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can guinea pigs eat peanuts

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Peanuts?

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Peanuts?

We often have peanuts as a snack and they are incredibly morish. In fact, I think I can probably demolish a packet of peanuts in one sitting very very easily.

Did you know though that peanuts are in fact not a nut at all, but a legume?

So if we can eat peanuts, then can guinea pigs eat peanuts?

Lets find out.

Firstly, as always lets look at its nutrients.

Energy 2,385 kJ (570 kcal)
Carbohydrates 21 g
– Sugars 0.0 g
– Dietary fiber 9 g
Fat 48 g
– saturated 7 g
– monounsaturated 24 g
– polyunsaturated 16 g
Protein 25 g
– Tryptophan 0.2445 g
– Threonine 0.859 g
– Isoleucine 0.882 g
– Leucine 1.627 g
– Lysine 0.901 g
– Methionine 0.308 g
– Cystine 0.322 g
– Phenylalanine 1.300 g
– Tyrosine 1.020 g
– Valine 1.052 g
– Arginine 3.001 g
– Histidine 0.634 g
– Alanine 0.997 g
– Aspartic acid 3.060 g
– Glutamic acid 5.243 g
– Glycine 1.512 g
– Proline 1.107 g
– Serine 1.236 g
Water 4.26 g
Thiamine (vit. B1) 0.6 mg (52%)
Niacin (vit. B3) 12.9 mg (86%)
Pantothenic acid (B5) 1.8 mg (36%)
Vitamin B6 0.3 mg (23%)
Folate (vit. B9) 246 μg (62%)
Vitamin C 0.0 mg (0%)
Calcium 62 mg (6%)
Iron 2 mg (15%)
Magnesium 184 mg (52%)
Phosphorus 336 mg (48%)
Potassium 332 mg (7%)
Zinc 3.3 mg (35%)

source: wikipedia

As you can see above, peanuts have no Vitamin C. The other things that stand out are that they are high in fat and are quite acidic.

This means if they nibble on one it won’t hurt them, but general consumption of them is not good. So they are a food to steer clear of.

There are many types of peanuts that this can apply to such as roasted peanuts, raw peanuts, unsalted peanuts, salted peanuts and whole peanuts.

What about other types of Peanut foods?

Can guinea pigs eat peanuts with shells?

No, avoid any kind of peanut even if it has its shell on.

Can guinea pigs eat peanut butter?

No, it is far too sweet for them not to mention sticky and gooey. Don’t try it!

Can guinea pigs eat peanut shells?

Peanut shells are fine for guinea pigs to eat as they are soft enough for them to consume and don’t contain the fat that peanuts do.

Can guinea pigs eat peanut butter crackers?

Unfortunately, they are far too sweet for them. A food to steer clear of.

Can guinea pigs eat raw peanuts?

No they can’t as they are far too fatty for their tummies to take.

Can guinea pigs eat whole peanuts?

Unfortunately, again they are just too fatty for them to take.

Verdict

If your guinea pig stumbles upon a peanut it won’t hurt them, but don’t purposely feed peanuts to a guinea pig. They are far too high in fat for their little tummies.