Your furry friends are one of the most popular pet animals in the world. The credit for this goes to their playful and friendly nature. To ensure they stay healthy, you can feed them nice treats like peaches, But, can guinea pigs eat peaches?
“The answer is A BIG YES, your guinea pigs can eat peaches. They are very healthy and are rich in nutrients. But you have to make sure you feed them in only small amounts. Overfeeding them can lead to numerous diseases, including mouth sore and infection, mainly the fungal one and other similar infections.
Peaches are rich in nutrients and since your furry friend has a sensitive nature, they can be an excellent treat for them. But, that’s not all. There’s a lot more than you need to know. Continue reading to discover more.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Peaches? Is It A Safe Treat Or Not?
Guinea pigs require less care than any other pet animal. But, at the same time, they are way more sensitive than they look. This is why they require extra care when it comes to what you can and cannot feed them.
For starters, feeding peaches are completely safe for your furry guinea pigs. Remember to feed them a small amount. Once or twice a week will suffice.
Peaches are rich in nutrients and can be an excellent treat for your pet. This is specifically true considering the fact that the guinea pig’s diet is mostly restricted to raw foods only.
You should also know that peaches are fruit, and fruit contains a lot of sugar. Excess of sugar is never a good idea for pet animals such as guinea pigs. Overfeeding sugary foods to any animal will take a toll on its health.
Your furry friends are sensitive to these sugars, and due to this, you have to pay attention to their diet.
You can feed them peaches every once in a while. In addition, you can also mix it with other fruits as well. This will create a special treat for your little furry friend with a combo of various flavors. Besides, it will also allow you to safely add peaches to your pet’s diet.
1) Can Guinea Pigs Eat The Skin Of Peaches?
Yes, you can feed your guinea pigs the skin of peaches. Your little furry friends would love to have a go at the skin of peaches.
More interestingly, they can also eat the whole peach with the skin. They will certainly not face any issues as long as they’re clean.
The peaches may have pesticides and chemicals on them. So, make sure to wash them thoroughly. This will allow you to wash away pesticides and other chemicals that are sprayed on them to keep them safe from pest attacks.
2) What Is The Correct Amount Of Peaches You Can Serve To Your Guinea Pigs?
Keeping it short, “You should only feed peaches to your pet friend as a treat only. You can only feed them small slices of the fruit, and no more than 1 or 2 times a week.”
The primary reason for feeding them treats like peaches is to give their taste bud’s a new flavor or taste.
Besides, your furry friend loves to get new treats every now and then. This hints at your pet friend wanting diversity in his or her diet. For this very reason, you should give your pet friend a combo of peaches and any other fruit that your pet loves.
But, make sure you consider the amount of sugar and the acidity of peaches when feeding them to your furry pet. Only 1 or 2 times a week would suffice.
Do not feed them more than this amount. This amount is enough for them to get all the required nutrients. Once you feed them, do notice how your pet reacts to them. If they like it, you can gradually increase the amount.
3) How Can You Introduce Peaches To Your Pet Guinea Pigs?
If you are introducing peaches to your pet friend for the first time, make sure you take it slow.
Cut the peaches into very small pieces. Start slow and feed them in very little quantity at first. Then watch how your pet reacts to this new treat.
In case there are no adverse reactions and your pet likes what he’s eating, you can increase the amount.
When you serve your pet peaches, keep an eye out for:
- Watery stools
- Behavioral changes
Your furry friend is dependent on you. So, make sure you take good care of his diet and make it a priority.
Always feed them in moderation and not more than the recommended amount.
To be safe from any pesticides and other chemicals that may be there on the fruit, you should always wash them thoroughly. In addition, you should also feed your pet ripe ones only.
If you notice any adverse effects, stop feeding them immediately. As a safety measure, you need to contact your vet.
6 Health Benefits Of Feeding Peaches To Your Guinea Pigs
Now that we know that guinea pigs can eat peaches, let’s dive into the health benefits of peaches.
1) Excellent Source Of Antioxidants:
Peaches contain a significant number of antioxidants. They are excellent for their overall health and can make your furry friend’s immune stronger.
A robust immune system can help protect them from diseases. They are also helpful in reducing the aging process.
2) Peaches Help Prevent Certain Cancers:
This nutrient-rich fruit contains certain antioxidants like carotenoids and caffeic acid.
The two antioxidants can protect your furry friend against the risks of certain types of cancers.
3) Vitamin A:
Peaches contain a significant amount of vitamin A. This vitamin A is very beneficial in keeping the eyes of your furry friend healthy.
Feeding peaches to your furry friend will allow him or her to see things better as they age.
