Can guinea pigs eat apples? In short, yes–but never overfeed fruit to your furry friends!
While a small slice of apple can be an excellent source of essential vitamins and nutrients, it also packs a lot of sugar in every nibble. In fact, experts recommend limiting apples to treats, as fresh fruit is not a natural part of a piggy’s diet.
A small slice once or twice a week is more than enough.
Do you want to know more about feeding apples to guinea pigs?
Keep reading!
Are Apples Safe For Guinea Pigs?
In moderate quantities, apples are a safe treat for guinea pigs, and they generally love the sweet taste of fresh apple. But as we’ll note below, there are some dangers associated with eating the seeds, and overfeeding sugary fruits to your furry pals can cause weight gain and other health complications.
Just keep in mind that apples are to guinea pigs what cookies are to you: sometimes food!
It’s also important to remember that guinea pigs don’t deal with diet changes very well, and even tiny alterations can encourage them to stop eating and drinking altogether.
If you choose to add apple to your cavies’ diet, do so slowly and with care.
Are Apples Bad For Guinea Pigs?
The high sugar content in apples and fruits of all kinds can cause problems for piggies, and it’s best to keep their sugar intake from fruit to a minimum.
As the Human Society advises, “Fruit works well as an occasional treat that is offered once a day or several times a week. Keep the portion size small since fruit is high in sugar; a small wedge of orange or apple, several blueberries, or a thin slice of banana is perfectly adequate.”
It’s important that you follow this guideline. “Most health problems encountered in guinea pigs occur as a result of an inappropriate diet,” a consortium of Canadian veterinarians explain. “In fact, it is possible to prevent many chronic problems by following basic ground rules on guinea pig nutrition.”
Side effects of guinea pigs eating too many apples
- Obesity – Too many sugary snacks do the same things to guinea pigs that they do to us: they’ll spur weight gain from an excess of calories!
- Diarrhea – Have you ever overeaten fresh cherries? Enough said! Too many apples will do the same thing to your cavie buddy!
- Overgrowth of “bad” bacteria in the guinea pig’s gut -The gut flora in a piggy’s tummy help it digest food and extract important nutrients, including Vitamin B. Too much sugar feeds the wrong kinds of bacteria, upsetting nature’s delicate balance. When this happens, guinea pigs can have trouble getting the nutrients they need, even when they’re fed a balanced diet.
- Diabetes – Over the long-term, a diet high in sugar and calories can lead to insulin insensitivity, and eventually, to diabetes. This is as dangerous for your furry friends as it is for you.
Can I Feed My Guinea Pig the Whole Apple?
No!
It’s essential to limit the portion of apple you give your little buddies. A small slice once or twice a week is sufficient as a treat.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Apple Skin?
Yes…but!
Unless you grow your own apples–and most of us don’t–you should expect that there are some pesticides or environmental contaminants on the skin of the apples you buy.
For that reason, either carefully wash the apples you bring home or peel them to ensure that you don’t accidentally give your piggies something that might hurt them.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Apple Seeds?
No! Never!!!
Apple seeds contain amygdalin, a chemical precursor to hydrogen cyanide. When you chew and digest apple seeds, your body converts the amygdalin into a potent poison, which is why it’s never recommended to eat apple seeds.
For humans, the amount of cyanide contained in the seeds of one apple is probably insignificant.
But that’s a function of body weight to dosage.
Your little cavie friends weigh a fraction of what you do, and the amount of amygdalin in a few apple seeds might be enough to make them sick–or worse.
Never feed apple seeds to guinea pigs!
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Apple Cores?
Yes…but.
It’s important to clean the apple core of any seeds to prevent accidental poisoning. If that’s something you enjoy doing, go ahead, but we generally recommend feeding your furry friends with thinly-sliced, carefully cored apple.
Can Baby Guinea Pigs Eat Apples?
Yes, just be sure to portion their snacks extra-small!
Since fruit isn’t a natural part of a guinea pig’s diet, baby cavies may not recognize fruit as something to eat, so it may take a while for them to warm up to apples.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Apples Every Day?
This is not a good idea.
While apples are a great treat and an excellent source of essential Vitamin C, their high sugar content means that they should be “sometimes food,” reserved for special occasions and once or twice a week desserts.
How to Feed Apples to Your Guinea Pig
We recommend that you feed your guinea pig a slice of well-washed, carefully cored apple. Whether you do this by hand or by leaving this wonderful treat in your cavies’ food bowl is up to you.
That slice of apple can also be added–once or twice a week–to the mix of fresh veggies every piggy needs to stay healthy.
Alternatives to Apples for Guinea Pigs
While leading veterinarians disagree about whether fruit is a necessary component of a piggy’s diet, if you do choose to feed your furry friend a fruit treat every now and then, you may want to vary your choices.
Healthy alternatives to apples include:
- kiwis
- oranges
- blueberries
- strawberries
- Banana
But never give your furry friends dried fruit–it simply has too much sugar to be healthy!
Final Thoughts
Let’s sum up:
- Fresh fruit like apple can be a great source of Vitamin C for your piggies, and a slice of apple here and there can make for a more varied and interesting diet.
- Apples contain a lot of sugar–as do all fruits–and too much sugar is bad for your buddies.
- Always keep portions small and avoid providing fruit daily.
- Carefully washed apple skin is ok.
- Never feed apple seeds to your guinea pigs!
- Very carefully de-seeded apple core is fine, but it’s probably not worth it to risk poisoning your pals.
If you stick to these basic guidelines, you’ll be doing everything you can to provide your furry friends the nutrition they need.