The secret’s out! Guinea pigs love apples! Guinea pigs like apples for the same reasons people do: they’re fresh and sweet. But, that leads us to whether or not apples are actually safe for your guinea pig.
Are apples safe for guinea pigs?
Yes! Apple flesh, cores, seeds, and peels are all completely safe for your guinea pig to consume. They offer high amounts of vitamin C, which is beneficial to guinea pigs in order to prevent deficiencies.
Can apples kill guinea pigs?
It’s extremely unlikely!
As apple cores and seeds contain trace amounts of cyanide, which is poisonous in large amounts, there have been some concerns on whether or not apples are safe for guinea pigs.
For humans, we would have to eat around 200 apple seeds or 40 apple cores in one sitting in order to be poisoned by cyanide.
Since guinea pigs are smaller, they would require a significantly less amount. However, it is still very unlikely that your guinea pig would get sick or that you would allow your guinea pig to eat enough to make them sick.
If you’re concerned about this at all, you should only give your guinea pig the flesh of the apple as treats.
According to Healthline, One medium apple — 6.4 ounces or 182 grams — offers the following nutrients:
- Calories: 95
- Carbs: 25 grams
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Vitamin C: 14% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
- Potassium: 6% of the RDI
- Vitamin K: 5% of the RDI
What’s more, the same serving provides 2–4% of the RDI for manganese, copper, and vitamins A, E, B1, B2, and B6.
As apples also are high in sugars, too much can cause weight gain in your guinea pig, so fruits should only be given to your pet 2 to 3 times per week.
What other fruits can I give my guinea pig?
Like apples, apricots, bananas, mango, and kiwi are suitable treats for your guinea pig. The best fruits will be low in sugar so as not to cause weight gain.
Final Thoughts
Apples can be a sweet treat for your guinea pig, but they can also cause health issues if they are given too often.
Though apple cores and seeds contain cyanide, it is incredibly unlikely that your guinea pig will have any adverse effects. Make sure you only give small amounts, and there will be no need to worry!
Lydia King is a huge animal lover and has always been fascinated with learning about the animal kingdom. She enjoys writing about anything animal related from scientific information about rare species to animal references in pop culture.
