can guinea pigs eat guava?
Hi, welcome to solsarin site, in this post we want to talk about“can guinea pigs eat guava”,
stay with us.
can guinea pigs eat guava?
our Guinea pig can eat guava as it is a delicious fruit that is also a rich source of Vitamin C, antioxidants, and fiber.
According to studies, an adult guinea pig should in-take 25mg of Vitamin C daily, and a pregnant guinea pig should intake 30-40 mg of Vitamin C daily.
But it also contains a good amount of fructose, phosphorus, and acidic content.
So it should not be served regularly. There are many benefits of guava to your guinea pig. Let us dive into the same:
- Prevention of scurvy: Vitamin is the most necessary for guinea pigs as it helps prevent scurvy and illness. Guinea pigs cannot develop Vitamin C on their own. So feeding guava in moderate quantity can give a good amount of Vitamin C to our guinea pig.
- Antioxidants: Guava holds a good amount of antioxidants which protect our guinea pigs from several heat diseases and minimize the risk of many other health conditions.
Advantages of guava for guinea pigs
There are several reasons to feed guinea pigs with guava. A few of them is as follows:
- Guava is a rich supply of vitamin C, antioxidants, and many other nutrients that a guinea pig is unable to produce themselves.
- The antioxidants present in guava will remove all the ill health things from the older guinea pigs.
- The higher fiber content in guava will help the digestion of the cavy.
- Higher water in guava will keep our little friends hydrated, even if they don’t consume water.
- A valuable amount of potassium in guava will keep the kidneys healthy in guinea pigs.
- Guinea pigs like guava too much as it tastes good to them.
Nutrition Value
Amounts displayed per 100 grams.
| Vitamin C | 228 g |
| Fiber | 5.4 g |
| Protein | 2.55 g |
| Sugars | 8.92 g |
| Calcium (Ca) | 18 mg |
| Phosphorus (P) | 40 mg |
| Magnesium | 22 mg |
| Potassium | 417 mg |
| Sodium | 2 mg |
Is guava bad for our guinea pig’s health?
Guavas can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and even interfere with hormone levels in female guinea pigs which can result in a condition known as “False Pregnancy” (please see our article on False Pregnancy in Guinea Pigs for more information).
There can be certain exceptions to this rule and some guinea pigs can eat it without showing any ill effects.
Can guinea pigs eat guava seeds?
Seeds are present in the guava, and it is vital to remove seeds before feeding guava to the guinea pigs. The seeds are harmful to the guinea pigs as the seeds can cause choking in them.
There are no nutritional contents in seed and it is better to remove seeds so guineas pigs can access other healthy nutrients present in guava. Apart from nutrient contents, our little friends can hurt themselves with the presence of seeds.
Guinea pigs have nice large and sharp teeth so they can hurt themselves by bitting the seeds straight through and the acidic contents of the guava become more painful to the guinea pigs.
Therefore, they can feed on guava but cannot eat their seeds. Removal of seed before serving to the guinea pigs is advisable. However, flesh and skin are good for their health in a moderate amount.
How often can guinea pigs eat guava?
You can serve guava two times a week to your guinea pig but in a moderate quantity. Overfeeding of the fruit can lead to significant health issues as it contains a good amount of fructose.
Any Fruit, including guava, which contains sugar, should be served in a moderate quantity and should not be added to their regular meal. Their regular meal must consist of hay and fresh veggies.
Apart from these, there are many other fruits and vegetables that you can feed to your guinea pigs.
How to prepare guava for guinea pigs?
Guava can be fed fresh, dried, cooked, or canned.
The finer you can grind up the guava fruit before giving it to your guinea pig the more digestible it will be so blending some in with their food can be beneficial.
It can also help to mix some water or apple juice into their food if you are grinding up the guava fruit to make it easier for your guinea pig to digest.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Fruit?
Guinea pigs can eat some fruit. But fruit is not a staple part of their diet.
In fact, it’s not a necessary part of a guinea pig diet at all.
In other words, guinea pigs can survive just fine without ever touching a piece of fruit in their life, as long as they are provided with the necessities of what a guinea pig should be eating.
But fruit has some benefits: Many fruits contain a lot of Vitamin C, which we know is important for our guinea pigs.
And fruit can provide a fun treat.
