Why Your Guinea Pig or Rabbit Might Ignore Dry Food — and Why That’s OK

Published on 20 October 2025 at 13:13

A Common Concern: "They Don’t Seem to Be Fussed With the Dry Food"

Many owners worry when their guinea pigs or rabbits go off their pellets or nuggets. It’s understandable — dry food has become a staple in the small pet aisle. But here’s the thing: it was never meant to be the main course.

If your pet is showing little interest in dry food, it might not be a fussy phase. It could actually be a positive sign that their body is seeking what it truly needs — natural, varied, forage-based nutrition.

Let’s explore what this means, why it’s supported by science, and how you can adjust their diet to better reflect how guinea pigs and rabbits evolved to eat.

The Role of Dry Food: Supplement, Not Staple

Pellets were developed to provide nutritional insurance — a way to ensure animals in captivity received a minimum baseline of nutrients. However, they were never designed to replace fresh hay or forage.

According to the PDSA and RSPCA, dry food should make up only 5% of a rabbit or guinea pig's diet. The rest should come from:

85–90% hay
5–10% fresh forage, vegetables, herbs, and occasional fruit

RSPCA Rabbit Diet Guide: https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rabbits/diet

PDSA Guinea Pig Diet Guide: https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/small-pets/guinea-pig-diet

So if your pet skips the nuggets? They’re still on track — as long as their diet is rich in hay and forage.

What Counts as Forage?

The term "forage" includes a wide variety of safe, natural plants — not just wild herbs, but also leafy vegetables, stems, twigs, flowers, and select fruits. In other words:

Vegetables, herbs, and even fruit are types of forage — when fed appropriately.

For example:

Leafy greens like romaine lettuce, kale, spinach (in moderation), and herbs like parsley and coriander
Wild plants like dandelion, bramble, plantain, and chickweed
Twigs and leaves from safe trees like willow, apple, raspberry, hazel, and hawthorn
Fruit (as a treat): apple slices, strawberries, banana — best fed sparingly due to sugar content

Important Notes on Fruit

While fruit is natural, it should only be offered occasionally due to its sugar content, which can upset the gut flora of herbivores and contribute to obesity or dental problems.

RWAF Diet Guide: https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-diet/

Forage Feeds the Gut — Literally

Guinea pigs and rabbits are hindgut fermenters, which means their digestive system is adapted to process large volumes of fibrous plant material. When we feed them pellets instead of fresh forage, we:

Lower their fibre intake
Limit their exposure to natural enzymes and plant compounds
Reduce chewing time, which affects dental wear

A 2016 study published in Animals (MDPI) found that a forage

- heavy diet improves gut motility, behaviour, and dental wear in rabbits.

"Feeding Hay Improves the Health and Welfare of Pet Rabbits" – Johnson-Delaney et al., 2016
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/6/4/34

What About the Nutrients in Pellets?

Yes, commercial dry food is fortified with vitamin C (essential for guinea pigs), calcium, and other trace minerals. But those nutrients are also naturally available in fresh forage — especially when a wide variety is offered.

Vitamin C is found in:

Bell peppers
Parsley
Kale
Dandelion greens
Calcium and magnesium are found in:
Plantain
Dandelion
Raspberry leaves
Spinach (limited amounts)

Pellets are useful in small, measured doses, especially for underweight animals, growing youngsters, or those with specific medical needs. But they shouldn’t be the default for a healthy adult guinea pig or rabbit.

When Pets Say No to Nuggets: What They're Really Saying

If your guinea pigs or rabbits are consistently leaving their nuggets uneaten, they’re not being awkward. They’re likely:

Getting enough from hay and forage
Preferring the taste and texture of natural food
Self-regulating their intake (which is a good sign of instinctive feeding)

Rather than trying to push them back toward dry food, it’s worth leaning into what their behaviour is telling you: they thrive on forage.

GGT’s Approach: Forage-First Feeding

At Guinea Gourmet Treats, we believe in food that mimics what animals were designed to eat. That’s why every blend is:

Hand-foraged
Seasonal and species-appropriate
Backed by nutritional science
Tailored for guinea pigs, rabbits, tortoises, rats, degus, giant African snails and more

We encourage all pet owners to see dry food as an optional extra, not a necessity. When a pet turns their nose up at pellets, don’t panic — celebrate the opportunity to feed more naturally.

Explore our full range of forage boxes and feeding guides at:
https://www.guineagourmettreats.co.uk