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can guinea pigs eat limes

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Limes?

In this updated post, we look at whether guinea pigs can eat limes and lime leaves.

 

Limes are a similar shape to lemons except they have bright green skin which is smooth.

They have a very distinct smell and flavor which means it is used in a large number of different culinary dishes and situations all around the world.

They are available all the year round as a fruit and are at their best when they are unblemished with a firm texture which means that they will feel heavy for their size.

The heavier they are, the juicier they are.

They measure between three to six centimeters in diameter.

Lime juice makes things taste fresher. I use it for drinks, salsas, relishes, soups and sauces. You want to give it to your limes – firmness means that the inside is dry – and they’ll stay softer for longer if you don’t refrigerate them.

Bobby Flay

So limes aren’t a fruit that I necessarily like but they look great and taste brilliant as an accompaniment in a soft or alcoholic drink.

I know there are a lot of people out there who love limes and have no qualms in eating them.

image wikipedia

So if humans can eat limes, can guinea pigs. If they can, how much can they eat?

Lets find out by taking a look at its nutritional data.

As per usual, take a look at its sugar, calcium, phosphorus, oxelate acid, and fat content to see whether it is any good for guinea pigs.

Energy 126 kJ (30 kcal)
Carbohydrates 10.5 g
– Sugars 1.7 g
– Dietary fiber 2.8 g
Fat 0.2 g
Protein 0.7 g
Thiamine (vit. B1) 0.03 mg (3%)
Riboflavin (vit. B2) 0.02 mg (2%)
Niacin (vit. B3) 0.2 mg (1%)
Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.217 mg (4%)
Vitamin B6 0.046 mg (4%)
Folate (vit. B9) 8 μg (2%)
Vitamin C 29.1 mg (35%)
Calcium 33 mg (3%)
Iron 0.6 mg (5%)
Magnesium 6 mg (2%)
Phosphorus 18 mg (3%)
Potassium 102 mg (2%)
Sodium 2 mg (0%)

source wikipedia

As you can contains a little phosphorus, calcium, and a little  sugar. It also contains a very good amount of vitamin c which is fantastic  for our guinea pigs.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Limes?

Because of this, guinea pigs can eat limes but not too regularly because of its phosphorus, sugar and calcium content. But the vitamin c content makes it worthwhile for guinea pigs.

However, do be careful with feeding them to your cavy.

Just like if we have too many of them, guinea pigs can also get tummy trouble from eating them.

So don’t feed them too much. One or two segments at the most twice a week should be sufficient.

Another hurdle to overcome is that they are of course very sour. So they may not take to them at all.

However, that doesn’t stop you from trying them with your guinea pigs

So we’ve looked at limes, what about lime leaves?

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Lime Leaves?

Lime leaves are sometimes called kaffir lime leaves and are fragrant leaves of the wild lime tree.

They are used a lot in Thai and South East Asian cuisine much like bay leaves are.

Lime leaves are joined tip to end and create an unusual figure of eight shape.

They also have a spicy, lemony flavor. (source)

Can guinea pigs eat lime leaves?

Unfortunately, they cant’ eat them. Lime leaves are just too spicy and citrusy for piggies to eat and should be avoided as a food to them.

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

can guinea pigs eat pak choi

Can guinea pigs eat pak choi?

Pak Choi is also called Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa, subspecies pekinensis and chinensis) and can refer to two groups of Chinese leaf vegetables often used in Chinese cuisine: the Pekinensis Group (napa cabbage) and the Chinensis Group (bok choy).

These vegetables are both variant cultivars or subspecies of the turnip and belong to the same genus as such Western staples as cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Both have many variations in name, spelling, and scientific classification, especially bok choy cultivars. (source)

Can guinea pigs eat pak choi?

Let’s take a look at its nutritional data and find out more.

In particular, its acidic, water, sugar, fat, salt, calcium and phosphorus content is of most interest as far as guinea pigs are concerned.

