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can guinea pigs eat sweet potato

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Sweet Potato?

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Sweet potatoes are a different type of potato that has a sweet and spicy flavour and a creamy texture.

They are also known as kumara, orange sweet potato or gold sweet potato.

They are great for savoury dishes but are usually baked, roasted or mashed, and added also to risotto, pasta or curry.

There are two types of sweet potato that you can get, one with bright orange flesh, the other with pale cream flesh.

So can guinea pigs eat sweet potatoes and if so, how much can they eat?

Lets dig a little deeper and look at its nutritional data.

Energy 359 kJ (86 kcal)
Carbohydrates 20.1 g
– Starch 12.7 g
– Sugars 4.2 g
– Dietary fibre 3 g
Fat 0.1 g
Protein 1.6 g
Vitamin A equiv. 709 μg (89%)
– beta-carotene 8509 μg (79%)
Thiamine (vit. B1) 0.078 mg (7%)
Riboflavin (vit. B2) 0.061 mg (5%)
Niacin (vit. B3) 0.557 mg (4%)
Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.8 mg (16%)
Vitamin B6 0.209 mg (16%)
Folate (vit. B9) 11 μg (3%)
Vitamin C 2.4 mg (3%)
Vitamin E 0.26 mg (2%)
Calcium 30 mg (3%)
Iron 0.61 mg (5%)
Magnesium 25 mg (7%)
Manganese 0.258 mg (12%)
Phosphorus 47 mg (7%)
Potassium 337 mg (7%)
Sodium 55 mg (4%)
Zinc 0.3 mg (3%)

Oxelate acid 240mg

Source Wikipedia

can guinea pigs eat sweet potatoWhat we are looking for are foods that are low in phosphorus, calcium, starch,  fat, oxelate acid and sugar. Good amounts of vitamin a and c are a good bonus as well.

As you can see it has has a small amount of phosphorus, fat but has noticeable amounts of oxelate acids and starch.

Because of that they should only be fed to piggies sparingly, although they can eat them.

Once or twice a month would suffice in small amounts because of their content.

image wikipedia

Can guinea pigs eat sweet potato skin?

No they can’t unfortunately. It is worth getting rid of it before serving sweet potato to your piggie.

Can guinea pigs eat cooked sweet potato?

No they can’t. Guinea pigs can only eat raw sweet potato. They can’t eat cooked foods at all.

Verdict

Guinea pigs can eat sweet potato, but only in its raw state and in small amounts on a monthly basis. So they can nibble at it, but don’t make it a regular feature of their diet as it is high in oxelates and starch. However, it is the only potato they can eat.

can guinea pigs eat ham

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Ham?

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With thanksgiving approaching, there may be those wondering if guinea pigs can eat ham?

Cooked Ham is one of those foods that is especially popular around fall and winter time especially in the festive seasons.

 

So if we can eat it….

Can guinea pigs eat ham?

 

Unfortunately guinea pigs can’t eat ham.

This is because guinea pigs can’t eat meats at all. This includes cold and processed meats.

They also can’t eat cooked foods which are also bad for them

can guinea pigs eat hamSo why can’t guinea pigs eat meat?

The reason is that guinea pigs are herbivores and therefore can’t digest meat at all.

image flickr

What would happen if I gave my guinea pig ham?

If they are presented with it they may have a nibble at it but will quickly turn off it.

Guinea pigs are naturally quite curious and love to sniff out new foods. Even when I present my finger to my piggies they have a nibble at it 🙂

 

So it isn’t worth attempting to feed your piggies ham at all.

If you do want your guinea pigs thanksgiving or Christmas foods, give them raw veggies which haven’t been cooked yet.

 

Check out other foods that guinea pigs can and can’t eat in our guinea pig foods section

can guinea pigs eat grapes?

Can Guinea pigs eat grapes?

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Grapes are another luxury fruit which are always a big favourite, but can guinea pigs eat grapes and if so what effect do they have on them?

can guinea pigs eat grapes?From eating them ourselves, we know that grapes should be eaten in moderation as too many can cause stomach problems. I know this oh too well!

My daughter is a great fan of grapes and can eat them morning, noon and night so we always have them around the house, so can guinea pigs eat grapes as well?

I decided to dig a little deeper and find out whether this was a viable options and found some things to think about before giving grapes to your guinea pig.

Here are the nutritional values for red or green grapes

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 288 kJ (69 kcal)
Carbohydrates 18.1 g
Sugars 15.48 g
Dietary fiber 0.9 g
Fat 0.16 g
Protein 0.72 g
Thiamine (vit. B1) 0.069 mg (6%)
Riboflavin (vit. B2) 0.07 mg (6%)
Niacin (vit. B3) 0.188 mg (1%)
Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.05 mg (1%)
Vitamin B6 0.086 mg (7%)
Folate (vit. B9) 2 μg (1%)
Choline 5.6 mg (1%)
Vitamin C 3.2 mg (4%)

As you can see grapes are quite low in vitamin c so adds no value to guinea pigs in that aspect. They also have quite a high sugar content.

source: wikipedia

7 Considerations to make before giving your guinea pig grapes

Some owners have given guinea pigs grapes without any problems, so if you do feed them grapes, please bear these things in mind;

  1. If you do give your guinea pig grapes then be sure to only do this 2-3 times a week.
  2. They are more of a treat than a staple meal.
  3. If you do feed your guinea pig grapes give them seedless grapes so you guinea pig doesn’t choke on any seeds from seeded grapes.
  4. A maximum of two at a time is enough for them. Any more could cause them problems.
  5. It is worth cutting them in half for them so that the guinea pig eats the easily. It will make them easier to chew for the guinea pigs and stop any potential of choking.
  6. Grapes are high in sugar which is the reason that you should give them to your guinea pigs sparingly as its not good for their tummies.
  7. Do be aware that owners in the past have complained that grapes have caused kidney problems for their guinea pigs.

When I cut up some grapes for my guinea pig ‘rocket’ he didn’t take to them and left them well alone.

It really does depend on what your guinea pig likes as to whether they will take them or not.

Verdict – can guinea pigs eat grapes?

Yes, guinea pigs can eat grapes. But taking all the considerations into account, it is your prerogative if you want to give grapes to your guinea pig. Do take care though and give them one or two at the maximum to ensure that they don’t get a tummy upset.

Over to you…

Have you given grapes a try with your guinea pig? How have they taken to eating them?