4) Vitamin C:
Peaches contain a significant amount of vitamin C. vitamin C is the most important vitamin of all. In fact, both you and your furry friend need it for overall well-being.
In case you’re a new pet owner, you should know your pet cannot make its own vitamin C. He or she is dependent on outside sources for vitamin C intake.
Your furry friends need about 10 to 30 mg of vitamin per day. If your pet fails to get this amount, it will lead to a deficiency of vitamin C in your furry friend’s body. In the long haul, it will further lead to a disease called Scurvy.
Due to their lack of producing or storing Vitamin C, this disease is quite common in guinea pigs. If your pet is suffering from this disease, his or her gums will frequently bleed throughout the day. You can know more about this disease here.
This is why you should feed your pet foods that are rich in Vitamin C, such as peaches.
Another important function of this vitamin is that it boosts the immune system and makes it stronger. Thus, it helps in providing your pet immunity against a number of diseases.
In addition, vitamin C is essential because it performs another important function. It regulates your pet friend’s metabolism. This prevents your furry friend from facing any major digestive system complications.
If by accident, your pet piggy consumes an excessive amount of vitamin C, there’s nothing you should be worried about. As mentioned earlier, your pet cannot produce or store vitamins in its body. Due to this, the excess amount will be excreted via their urine.
5) Low Concentration Of Fat:
Foods that have a low concentration of fat are highly recommended for your pets generally. This is due to the fact that processed food or fatty food results can lead to high levels of cholesterol in your pet’s body.
This is certainly not a good idea since it can cause numerous health complications. Ultimately, it will also shorten your pet’s overall life.
Lucky for your pet, peaches contain a very low amount of fats. This makes them perfectly safe for your furry friends to eat.
6) An Excellent Means Of Hydration:
Peaches are composed of about 80 percent of water. This makes them very good for hydration. This is specifically true on a hot summer day. Feeding them to your pet in hot weather will keep their bodies hydrated and lower the risks of dehydration.
Looking for other healthy treats? You can safely feed your pet parsley and cauliflower.
Nutritional Facts Of Peaches
Peaches are very nutritious. They have a sweet taste that your guinea pigs absolutely love. Your furry friends can enjoy them safely without any issue.
Below is the nutrition content of peaches per 100 grams of a serving:
| Iron: 1% | Magnesium: 2% |
| Sugar: 8 g | Protein: 0.9 g |
| Copper: 0.1 mg | Vitamin A: 6% |
| Vitamin C: 11% | Calcium: 0% |
| Calories: 39 | 6 mcg of vitamin K |
| Total fat: 0.3 g | Pantothenic acid: 0.3 mg |
| Potassium: 190 mg | Dietary fiber: 1.5 g |
3 Risks To Consider Before Feeding Peaches To Your Guinea Pigs
Peaches are undoubtedly healthy. But, on the contrary, they also have some potential risks as well.
1) High Concentration Of Sugar And Glucose:
They contain a high amount of sugar and glucose. Both of these can lead to obesity and diarrhea. But, this will only happen if you overfeed them.
As a result of obesity, it can cause other serious health issues as well. You should also know that some of them can be fatal.
Guinea pigs have a very sensitive stomach. They cannot digest natural sugars with ease. Due to their sensitive digestive system, they have a lot of trouble when it comes to breaking these sugars down.
In some cases, it can also lead them to suffer from severe diarrhea and constipation.
2) High In Acidity:
Peaches contain high levels of acidity. Higher levels of acidity can lead to burning their throat and lips. It further leads to sore lips disease and can put your furry friends in severe discomfort. In addition to this, there is a potential risk of developing fungal infections.
Know more about sore lips and fungal infection disease here.
3) Pesticides And Sprayed Chemicals:
Another potential risk is that of pesticides and toxic chemicals. It is a common risk in every fruit or vegetable.
These can be fatal sometimes and are very harmful to your furry pets. Make sure you wash them properly prior to feeding them to your furry friends.
You can also peel the whole skin off from the peaches if you want to steer away from any possible threats.
Your pet may crave this sweet fruit, but do not let this fool. An excess of sugary and acidic foods is bad for your pet friend, so you should never overfeed them no matter what.
What Is The Correct Diet For Your Furry Friend?
There is no doubt to assume that a guinea pig would eat almost anything in the wild. But the truth is not as simple as that. A guinea pig only looks for his or her natural diet in the wild. This includes green veggies and grass mainly.
Since your pet is reliant on you, it is up to you to provide them with a natural diet as they would have in the wild. Feeding them a proper diet will keep them healthy and energetic. Here are some foods that you can feed your guinea pig on a regular basis.
