Can Guinea Pigs Eat Crackers? (Benefits & Risks)

You probably own rare pets, and you are looking for foods that you can share with your guinea pigs. I know that guinea pigs like to chew all the time, and you want to make your guinea pigs happy.

You cannot share every human food with your guinea pigs. They are different. Your cavies cannot digest things the way you do.

I do not feed crackers to my rare pets, and you should not do so. Even when it seems too tempting to share your crackers with your guinea pig, you should know that it is not safe for guinea pigs to eat crackers.

Here is why:

Crackers pose certain health risks for your cavies because they are made using flour, oil, salt, seeds, herbs, and cheese. I have read on the internet somewhere that you can feed moderate amounts of crackers to your guinea pigs.

They are wrong! Crackers can cause serious health issues in cavies. Your cute, little, cavy friend can suffer from digestion issues after eating crackers, even in moderation. I won’t take such health risks with my rare pets, and you shouldn’t, either.

You might be thinking, “Why can’t I share my crackers with my guinea pigs?”

The answer lies in the form of ingredients used to prepare crackers. Generally, crackers contain wheat flour and water as the main ingredients.

Know that wheat flour is not good for cavies. Your guinea pigs are herbivores. You should not think about feeding flour or wheat flour to your cavies. Guinea pigs have sensitive stomachs, and they can face digestion issues such as gas and bloating after eating flour.

It becomes worse when you try to feed baked wheat flour to your cavies. Baked wheat flour is more likely to cause digestion issues in guinea pigs than your normal wheat flour.

Usually, crackers are baked before you eat them. So when you feed crackers to your guinea pigs, you actually feed baked flour to your cavies. It is not good for their gut health.   

Wheat flour contains carbohydrates. 100 grams of wheat flour contains approximately 76 grams of carbohydrates.

It is not a good idea to feed too many carbohydrates to your cavy friend. Cavies cannot tolerate such high doses of carbohydrates. You should avoid feeding too many carbohydrates to your guinea pigs.

Crackers also provide oil to your guinea pigs. It does not matter whether they have used vegetable oil or olive oil to prepare crackers.

Oils are not good for dogs. Do not get me wrong, but you should not feed crackers to your guinea pigs even when they have been prepared through coconut oil.

Some crackers come in a cheese flavor. Cheese is not suitable for your guinea pigs. Your guinea pigs cannot tolerate shreds of cheese provided by these crackers.

Other flavored crackers are also not ideal for your guinea pigs. In short, do not think about feeding flavored crackers to your guinea pigs.       

But guinea pigs like to munch on anything, and you do not know how much is too much for your baby guinea pig.

Difference between baby guinea pigs and adult guinea pigs

Baby guinea pigs look smaller than adult guinea pigs. Baby guinea pigs have a length of 8-10 cm. They weigh around 60-140 g. Adult guinea pigs have a length of 20-35 cm. They weigh approximately 800-1500 g.

You should know that baby guinea pigs rely on their mother when it comes to food. If they see that their mother is munching on crackers, then they will surely try to eat them.   

Are crackers good for guinea pigs

Crackers are not good for guinea pigs as they contain high levels of sugar and carbohydrates. Baked crackers are a big no-no for guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs cannot tolerate wheat flour, oils, sugars, and flavors such as cheese and herbs provided by crackers. Crackers pose a risk to your guinea pigs’ health, and they are not safe for your guinea pigs’ consumption.

Nutritional Value of Crackers

Crackers are not a good source of nutrients and minerals for your guinea pigs.

Crackers contain the following amounts of nutrients in a 16 g serving:

• Fat 4.2 g
• Protein 1.1 g
• Carbohydrate 9.8 g
• Sugar 1.3 g
• Dietary Fiber 0.4 g
• Vitamin A 0 mcg
• Vitamin C 0 mcg
• Vitamin D 0 mcg
• Iron 0.64 mcg
• Calcium 19.20 mcg

As you can see, guinea pigs cannot obtain a good dose of dietary fiber from crackers. Crackers may become a big source of carbohydrates for guinea pigs. As stated before, guinea pigs can face different issues after having too many carbohydrates and sugars through crackers.

You might become sad, but I am telling you that guinea pigs gain no major health benefits from crackers. Crackers are meant for your cavies, so you should not feed them to your cavy friends.  

