A guinea pig fed on pellets and hay alone is doing fine nutritionally, but a mix with flaked vegetables and seeds gives it more to actually forage through - which some owners find keeps a guinea pig more active and interested at feeding time. Bestpets' guinea pig food combines both a pelleted base and a mixed component.

The pellets contain wheat and wheatfeed, grass meal, oatfeed, distillers grains, rapeseed meal, palm kernel, molasses and a vitamin premix, alongside a separately coloured extruded biscuit and flaked peas, beans, maize, oats, locust beans and sunflower seed. Protein comes out at 17.5%, oil at 5.0%, fibre at 7.6% and ash at 5.0%, with added vitamin A at 10,000 iu/kg, vitamin D3 at 2,000 iu/kg, vitamin E at 40 iu/kg, vitamin C at 48mg/kg and copper at 10mg/kg. It is a complementary food.

• Pellets plus flaked peas, beans, maize, oats and sunflower seed
• Protein 17.5%, oil 5.0%, fibre 7.6%, ash 5.0%
• Vitamin C added at 48mg/kg
• Complementary food, not a complete diet alone
• 15kg bag

On the biscuit colouring. The extruded biscuit component in this mix is coloured using EC additives E102, E110 and E131 - all permitted colourings, but worth knowing if you specifically avoid artificial colourants in what you feed. Best Pets' own guidance is also to never offer this food straight from the fridge.

Who it's for: guinea pig owners who want a varied mixed feed alongside hay, rather than a plain uniform pellet, and who feed a good quality earthenware or ceramic bowl rather than plastic.