Most people who pet guinea pigs wonder whether guinea pigs, these cute small animals, can eat green beans.
Guinea pigs can eat green beans, and they are a great addition to their diet because they contain many essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, but also calcium, which is not such a great thing for guinea pigs. Nonetheless, feeding guinea pigs with green beans in moderation one to three times a week is a great choice.
As herbivores, guinea pigs eat fresh vegetables and fruits, but not all are equally beneficial for their health.
Guinea pigs need an unlimited supply of timothy hay and fresh and clean water every day, as well as natural food rich in vitamin C.
To keep your pet healthy, you should know which nutrients they should eat, which foods are dangerous to them, as well as the amount of food they should consume every day.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Green Beans?
Green beans, otherwise called string beans, are a staple food in numerous dishes around the world.
With loads of medical advantages for humans, people assume that green beans are good for animals as well.
Guinea pigs need to eat food that is rich in vitamin C, as they can not synthesize this nutrient.
For that reason, there is a variety of manufactured guinea pig foods high in vitamin C.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Green Beans Every Day?
Guinea pigs can eat green beans one to three times a week.
However, a healthy guinea pig’s diet rests on an equilibrium of hay, guinea pig pellets, and fresh and raw fruits and vegetables.
Just like people, guinea pigs can’t make their own vitamin C, so they require vitamin C-rich nourishments in their everyday diet.
Green beans are plentiful in Vitamin C, fiber, and other fundamental supplements, which are indispensable for every guinea pig.
In any case, green beans are high in oxalic corrosive and calcium, which can prompt illnesses in guinea pigs.
So, since you can feed your guinea pig green beans, let’s understand the dietary benefits of this vegetable and how acceptable it is for our guinea pigs.
Note that a guinea pig might love green beans, that doesn’t imply that all guinea pigs eat this vegetable with equal delight.
Some guinea pigs may love this food, while others may dislike it.
However, that is expected because guinea pigs are fussy about food.
As already said, a guinea pig’s healthy daily diet consists of large quantities of hay and small quantities of fruits and vegetables.
Feed your guinea pig green with beans 1-3 times per week.
Pay attention to the amount of food that you give to your guinea pig pet.
Never give your guinea pig more than one to two strings of green beans at a time.
The nutritional value of green beans may give you the feeling that guinea pigs can eat green beans regularly.
Yet, that is not the case as green beans also contain substances that can endanger your pet’s wellbeing.
Are There Dangers to Feeding a Guinea Pig With Green Beans?
Green beans are a good source of vitamin C, fiber, and other essential nutrients for guinea pigs when served in limited quantities.
Feeding your guinea pig green beans or any other food without control leads to health problems that can seriously endanger your guinea pig.
Green Beans Can Cause Bladder Stones
Green beans are hazardous when in contact with another compound called oxalates, as these draw in calcium.
At the point when calcium and oxalates are available, they structure little gems, otherwise called stones.
This is the thing that causes kidney and bladder stones, and where they get their name.
Calcium is one of the most perilous minerals for guinea pigs.
As it’s in numerous nourishments, it is difficult to avoid it completely.
Green beans contain 37 mg of calcium per 100 grams.
Additionally, they contain 16.3 mg of vitamin C per 100 gr.
For that reason, even if you give your guinea pig 100g of green beans (a full cup), it still wouldn’t meet the required amount of vitamin C that your pet needs daily.
An average guinea pig needs around 30mg/kg of vitamin C per day.
Oxalates are found in many plant nourishments.
Nonetheless, the amount of calcium and oxalates together may be troublesome for guinea pigs, if taken in large quantities.
Digestive Issues
Green beans are useful for digestion as they contain a high measure of fiber.
Fiber is great for guinea pigs and one of the essential nutrients for this small animal.
Yet, feeding your guinea pig with large quantities of any fruits and vegetables leads to trouble.
Guinea pigs have a sensitive digestive system and can easily suffer from diarrhea.
Additionally, green beans contain sugar that guinea pigs can’t process well.
Consequently, foods that contain sugar can cause gastrointestinal issues in guinea pigs.
Lectins are a protein, found in most types of beans, including green beans.
This means your guinea pig can experience the ill effects of clogging or swelling from eating green beans.
The lone strategy to diminish the number of lectins is to cook them.
However, that is impractical as guinea pigs can’t eat cooked foods.
Restrict the number of green beans and never feed your guinea pig with more than one to two strings of raw and fresh green beans per serving.
Green beans contain some solid supplements like fiber, which are highly beneficial for your guinea pig.
