You’re probably wondering whether pistachios are good for your cute little guinea pig or not, and you’re also thinking about the consequences of feeding it to them without researching about it.
Well, look no further because today we will crack down and answer the question “Can Guinea pigs eat pistachios?”
Can Guinea Pigs eat Pistachios?
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pistachios? You’re probably thinking about feeding your pet guinea pig the pistachios and nuts in your side drawer, but is that a smart thing to do?
This dry fruit is essential for most cuisines around the world, especially the Turkish ones, such as Turkish delight, Baklava and even ice cream made out from this.
Nothing beats eating salted ones either, you could just put on your favorite show and snack on them forever. But, only you can enjoy them, not your pet guinea pig. They might be nutritious and packed with vitamins, fiber, antioxidants and protein, but they are too fatty and taste bitter.
You should only give them these sparingly, don’t think of these as replacements for vitamin C, get the powder instead. What consumption of this does is, it causes digestion problems. So, be careful before feeding it to them.
Can Guinea Pigs eat Pistachio Nuts?
While these nuts are considered as healthy, for human consumption. It is not safe for guinea pigs to consume.
These contain a lot of carbohydrates, proteins, and fat, which the guinea pig is unable to make use of, and it causes them digestive system problems and the agony that comes with it.
The Nutritional Value of Pistachios
The following are the nutritional contents contained within pistachios:
- Sugar: 7.81 grams
- Carbohydrates: 27.65 grams
- Fat: 45.97 grams
- Fiber: 10.3 grams
- Protein: 21.35 grams
- Zinc: 2.3 milligrams
- Potassium: 1042 milligrams
- Manganese: 1.27 milligrams
- Phosphorus: 485 milligrams
- Iron: 4.2 milligrams
- Magnesium: 120 milligrams
- Calcium: 110 milligrams
- Folate: 50 ug
- Vitamin C: 2.3 milligrams
- Vitamin B6: 1.274 milligrams
- Lutein and Zeaxanthin: 1205 ug
- Thiamine: 0.84 milligrams
- Riboflavin: 0.158 milligrams
- Niacin: 1.425 milligrams
- Pantothenic acid: 0.513 milligrams
What are the side effects? Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pistachios?
These pistachios are laced with nutrition that a guinea pig’s simple body does not need, and that brings with it a lot of problems for the little one.
The problems and side effects associated with feeding them pistachios are listed below:
Indigestion
Guinea pig’s diet contains very little amounts of fat in it, so if you feed them a diet with large amounts of fat in it, it will cause in digestion. That will in turn lead to stomach pain, possible cramps, diarrhea and even bloating. Even a few nuts can cause this to happen, so beware.
Weight gain
These are loaded with insane amounts of calories, about 562 calories in just 3.5 oz. This insane amount of calorie will lead to unwanted weight gain. That will lead to a lot of health-related problems, and shedding this gained weight is harder for the piggy.
Allergies
Pistachios are known to cause allergies, and the pig can get allergic too, with human-like symptoms, such as drowsiness, a running nose, heavy breathing, and the reddening of the eyes and the mouth. Some might even cough!
Bladder and Kidney Stones
Like we mentioned above, these pistachios are packed with a lot of calcium, and just like humans, this gets deposited in the kidneys and bladder, which is a painful thing to experience and difficult to cure as well. Not to mention expensive as well.
Joint problems
Like humans need nutrition, piggy’s do too, especially vitamin A. The lutein found in pistachios can cause these joint problems
A Choking hazard
These delicacies are easy to chew, and are soft which makes it a choking hazard as the pig can think it’s safe to swallow, but it can lead to choking due to improper chewing or under-chewing.
Nervous system problems
Folic acid might be good for humans, but for guinea pigs, it’s not. It is the opposite of that, which makes in toxic and dangerous. This can even cause death, or damage that the little pig can never recover from. So, this has to be taken very seriously.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pistachio Shells?
While it might seem like a good idea, to get rid of the waste, it actually is not. These shells are hard, and they will hurt the guinea pig as well, and plus, why feed them anyway? They have no value of any nutrition or anything.
These shells can break into jagged and sharp-edged daggers, which will hurt the lining of the mouth and the digestive tract, which can lead to even more serious problems.
Guinea pigs love to eat and nibble on things, it’d be best to keep these out of their reach.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pistachio Ice Cream?
If we weren’t able to convince you that pistachios are bad for your guinea pig, then pistachio ice-cream is even worse, because it contains more calories and extra sugar.
That’s not all, this ice-cream is made out of ingredients which aren’t suitable for the pig either, such as cream, milk and other dairy items. Since the pigs are unable to digest milk, or any milk related product, that makes it extra bad for them to eat this ice-cream. So, no, they can’t eat it.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pistachio Hummus?
Hummus, is made out of ingredients that are olive oil, salt, garlic and pepper. But in this case, it has pistachios in it as well. That adds to the reason you should not feed it to your guinea pig. So no, do not feed them this hummus, best to keep it to yourself.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pistachio Salad?
While this might seem like a good idea, let us tell you why it is not. Let’s first start off with the ingredients, which are pineapple, whipped cream, pecans, pistachio pudding, marshmallows, crushed pistachio and fruits.
Out of the abundant things used to make this delicious dish, the only thing that won’t harm the guinea pig is, is the pineapple. Just because it is your favorite desert salad, and it has the word salad in it, doesn’t mean it’s safe for your guinea pig as well!
Are there alternatives similar to pistachios that Guinea Pigs can eat?
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pine Nuts?
Pine nuts are very small in size, which makes it the biggest red flag for your pet guinea pig. While these might be used in cuisines, and might taste amazing.
They are simply not for your little pet pig, these are rich in fats, and would lead to unwanted weight gain, and not to mention the complications that come with it. But, it also is a choking hazard, so beware!
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pecans?
This just reminds us of the delicious pecan pie, who no one can get enough of. These pecans have high amounts of fat in them, which means again, it is dangerous and should be kept away from these pigs.
Let us also mention that they contain a lot of calcium and no Vitamins either. So, why feed this when it has no benefits at all?
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Walnuts?
Like any other delicious nut, these walnuts are also laced with large amounts of fat in them, and proteins as well. Not to mention the hard covering shell outside it too, which makes it a health hazard as well. So, no, guinea pigs cannot eat walnuts.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Hazelnuts?
Hazelnuts are used in a lot of dishes, from main courses to desserts, to even beverages such as coffee. But the thing here, again, is that they contain a lot of fat, about 60% to be exact.
Which is A LOT. They only contain little amounts of Vitamin C, but that does not change the fact that they are calorie rich, contain calcium and phosphorus as well.
So, no, you should not feed your guinea pig any sort of nuts, because they cause more harm than good.
Conclusion: Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pistachios?
Being a pet owner is a lot of responsibility, some might even call themselves pet parents. That includes you looking after your pet inside out, quite literally as well. Their diet has to be the most important aspect you have to look after.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pistachios? Having said that, let’s talk about pistachios. They might be healthy, and low in carbs and the world of good for people, that’s not the case with guinea pigs.
If you still think you can feed them pistachios, let us tell you that, it’s a recipe for disaster. You should not feed them these under any circumstances.
No doubt they will still eat them if you give them to them, but it will only serve as a loss, because your guinea pig will gain weight, and that will have adverse consequences on their health, and ultimately lead to their premature death.
There is no need to feed them this calorie laced and fat infused silent killer, you should keep it for yourself only. Having said that, no, your guinea pig cannot eat pistachios.
