If you own a guinea pig and want to offer them fruits, it is important to know which kinds are safe. Doing this will guarantee your pig gets all the essential nutrients it requires while avoiding potential health issues that could arise from overfeeding them.
Fruits provide many essential nutrients for guinea pigs, like Vitamin C. Furthermore, they help keep them hydrated.
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Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for guinea pigs to promote healthy skin, cartilage and bones. Additionally, it has a significant role in aiding the body’s capacity to fight infections and inflammatory diseases.
Guinea pigs cannot produce vitamin C on their own like humans and primates do, so they must obtain it through food sources. When these guinea pigs’ vitamin C levels drop below normal, they may experience scurvy symptoms.
Scurvy is an intensely painful condition that can cause guinea pigs to hop, lose weight and become lethargic or depressed. Additionally, it affects tooth enamel development – making eating difficult.
Ideally, your guinea pig’s diet should consist of unlimited fresh timothy hay, pellets with stabilized vitamin C and a variety of vegetables and fruits. While most will not overeat, these foods still provide essential nutrition for them.
Dietary Fiber
Guinea pigs are fibervores, or herbivores (animals that only consume plants). Therefore, providing them with a diet rich in fiber is essential for their wellbeing.
Their diet should consist mainly of grass hay and fresh vegetables and fruit daily in small amounts. How much they consume will depend on their age, health condition and activity level.
Guinea pigs’ primary source of dietary fiber is cellulose, which they can find in hay and vegetables. This fiber helps to bind water and promotes a healthy intestinal tract.
Fiber can be found in many fruits and vegetables. Examples of fruit that contain a high level of fiber include strawberries, bananas and apples.
Star fruit is an excellent source of potassium and can be a tasty treat for guinea pigs when given in moderation. Unfortunately, it has a high acidity level due to the presence of oxalic acid, which in some guinea pigs may lead to diarrhea, kidney stones or central nervous system issues.
Magnesium
Magnesium plays an essential role in over 300 biochemical reactions throughout the body, such as muscle and nerve function, heartbeat control, blood sugar adjustment, calcium/protein production, bone formation, DNA replication and cellular energy production.
Magnesium deficiencies in guinea pigs can manifest as slow growth and stiffness of the hind limbs (exostosis of the mandibles), overgrowth of molars, erosion, softening, and decay in incisor teeth. In extreme cases, they may even become unable to chew their food and experience depression.
Deficits in magnesium may be related to diseases that interfere with digestion or kidney disease that flushes excess magnesium through urine. Older adults are particularly at risk for lacking this nutrient due to decreased absorption in the gut and increased excretion through urine.
Fortunately, many common foods contain magnesium. Examples include nuts, seeds, legumes, beans and vegetables – some fruits and veggies being particularly high in this nutrient.
Potassium
Potassium is an essential dietary mineral and electrolyte that plays a significant role in maintaining body function. It regulates fluid balances between cells and electrolytes, helping to keep blood pressure at normal levels – thus avoiding cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related issues.
Dietary potassium has also been linked to improved bone health in older adults [57], suggesting that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables that provides 2.6-3.4 grams/day of potassium (see AI) could help keep healthy elderly individuals at lower risk for chronic illness.
Star fruits are an excellent source of potassium and antioxidants. They’re high in vitamin C, which supports the immune system and enhances respiratory health. Plus, they contain minerals such as magnesium, phosphorous, iron, zinc; plus dietary fiber which aids in absorption of glucose into your bloodstream.
