You have a pet guinea pig and you love your furry little buddy and you just want to do right by him, right? Or maybe you’re thinking about getting a new pet and have your eye on a cute, cuddly guinea pig and you’re investigating which fruits are good to feed them.
In either case, you want your guinea pig to be happy and healthy. So, understanding their diet is really important as it’s one of the main factors that can affect their health directly.
So, let us take a look at which fruits are good for your guinea pig and why.
Table of Contents
Quick List of safe fruits
| Apples | Apricots | Bananas | Blueberries |
| Cherries | Cranberries | Kiwi | Grapes |
| Mangos | Melons | Nectarines | Pawpaw |
| Passionfruit | Peaches | Pears | Plums |
| Pineapple | Strawberries | Star fruits | Water Melon |
What do you know about guinea pig diets?
Guinea pigs are herbivores. That means that instead of meat, they love to munch on a tasty combination of fresh, high-quality guinea pig hay, nutritious, pelleted guinea pig food, and a limited amount of fruit and veggies.
You might want to check out Timothy hay – it’s a little more expensive but it’s higher in fiber and nutrients than other hay and it’s easier for your little guy to digest.
There is no limit to the amount of hay that you can give your guinea pig. Hay provides a small amount of protein and nutrients.
Most importantly, it contains fiber to help with digestion. Eating hay also helps wear down your guinea pig’s teeth, which is important because your pet’s teeth don’t stop growing and you don’t want them to get overly long.
Your guinea pig will receive the right amount of nutrients when you feed him about 1/4 cup of guinea pig food pellets every day.
Fruit and vegetables are an important part of your guinea pig’s diet because guinea pigs can’t naturally produce vitamin C.
He will enjoy a cup or more of vegetables every day for beneficial vitamins and minerals, too, but you must be a little cautious when you give him tasty fruit treats.
Why does your guinea pig need Vitamin C?
Your guinea pig needs between 30mg and 50mg of vitamin C daily in order to stay healthy and avoid a deficiency, which is called scurvy. The good news is that quality guinea pig pellets usually provide most of this requirement.
Fruits are valuable supplements that allow for natural sources of vitamin C with the added benefit of some happy taste diversity.
How much fruit is the right amount?
This is a great question because unlike hay and veggies, fruit contains sugar, and you don’t want to give your guinea pig too much sugar.
We feed our Guinea pigs one cup of mixed vegetables with some pellets every morning with a little treat of fruit in the late evening.
Here are some examples of natural sugar found in fruit
| Fruits | Per 100 Grams |
|---|---|
| Apples | 10 g |
| Bananas | 12 g |
| Grapes | 16 g |
| Kiwi | 9 g |
| Pineapples | 10 g |
| Pumpkin | 3 g |
| Watermelon | 6 g |
| Avocados | 0.7 g |
| Passion Fruit | 11 g |
They always have a constant supply of hay as well and of course fresh water in a bowl all the time.
Take a look at these guidelines below for more information.
How often can my guinea pig eat fruit?
You can give your guinea pig a delightful fruit treat once or twice a week or if you’re like me a very small treat each evening. Remember this simple formula: unlimited hay, a cup of veggies and a 1/4 cup of pellets every day, and a small fruit treat every three or four days.
How to serve fruit to my guinea pig?
Your guinea pig will get a kick out of the variety and special tastes of fruit snacks. Here’s the right way to give your fur baby a treat:
- As with all food, clean out the bowls daily before refilling them.
- Serve small portions. For example, try to think in terms of nothing larger than1/8 of an orange.
- Cut fruit snacks into small, bite-sized servings that will be easy to eat without causing any mouth soreness.
- Serve fruit snacks at room temperature. Your treats will be healthy, cool, and refreshing without stressing your little guy’s digestive system.
- Remove any fruit left-overs. If your guinea pig hasn’t gobbled up a fruit snack after twenty-four hours, take it out of his cage and throw it away.
Best fruit for guinea pigs
You’ll have no trouble finding fruits that are beneficial for your guinea pig, and that he’ll enjoy.
Can’t miss favorites
These fruits deliver vitamin C and other nutrients, and several have a high-water content that will help hydrate and refresh your guinea pig: blueberries, blackberries, cantaloupe, oranges, strawberries, grapefruit, kiwi, mango, raspberries, peaches, nectarines, plums, figs, and dates.
A little extra care on your part
Apples and pears are terrific. Just make sure that you remove the seeds before feeding slices to your guinea pig.
Cherries are good, too, as long as you remove the pits before serving slices.
In moderation but also good
Bananas, cranberries, and watermelon are delicious, healthy treats that you should serve in moderation. Bananas can sometimes cause constipation. Cranberries can upset your little guy’s tummy. Watermelon is a lot of water, which is good but can sometimes cause diarrhea.
What about dried fruit?
Dried fruit sounds like a good idea and you can feed it to your guinea pig, but only in very small amounts. It’s full of concentrated sugar, and too much sugar isn’t good for your pet.
Any fruits to avoid?
Grapes may be a problem that you want to avoid. A lot of veterinarians say that grapes aren’t good for guinea pigs, so keep that in mind even if yours seems to like them. If you do decide to try grapes as a treat, at least make sure that they’re seedless.
How often can guinea pigs eat fruit?
Guinea pigs should only eat fruit a couple times a week. Fruits are high in sugar, and your guinea pig shouldn’t eat sugar.
Can guinea pigs eat oranges?
Guinea pigs can eat oranges as a treat. Oranges are great for vitamin C, but try not to give your guinea pig oranges often.
Can guinea pigs eat the seeds in fruit?
If you’re giving your guinea pig fruit, try to make sure you are taking the seeds out. Unlike pits, seeds aren’t toxic to guinea pig but they are extremely high in fat. Seeds should be a rare treat for your guinea pig.
Are there any fruits my guinea pig can’t eat?
All fruit is good for guinea pigs in moderation. You might have to remove the pits from cherries or peaches, or take the rough skin off pineapple, but guinea pigs love fruits.
Conclusion- Fruits to feed to guinea pigs
You have a broad range of fruit choices when thinking about ways to make your guinea pig’s diet more diverse and fun. Your pet will love the new tastes, and fruit delivers all-important vitamin C among other nutrients.
This is essential because your guinea pig’s furry little body does not manufacture vitamin C, so you have to make sure that his diet is balanced.
Good, quality hay for fiber and protein, guinea pig pellets for most other essential nutrients, and then appropriate servings of vegetables and, for special treats, fruits to round things off.
