Whole prey guinea pigs are a great novel protein for dogs with food allergies.
They’re generally considered a neutral to cooling protein in traditional Chinese veterinary medicine (TCVM), though they’re not commonly listed in standard TCVM charts due to their rarity as a food source.
But since guinea pigs are herbivores like rabbits and have a similar small-prey composition (lean muscle, organ, and bone), they’re closer to rabbit in energetic quality—i.e., cooling to neutral.
And because my pup Wally does great with neutral to cooling protein sources, I recently added guinea pigs to his whole prey feeding routine besides rabbits and fish.
Another option would be squirrels, especially given the squirrel-hunting instincts of his main breed (the Feist). But I have yet to find a raw dog food retailer that sells whole prey squirrels, and Wally has yet to hunt one!
So in this blog entry, you’ll learn where to source guinea pigs for raw-fed dogs in the US, the UK, Germany and Poland.
Also, how much they weigh, different feeding options and how Wally eats them.
Where to Buy Whole Prey Guinea Pigs in The US, The UK, Germany and Poland
US
- Hare Today (raw whole)
- Raw Vibes Pet Food (raw ground)
- Dogs Like it Raw (dehydrated whole)
- Emerald View Ranch (raw whole, farm pick up or shipping in Washington State only)
UK
- Kiezebrink (raw whole, different sizes)
Germany
- cit Tiernahrung (raw whole, different sizes)
Poland
- Raw Pet Food (raw whole, also ships to Germany)
What’s In a Whole Prey Guinea Pig
Just like other whole prey animals, guinea pigs consist of the different components that we use in raw feeding: Muscle meat, organs and bones.
Since these are intact animals that haven’t been gutted or skinned, there’s also blood, glands, stomach contents and fur.
It’s basically the kind of animal we’re working on replicating in our raw dog food meals.
That makes it a complete and balanced raw dog food meal.
How to Feed Your Dog Guinea Pigs
First things first, you’ll want to thaw the guinea pig. You can either let it defrost overnight in your fridge, or place it into a container filled with cool water. That’ll speed up the defrosting process and it’ll be ready to eat within 3-4 hours.
Now, if you have a yard, you can feed your dog the guinea pig outside.
I’d supervise to ensure they actually eat it and don’t drag it somewhere and potentially bury it. After all, you don’t want to attract any pests.
For inside feeding, you can either place the guinea pig in your dog’s regular feeding bowl or on a dishwasher-safe dog feeding mat.
Guinea pigs come in different sizes and weigh anywhere from 3oz to 3lbs (100g to 1kg).
So you can either buy some and feed them as a full meal, or let your dog eat half and then refrigerate or refreeze any leftovers for another meal.
The guinea pigs I recently bought all weigh around 5oz (140g).
Click below to watch Wally eat a whole prey guinea pig:
What If My Dog Doesn’t Want to Eat The Whole Prey Guinea Pig?
Many dogs instinctually know what to do and will start eating the whole prey animal rather sooner than later.
But some dogs are a bit more finicky and may need a little convincing. For these guys, you can try skinning the guinea pig and see if your dog will eat it that way.
Cutting it in half may work, too.
That way, the meat is exposed and it may be more obvious to your dog that it’s food.
You could also try covering it with some bone broth or raw goat milk.
One last resort would be to turn it into ground raw dog food with a meat grinder that grinds soft bones.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a cooling whole prey animal besides rabbit and fish, give guinea pigs a try.
They come in different sizes which make them a great whole prey option for a large variety of dogs – and even cats, for example Maine Coons.
In the US, your best bet of buying them whole is going to be from Hare Today, and in the UK, you’ll get them from Kiezebrink.
In Germany, the same is true for cit Tierbedarf, which is where I got mine from.
Related Reading
- Cooling proteins from Raw Feeding Miami
- Vet-approved whole prey rabbit feeding
- How to feed whole raw fish to dog
- How to make DIY raw dog food
- Whole prey duck for dogs
- Beaver for raw dog food
Barbara Rivers is the founder of K9sOverCoffee and a raw feeding educator with over a decade of hands-on experience.
She has fed raw in the US and Europe since 2015, after her Boxer mix Missy’s cancer diagnosis led her to move away from processed kibble and commit to species-appropriate nutrition.
As a former professional dog walker, she developed deep insight into canine behavior, conditioning, and the essential link between proper exercise and long-term health.
Barbara completed online training with veterinarian Dr. Marion Smart and Labrador breeder Dana Scott and works for one of Germany’s leading raw dog food brands, BARFER’S.
In 2026–2027, she is completing a year-long raw nutrition certification for dogs and cats at THP School, founded by raw feeding pioneer Swanie Simon.
Through her blog and weekly newsletter, she provides clear, experience-based guidance to help dog owners feed raw safely and confidently.