What can my guinea pig eat? 

Guinea pigs are obligate herbivores, meaning their diet should only consist of PLANT BASED food - so what plants, fruits and vegetables are safe and what are they NOT ALLOWED to eat? There is a huge variety of different vegetables and fruits that guinea pigs love to eat. However, we do have to be very careful as there are some things that can cause life threatening illness or toxicity, and are best avoided. 

What foods are guinea pigs NOT allowed to eat? 

Animal Proteins

As mentioned above, guinea pigs are obligate herbivores, meaning their digestive tract is only designed to digest and metabolise plant based proteins. Unlike omnivores and carnivores, guinea pigs should not be fed any material that has been produced by another animal, including meat, eggs and dairy products. 

Avocado 

As much as us humans may love some Avo on Toast for breakfast, it's really not a good idea to feed to our furry friends. Avocado's contain a toxic principle known as 'Persin', which is found in all parts of the plant including the leaves, stem, skin, fruit and seed. Persin is known to cause injury to the heart, resulting in heart failure and breathing difficulties which can be fatal to our piggy friends if ingested.

Onion, Garlic and Chives

These are a few species in the Allium spp. which contain toxic oxidants resulting in haemolysis (also known as break down of red blood cells). It usually takes 3-5 days after ingestion for the toxicity and clinical signs to occur and can result in a severe anaemia, which can be fatal. In some species a blood transfusion may be a part of treatment, but can be very challenging for the veterinary team treating our small guinea pig friends. Some signs of toxicity may include lethargy, weakness, rapid breathing, rapid heart rate and anorexia. 

Peppers (Hot Peppers)

Depending on what country you are from, 'Peppers' can mean a few different things. To be clear, we are talking about hot peppers such as Chilli's and Japepenos that may burn and cause an uncomfortable sensation for our piggies if ingested. They are not necessarily toxic to guinea pigs, but we wouldn't like to subject them to any king of burning sensations unnecessarily! Capsicum, also known as Bell Peppers are however completely safe for guinea pigs and are often one of their favorite snacks! 

Tomato Plants 

Now our red-ripe tomato fruit are in fact SAFE for guinea pigs to eat, and often a much loved snack, however the rest of the plant - not so much. Tomato plants are part of the Nightshade family, which contains a toxin in the glycoalkaloid family, which can cause severe digestive upset, diarrhoea, decreased appetite, lethargy and abdominal pain. 

Potatoes

Like tomato plants, potatoes are also part of the Nightshade family, and contain an alkaloid toxin known as solanine. Similar to tomato plants, ingestion can lead to digestive upset, diarrhoea, decreased appetite, lethargy and abdominal pain. Potatoes are also very high in starch which can also lead to serious digestive issues. 

Mushrooms

There are many different species in the mushroom family, some of which are very toxic to guinea pigs and can be fatal, others not so much - the hardest part is differentiating between the two! Despite the fact that a large quantity of the mushroom family contain toxic compounds and pose a huge risk to our furry friends if ingested, those species that are safe to feed provide a very low nutritional content. Mushrooms are very low in Vitamin C which is an essential nutrient for guinea pigs, as well as a poor calcium : phosphorous ratio, so adding little nutritional benefit to our guinea pigs diet. We strongly recommend against feeding any wild mushrooms to our piggies and unless you are certain the species of mushroom you are feeding does not contain any toxic compounds, we recommend avoid mushrooms altogether. 

Fruit Seeds 

Many fruits are a favourite for guinea pig snack time - mostly fed in moderation due to their high sugar content, but we should be avoiding the seeds. Apple seeds, pear seeds, cherry seeds and other fruit seeds can contain small amounts of a toxin called cyanide which at certain doses can be lethal. Apart from their toxic compound they also pose risk for a choking hazard with our small furry friends. 

Iceberg Lettuce 

Iceberg lettuce in itself does not contain any toxic compounds that pose risk to our guinea pigs, in fact, it is actually just 96% water! It's high water content is however the reason why we don't recommend feeding it to our guinea pigs. Iceberg lettuce only has a remaining 4% to contain nutritional contents, which overall does not provide much benefit to our piggies. The high water content can also lead to adverse effects such as diarrhoea and digestive upset, affecting the complex microbiome within our piggies digestive tract. 

Rhubarb

Rhubarb in very small quantities can be safe for guinea pigs, however it does contain very high concentrations of oxalic acid, which when ingested will bind to calcium in the body. Eating high amounts of Rhubarb can lead to the formation of bladder stones in guinea pigs which is often a very painful and potentially life threatening condition. 

Chocolate 

Chocolate is definitely a favourite dessert for humans, but not for our piggies! Chocolate is actually toxic to most animals as it contains Theobromine and Caffeine. Generally speaking, the darker the chocolate and higher cocoa content, the more toxic the product is. Chocolate ingestion can be fatal in guinea pigs, with signs occurring quite quickly, usually within 6-12hrs of ingestion. Theobromine can cause disruption to the central nervous system causing heart rate abnormalities and cardiac disturbances, which may be displayed by hyperactivity, trembling, restlessness, increased heartrate, increased body temperature and diarrhea. 

Some House Plants 

There are many different popular house plants that contain various toxic compounds. Before bringing a new plant home we recommend researching if it contains any toxic principles that can affect pets, or keeping it well out of reach of our piggies.