1) Hay:
Guinea pigs require hay as their main food. Make sure you feed them timothy hay on a routine basis and allow them unlimited access to it. It is not only beneficial for your pet’s overall health, but it also keeps its digestive system running swiftly.
2) Guinea Pig Pellets (Vitamin C based):
Make sure your pet has access to vitamin C-based pet pellets. They will provide your pet friend with all the Vitamin C content that they need on a day-to-day basis.
3) Fresh Veggies:
Your pet needs a cup of raw and green vegetables. Make sure they are green and fresh. Since your pet loves variance in its diet, you can feed them vegetables as part of multiple meals throughout the day.
But, make sure to feed them a cup only. In addition, you should also wash them thoroughly prior to feeding them to your pets.
The reason why you should not feed more than a cup of veggies to your pet is the number of oxalates in them. An excess of this can lead to:
- Kidney Stones
- Bladder Stones.
4) Fresh Water:
Make sure you provide your pet with an unlimited supply of fresh water. It will allow your pet to stay healthy and wash away any toxins from their body.
41 Healthy Fruits Or Vegetables You Can Feed To Your Guinea Pig
You can feed your little furry friend a number of different fruits and vegetables. You have endless options to choose from and add to your pet’s diet.
But just to get you started following are some of your pet’s favorite treats.
| Cucumber | Bell pepper | Endive | Buttercrunch lettuce | Green beans |
| Artichoke | Swiss chard | Cabbage | Parsley | Basil |
| Beets | Beet tops | Cilantro | Carrot | Carrot tops |
| Romaine | Mint | Arugula | Sweet potato | Bibb lettuce |
| Escarole | Rocket | Spinach | Butter lettuce | Parsnip |
| Broccolini | Broccoli | Brussels sprouts | Watercress | Bok choy |
| Asparagus | Yu Choy | Zucchini | Summer squash | Pumpkin |
| Tomato | Oranges | Apples | Pears | Mangoes |
| Figs |
Your little furry friend can eat almost every fruit and vegetable. Simply put, they will eat anything that you can eat. But, you should feed them only one cup of fresh veggies and fruits.
You should not feed them these veggies or fruits as the main meal. You can give them every now and then but not too often.
In addition, you can mix things up by feeding your pet a combo of different fruits and veggies to give it a unique flavor. Your guinea pig will absolutely love you for it.
1) Other Healthy Alternatives Of Peaches For Your Rabbits:
Can’t choose one from the list above? Try our top picks.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) Can Guinea Pigs Eat Canned Peaches?
The answer is no. You cannot feed your furry friend’s canned peaches.
They have a hard time digesting it properly. This is why they are not safe for your little furry friends.
In addition, they also have a number of chemicals and preservatives. They’re added for the purposes of expanding their lifetime. For this very reason, do not feed canned peaches to your pet.
2) Can Guinea Pigs Eat The Pit Of Peaches?
The answer is no. You cannot feed your guinea pigs the pits of peaches.
This is because the pit is very hard and is quite big in size. This makes it almost impossible for your pet friend to chew them.
Even if they chew them, there are traces of cyanide in them. It can be very harmful to your little pig’s health. So, it is recommended that you remove the pit from the peaches prior to feeding it to your pet.
3) Can Guinea Pigs Eat Dried Peaches?
Yes, they can! You can feed your guinea pigs dried peaches.
But make sure you only feed them as a treat only, just like the actual fruit. They have a high concentration of sugar compared to raw and fresh peaches.
Since your pet cannot digest sugary foods with ease, it can lead to numerous health complications. These include:
- Diabetes
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Obesity
This is why you should only feed your pet dried peaches in a small amount only.
Key Takeaways:
- Always feed them small slices only once or twice a week. Do not exceed the recommended amount.
- Avoid pit of peaches. They are hard and are very difficult for your pigs to chew on them.
- In the end, it is recommended that you stick to the natural diet of your guinea pigs. This will ensure your pet lives a long and healthy life.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Peaches? Conclusion:
Your guinea pigs can enjoy peaches every once and a while. There is no harm in feeding them, and they are completely safe. They are very healthy for your furry friends and contain a number of essential nutrients.
The vitamins in peaches will boost their immune system. It will also protect them against a number of diseases. In addition, before you feed them to your furry friend, make sure to wash them properly. It will remove traces of chemicals and pesticides that are usually sprayed on them.
Try to avoid feeding them an excess of peaches as they contain high levels of acid. In the long haul, it can lead to sore lips. In addition to this, they also have a significant amount of sugars. Feeding them in large amounts will make your pet friend put on excess weight.