Guinea pigs require fresh fruits and veggies as part of their diet to ensure they receive essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber – they also benefit from having variety to keep them interested and avoid digestive problems.
Guinea Pigs should consume vegetables such as lettuce, greens, and carrots to meet their dietary requirements. When feeding these items to their pet guinea pig, always wash thoroughly first in order to eliminate pesticides and chemicals that could contain harmful pesticides and chemicals.
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Leafy Greens
Leafy greens provide guinea pigs with essential nutrients like potassium, Vitamin C and soluble fiber – three essential elements they require daily in addition to pellets and hay for their wellbeing. They should form the majority of their daily fresh produce diet.
Avoid vegetables known to cause gas, such as bok choy, cabbage and collard greens as well as white button and portabello mushrooms (white button and portabello varieties are safe) as well as iceberg lettuce.
Carrots
Carrots are an excellent source of Vitamin C and offer guinea pigs soluble fiber, making them an excellent alternative to some vegetables that may be high in calcium or oxalic acid, which could potentially cause digestive issues for them.
Provide your guinea pig with a variety of veggies and fruits to keep him/her interested and healthy, since too much of one vegetable could lead to digestive problems and boredom.
Broccoli
Broccoli can provide your guinea with vital vitamin C that it cannot produce itself or store, so be sure to offer small portions often and gradually increase them over time.
Folic acid can also help balance out your pig’s diet, and lower their risk of bladder stones.
Brussel Sprouts
Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamin C. Guinea pigs require plenty of this vitamin in their diet to support a healthy immune system and avoid scurvy.
Other tasty vegetables to provide include green peppers (without seeds and core), romaine lettuce, celery stalks with leaves attached, carrots with their leaves attached, parsley and washed carrots with leaves still attached as well as parsley. All should be washed carefully prior to consumption; be mindful of rhubarb as this can cause severe stomach upset.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes add color and flavor to a guinea pig’s diet, adding variety while providing important nutrition. But these treats should only be fed in small quantities due to being high in sugar/starch content and may cause digestive issues for sensitive guinea pigs. When giving tomatoes as treats for sensitive guinea pigs it is wise to limit consumption to only white varieties or those without green leaves/stems/leaves as this could trigger gastric upset or diarrhea in sensitive individuals.
Your pig should primarily receive leafy vegetables like romaine, red/green/swiss lettuce, kale, mustard/turnip/radish greens and cabbage in its diet; add carrots, zucchini and tomatoes as variety to keep their digestive systems active.
Green Beans
Green beans provide essential Vitamin C and calcium, along with fiber, iron, magnesium, and potassium that guinea pigs need.
Guinea pigs should be given small portions as treats once or twice weekly. Guinea pigs require fibrous foods that require chewing as their teeth continually develop and could potentially lead to dental issues if not worn down properly.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and other vital nutrients, while their antioxidants may help prevent damage to cells within your guinea pig’s body.
Plan on offering different vegetables throughout the week to keep your guinea pig’s diet exciting, and avoid giving too many of the same items at one time; too much repetition of one food type may lead to boredom and digestive upset, while remember that each guinea pig has individual tastes; what may please one may turn off another.
Spinach
Guinea pigs cannot produce their own Vitamin C, making it essential to include plenty of this nutrient in their diets. Furthermore, Vitamin C provides excellent sources of soluble fiber, magnesium potassium and iron.
Add spinach to your weekly meals in small portions; its high oxalate content could potentially lead to bladder stones. For optimal results, pair with other fresh vegetables.
Lettuce
Lettuce is an excellent choice for guineas that are susceptible to bladder stones as it contains vitamins C, A, K, folate, fiber and potassium. Furthermore, lettuce contains minimal calcium and oxalic acid content.
Romaine, Butterhead and Red & Green Leaf lettuces can all be fed daily as healthy options to their diets, while Iceberg lettuce should be avoided due to its lower nutrition and higher sugar content.
Herbs
Herbs are an effective way to give your pet access to an abundance of vitamins and minerals in a small dose once or twice each week. You should do your best not to feed too much at one time!
As with other fruits and vegetables, herbs should be given in moderation as part of a well-rounded diet consisting of hay, pellets and fresh produce. Try growing your own guinea pig herbs at home!