Swelling
Serving green beans can cause swelling in guinea pigs.
Green beans contain lectins, a protein that ties with carbs and can prompt blockage and swelling in guinea pigs.
Guinea pigs get gassy if we feed them with green beans regularly.
Green Beans Hinder Magnesium Absorption
Green beans contain the basic nutrients that every guinea pig needs.
Also, green beans contain both calcium and phosphorus.
These two components hinder the ingestion of magnesium and subsequently cause a lack of magnesium in your guinea pig’s body.
What amount of green beans can our guinea pigs have?
Again, we emphasize that the best way to serve green beans to your guinea pig is to offer it a mixture of different types of raw fruits and vegetables, as that is the best way to maintain a healthy and balanced diet for your pet.
One to two strings of green beans in the mixture two to three times per week is sufficient for your guinea pig to get all the nutrients it needs from this vegetable.
What Are the Advantages Of Feeding Guinea Pigs with Green Beans?
Green beans are a fantastic source of many beneficial nourishments your guinea pig needs.
However, a guinea pig must not eat them every day.
Specialists and most guinea pig owners suggest serving green beans 2-3 times a week.
As you should serve your guinea pigs a blend of 3-4 fruits and vegetables every day, green beans should be on their menu just enough times to positively affect their health.
Therefore, serving green beans in the right quantity is beneficial.
Besides, you should mix low calcium vegetables with green beans to prevent your guinea pig from eating too much calcium per serving.
Vegetables such as bell peppers, lettuce, and so forth are a great source of nutrients and vitamin C for your guinea pig.
Heart Health
Green beans contain potassium and fiber that control the pulse, which decreases the danger of coronary illness or stroke.
Another incredible point towards your guinea pig’s well-being is low sodium, as green beans contain just 6mg of sodium per 100 grams.
That is acceptable as sodium expands circulatory strain and holds more water, which causes swelling.
Weight
With green beans, there is no danger of the guinea pig getting plump or stout.
Green beans are vegetables low in calories, carbs, proteins, and fats.
At the point when these supplements are in limited quantities, the heaviness of your guinea pig won’t be influenced.
Cancer Prevention Agent
Green beans will furnish your guinea pig with a great measure of cancer prevention agents.
Cancer prevention agents eliminate the free radicals and the harm they cause (early maturing and ongoing illnesses).
Green beans have Vitamin A, manganese, and selenium, which are the best and most grounded cell reinforcements that are also beneficial for your guinea pig’s health.
Great for Eyesight
In time, our eyes degenerate.
The same happens to guinea pigs.
Green beans contain nutrients that secure against age-related decreases.
Scientists found that regular intake of vitamin A, which green beans have 108 IU/100g, is beneficial for your pet’s health.
However, you should know that scientists have found that a guinea pig diet should contain between 6 and 7 mg of vitamin A/kg, as this amount meets the daily requirement of growing guinea pigs.
Generally, 30 g of food consumed daily contains an equivalent of 0.2 mg of vitamin A, which confirms previous findings.
High In Vitamin C
Possibly the most fundamental nutrient in your guinea pig’s eating regimen is vitamin C, and green beans contain a great deal of this.
Indeed, guinea pigs need 25-40mg of Vitamin C daily, since they can not synthesize it themselves.
So shouldn’t something be said about green beans?
Green beans are somewhat high in Vitamin C as they contain 12.2mg per 100 grams, which helps your guinea pig’s resistance framework and other substantial capacities.
So you can really improve the soundness of your guinea pig by serving them green beans ever so often.
Vitamin B6
Another significant nutrient is vitamin B6 which is engaged with various metabolic capacities.
The reusing of this nutrient is one essential explanation because of which guinea pigs eat certain pellets from their countenances called cecotropes or caeca pellets.
Fiber
Guinea pigs process and get supplements from food rich in fiber.
Likewise, fiber helps the motility of intestinal muscles in guinea pigs
Green beans are likewise low in fat, which is an additional benefit.
What is the Nutritional Value of Green Beans?
Note: The accompanying rundown is estimated per 100 grams of Green Beans.
Sugar content is 3.3 grams, which is genuinely low contrasted with numerous different nourishments.
Fiber is 3.4 grams, which means there is more fiber than sugar.
This is incredible because it helps in nutrient absorption, and the sugar is delivered slower in the circulation system.
Sodium, otherwise called salt, is extremely low.
It just contains 6mg of sodium, decreasing the chance of swelling in your guinea pig.
