Guinea pigs and apples

Can guinea pigs eat apples? The easy answer is yes! Guinea pigs can eat apples, but as with all fruits and vegetables, in moderation!

As herbivores, guinea pigs should eat a balanced diet consisting of hay, fiber-rich guinea pig pellets and fresh vegetables, especially those high in vitamin C. But what about fruit? Can guinea pigs eat apples — and should they? We spoke with Dr. Sara Ochoa, a small-animal veterinarian and consultant for DogLab , and Dr. Ochoa told The Dodo.

Guinea pigs and apples

Feeding your guinea pigs the right food is essential to keeping them happy and healthy. Here's what your guinea pigs need for a good diet. Good-quality hay should make up most of your guinea pigs' diet, and they should always have it available to them. They should have fresh grass as often as possible too, ideally every day. They naturally graze, eating only grass, herbs and some other plants such as dandelion or groundsel for long periods, both day and night. Also, their teeth are always growing, and eating hay helps wear them down to keep them at the correct length and shape. The wrong diet can cause serious dental disease. Never feed your guinea pigs lawnmower clippings, which will upset their digestive systems and make them ill. Guinea pigs have special dietary needs and must get enough Vitamin C, so give them a fresh portion of grass-based guinea-pig pellets each day, as per the manufacturer's instructions. These provide essential Vitamin C, which is destroyed with exposure to air.

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Apples are the go-to favorite snack for so many people. They can! Consider a half-inch cube to be a good size. Apples contain a lot of vitamin C which is very important for guinea pigs but that vitamin C comes with a lot of sugar which is why apples need to be limited. Check out Saskia, our guinea pig expert as she tells you all about what fruits guinea pigs can have on YouTube! This gives them enough fiber to keep their digestive system in tip-top shape but it also gives them roughage to chew on to keep their ever-growing teeth healthy!

They offer many health benefits for humans but can guinea pigs eat apples as well? It's a question you may well have asked as you gaze at your fruit bowl but, in the same way as you may ponder can guinea pigs eat grapes? After all, don't guinea pigs tend to only eat grass and hay to aid their digestive system, gain nutrition and keep their teeth in check? Here, we're going to address the issue and see if you can incorporate apples as a tasty treat for your fur friend. Apples contain a decent amount of nutrition. Although more than 85 percent is made up of water, a typical raw apple has 4. Apples also contain B-complex vitamins including riboflavin, thiamin and vitamin B-6, the latter helping signals to travel from one nerve cell to another.

Guinea pigs and apples

Are apples safe for guinea pigs to eat? Yes, apples are safe for guinea pigs to eat, but should only be offered as an occasional treat. Nutrition data source: USDA. See the full guinea pig food list. While most guinea pigs love apples and they can certainly eat them, it is advised to never feed more than a quarter of an apple once or twice each month. Although apples are healthy, they contain high amounts of sugar that could cause your guinea pig to become obese. Apple varieties such as Red Delicious, Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp and Golden Delicious are not only sweet and crispy, but also loved by most guinea pigs. As always, we recommend that you choose Apples that are organic and untreated. If they were treated, we suggest that you peel the apples before offering them to your guinea pig. Fresh apples that are neither too sweet nor sour, offer many great health benefits for guinea pigs.

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However, remember that many nutrients are cooked out of our food, so cooked apples will be less nutritious. Disclaimer: We are not veterinarians, and none of our information should be construed as veterinary advice. Tart apples are also much more acidic, which can result in mouth sores if your pig overindulges. United States of America United Kingdom. There is 2. Avoid sudden changes in their diet - introduce new foods gradually. Burch said. Make sure they have fresh clean drinking water continuously and check it twice daily. Back to blog. Help us make PetMD better Was this article helpful? So keep apples and other fruits fun by keeping the portion sizes small. How To Safely Feed Apples to Your Guinea Pig People love to eat their apples in all kinds of ways—in muffins, cakes, stews, fresh, frozen, canned, sauced—but not all of these are safe for your piggie.

A healthy guinea pig diet consists of hay, grasses, and leafy green vegetables. Other foods such as fruits can be offered to your piggie in moderation, with some offering more nutrients and benefits than others. Apples are one such food!

Key Takeaways Apples are good for guinea pigs. View cart Check out Continue shopping. They become overweight and may suffer if they're eating more than they need. If you have concerns that the apples may have been treated with pesticides, removing the peels will help reduce some of this exposure but peeling also removes some of the nutrients. Can guinea pigs eat apple skins? Monitoring their diet to this level is the key to keeping them happy and healthy. Make sure they have fresh clean drinking water continuously and check it twice daily. Guinea pigs can eat apples, but as with all fruits and vegetables, in moderation! Guinea pigs cannot eat the seeds of apples. Are there any health benefits to guinea pigs eating apples? Leaf vegetables such as kale, leaf lettuce, and romaine lettuce can be fed in larger quantities.