The answer for the question, “can guinea pigs eat apples,” is yes. Given the many great benefits of this fruit, you can never go wrong feeding this to your pet.
Guinea pigs are cute and furry tailless rodents that indeed bring joy in our daily lives. As a guinea pig owner, you have to be sure to give them the best foods in their daily meal. Especially those that contain lots of nutrients and minerals that will help in your pet’s growth.
For example, apples are crunchy and delicious, in which your guinea pig can surely enjoy eating. It contains a lot of health benefits like antioxidants for a more healthy body. But can guinea pigs have apples? If you want to know the answer, continue reading because we are going to discuss it further.
This article will surely let you learn about the benefits and risks of apples to guinea pigs. Continue reading and read carefully for your advantage. So without any more delays, allow us to begin!
What Are Apples?
An apple is a round fruit with white flesh and red or green skin on the outside. It is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree in which are cultivated in places around the world. They are widely grown species and primarily originated in Central Asia.
Can guinea pigs eat apples? Yes, they indeed can! Guinea pigs can eat apples along with its skin and flesh. But, you have to make sure that you take away the seeds because it is toxic for them and will cause terrible effects on their health. Also, serve them in a small portion and only an occasional basis.
An apple is an excellent addition to the cavy’s diet because it adds an extra punch of minerals and vitamins with every serving. Just add this fruit to hay so that it can get the right mix of its food.
Health Benefits Of Apples To Guinea Pigs
Apples are a type of fruit that has many vitamins and minerals not only to humans but also to animals. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, and that is a message that strongly supports why apples are great for your pets. The following are the benefits that your cavy can attain from apples:
Dietary fibers
Since apples are the kind of fruit rich in dietary fibers, it is right for your pet, especially its peels. The dietary fiber presented to apples gives a lot of benefits, such as an improved digestive process.
Furthermore, the apple’s leaves are safe for your pet to eat, for it provides an adequate amount of minerals like phosphorus, potassium, and calcium.
Regulation of the nervous system
You must add Vitamin C in your guinea pigs’ diet because they cannot naturally produce this mineral. This one is an excellent antioxidant that can block the free radicals and boost your cavy’s resistance against illnesses and diseases.
Apples also contain the right amount of Vitamin B-complex, such as thiamin. By that, it will help regulate the nervous system of your pet so that it can have a healthier body.
The following are the added nutrients that your pet can acquire when eating apples:
- Vitamin B-6
- Niacin
- Riboflavin
- Vitamin K
- Folate
- Vitamin A
- Magnesium
- Iron
- Calcium
- Carbs
- Protein
Risks Of Giving Apples To Guinea Pigs
If there are benefits in giving guinea pigs apples, there are also certain dangers as a companion. As a cavy owner, you have to be aware of this matter to avoid feeding them too much of the fruit. Even if apples are safe for them to eat, studies show harmful effects, especially in excessive feeding.
High sugar content
We all know that apples are sweet kinds of fruits, so we are sure that it contains a lot of sugar. Too much of this can cause your guinea pigs to have health issues like diabetes.
Poisonous seeds
As we talked about earlier, the seeds of the apple are toxic because it contains cyanide. If your pet happens to eat a lot of it, the fruit seeds may cause severe issues. That is why it is always advised that you take away the fruit seed before giving it to your furry pet.
Acidic
Perfectly ripe apples contain only less acid than the unripe ones. But, it is still a fact that apples are acidic. The best thing you can do is make sure that you only give them adequate amounts to eat meal plans and do it with proper intervals.
These are the things that you should keep in mind so that you won’t risk the health and the life of your beloved guinea pig.
How To Prepare Apples For Guinea Pigs
There are specific steps and things that you have to follow when it comes to feeding your pets. If you fail to do even just one of these, it may cause harm to them from the smallest to the immense danger there is. Be sure to note all of these so that the guinea pig can be far from any harm.
Step #1. The first thing that you have to do is to find the right apple for your cavies
Select the kind of apple that is perfectly ripe because unripe ones are very acidic for your pet. In the long run, it may cause them to have health issues if you fed the unripe apples every time.
Step #2. Wash the apples
Next step, be sure to wash the fruit thoroughly to get rid of the chemicals and pesticides that may be present on the skin. If your cavy happens to eat it without proper washing, it may lead them to illnesses.
Step #3. Slice the apples
For the third step, slice the apples into appropriate slices that are not too big or too small. Also, make sure that you serve your pets, not more than a tablespoon of apple.
Step #4. Remove uneaten pieces
Finally, remove the uneaten pieces of apples that are left in the cage of the guinea pigs. Do it after a few hours that you gave the fruit to them.
By that, you can now assume that they finish nibbling the food. Taking away the excess will make sure that the bacteria won’t have any chance of occurring because it will harm your guinea pigs’ health.
Conclusion
We surely hope that if you reached this part of the article, you have enough knowledge about apples and its effect on guinea pigs. You now know the answer to the question, “can guinea pigs eat apples?” and yes, they surely can eat it but without the seeds.
Just give your pets in small amounts and only an occasional basis so that there won’t be severe issues to arise in the future. Good luck, and may your guinea pig grow into a strong one!
