Can Guinea Pigs Eat Apples - Prepping, Amounts & Alternatives

Are you trying to think of some additional foods for your guinea pig which will help to provide a healthy, staple diet. Well you may be wondering, can guinea pigs eat apples? After all they are a healthy option of food for is humans, so surely they are for guinea pigs too.

(Please scroll down to the bottom of the page to find ‘Other related articles you might like’, once you are done reading).

It’s true, guinea pigs do love apples, however like most fruits apples are high in sugar and are highly acidic. So apples much only be given to a guinea pig as a treat every so often and shouldn’t be a part of their every day meal plan.

Commonly, guinea pigs are grazers, which means they mostly feed on hay, grass, herbs and some plantations.

Here’s a fun fact.

Did you know that guinea pigs teeth are continuously growing, so they need to graze for the majority of the day, just to keep their teeth worn down to an acceptable size.

If your guinea pigs diet is incorrect then you will be able to see their teeth growing to an unacceptable size. If this happens I would suggest getting them some chew/gnaw toys for them to play with during the day.

Table of Contents

How To Prep Apples For Guinea Pigs To Eat

You’ll be pleased to know the entire apple is safe for consumption for a guinea pig, minus the stalk, so yes is the answer to “Can Guinea Pigs eat apples”. The skin, the core and even the pips are safe. Many people seem to think that apple pips are a choking hazard for guinea pigs, however they can easily crush these pips with their teeth, and it even strengthens them too.

In relation to the apple skins, please wash them before giving them to your guinea pig. Just like we humans would, wash them under some cold water and make sure to give them a good rinse. This will wash off any potential parasites and harmful chemical which may have become in contact with the fruit.

What Treats (Other Than Apples) Can You Give Your Guinea Pig?

Any fruit is though as a treat for a guinea pig. Fruits are very high in both sugars and acidity, so too much fruit can cause an upset stomach. Fruit is a healthy snack which your guinea pig will love, so adding them into their meal plans is acceptable. Other fruits you can include are strawberries, bananas, blueberries and watermelon. All of these are great option is your looking to spice up their snacks.

Please remember that fruits in general are very soft. They take little to no effort to eat, in comparison to root vegetables which are usually quite hard when fresh. Because of this, a guinea pigs teeth won’t wear down as they should, so this is another reason why fruit is only given as a treat.

What Can’t A Guinea Pig eat?

There are many obvious foods which you shouldn’t feed to your guinea pig. However there are some foods which may surprise you. The likes of Avocado’s, Grapes, Raisins, Onions and Chives are all on the bad foods list. These foods should not be incorporated into a guinea pigs diet a they all increase health risks which you’ll want to avoid.

Treating your Guinea Pig with apples

Offering an apple as a treat to your guinea pig every so often will add some variety to their usual daily foods, and stimulate their taste senses. Just like treating a dog when they respond to a command, guinea pigs will also create a strong bond through the offering of treats.

With that said, don’t be surprised if your guinea pig turns its nose up at the offer. Every individual is different, so yours may not even like the taste of apples, which is fine. You can replicate this with any other fruit which is safe for a guinea pig to eat. They aren’t usually fussy eaters, so you should fine at least a few which they like.

When introducing apples to a guinea pig, no matter what age they are. You should always start off small and let their digestive system adjust to the new food. Too much in one go may upset their stomachs, and in some cases the acidity causes stomach cramps and sometimes even causes ulcers.

So What Else Do Guinea Pigs Need?

Guinea Pigs have many needs which have to be accounted for every single day. They’re pretty high maintenance really, so these factors have to be kept on top of every single day. A guinea pigs needs, fresh water, fresh hay, fresh foods, staple diets, root vegetables and food quantities. These are the six main ‘needs’ guinea pigs have. So let’s take a closer look at these factors.

Fresh Drinking Water

Guinea Pigs need fresh water every day. They drink lots of water throughout the day and night, so you may even need to refill their bottle more than once a day. This should be monitored closely to ensure they always have accessibility to fresh water.

To make sure they never run out, you can offer more drinking resources. Adding another bottle into their cages or outdoor runs will provide enough water if you plan to be out for a long period of time.

One other factor you have to take into consideration is the whether outside, specially over night. Sometimes throughout the winter temperatures can drop low enough that the water freezes inside the bottle which makes fresh water inaccessible.

Fresh Hay

Guinea Pigs also need fresh hay every day, or at least every other day. Guinea Pigs use hay as a substrate, as well as bedding inside their hides. On top of this, guinea pigs also eat hay, so having fresh hay available to eat is critical to their healthy diet.

Hay that has been in the cage too long will become contaminated with guinea pig stool waste. When this happens a guinea pig will not eat the contaminated hay, so it will need to be removed as soon as possible. Doing this will reduce the chance of illness or disease, and generally keep your guinea pig happy in its environment.

Fresh Food

Fresh foods should be given to your guinea pig every day. When a food starts to discolour or dry out a guinea pig will not continue to feast, just like us humans when food goes out of day, or left out.

Fresh vegetables should be give to your guinea pig every day, usually a small amount twice a day. Being natural grazers, guinea pigs will need a fresh patch of grass to graze every day. Even if it’s moving their outside run over my 1 metre.

All vegetables should be washed prior to giving the to your guinea pig.

Staple Diets

Guinea Pigs need a staple diet which is regularly monitored. Their diet should consist of Vegetables, Some fruits occasionally, Plantations, Hay, Grass, Grass-based Pellet food. Varying which vegetables you offer your guinea pig will provide the necessary mixture of healthy vitamins and minerals.

One thing you should know, is that guinea pigs need a sufficient amount of vitamin C, so choosing vegetables with high levels of vitamin C will help to keep them happy and healthy.

Root Vegetables

Root vegetables should be offered every day. These type of vegetables are high in vitamin C, which is a MUST for your guinea pig. Carrots, Parsnips and Sweet potato can all be given to your guinea pig on a regular basis.

Other vegetables you can offer which are high in vitamin C include Red and Green Peppers, Tomatoes and Broccoli. So there is loads which you can chose from. All of which your guinea pig will be happy with.

Food Quantities

The quantity of food given to your guinea pig has to be monitored closely. Guinea Pigs rarely overeat. Once they are full, they will stop, and when they hungry they will eat, simple.

Quantities have to be increased, or decreased depending on the individuals current situation. For example, a pregnant guinea pig will needs more food than normal. As well as underweight guinea pigs.

On the other side of that statement, overweight guinea pigs will need to be fed slightly less food to reduce their intake. If you need any advice on this topic it is best to visit your veterinarian for suitable dietary advice and requirements.

Conclusion

I hope this has answered everything you need to know on ‘Can guinea pigs eat apples’. Apples are a great choice of food for your guinea pig in moderation. They should be offered mainly as a treat a coupe of times a week and shouldn’t be used as part of their daily diet.

Can Guinea Pigs eat apples? YES.