Can guinea pigs eat apples is just another question among many that new guinea pig owners ask.
We eat many different types of fruits and vegetables, but not all are good for guinea pigs, although fresh foods should be a part of your guinea pig’s diet.
Therefore, you need to learn about the types of food your guinea pigs can eat and avoid feeding your cavies with any products that might cause them harm.
In this post, we will explain more about feeding guinea pigs apples, tell you more about the proper serving sizes, introduce you to the hazards of eating apples, and let you know about the healthy eating habits of guinea pigs.
So, should you feed guinea pigs apples?
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Apples?
Apples are not harmful to guinea pigs. In fact, apples are a great source of vitamins and minerals for guinea pigs. Just be sure to wash the apple thoroughly before feeding it to your pet, and remove the seeds and stem.
You should know that guinea pigs can eat apples in small amounts.
Generally, your guinea pigs should consume vegetables and fruits every day.
However, their good should mainly consist of timothy hay, grass, leafy greens, and pellets (enriched with vitamin C, which prevents the development of scurvy) that keep their teeth trimmed.
Therefore, give your guinea pigs apples only in small amounts, and make sure that they represent only a small portion of their diet.
Are Apples Good for Guinea Pigs?
Yes, apples are safe for guinea pigs, but not all types of apples are beneficial for them.
First, apples are sweet, and you should avoid feeding your guinea pigs foods with high sugar content.
Too much sugar can cause itching and hair loss in guinea pigs, increases their risk of diabetes, makes your guinea pigs overweight, causes digestive issues, and shortens their lifespan.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Apple Skin?
Yes, guinea pigs can eat apple skin.
Therefore, if you are thinking about tossing away the skin, don’t do it.
Instead, wash the apple thoroughly before pilling it and give the skin to your piggy who will have no trouble biting their way through it.
The best you can do is get ahold of the unwaxed apples.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Apple Seeds?
No, guinea pigs shouldn’t eat apple seeds.
Apple seeds are poisonous for your guinea pig; they contain a small amount of cyanide that doesn’t pose any danger to humans.
However, guinea pigs are small animals and a few seeds can make them sick.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Apple Core?
Feeding your guinea pigs apple cores is a bit risky if you haven’t removed the seeds.
However, parts of the core are beneficial as they contain vitamins and fiber.
Therefore, feel free to give apple cores to your cavy, but don’t forget to eliminate the seeds that can be poisonous for them and also cause a choking hazard.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Apple Sauce?
No, guinea pigs cannot eat apple sauce.
Actually, guinea pigs shouldn’t eat any kind of processed food.
Their stomachs cannot digest processed food, dairy products, and meat.
Never give your piggies cooked, fried, or otherwise processed food.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Apple Pie?
No, guinea pigs cannot eat apple pie because they cannot digest it.
However, if you give your guinea pigs sweet and processed food to eat, they will taste it, but it will make them sick.
Other ingredients in the dishes we prepare also can be harmful to your guinea pig.
Apple pie also contains a lot of fat, the dough contains butter, salt, wheat, none of which is good for the little pet.
Being herbivores, guinea pigs cannot digest eggs that apple pies also contain.
Apple fritter rings are high in sugar.
As they are fried in butter, it is not a good idea to feed them to your guinea pig.
Apple cake is also high in fat, and doesn’t contain any Vitamin C or any other ingredient that might be beneficial for your guinea pig.
Therefore, never try to give your guinea pigs apple puree, apple pie, or apple sauce.
Should I Feed Apples to My Guinea Pigs?
Apples are good for guinea pigs because they contain fiber and vitamins, and vitamin C is a very important part of your pet’s diet.
However, the high sugar amount in apples is not good for your cavy.
Likewise, apple seeds are poisonous for your little pet.
Nonetheless, giving your furry friend a small slice of apple every other day is a good idea. Besides, guinea pigs love apples.
Although hay is the most important part of their diet, you should feed your guinea pigs fresh fruits and vegetables every day.
How Much Apple Can I Give My Guinea Pig to Eat?
You should never give apples to your guinea pigs more often than two to three times a week.
Besides, one or two small slices of apple and apple peel are sufficient for them because apples are high in sugar.
Their dental health requires food that will also keep their teeth trimmed, and apples alone cannot fulfill that need.
If you are giving apple core to your guinea pig, make sure to remove all the seeds, which are not safe for guinea pigs.
Otherwise, you should know that feeding your pet with lots of one type of fruit or vegetable is not a good idea.
You should always mix them to provide your guinea pigs with various nutrients these foods have.
What Happens if a Guinea Pig Eats Too Much Apple?