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0.2 g 0%
Saturated fat 0 g 0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.1 g
Monounsaturated fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Sodium 65 mg 2%
Potassium 252 mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 2.2 g 0%
Dietary fiber 1 g 4%
Sugar 1.2 g
Protein 1.5 g 3%
Vitamin A 89%
Vitamin C 75%
Calcium 10%
Iron 4%
Vitamin D 0%
Vit B-6 10%
Vitamin B-12 0%
Magnesium 4%

source google

As you can see pak choi contains a lot of calcium, a little sugar, a hint of salt, and a hint of fat. It will also contain a large amount of water content which hasn’t been disclosed above.

This means that they can eat pak choi in small amounts on an occasional basis.

It is not a food to be fed to them regularly because of the large amount of calcium content it has.

It should be eaten raw only and not cooked at all. They much prefer raw veggies only.

Just cut it up into small pieces for them and don’t feed them too much as they will eat everything you give them.

They will be great fans of pak choi as it is a green vegetable, which always goes down well with piggies not matter what it is.

Its place in their regular diet

Pak choi is a good back up food for them. Although it has a high amount of calcium and should only be fed occasionally to them, it will provide a good amount of nutrients for them as part of their diet.

Fed to them occasionally alongside their regular diet of hay, guinea pig mix, other veggies, fruit, and water, it will help provide a good balance to a guinea pig’s diet.

There are better veggies for them to eat such as bell peppers, but pak choi is a nice occasional vegetable.

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

can guinea pigs eat orchids

Can guinea pigs eat orchids?

The Orchidaceae are a diverse and widespread family of flowering plants, with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant, commonly known as the orchid family.

Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering plants. The Orchidaceae have about 28,000 currently accepted species, distributed in about 763 genera.

The determination of which family is larger is still under debate, because verified data on the members of such enormous families are continually in flux.

Regardless, the number of orchid species nearly equals the number of bony fishes and is more than twice the number of bird species, and about four times the number of mammal species.

The family also encompasses about 6–11% of all seed plants.

The largest genera are Bulbophyllum (2,000 species), Epidendrum (1,500 species), Dendrobium (1,400 species) and Pleurothallis (1,000 species). (source)

Can guinea pigs eat orchids?

No they can’t eat them unfortunately. Orchids are poisonous for guinea pigs to eat and will harm them if eaten.

They are best avoided as much as possible.

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

can guinea pigs eat boiled rice

Can guinea pigs eat boiled rice?

Rice is a staple food in not only Asia and Latin America, but across the globe, and is considered the most consumed food in the world.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies rice as part of the grains food group.

200 g of cooked steamed white rice contributes 60 g (2 oz) toward the daily recommended 170 and 200 g (6 and 7 oz) for women and men, respectively.

It is considered a good source of micronutrients such as zinc and manganese.

Cooked rice refers to rice that has been cooked either by steaming or boiling.

The terms steamed rice or boiled rice are also commonly used.

Any variant of Asian rice (both Indica and Japonica varieties), African rice or wild rice, glutinous or non-glutinous, long-, medium-, or short-grain, of any color, can be used.

Rice for cooking can be whole grain or milled. (source)

Can guinea pigs eat boiled rice?

Yes, they can nibble it as long as it is cool. But it isn’t a food that they will naturally eat.

It has no nutritional benefit for them and they will probably turn their noses up at it as they do not usually eat foods that have been cooked.

It is probably a food that is best avoided as far as guinea pigs are concerned.

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

guinea pig breeds

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Human Vitamin C Tablets?

We know that guinea pigs need vitamin c supplements because they cannot make their own.

They are much like us and require help with getting their body the vitamin c it needs to be healthy.

As humans, we will eat foods that have vitamin c in them to help us with this but we will also have vitamin c tablets to also help us with this.

image wikpedia

So if we have vitamin c tablets spare that we take ourselves, then can guinea pigs eat human vitamin c tablets?

Can guinea pigs eat human vitamin c tablets?

No guinea pigs can’t eat human vitamin c tablets. They are made specifically for humans and are not for guinea pigs to eat.

There are specific guinea pig vitamin c pellets that are made with a guinea pig in mind.

They are good for guinea pigs to take and will build them up, just like human vitamin c tablets build up humans.

So stick to giving them guinea pig vitamin c tablets and steer clear of giving them human vitamin c tablets.

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

can guinea pigs eat yoghurt drops

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Yoghurt Drops?