Benefits of Feeding Crackers to Guinea Pigs?

Crackers do not provide any kind of health benefit to your cavies. There is a significant difference between human foods and foods meant for your cavies. Cavies have sensitive digestive systems, and they cannot tolerate human snacks such as crackers.

Some people think that crackers are good for guinea pigs just because they do not contain Calcium. I know that Calcium can form kidney stones in guinea pigs, but it is no reason to celebrate crackers for guinea pigs. Crackers pose several serious health risks to guinea pigs.

Risks of Feeding Crackers to Guinea Pigs?

Unlike humans, guinea pigs have sensitive digestive systems. They need high levels of dietary fiber to maintain their gut health. Guinea pigs can suffer from stomach issues after eating crackers. This is because crackers do not provide valuable nutrients to your guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs cannot tolerate excessive salt in crackers. Your guinea pigs can suffer from salt poisoning after eating large amounts of crackers.

You need to provide a lot of water to your guinea pigs if they face the risk of salt poisoning. I provide unlimited access to drinking water to my guinea pigs.

One of my kids accidentally gave his crackers to my guinea pigs. When I entered the room, my guinea pigs were munching on a piece of salty crackers. Luckily, I came on time, and I did not allow them to eat the whole piece. I quickly took it away from them.

It was rude, I know, but I did it to protect them. Within a few hours, I noticed that my guinea pigs were acting weird as if they were suffering from dehydration. I called my vet, and he asked me to provide a lot of drinking water to my guinea pigs.

It was risky and a bit painful for my guinea pigs. It did cost me an expensive visit to the nearest vet. I do not think that you should take such health risks with your cavies.

I did not want my guinea pigs to suffer from diseases such as Gastroenteritis and Diarrhea, and you should also protect your guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs face the risk of dehydration after eating foods with high salt content, such as crackers. Dehydration in guinea pigs over long periods can be fatal. Dehydration coupled with Gastroenteritis is a serious issue for guinea pigs.

Vets say that you have to provide lots of water and other fluids to treat your guinea pigs with Gastroenteritis or Dehydration.   

Studies have shown that problems such as Gastroenteritis and dehydration can increase the mortality rate of cavies (University, n.d.). In simple terms, guinea pigs face a risk of shorter life spans due to dehydration or any other associated problem.

Oils in crackers can also cause digestion issues in guinea pigs. Your guinea pig can have a stomach upset due to the oils provided by crackers. Some oils, including Canola oil, can be very dangerous for your cavies.

Cavies face the risk of cardiovascular issues after eating foods like crackers. The high amounts of salt and oils in crackers can lead to issues such as high blood pressure. Unfortunately, crackers carry too many calories and fats for your guinea pigs.

Given that guinea pigs have delicate digestive systems, you cannot expect them to tolerate high amounts of calories and fats.

Guinea pigs need a moving gut to live a normal, healthy life. Crackers create digestion problems for guinea pigs, and I do not want my rare pets to suffer due to digestion issues.

Guinea pigs can face obesity and other associated issues after consuming too much fat. It is another reason for you to stop giving crackers to your cavies.

Crackers can cause salt poisoning that leads to dehydration and other associated problems. You should not share your crackers with your guinea pigs if you want them to live long, happy, and healthy lives.

Do all guinea pigs eat crackers?

Crackers are not safe for all guinea pigs. Your guinea pigs can suffer from gastrointestinal issues after eating foods rich in sugars, salt, and oils. Crackers are not good for your cavies because they do not provide any of the essential nutrients and vitamins to guinea pigs.

I mean, they do not contain vitamin A. My rare pets need vitamin A in their diet. They also need vitamin C to remain healthy. Vitamins A and C are antioxidants that protect my cavies against free radicals.

Why should I think about feeding crackers to my guinea pigs when it does not make them happy and healthy?

Type of crackers guinea pigs can eat

We all know that guinea pigs cannot tolerate your normal crackers. We have found another way to produce crackers for guinea pigs. You can weave corn husk to make crackers for guinea pigs.

In plain terms, we are not feeding crackers to our guinea pigs, but we are trying to fool them by feeding weaved corn husks in the shape of crackers. Unlike your normal crackers, the corn husk crackers for guinea pigs won’t contain high levels of sugar, carbohydrates, fats, salt, and oils.

