Guinea pigs can provide you with endless amounts of love for years.
But if you want to keep your guinea pig happy and healthy, you must provide them with a proper diet, which includes certain fruits. Guinea pigs can eat apples and love to have them as a snack.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Apples?
Yes, guinea pigs can eat apples. In fact, apples, both red and green ones, are one of the guinea pigs most favorite foods. Apples are often used as a snack since they are so sweet and juicy. But you should never give your guinea pig apples every day. Apples are extremely sweet. Having too much sweet food in a guinea pig’s diet can cause them to develop severe health problems.
What is a Healthy Diet for Guinea Pigs?
There are three main components that make up a healthy diet of guinea pigs. The healthy diet for a guinea pig is not that complicated, although it must be strict.
1. Hay
Hay is 80% of a guinea pig’s diet because it is its main source of fiber. Many owners just keep a brick of hay inside the cage with their guinea pig so they can eat it whenever they want. But when you buy hay, make sure it is good quality hay that isn’t grown with many pesticides.
2. Fruits and Vegetables
The last 20% of a guinea pig’s diet should consist of vegetables, fruits, and pellets. Guinea pigs should only eat one cup of vegetables per day. When it comes to fruit, they should just have a few bites of fruit, not a full cup like vegetables, and not every day.
3. Pellets
Pellets are full of amino acids that guinea pigs can’t make in their own body. But pellets are also full of fat, so you shouldn’t give them much. Every day, they need to eat 1/8 of a cup of pellets or 2 tablespoons.
Can Guinea Pigs Drink Apple Juice or Eat Applesauce?
If you want to give your little furry friend a treat, you will be able to use apple juice if it is unsweetened. You can also add a few drips of apple juice into their main water bowl so that they can have a juice is not very sweet. But do not do this every day. Make sure apple juice stays a once-a-week snack.
When it comes to applesauce, be wary. Technically you can give them applesauce. But if you buy it in a regular store, it usually has sugar added to it. Since you cannot give a guinea pig too much sugar, it’s probably best to avoid applesauce if its sugar content is high. If you still want to find applesauce for your guinea pigs, you should look for one that says no sugar added.
What Kinds of Apple Can Guinea Pigs Eat?
Many types of apples can be eaten by guinea pigs. However, there is only one apple that should be avoided, and that is the cooking apple. Cooking apples are incredibly tart and sometimes bitter. The different compounds of cooking apples will make a guinea pig’s stomach upset, and even cause constipation or vomiting. But that is the only apple you should avoid feeding them; all other apples are just fine.
Parts of the Apple That Can and Cannot Be Eaten
Guinea pigs are only able to eat some part of the apple. The parts they can eat are the skin and the flesh. You shouldn’t feed them the core or the seeds. The seeds have a toxin in them that is released when they are digested, so you might poison your guinea pigs and kill them. The stem is very coarse and could cause constipation.
What Are the Benefits of Eating an Apple?
Apples are full of different nutrients that can help sustain the health of a guinea pig.
1. Fiber
Apples have a lot of fiber, so they can improve their digestive system and keep their bowels moving.
2. Antioxidants
It has antioxidants that fortify the immune system and prevent the guinea pigs from getting sick.
3. Scurvy prevention
Also, apples have a lot of vitamin C in them, which can prevent the guinea pig from developing scurvy. But since apples are fruits, they should only be fed to them every few days. So it is best if owners rely on vegetables to fortify their diet with vitamin C and leave the fruits as a snack.
What Happens if Guinea Pigs Eat Too Much Apple?
As we have said before, eating too much apple or any other fruit can cause a guinea pig to develop obesity from all the extra calories, and high blood sugar. All fruits should never be fed to guinea pigs every day. They must be kept to once or twice a week and only as a small snack. Sometimes even half a slice of apple is too much.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Cooked Apples?
No, guinea pigs are not able to properly digest cooked apples. Also, when apples are cooked, the amount of nutrition, like its vitamins and minerals and antioxidants, drops significantly. So when apples are cooked, they are no longer healthy options for guinea pigs.
Other Fruits Guinea Pigs Can and Can’t Eat
Most fruits can be eaten by the guinea pigs, but there are some fruits that they love more than others. A guinea pig’s favorite fruits are:
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Apples
- Watermelon
- Banana
- and cantaloupe.
There are also some fruits that guinea pigs cannot be eaten because they are toxic. These fruits are:
- avocados
- Coconuts
- Grapes
- And raisins
Conclusion
- Guinea pigs can eat apples, but only a few bites or half a slice.
- Apples should be a snack, and fruits should be feed to them once or twice a week.
- Too much apples or fruits can cause guinea pigs to develop high blood sugar and obesity.
- The vitamin C in apples prevent scurvy in guinea pigs.
- They can eat applesauce if there is no extra sugar added.
- The same goes for apple juice, and you can put apple juice in their water.
- The seeds of an apple are toxic to guinea pigs, and it can kill them.
- The only type of apple they cannot eat is the cooking apple.
- Some fruits are toxic to guinea pigs.
