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can guinea pigs eat dandelion leaves

Can Guinea Pigs eat Dandelion leaves?

Dandelion greens belong to one of the largest plant families, the Sunflower, which includes more than 22,000 species.

The first reference of dandelions being used as a medicine was written by Middle Eastern physicians in the 10th and 11th centuries.

Welsh medicinals concocted as early as the 13th century made use of both the roots and leaves.

After gathering this plentiful, easily recognizable herb, rinse them gently and pat them dry.

Then store them in plastic bags in a low-moisture refrigerator drawer.  (source)

Can guinea pigs eat Dandelion leaves

Yes, they can eat Dandelion leaves.

Just make sure they haven’t been sprayed with fertilizer or any kind of pesticide.

Dandelion leaves picked in the wild or a public place where you don’t know the land so well are not a good idea to feed to your guinea pig.

For more foods that guinea pigs can and can eat check out our guinea pig food list

can guinea pigs eat dandelions

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Dandelions?

Dandelions are found in many places around the world, and are seen as a wild flower.

Often in different seasons throughout the year, you see gardens or fields that are full of them so they are something that guinea pigs are going to come across.

So can guinea pigs eat dandelions, and if they can how much of them can be eaten.

Lets take a look at their nutritional data and find out a bit more about them.

In particular, their calcium, sugar, acidic, phosphorus, and fat content is quite pertinent to guinea pigs.

Calories 45.0(188 kJ) 2%
Total Carbohydrate 9.2g 3%
Dietary Fiber 3.5g 14%
Sugars 0.7g
Total Fat 0.7g 1%
Saturated Fat 0.2g 1%
Monounsaturated Fat 0.0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g
Protein 2.7g 5%
Amounts Per Selected Serving%DV
Vitamin A 10160IU 203%
Vitamin C 35.0mg 58%
Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol) 3.4mg 17%
Vitamin K 778mcg 973%
Thiamin 0.2mg 13%
Riboflavin 0.3mg 15%
Niacin 0.8mg 4%
Vitamin B 60.3mg 13%
Folate 27.0mcg 7%
Vitamin B 120.0mcg 0%
Pantothenic Acid 0.1mg 1%
Choline 35.3mg
Calcium 187mg 19%
Iron 3.1mg 17%
Magnesium 36.0mg 9%
Phosphorus 66.0mg 7%
Potassium 397mg 11%
Sodium 76.0mg3%
Zinc 0.4mg3%
Copper 0.2mg9%
Manganese 0.3mg17%
Selenium 0.5mcg1%
Cholesterol 0.0mg0%

Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2441/2#ixzz2sjyLACs1

As you can see dandelions do contain some phosphorus, and are quite acidic, they also contain a hint of fat and sugar.

As you can see, dandelions can by no means be fed everyday to guinea pigs. Because of their phosphorus and acidic content they can only really be red 2-3 times a week. This was certainly a surprise to me , but it just shows that you never really know what’s in a food until you analyse its nutritional data.

But the good thing is that the stem, root and flower are all edible by guinea pigs, just be careful that they dont have pesticides on them if they are picked from a garden or field.