You will be surprised to know that guinea pigs love corn husk crackers, and they can keep nibbling on the corn husk crackers long enough. You should try to make fat-free, sugar-free, and oil-free corn husk crackers for your guinea pigs.

Graham Crackers can cause salt poisoning in guinea pigs. Following is the brief nutritional information of Graham Crackers in 100 grams serving:

• Sodium 477 mg (Approx. 19%)
• Potassium 135 mg (Approx. 3%)
• Total Fat 10 g (Approx. 15%)
• Total Carbohydrate 77 g (Approx. 25%)
• Vitamin C 0%

As you can see, guinea pigs cannot tolerate the high amounts of fats, Sodium, and carbohydrates provided by the Graham Crackers. Your beloved cavies can fall sick after eating Graham Crackers.

Graham Crackers do not provide valuable vitamin C to your guinea pigs. So, it is a bad idea to feed Graham crackers to your guinea pigs.   

Can guinea pigs eat Ritz crackers?

Ritz Crackers are not meant for your guinea pigs. They contain too many fats, carbohydrates, and Sodium for your guinea pigs. Here is the brief nutritional information about a 16 g serving of Ritz crackers:

• Total Fat 4.5 g (Approx. 7%)
• Sodium 105 mg (Approx. 4%)
• Total Carbohydrates 10 g (Approx. 3%)

Ritz crackers do not contain vitamins A and C for guinea pigs. I can tolerate such high amounts of fats, Sodium, and carbohydrates because I am a human. But my rare pets have delicate digestive systems. They can face several unwanted problems after nibbling on Ritz Crackers.

Can guinea pigs eat prawn crackers?

My Asian friends love prawn crackers. But are these human snacks good for my rare pets? No, I don’t think so.

Prawn crackers are human snacks that are not good for your guinea pigs. In fact, your cavies can become seriously ill after eating just a small amount of prawn crackers. Here is brief nutritional information about 30 g serving of prawn crackers:

• Sodium 220 mg (Approx. 9%)
• Total Carbohydrates 24 g (Approx. 8%)
• Total Fat 3.5 g (Approx. 5%)

Unfortunately, prawn crackers do not provide vitamins A and C to your guinea pigs.

Generally, prawn crackers are prepared by deep frying a mixture of prawns, flour, and water. As stated above, flour is not suitable for your cavies. Flour carries too many carbohydrates for your guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs cannot tolerate such high doses of carbohydrates, fats, and Sodium provided by the prawn crackers.

Keep in mind that deep-fried foods contain oils, and oils are not suitable for your cavies. It may seem tempting to share your prawn crackers with your cavies, but it is not safe for them.

Young guinea pigs can nibble on anything, and that’s why you should keep prawn crackers away from your guinea pigs.  

Can guinea pigs eat cream crackers?

I love cream crackers, and I love the way they melt in my mouth. I face no digestion problems after eating cream crackers. But can guinea pigs eat cream crackers?

The answer is no. Cream crackers are not safe for your cavies. I mean, just consider the ingredients used to prepare cream crackers.

When you are making cream crackers, you use wheat flour, vegetable oil, and yeast. All of these ingredients are not safe for your guinea pigs. Cavies cannot tolerate small doses of vegetable oil.

Cream crackers become a source of fats for your guinea pigs. Your guinea pigs do not need such high amounts of fats in their diet. Here is brief nutritional information about 100 gram serving of cream crackers:

• Sodium 1,148 mg (Approx. 47%)
• Total Carbohydrate 65 g (Approx. 21%)
• Total Fat 20 g (Approx. 30%)  

Unlike common crackers, Cream crackers do contain a small amount of dietary fiber and protein. But that does not render them safe for your guinea pigs. It is best to avoid feeding cream crackers to your guinea pigs.  

Can guinea pigs eat peanut butter crackers?

Do you have kids at home, and they love peanut butter crackers? Yes, I have kids at my home, and they finish one whole box of peanut butter crackers in a short time. This comes to the question, “Can guinea pigs eat peanut butter crackers?”

The answer is no. You should not give peanut butter crackers to your guinea pigs at all costs.

Let alone peanut butter crackers, cavies have delicate stomachs, and they cannot tolerate even a small amount of peanut butter. It means that peanut butter crackers are not safe for your guinea pigs.