If a guinea pig consumes too much apple, it can feel bloated and have diarrhea.
If your furry friend has diarrhea, remove any remaining apple, or whatever else food you gave them and immediately bring them back on their regular hay diet.
Try curing them at home if you are certain the diarrhea is the result of overeating.
Overeating is not a major issue and can be taken care of simply by regulating your guinea pig’s diet with hay and water.
If the condition seems severe, do not risk it and take your pet to a veterinarian.
What Are the Nutrients in an Apple?
Apples contain a lot of nutrients that are beneficial for humans and their pets.
Apples are rich in vitamin C.
Your guinea pig needs around 40Mg of vitamin C every day and 100g of an apple contains around 4.5mg of vitamin C.
Therefore, you would need 900 grams of apples to fulfill your pet’s requirement for vitamin C.
Yet, you should never give more than one or two slices of apple to your guinea pig!
Instead, combine apples with kale, broccoli, parsley, red pepper, green pepper, strawberry, kiwi, or other types of fresh foods to provide them with enough of various vitamins: A, B, D, K, and especially vitamin C, which is an essential part of their diet.
Lack of vitamin C can cause scurvy, which is a potentially fatal condition for guinea pigs.
What Is a Healthy Guinea Pig Diet?
Apart from pellets, you may want to feed your guinea pigs with natural and fresh produces.
Also, in addition to unlimited amounts of timothy hay, make sure to feed your guinea pigs with fresh products twice a day.
Make sure to mix fruits and vegetables to provide them with enough minerals, vitamins, and fiber.
Besides, these should be more of a treat for your guinea than a full meal.
Fruits contain sugar and various amounts of minerals that can cause harm to your pet if consumed in larger amounts.
On the other hand, vegetables are essential for your guinea pig’s health and you should feed them enough leafy vegetables, but avoid cabbages.
The best choices are broccoli, cauliflower, green pepper, red pepper, mustard green, parsley, tender green, kale, and Brussels sprouts.
Limit the serving size to 3/4 of a cup of vegetables at once and always remove any leftovers from the cage.
Any more than that can cause overeating that, in turn, causes bloating, and diarrhea, and may trigger diseases of the heart and liver.
Guinea pigs also need free access to water, so make sure your pet always has it available.
What Should I Know About Apples?
Dried apples are a great snack; however, give them to your pet only once a week.
Peels of apples are best for your guinea pigs since they don’t contain much sugar but are rich in fiber, which is beneficial for their stomach.
Even apple leaves are great for them.
Peeled apples properly cut into small cubes, even smaller than dice, are a great way to feed your guinea pigs.
The core of the apple is also a great choice since it’s almost 85% water, which keeps guinea pigs hydrated, and isn’t as soft as the rest of the apple.
What Apples Are Harmful to Guinea Pigs?
If you are thinking of feeding apples to your guinea pigs, make sure it’s a healthy apple.
Although many people believe that green apples are harmful to guinea pigs, that is not correct.
Actually, your guinea pigs can eat any kind of apples, but Granny Smith green apples are the best choice.
Even so, your guinea pigs should only eat them in small amounts and not every day.
What Foods are Most Harmful to Guinea Pigs?
- Chocolate: Caffeine causes the heart rate to increase and can be fatal.
- Cabbage: Cabbage is high in calcium and can give your guinea pig a bladder stone; it can also cause diarrhea.
- Onion and Garlic: Garlic and onions contain disulfate which can cause anemia.
- Mushrooms: Not at all nutritional for guinea pigs.
- Avocado: The presence of pepsin can be poisonous for guinea pigs; also, avocados have a high amount of fat which is not beneficial for them.
- Nuts: You should avoid feeding anything rich in fat to your pet since it can cause harm to the digestive system of guinea pigs.
- Potatoes: Potatoes have alkaloids that are harmful and toxic for guinea pigs.
- Dairy products: Guinea pigs are lactose intolerant and their body is unable to digest dairy items.
- Peanut butter and bread: Both are extremely harmful to your pet; peanut butter is high in fat and contains salt as well, both harmful to guinea pigs.
- Meat: Guinea pigs are herbivores and they cannot digest meat.
Final Thoughts
So, can your guinea pigs eat apples?
Yes! Green apples such as Granny Smith are an excellent choice when feeding your guinea pig with a mixture of various vegetables and fruits.
Actually, guinea pigs eat apples with pleasure, especially if it’s apple cores or peels that also contain fiber, which is great for their digestion.
Yet, here’s a reminder: Don’t forget to remove all apple seeds from the core, as they not only represent a choking hazard to your furry friend but are also poisonous!
