Find out what fruits are safe & healthy for your guinea pigs.
Providing a healthy diet for your guinea pigs is one of the basic responsibilities of being a pet owner. But it can be really overwhelming to know exactly what is safe and healthy to feed! You might have heard a lot about what hay, pellets, and veggies to feed – but what about fruits?
So what safe fruit can your pet guinea pig eat? Let’s talk about it!
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The Basic Guinea Pig Diet
Before we dive specifically into what fruits you can feed your guinea pigs, I want to make sure you have a good understanding of the proper basic guinea pig diet. Feeding a good diet is the foundation to having healthy guinea pigs.
For proper nutrition, 80-90% of your guinea pig’s diet should be grass hay. Either timothy or orchard grass is a good choice and is easy to find. Fresh hay is super important for guinea pigs because it keeps them constantly eating to avoid health problems. This means their digestive system is always moving and it keeps their teeth in good shape.
Of course, also make sure your guinea has access to clean water at all times. You can use a water bowl or a water bottle.
Guinea pigs should also get about 1/8 cup of healthy pellets each day. My favorite healthy pellets are the Oxbow Garden Select Adult Guinea Pig pellets – they’re one of the healthiest commercial pellets on the market. Stay away from anything with nuts, seeds, or those added color bits – all piggies need is plain pellets. A lot of guinea pig food found in pet stores has too much calcium, not enough vitamin c, and added ingredients with little nutritional value.
Finally, guinea pigs should get about a cup of fresh vegetables every single day. Providing a variety of the right foods is best because it makes sure they get all the vitamins and nutrients they need – especially vitamin C. Guinea pigs can’t produce their own vitamin c so it’s important they get these essential nutrients from their food. It also keeps them interested in their food when they aren’t eating the same thing day in and day out!
So, how do fruits fit into this diet?
How to Feed Fruits for Guinea Pigs
Fruits work the best as an occasional treat for guinea pigs.
Most fruits have higher sugar content than veggies, so you want to limit them. They have too much sugar to be fed in large quantities on a daily basis. If you feed too much fruit you might end up with an overweight guinea pig or nutrition-related health issues.
Fresh fruit is great to mix in with veggies a few times a week in small quantities to add some variety to your guinea pig’s diet. Small pieces also make great stand-alone treats if you want to feed something fresh instead of commercial treats.
I also love to dehydrate some fruits to save as a special treat for my guinea pigs. You can do this yourself, or you can also buy dried fruits from the store (just make sure there are no added sugars or ingredients!).
Fruits Guinea Pigs Can Eat
Here’s a list of common fruits guinea pigs can eat:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Cherries
- Cranberries
- Grapes
- Cantalope melon
- Honeydew melon
- Oranges
- Papaya
- Peaches
- Pears
- Pineapple (safe in moderation)
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
This list doesn’t include every single fruit that are safe for guinea pigs, so always make sure to research before you give your guinea pigs something new or that you’re unsure of!
I usually am careful about how much I feed certain types of fruits, especially citrus fruits, because they are very acidic and can cause mouth sores. I also don’t make any large sudden changes to my piggies’ diets so I don’t cause any digestive problems.
Final Thoughts on Fruits Guinea Pigs Can Eat
Small amounts of fruit can be a great addition to your guinea pigs’ diet as a treat or to provide some variety from their daily diet. What is your guinea pig’s favorite fruit?
Learn More About Guinea Pig Nutrition:
- What Do Guinea Pigs Eat? A Guide to a Healthy Diet
- Do Guinea Pigs Need Hay?
- How to Feed Guinea Pig Veggies (+FREE printable list!)