Commercial yoghurt drops go by a few names: yogurt puffs, yogurt melts, and yogurt bites.

The premise is the same — dots of yogurt are dehydrated, creating a melting bite that is also shelf-stable.

Yoghurt drops are made by squeezing yogurt through an icing tube onto greaseproof paper and then letting them freeze.

They are a popular confectionery and are eaten all over the world and come in different flavors. (source)

So can guinea pigs eat yoghurt drops at all?

Unfortunately, they can’t all.

They can’t eat any kind of dairy product because they will give them tummy trouble. It is best to steer clear of giving them yoghurt drops.

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

can guinea pigs eat plain yoghurt

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Flavoured Yoghurt?

Flavoured yoghurt is a food that is often eaten for dessert. It comes in many different flavours and is very popular as a healthy option for people to choose from after meals.

There are many types of flavoured yoghurt that you can purchase.

Flavours such as strawberry, raspberry, peach, banana, blackberry, blueberry, toffee, lychee, lime, lemon and chocolate are popular choices.

So can guinea pigs eat flavoured yoghurt at all?

Unfortunately they can’t all. Its far too runny for them to handle and because it is a dairy product, it is bad for their tummies as well.

So definitely a food for them to avoid.

can guinea pigs eat plain yoghurt

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Plain Yoghurt?

Yoghurt, yogurt, or yogurt is a food produced by bacterial fermentation
of milk.

The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as “yogurt cultures”.

Fermentation of lactose by these bacteria produces lactic acid.

This acts on milk protein to give yogurt its texture and characteristic tart flavor.

Cow’s milk is commonly available worldwide, and, as such, is the milk most commonly used to make yogurt.

Milk from water buffalo, goats, ewes, mares, camels, and yaks is also used to produce yogurt where available locally.

Milk used may be homogenized or not (milk distributed in many parts of the world is homogenized).

In fact, both types may be used, with substantially different results.

Plain yogurt is a food that is used in a variety of culinary dishes and desserts.

It is popular around the world for its versatility and its smooth texture. (source)

So can guinea pigs eat plain yoghurt at all?

Unfortunately, they can’t at all.

They can’t handle the runny nature of it and also are not good with dairy products as they cause them tummy trouble.

So steer clear of giving your piggies plain yoghurt.

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

can guinea pigs drink squash

Can Guinea Pigs Drink Squash?

Squash is another name for a cordial drink.

It is concentrated fruit juice which is purchased in bottles.

In order to drink, it only a little needs to be poured out into a glass and then water added to it to make it drinkable for humans.

As a water-based drink, it is very popular around the world and drunk in a number of different countries.

It comes in sugared and sugar-free varieties not to mention many different flavours to enhance its popularity.

We drink squash in our household all the time.

Its another name for a cordial which has had water added to it.

It could be blackcurrant, apple, lemon, grapefruit or another type of flavor.

Can guinea pigs drink squash?

So can guinea pigs drink squash?

Although it is a water-based drink, you may think that it is fine for guinea pigs to drink.

Even the sugar-free version could be good for guinea pigs, right?

Unfortunately, this is not the case at all.

They can’t drink squash at all.

It’s just too sweet for them to drink and they won’t enjoy it all.

Squash is more likely to make them sick if anything because they can’t take drinking flavored drinks.

It is much better to stick to giving them water instead, they’ll enjoy it a whole lot more and find it more refreshing than other drink you could give them.

Guinea pigs need water most of all

Guinea pigs need access to water all of the time to nourish and refresh them.

If they don’t have access to it they will find ways of drawing it out of other forage foods so that their bodies get the water that they need to survive.

can guinea pigs drink carrot juice

Can Guinea Pigs Drink Carrot Juice?

Carrot juice is drunk by humans as a health drink as it has a high content of β-carotene, a source of vitamin A, but it is also high in B complex vitamins like folate. It has a sweet flavour of concentrated carrots.

image wikipedia

So can guinea pigs drink carrot juice? We know that they love carrots, so what of their juice?

They can drink a bit of it as long as it hasn’t had any additives in it. But too much will give them tummy ache.

To be honest, its probably a drink to avoid giving to guinea pigs because of the risk of tummy ache for them. Stick to water instead.