Let’s consider the main ingredient used to make peanut butter crackers. Wheat flour is the main ingredient used to prepare peanut butter crackers for you and your family.

I know that your guinea pigs are a vital part of your family, but you just can’t feed peanut butter crackers to your guinea pigs.

Here is brief nutritional information about 7 gram serving of peanut butter sandwich crackers:

• Total Fat 1.9 g (Approx. 3%)
• Sodium 56 mg (Approx. 2%)
• Total Carbohydrate 3.8 g (Approx. 1%)

As stated before, guinea pigs cannot tolerate this level of carbohydrates, fats, and Sodium. Peanut butter crackers can make your guinea pigs sick. Guinea pigs can die after eating foods like peanut butter crackers.  

Can guinea pigs eat cheese crackers?

Cheese-flavored crackers are my favorite midnight snack. It is very tempting to share cheese crackers with my cute little guinea pigs. But can guinea pigs eat cheese crackers?

No, guinea pigs cannot and should not eat cheese crackers. Fully grown guinea pigs do not rely on their mothers to feed them. Even a fully grown guinea pig cannot tolerate small amounts of cheese-flavored crackers.

Small shreds of cheese can be poisonous to guinea pigs. Your favorite, little, cavy friend can have digestive, urinary, and cardiovascular issues after eating cheese crackers.

Cheese crackers contain cheese, grain, flour, and salt as ingredients. You do not want to feed any of these ingredients to your guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs are more likely to have digestion issues after eating small amounts of cheese and flour. Your guinea pigs can have gas, bloating, and stomach upset after eating a moderate amount of cheese crackers.

You might have to massage your guinea pig’s tummy when they eat human snacks like cheese crackers. I once massaged my guinea pig’s tummy, and it was very painful for my cavy. I strongly advise against feeding cheese crackers to guinea pigs.   

Can guinea pigs eat oyster crackers?

Oyster crackers are the best crackers available on the market. I love oyster crackers, but I do not get them too often. You can eat them once in a while but not regularly. My kids, on the other hand, are crazy about oyster crackers. They eat them all the time.

Here the question comes, “Can guinea pigs eat oyster crackers?”  

You might want to share oyster crackers with your guinea pigs. Oyster crackers are not for guinea pigs, and you should not think about feeding oyster crackers to your guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs can suffer from serious health issues after eating oyster crackers. It is not restricted to oyster crackers only. Guinea pigs cannot tolerate high amounts of carbohydrates, Sodium, and fats. That’s why you should not feed oyster crackers to your guinea pigs.

Following is the brief nutritional information about a 14-gram serving of oyster crackers:

• Total Fat 2.5 g (Approx. 3%)
• Sodium 140 mg (Approx. 6%)
• Total carbohydrate 9 g (Approx. 3%)

These figures may vary from one brand of oyster crackers to another. The nutritional information of oyster crackers has revealed why oyster crackers are not safe for guinea pigs.

Your cavy friend cannot tolerate such a high level of Sodium in his diet. It can lead to salt poisoning, and you do not want to poison your cavies. We strongly advise against feeding oyster crackers to guinea pigs.  

Can guinea pigs eat animal crackers?

I have seen people feeding animal crackers to their guinea pigs. Let me tell you that animal crackers are not suitable for guinea pigs. They are not safe for guinea pigs. You should not feed animal crackers to your guinea pigs.

Following is the brief nutritional information about 100 gram serving of animal crackers:

• Total Fat 14 g (Approx. 21%)
• Sodium 407 g (Approx. 16%)
• Total Carbohydrate 74 g (Approx. 24%)
• Calcium (Approx. 4%)

As you can read from the nutritional information given above, animal crackers contain a significant amount of Calcium. It means that they can be worse than your regular crackers.

Animal crackers can form kidney stones in guinea pigs. Too much Calcium means that guinea pigs face the risk of urinary issues after eating animal crackers. I hope that you already know that guinea pigs cannot tolerate a high amount of fats, Sodium, and carbohydrates.

Animal crackers provide fats, Sodium, and carbohydrates to your guinea pigs. You should avoid feeding animal crackers to your guinea pigs.

Can guinea pigs eat unsalted crackers?

Unlike salted crackers, unsalted crackers do not contain saltines or soda crackers. Peckish Brown Rice Crackers do not contain salt. As you know that guinea pigs cannot eat crackers, so it is still not a good idea to eat unsalted crackers.

