Guinea pigs need high amounts of long fiber in their diet to wear down their constantly expanding teeth and maintain gut health. Quality timothy and grass hay should be the preferred option.
Fresh fruit like kiwifruit, berries, pineapple and banana are delicious treats, yet should only be given occasionally as they contain high levels of sugar.
Contents
Guava
Guava contains an abundant supply of Vitamin C, an essential nutrient for guinea pigs as they do not produce it themselves. Vitamin C helps them fight diseases while also aiding in blood vessel formation and cholesterol regulation, all which serve to protect their health. It’s no wonder then, that eating guava regularly may prevent heart disease!
Oranges (without seeds), strawberries, kiwis, clementines and melons like watermelons and honeydew are also abundant with Vitamin C-rich fruits; however, all fruit should be fed in moderation due to being high in sugar content; leafy green vegetables must also be rotated into their diet to provide balance and ensure their diet stays nutritional.
Guinea pigs are natural foragers, spending much of their time exploring and nibbling on plant life. Foraging is essential to their health as it promotes multiple metabolic processes – for instance stimulating digestion while decreasing obesity risk and gastrointestinal upset, as well as increasing muscle movement and flushing out harmful toxins from their system.
Kiwi
Kiwi is a delicious treat that you can share with guinea pigs to provide them with vitamin C, which they require in sufficient amounts to avoid the disease known as scurvy. Additionally, this fruit also provides potassium, protein, calcium and phosphorus; making kiwi an excellent way of providing your pet with essential minerals and vitamins!
Fruit is rich in fibres that help support proper digestive functioning in guinea pigs. Since their bodies don’t produce enough of this dietary component themselves, they rely on fruits and vegetables containing some fibrous content for daily intake – this makes Burgess Excel high quality hay a vital feed option!
When feeding a guinea pig kiwi fruit, be sure to remove its skin and cut into bite-size pieces for easier consumption. As it contains lots of sugar, too much consumption could lead to health complications for their cavies.
Mango
Guinea pigs adore mango, and it is safe to offer them slices as treats. Just ensure the fruit is fully ripened and washed thoroughly prior to giving it them as food.
Mango contains high levels of Vitamin A and some calcium, making it an essential part of your guinea pig’s diet and growth. Vitamin A helps protect eyesight against Xerophthalmia (a condition where vision loss occurs) while its small amount of calcium prevents urinary stone formation.
Mango also contains fiber, which helps support healthy digestive function in your guinea pig and may prevent constipation or other digestive problems.
As mango contains high levels of sugar, feeding too many mango slices or cubes could lead to obesity or other health problems in your guinea pig.
Tomatoes
Because unlike humans, guinea pigs cannot produce their own vitamin C, it’s vital that they get enough through food sources like fruits, veggies and herbs such as tomatoes. Doing this helps avoid issues like scurvy.
As long as they’re ripe, tomatoes are safe for guinea pigs to consume. However, it is important to keep in mind that green parts of tomato plants (leaves and stem) contain large quantities of Tomatine; an alkaloid known as Tomatine which is toxic in large doses to guinea pigs.
As with most foods, it is only recommended to feed your guinea pig a small amount of tomato on an ongoing basis, whether this means cherry, grape or beefsteak varieties. Before feeding any seeds, leaves or vines from plants to your pet, ensure you wash the tomato thoroughly first and give him/her small slices a few times every week – an ideal plan would be one or two small slices weekly.