Potassium is genuinely high with 209mg, protein is 1.8 grams, and that probably won’t seem like a ton, however, your little pal just needs a smidgen, so this is a decent number.
Calcium is somewhat high at 37mg, which can cause bladder stones whenever taken in abundance.
It’s a very regular illness in guinea pigs, so be alert.
With only 31 calories per 100 gr, and with 90% of water content, green beans are a great addition to your pet diet.
Lectins are also present in green beans. This is a protein that can cause stomach-related problems in your guinea pig.
The nutrient data in the rundown above was recovered from the USDA or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
How Much Green Beans Can Guinea Pigs Eat?
At a time, guinea pigs can be served 1-2 lines of green beans.
Serving anything in abundance can be unsafe for the health of your guinea pigs.
Ensure you decide to serve just new green beans to your guinea pigs.
Likewise, note that the serving size of green beans relies on the age of your guinea pigs, too.
While youthful guinea pigs can eat somewhat more, senior guinea pigs are more inclined to experience the ill effects of gas formation, and so, they ought to be served in little amounts.
You as a proprietor should have an overall comprehension of nourishments.
Having fundamental information on the nourishing substance of guinea pig nourishments permits you to improve your eating routine.
Thus making your guinea pig more upbeat and better.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Raw Green Beans?
Indeed, crude green beans are ideal for guinea pigs since they contain all the useful substances in them, and are not hard for your guinea pigs to digest.
So if you choose to serve these fresh, crunchy, vitamin C-rich beans to your guinea pig, ensure they’re crude and not cooked.
Besides, never feed your guinea pigs with frozen or cooked food.
Guinea pigs cannot digest cooked foods.
Likewise, feeding your guinea pigs frozen green beans is not a good idea, especially if you are serving commercially frozen foods.
All commercially frozen food is pre-processed and contains a larger amount of sugar, which is harmful to your pet and causes digestive issues.
Remember: guinea pigs can eat only raw and fresh food.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Cooked Green Beans?
While cooking green beans and considering serving some to your cavy, you may have thought, “Can guinea pigs eat cooked green beans?”
Never serve guinea pigs cooked nourishments.
Guinea pigs can eat only fresh and raw food.
Their digestive system is fragile and cannot process everything a human body can.
Besides, even some raw foods that are healthy for us are poisonous to our pets.
Anyway, cooking causes changes in the structure of food, which agitates your pet’s belly.
So, whenever you’re cooking green beans and decide to give your pet some, always serve them raw!
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Green Beans Seeds?
To be on the safe side, never feed your guinea pigs with seeds. Seeds present a choking hazard for them, especially if the seeds aren’t tender.
The only seeds that are safe for your guinea pigs are the soft seeds such as the ones found in cucumbers and tomatoes.
Otherwise, always eliminate the seeds, even from peppers.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Green Beans Leaves?
Your guinea pig can eat green beans leaves. If we feed guinea pigs green beans in moderation, this plant is safe for guinea pigs.
Not all plants have consumable leaves. Nonetheless, green bean leaves are palatable and can be added to the eating routine of our guinea pigs.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Frozen Green Beans?
Guinea pigs cannot eat frozen food, so they cannot eat frozen green beans.
Likewise, cooked green beans also present a hazard for them as processed food causes digestive issues in these small animals.
If you let your guinea pigs eat green beans, make sure that they are raw and thoroughly washed and chopped.
Commercially frozen food is also processed, pre-cooked and seasoned, which is harmful to guinea pigs’ wellbeing.
Frozen or cooked, processed food brings along certain dangers.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Canned Green Beans?
No, guinea pigs can’t eat canned green beans.
Canned food contains heaps of additives, which can be terrible for your guinea pig’s wellbeing.
Likewise, food loses loads of basic nutrients, so keep your pet away from canned food.
Feed your guinea pig only with raw green beans.
Final Thoughts
A healthy guinea pig’s diet rests on unlimited amounts of hay, a limited amount of fresh and raw vegetables, even fewer fruits, and guinea pig pellets fortified with vitamin C.
Feed your guinea pig one to two strings of raw and fresh green beans two to three times per week. This amount is perfectly safe for guinea pigs.
With all the beneficial nutrients green beans have, you might think that feeding your guinea pig with green beans every day should be beneficial for your guinea pig’s health. However, it is not.
Green beans contain calcium in large amounts to be safe for the daily consumption of your guinea pig.
Guinea pigs are cute, social, and loving pets, and taking good care of them is not difficult. Serving them proper food, at the proper time in proper quantities is the key to their well-being.
