Can Guinea Pigs Eat bananas image

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Bananas?(popular fruits for guinea pigs)

I love feeding my cute guinea pigs a varied diet, and in an attempt to keep things interesting for them, I decided to find out whether guinea pigs can eat bananas.

So, can guinea pigs eat bananas?

Guinea pigs can eat bananas, but they should only be given as a very rare treat. This is because bananas, like other fruit, are very high in sugar and because the texture can cause constipation.

A couple of small slices once or twice a month is more than enough.

 While researching how to give my guinea pigs a varied diet, I also looked into the best diet to provide them with and why you need to be careful with the amount of fruit and veg you feed them.

Read on to find out more.

Feeding Your Guinea Pigs Bananas

guinea pig eating leaves and bananas

So, if you’re like me, you’ll know the wide range of health benefits that come from us eating bananas. Bananas are rich in fiber.

I try to eat one a day, mainly because they’re an excellent source of carbohydrates and potassium.

On the other hand, Guinea pigs are much more sensitive to these ingredients, so you should be very sparing with how often you feed them bananas.

Unlike other soft fruits, such as blueberries and strawberries, which you can give once or twice a week, you should limit feeding your guinea pigs bananas to once or twice a month.

More than the high sugar levels, bananas have a different texture, making them harder for guinea pigs to digest. As a result, guinea pigs can become constipated.

Another reason for this possible constipation is that bananas, unlike other fruits and vegetables, really aren’t that high in fiber.

As a public figure, you can assume about 2.5g per 100g of banana is fiber.

Guinea pigs need lots of fiber in their diets, so bananas really don’t offer the right nutritional benefits.

Similarly, bananas are high in sugar, with around 12% of their overall weight being simple sugars.

Much more of their weight is complex carbohydrates, which are great for us, but not that useful for guinea pigs.

If fed too frequently, the high sugar content can result in a range of health problems, including obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, and other dental issues.

So I’m not saying you don’t feed your guinea pigs bananas. From my experience, they absolutely love them, but you should be sparing and only keep them as an occasional treat.

Cut the banana into 1cm slices, and give a maximum of two per guinea pig per serving. This is a good way of using bananas that have gone a bit brown because guinea pigs don’t mind if the fruit is soft.

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How Much To Banana Feed A Guinea Pig

guinea pig with a peeled banana

Guinea pigs are small animals, so keeping their diet under control is more critical than bigger pets.

Their size means they’re much more susceptible to obesity and other health complications and very sensitive to nutritional imbalances.

This means you need to be quite careful of what you feed them, including how much and when.

Here is some more information to clarify things for you.

These figures are based on one guinea pig, so increase accordingly depending on how many you have.

The standard part of a guinea pig’s diet is going to be pellets.

These are designed to provide the right nutritional balance for a guinea pig but should be supplemented with fruits and vegetables to provide variety.

Always look for dry food that’s specifically for guinea pigs, as rabbit food (the most common alternative people buy) doesn’t contain the right things, and so you could end up with some very poorly piggies.

Give your guinea pigs around 1/8 cup every day. I usually give this in one feeding early in the morning to eat whenever they want.

There’s no issue with giving multiple guinea pigs their food in the same place because if they’re hungry, they’ll eat.

The next most important part of a guinea pig’s diet is hay.

While hay doesn’t have that much nutritional value, guinea pigs need it for fiber.

This helps keep them regular and keeps their teeth short too. Your guinea pigs should have access to an unlimited supply of hay, so you should top it up at least once a day. Remove any old hay if it looks dry or smells funny.

You want to buy good quality hay that’s designed for small animals to eat. The best choices are alfalfa hay and timothy hay, which are easy to buy in stores and online.

When it comes to fruit and veg, you can give your guinea pigs something every day, but keep it varied, and don’t give them too much of one thing.

Leafy greens, such as kale or romaine lettuce, are acceptable to be given daily, but fruit should be saved for an occasional treat.

And, of course, your guinea pigs should always have access to fresh water, which should be changed daily.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Banana Peels?

Guinea Pigs Eat Banana Peels. Banana peels are often overlooked as food for guinea pigs, but they’re packed with nutrients and can be a healthy addition to their diet.

Why You Need To Give Guinea Pigs A Balanced Diet

balanced diet

Guinea pigs are susceptible, and can become very ill if they get too much of something in their diet, or not enough.

You need to make sure you provide plenty of fiber and a source of vitamin C and that you don’t overfeed them on sugary fruits.

Here is a list of some easily avoidable dietary health complications.

  • Guinea pigs can’t produce their own vitamin C, so they need plenty of it in their diets. If they don’t get enough, they can develop scurvy, leading to fatigue, bad joints, and dental problems. It’s really easy to avoid, though; give them around 30mg of vitamin C daily.
  • Guinea pigs need loads of fiber, which is a hangover from their diets in the wild. Constipation is probably a condition everyone knows, and most will know it’s not too pleasant. In severe cases, it can be fatal, so make sure they have plenty of hay.
  • Too many sugary treats can lead to diabetes, which is a lifelong incurable condition. It’s caused by a severe and prolonged overfeeding of sugary fruits but is easy to avoid through moderation.
  • Kidney stones. Kidney stones are caused by a buildup of calcium and oxalate acid, both of which are naturally occurring in a range of fruits and vegetables. To avoid these, vary the vegetables you give and avoid too many things like spinach or cabbage.

General Tips For Feeding Treats To Your Guinea Pigs

guinea pig eating treats

I’ve found that there are plenty of innocent mistakes in my many years of keeping guinea pigs that should be avoided if possible.

Plenty of these are related to diet, which I’ve already stressed is essential to control.

Here are some general tips for keeping your guinea pigs healthy and happy.

Mineral Wheels

Mineral wheels are a great addition to a hutch because not only do they provide some much-needed vitamins and minerals, and they’re also great for grinding down teeth.

However, if you’re feeding your guinea pigs a balanced diet, they won’t be that necessary. If you do want something for them to chew on, get some wooden blocks instead.

Wash your fruit and veg

This might seem obvious but always wash fruit and veg properly before feeding them to your guinea pigs. Things that need to be peeled (such as bananas) are fine, but everything else should be run underwater for at least 30 seconds. This helps remove any potentially harmful chemicals sprayed on the produce.

Store-bought treats

It can be tempting to grab your guinea pigs some pre-made treats, but avoid them at all costs. They’re full of sugar and have little or no nutritional value. Just stick to fruit and veg, and keep things as natural as possible.

Conclusion:

guinea pig eating 3 slices of banana

So I found that it’s perfectly fine for guinea pigs to eat bananas, but you should only give it as a rare treat.

The more significant factor than the sugar content is the lack of fiber, leading to bloating and constipation.

You’d have much better results with fruit such as blueberries or strawberries.

Related Questions:

1. What food kills guinea pigs?

There are plenty of foods you should avoid altogether, but the most harmful include potato skins, beans and legumes, onions and other alliums, and tomato stalks. If you’re ever in doubt, avoid something altogether.

2. Can guinea pigs eat banana peels?

The short answer is yes, but why would you want to feed them peel? There’s little reason behind feeding your guinea pigs banana peel, so just don’ Stick to providing them the tastier inside, and just throw the skin away.t.

3. Can guinea pigs eat cucumber?

I’ve found that my guinea pigs love eating cucumber. However, there’s very little nutritional value in cucumber, and it can spoil very quickly, so only feed it occasionally and remove it from its cage after a few hours.

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