something structural.
Really useful, thank you. I'll order the Oxbow and do the gradual switch.
inparticular.ai
Great plan. The slow transition is key — even a well-tolerated new food can cause temporary loose stools if introduced too fast in a sensitive pig. Keep a rough eye on her droppings during the switch: they should be firm, oval, and consistent in size. Any sudden change in stool shape, colour, or a drop in the number she's producing is worth monitoring. Hope she settles well on it.
