Can guinea pigs eat peaches?
Yes, guinea pigs can eat peaches. As with most fruits, it is safe to feed them small amounts of peach every so often. Peaches can serve as a great treat from time to time. They can also improve your pet’s health in some ways. But I recommend you to check my premium guide to take a deep idea about fruits and vegetables that guinea pigs can and can’t eat.
- Peaches contain 6mg of vitamin C per 100g of fruit. This makes a great source for your guinea pig to receive the vitamin C it needs to stay healthy and active.
- Only 20mg of phosphorus found in every 100g of peaches. This number is low enough to be safe for your pet.
- This fruit is low in calcium as well, which makes it safe for cavies.
However, peaches have some negative impacts as well. They contain a lot of sugar, which is not good for your piggy. Too much sugar will make them gain weight or get sick.
This is why you should only feed them a small slice of peach once a week. Start by giving them a little bit of peach and gauge their reaction. If they seem to enjoy the fruit, you can give them later.
Peaches are also very acidic. High levels of acid can cause a lot of damage to cavies and their sensitive bodies. In addition to burning their mouths or throats, they can develop sores on their lips.
This will make them not want to eat anything else or cause great discomfort when they do eat. Too much acid can also lead to fungal infections which are difficult to treat.
Can guinea pigs eat plums or peaches?
Plums are another stone fruit that humans love to eat. If you have plums around your house, you have to be careful when feeding it to your pet. Guinea pigs can eat plums, but they should eat them in even smaller amounts than peaches.
Plums are another juicy fruit that is high in nutrients for people but contains too much acid and sugar for your cavy’s diet. If you’re snacking on a plum, you can give them a little bit but not much more.
Plums contain vitamin A, vitamin K, and vitamin C, which we know are good for your pet. They also have a lot of potassium which can keep their bones strong.
Oxalic acid is found in plums and can cause stones in guinea pig’s kidneys. These stones can damage their bladder and ureter or urethra.
Calcium stones are painful for them and can lead to even more serious health risks like trouble urinating or bloody urine. If you notice any of these problems, contact your vet as soon as possible.
It is actually better to give your piggy a bite of the plum skin and less of the fruit itself. If you chop the skin up into little pieces, they can easily eat the fruit from their food bowl.
As with peaches, do not give them the pit of the plum. It will harm their teeth, mouth, and throat. Also, they won’t enjoy chewing on the plum pit at all.
Can guinea pigs eat peaches and nectarines?
To round out the stone fruit varieties, we’ll turn our attention to nectarines. This fruit is popular in salads and sweet crisps, but can you feed them to guinea pigs? Yes, nectarines are safe for guinea pigs as well.
Nectarines contain a pit or seed in the middle like peaches and plums. You’ll have to remove these before giving them to your pet, but otherwise small amounts of nectarines are a nice treat for them.
Benefits of nectarines can include:
- Weight maintenance: Nectarines are not high in calories like other fruits so they don’t pose as much of a health risk to your piggy.
- Higher energy: This fruit is a great source of protein, which can give them an energy boost throughout the day.
- Heart health: There is no cholesterol and very low fat in nectarines, making them great for unclogging blood vessels.
Can guinea pigs have white peaches?
White peaches are surprisingly better for guinea pigs than regular peaches. They are slightly sweeter than other peaches, but they have a lower level of acid. Yes, you can give guinea pigs a little more white peach than regular peach, but you still have to limit how much they eat.
Tips for feeding guinea pigs peaches
If you’re going to feed your cavy peaches, there are a few more things to know in order to keep them healthy and happy.
- It is safe to feed your piggy the skin of peaches and white peaches.
- It is never okay to let them eat or chew on the pit of any fruit, including peaches.
- Wash peaches thoroughly before giving them to your pet. This is the fastest way to remove any chemicals that might be on the skin.
- Never give cavies dried peaches or dried plums. This type of food has a lot more sugar than raw peaches and plums, and it is not something a wild guinea pig would naturally encounter. Their digestive system is not made to handle dried fruit.
- Never give them canned peaches. These are packed in sugary syrup and preservatives that are dangerous for your pet’s stomach and can cause a lot of weight issues.
Conclusion
Peaches are a great treat for your guinea pig in small amounts. They can enjoy all parts of the peach except the pit, and they may have some health benefits if served in moderation.
Plums and nectarines are also okay to feed them every once in a while as a treat, but they shouldn’t be part of their regular diet.
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.