Peckish Brown Rice crackers contain only 7 mg of Sodium. They are relatively better because they have lower amounts of sugars and total carbohydrates than other forms of crackers.

One may think that Peckish Brown Rice crackers are safe for guinea pigs because they do not contain palm oil, and they are not deep-fried crackers. Let me tell you, even air-fried crackers are not suitable for your guinea pigs.

It is risky to feed unsalted crackers to your guinea pigs because they can contain salt, palm oil, wheat flour, added sugars, and preservatives. Any of these ingredients can sneak into your crackers. Do not let your guinea pigs eat unsalted crackers.

Can guinea pigs eat saltine crackers?

Saltine crackers contain too much Sodium for your guinea pigs. Guinea pigs can face several unwanted problems after eating saltine crackers (soda crackers). Yeast and wheat flour are not good for guinea pigs.

Wheat flour and yeast can be a source of carbohydrates and Sodium for your guinea pigs. Unlike humans, guinea pigs cannot eat saltine crackers with soups and cheese. Your cavies can suffer from heart problems and kidney stones after eating saltine crackers (soda crackers).

Some guinea pigs suffer from high blood pressure after eating saltine crackers. Guinea pigs face the risk of a stroke after eating saltine crackers (soda crackers). There is little or almost no difference between the ingredients of oyster crackers and saltine crackers.

Following is the general nutritional information about 14.9 g serving of saltine crackers:

• Sodium 150 mg
• Carbohydrates (11 g)
• Sugars 0.2 g

As expected, guinea pigs cannot tolerate 150 mg of Sodium in a 14.9 g serving of saltine crackers. Guinea pigs do not need 11 g of carbohydrates in a 14.9 g serving of saltine crackers.

Can guinea pigs eat goldfish crackers?

Campbell Soup company is known for producing goldfish crackers. Goldfish crackers seem different because of their unique shapes and varieties. Goldfish crackers are not safe for your guinea pigs.

Campbell Soup Company did not produce Goldfish crackers for guinea pigs. I do not feed Goldfish crackers to my guinea pigs. I have tried Goldfish crackers for my children, but I know that my cavies cannot tolerate Goldfish crackers.

It is not a good idea to feed Goldfish crackers to your guinea pigs. Like all other forms of crackers available on the market, Goldfish crackers contain the following nutrients in a 45 g serving:

• Carbohydrate 19 g (Approx. 6%)
• Sodium 250 mg (Approx. 10%)
• Calcium 2%

Unlike standard crackers, Goldfish crackers contain a significant amount of Sodium and Calcium. Guinea pigs can suffer from kidney stones, high blood pressure, and heart problems after eating Goldfish crackers.

What happens if guinea pig eats too much crackers?

Guinea pigs face the risk of heart diseases, kidney stones, high blood pressure, and even death after eating too many crackers. It is common for guinea pigs to have an upset stomach after eating too many crackers.

Guinea pigs can suffer from gas, bloating, and diarrhea after eating too many crackers. Guinea pigs need to maintain their gut health to live a happy life. Too many crackers can make your guinea pigs unhappy and unhealthy.

What vet says about feeding crackers to guinea pigs?

Vets advise against feeding crackers to guinea pigs. They cite several reasons to avoid crackers for guinea pigs. I do not feed any new food to my rare pets before consulting my vet.

When I consulted my vet about feeding crackers to my guinea pigs, he said, “No, you should avoid them at all costs. It is too risky and bad for your guinea pigs.”

What should avoid to feed guinea pigs?

Crackers are a big “No” for your guinea pigs. It is a bad idea to feed crackers to your guinea pigs. You should not provide your guinea pigs wheat flour, palm oil, artificial flavorings, and preservatives.

Alternatives of crackers

You can feed corn husk to your guinea pigs. Corn husk can be weaved in the form of crackers to fool your cavy friends. Your guinea pigs will not take time to finish one whole piece of corn husk.

Summary | Can Guinea Pigs Eat Crackers?

Crackers are not safe for guinea pigs. Guinea pigs can suffer from many problems after eating crackers. Crackers can cause heart problems, kidney stones, high blood pressure, stomach upset, gas, bloating, and diarrhea in guinea pigs.

FAQs | Can Guinea Pigs Eat Crackers?