There are also downsides: fruit is naturally sugary, and this is a big reason why fruit consumption must be strictly moderated.
So guinea pigs CAN eat some fruit. But they eat is sparingly; as a treat. And this guide is all about the different types of fruits we can offer our guinea pigs from time to time.
The Risks Associated With Feeding Guinea Pigs Fruit
Just like with anything else, there are risks associated with feeding guinea pigs fruit ( I know, huge bummer).
Fortunately, taking a few precautions (more on these later) can help you avoid any health problems.
Another thing to be aware of is that different fruits have different nutritional values.
Here are a few of the risks to be aware of:
Choking Hazards
All produce classified as fruits have seeds. And some seeds, like those from watermelons, pumpkins, cherries, and cantaloupes, are large and can easily choke guinea pigs.
So, when offering fruit to your little friends, make sure to remove the seeds first. It doesn’t take long and is definitely worth the effort to avoid a trip to the vet.
Some fruit seeds are small (or soft) enough for piggies to eat. Like:
- berries (basically all of them)
- bell peppers (yep, it’s a fruit, but a lot people use it as a veggie)
- figs
- kiwis
- cucumber (uh-huh, yet another fruit often used as a vegetable)
Mouth Sores
Guinea pigs, like people, can get mouth sores from eating too much fruit.
The high acidity in some fruits can cause irritation and even bleeding of the delicate tissue inside the your little friends’ mouth.
So, to avoid this problem, it’s best to only give your piggies small quantities of fruit as an occasional treat.
Citrus fruits, in particular, are high in acid and should be avoided or only fed very small amounts (and that means go easy on the oranges, pineapples, tangerines, lemons, limes, and grapefruit).
Weight Gain
The high sugar content in many fruits can cause your piggies to gain weight if they eat too much.
(Notice the trend here?)
While a little bit of weight gain isn’t a bad thing, too much can lead to health problems like:
- diabetes
- heart disease
- joint pain
- respiratory problems
So, remember to only give guinea pigs fruit as a special treat and make sure that the majority of their diet still consists of hay (lots and lots of hay), pellets, and fresh vegetables.
Digestion Issues
Overfeeding fruit to your fur babies can lead to diarrhea and even stomach bloat. Even introducing too much of a new food (too quickly) to your piggies’ diet can cause digestive issues.
Diarrhea can be fatal to piggies because they can quickly become dehydrated.
And, stomach bloat (technically called gastric dilatation and volvulus) is a life-threatening condition that can occur when guinea pigs have an insane build up of gas or food. It’s very painful…and yes, your piggie can die from it.
So, once again, it’s important to remember that cavies should only have fruit as a small percentage of their overall diet.
Diabetes
Yes, it’s possible for piggies to get diabetes from eating too much fruit.
Just like with people, cavies who have diabetes can’t process sugar properly and it builds up in their blood stream.
This can lead to a number of health problems, including blindness, kidney failure, and even death.
While piggies aren’t as prone to getting diabetes as people are, it’s still something to be aware of.
So, again, remember to only give them fruit as a special treat and make sure their diet is mostly made up of hay, pellets, and fresh vegetables.
Now you know all about the risks associated with feeding guinea pigs fruit. But don’t let that stop you from giving them the occasional treat.
Just be smart about it and take a few precautions.
Are Leaves Good for Guinea Pigs?
- Good immunity – With the good minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, the guinea pig will have much better immunity. There will be less diseases, the appetite will be normal, the fur and coat will look healthy, and there will be less risk of any infections.
- Electrolyte balance – The potassium mineral contributes to a good balance of salts (electrolytes) and water in the body. When the body has an imbalance in electrolytes vs. water, it shows as fatigue or low blood pressure and dizziness.
- Prevention of scurvy – With vitamin C, guinea pigs are safe from scurvy. This disease can even be fatal for them and at first, it manifests with a rough coat, internal bleeding, loss of appetite, and swellings in joints.
- Energy – The proteins and certain vitamins/minerals give an energy boost that comes from proper nutrition.
- Healthy blood – The iron found in leaves contributes to healthy blood and less risk of anemia.
- Good oral health – Munching on leaves or branches prevents teeth overgrowth in guinea pigs. They suffer from this naturally. That’s why they must chew on pellets or leaves and branches to stop the painful teeth overgrowth.
MORE POSTS:
