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What Fruits Can Guinea Pigs Not Eat

What Fruits Can Guinea Pigs Not Eat?

We’ve seen that fruits are great additions to a guinea pig’s diet. The vitamin c content that most fruits have to bring a much-needed supplement to their nutritional intake.

However, there are some fruits that they can’t eat as often as others.

What Fruits Can Guinea Pigs Not Eat?

Here is a list of those that they shouldn’t eat. Well, not regularly anyway. If they have a nibble at them, they won’t hurt them but nothing more than once or twice a month at the most, if that.

The thing is that some of them actually have a very good amount of vitamin c, but their other content is just not good for them.

So here you go;

Currants – The fresh fruit of currants are very small and sweet, with quite an intense flavor. However, they contain too much acid, calcium and sugar for guinea pigs.

Coconuts – The various parts of the coconut have a number of culinary uses and make a great snack, however, they have too much acidic, sugar and phosphorus content for piggies

Damsons – They are most often used for cooking, and are commercially grown for preparation in jam and other fruit preserves. It as too much water content for guinea pigs though.

Dates –  Dry or soft dates are eaten out-of-hand or may be pitted and stuffed with fillings. However, they are just too sweet for piggies.

Grapefruit – Grapefruit are a popular citrus fruit that are often eaten for breakfast or snacks. They are also used in for the flavorings. However, they are very high in sugar for guinea pigs to eat.

Jackfruit – Jackfruit is commonly used in South and Southeast Asian cuisines, however, it has too much sugar for piggies.

Kumquats – They resemble the orange, but it is much smaller, being approximately the size and shape of a large olive. Kumquat is a fairly cold-hardy citrus. They are too acidic and sugary for guinea pigs.

Lemons – This yellow fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world, primarily for its juice, which has both culinary and cleaning uses. It is too sweet and acidic though for piggies.

Olives – It is of major agricultural importance in the Mediterranean region as the source of olive oil; it is one of the core ingredients in Mediterranean cuisine.  It is too high in fat and salt for guinea pigs.

Passionfruit – Passion fruits are round or oval. They can be yellow, red, purple, and green. They are very acidic and sweet for piggies though.

Prunes – A prune is a dried plum of any cultivar. They are too much acid and phosphorus for guinea pigs, however.

 

For more foods that guinea pigs can and can’t eat, check out our guinea pig food list.

what fruits can guinea pigs eat

What Fruits Can Guinea Pigs Eat?

Fruits are great addition to a guinea pig’s diet. They may not be able to be eaten as regularly as vegetables on the whole, but their vitamin c content is a welcome addition to their diet.

So what fruits can guinea pigs eat?

What Fruits Can Guinea Pigs Eat?

We’ve reviewed pretty much all of them that we can and so here is a list of all the fruits that guinea pigs can eat and how often they can be eaten.

Not all fruits are the same and so require discretion as to how often you feed it to them.

Fruits by their nature are quite sweet and acidic, so you may find me repeating myself a lot. But their vitamin c content does vary from fruit to fruit.

So here goes;

Apple – They can be eaten 1-2 times a week in small pieces. Quite acidic and sugary. Low vitamin c.

Apricot – They can be eaten 1-2 times a week in small pieces. Quite acidic though.

Avocado – They can be eaten once a week due to their acidic content. Low in vitamin c.

Banana – Once a week in small amounts, high in sugar and acids. Moderate vitamin c.

Breadfruit – Once a week in small amounts, high in sugar and acids. Very good amounts of vitamin c.

Bilberry – Small amounts once a week due to sugar and acidic content. High vitamin c content.

Blackberry – Two to three times a week in small amounts. Very good amounts of vitamin c.

Blackcurrant – Can be eaten once a week in small amounts but have an extraordinary amount of vitamin c in them.

Blood Orange – One to two times a week at the most.

Blueberry – Can be eaten twice a week in small amounts. Very good amounts of vitamin c.

Boysenberry – Can be eaten two to three times a week in small amounts. Good amounts of vitamin c.

Cantaloupe – Once a week in small amounts, due to sweetness. Nice amounts of vitamin c.

Clementine – Once or twice a week as they are quite sweet and acidic. Lots of vitamin c

Currant – Not good at all. A few times a month at most.

Cherry – Twice to three times a week.

Cherimoya – Once to twice a week due to sweetness. Contains a healthy amount of vitamin c.

Cloudberry – Three to four times a week. A ton of vitamin c in them.

Coconut – One to avoid

Cranberry – Two to three times a week, and a nice amount of vitamin c in them.

Cucumber – One to two times a week, low in vitamin c and high in water.

Damson – One to avoid.

Date – One to avoid

Dragonfruit – Once a week, in small amounts. Have a huge amount of vitamin c.

Durian – Once a week, but quite acidic. Lots of vitamin c.

Elderberry – Two to three times a week. Contain a lot of good vitamin c.

Feijoa – Every three to four days, have a good amount of vitamin c.

Fig – Once a week. Pretty high in sugar, not much vitamin c.

Goji berry – Once or twice a week, contain a nice amount of vitamin c.

Gooseberry – Only once a week as they’re quite acidic. But have a good amount of vitamin c in them.

Grape – Two to three times a week.

Grapefruit – One to avoid

Guava – One to two times a week. Have a huge amount of vitamin c in them.

Huckleberry – Two to three times a week will suffice.

Honeydew – Once a week as too much bad stuff for piggies.

Jackfruit – One to avoid

Jujube – Two to three times a week. A nice amount of vitamin c in them.

Kiwi fruit – Once a week as really sweet, but have a ton of vitamin c in them.

Kumquat – One to avoid

Lemon – One to avoid.

Lime – Once a week at the most, but very acidic.

Loquat – Once a week in small amounts. Have a nice amount of vitamin c in them.

Lychee – Once a week in small amounts as they are very sweet. Lots of vitamin c in them though.

Mandarin – Once or twice a week at the most.

Mango – Once a week in small amounts as they are sweet and acidic. Nice amount of vitamin c in them.

Melon – Once a week at the most as they are quite sweet. Nice amount of vitamin c.

Mulberry – Two to three times a week, and have a nice amount of vitamin c in them.

Nectarine – Once or twice a week at the most.

Olive – One to avoid

Orange – Once a week because of their sweetness and acidity.

Papaya – Quite sugary, but can be eaten twice to three times a week.

Passionfruit – One to avoid

Peach – Once a week at the most.

Pear – Once a week due to sweetness and acidity

Persimmon – Three to four times  a week and they have a huge amount of vitamin c.

Physalis – Once or twice a week due to acidic content.

Plum – Once or twice a week due their acidic content.

Prune (dried plum) – One to avoid.

Pineapple – Once a week due to their sweetness and acidity.

Pomegranate – Once a week at the most.

Pomelo – One to two times a week.

Quince – Can be eaten twice a week

Raisin – A few once a week as they are high in sugar.

Raspberry – Can be eaten three to four times a week, and has a nice amount of vitamin c.

Rambutan – Twice to three times a week in small amounts.

Red Currant – Once or twice a week at the most.

Satsuma – Once or twice a week as with other types of oranges.

Star fruit – Two to three times a week at the most.

Strawberry – Three to four to five times a week. They are great for piggies

Tangerine – Once or twice a week.

Watermelon – Once a week because of their sweetness.

If you are looking for a resource to print out, guinea pig cages forum has this brilliant pdf that you can pin up on your fridge here

can guinea pigs eat asian pears

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Asian Pears?

Asian pears are large and fragrant fruit that are commonly served either raw or peeled.

They tend to be quite expensive fruit and are often given as gifts in some cultures or eaten in a family setting. They are also used in cooking, used in sauces or used to marinate meat.

So can guinea pigs eat Asian pears, and if they can, how much of them can be eaten?

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Asian Pears?

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

In particular, their acidic, calcium, sugar, phosphorus, and fat content are of most interest.

Nashi pear (Pyrus pyrifolia)
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 176 kJ (42 kcal)
Carbohydrates 10.65 g
– Sugars 7.05 g
– Dietary fiber 3.6 g
Fat 0.23 g
Protein 0.5 g
Thiamine (vit. B1) 0.009 mg (1%)
Riboflavin (vit. B2) 0.01 mg (1%)
Niacin (vit. B3) 0.219 mg (1%)
Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.07 mg (1%)
Vitamin B6 0.022 mg (2%)
Folate (vit. B9) 8 μg (2%)
Choline 5.1 mg (1%)
Vitamin C 3.8 mg (5%)
Vitamin E 0.12 mg (1%)
Vitamin K 4.5 μg (4%)
Calcium 4 mg (0%)
Magnesium 8 mg (2%)
Manganese 0.06 mg (3%)
Phosphorus 11 mg (2%)
Potassium 121 mg (3%)
Sodium 0 mg (0%)

source wikipedia

As you can see Asian pears contain a hint of phosphorus, a little acid, a hint of fat, but are quite sweet.

They also don’t contain a lot of vitamin c.

With that in mind, guinea pigs can eat Asian pears, but only two to three times a week because of their sugar content.

For more foods that guinea pigs can and can’t eat, check out our guinea pig food list.