All guinea pig house owners know the way vital a correct food plan is for his or her pet’s well being and well-being. Guinea pigs are herbivores and thrive on a mix of hays, pellets, and numerous leafy greens. A perfect guinea pig food plan can be excessive in fiber and wealthy in vitamin C, with no dangerous meals that would put their well being in danger.
Though there are numerous protected meals for guinea pigs, seeds will not be one among them. Seeds and nuts don’t belong in a guinea pig’s food plan and must be prevented, and this text will clarify why.
Is It Secure for Guinea Pigs to Eat Seeds?
No, most seeds will not be protected for guinea pigs to eat as a result of it’s not a species-appropriate meals. Guinea pigs are grazers and seeds will not be a pure a part of their food plan. Whereas most seeds aren’t poisonous, they’ll current a choking hazard and their dietary profile doesn’t match a guinea pig’s necessities. Each small, laborious seeds and the shells are a choking threat for guinea pigs, even when you plan to observe them whereas they eat it.
Guinea pigs don’t require seeds of their food plan for vitamin like another animals do. Most seeds don’t meet a guinea pig’s low-fat and high-fiber food plan. Seeds and nuts usually comprise extra fats than a guinea pig wants which can contribute to extreme weight achieve over time, and too little fiber. Seeds additionally lack vitamin C which is a necessary nutrient of their food plan as they can’t make it themselves.
Are Seeds Poisonous to Guinea Pigs?
Sure seeds may very well be poisonous to guinea pigs and shouldn’t be fed in any respect. You typically need to keep away from feeding seeds and fruit pits that comprise amygdalin, a plant compound transformed to cyanide throughout digestion. Fruit seeds and pits containing amygdalin embrace those from apples, cherries, apricots, and peaches. Nevertheless, toxicity isn’t a significant concern with most seeds that may be present in some guinea pig meals. The principle points are the seeds being a choking hazard, excessive in fats, and nutritionally insufficient for guinea pigs.
What If Your Guinea Pig’s Meals Already Incorporates Seeds?
Most seeds in guinea pig muesli mixes akin to sunflower seeds will not be poisonous to guinea pigs. Nevertheless, they’re a choking threat and shouldn’t be fed. Whereas a couple of sunflower seeds may not hurt your guinea pig, too many seeds of their food plan may result in a dietary imbalance as they’ll change into full with out consuming the right stability of vitamins. It’s higher to decide on a industrial guinea pig pellet meals over a muesli combine. Though the meals blended with plenty of seeds and selection seems interesting to us, and guinea pigs usually love seeds, it’s not solely protected nor does it comprise the right stability of vitamins your pet requires to remain wholesome.
What Seeds Can Guinea Pigs Eat?
Though you typically need to keep away from feeding seeds to guinea pigs, there are a couple of exceptions. The mushy seeds in meals like cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell peppers are normally protected for guinea pigs to eat.
The seed heads from sure edible hays and grasses are additionally sometimes mushy sufficient for guinea pigs to eat with few issues. Guinea pigs ought to have fixed entry to contemporary hay or grasses, because it supplies them with important fiber. Hay and grasses are wanted for correct digestive operate and assist preserve their enamel in good condition.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Chook Seed?
Guinea pigs should not be eating birdseed, even when it is just provided as a snack. Chook seed accommodates numerous small and laborious seeds that are perfect for birds, however not guinea pigs.
Except for being a choking hazard, the seed’s high-fat content material is just not applicable for guinea pigs and shouldn’t be their most important supply of vitamin. If you wish to add selection to your guinea pigs’ food plan, it’s best to solely feed them species-appropriate meals.
Within the wild, guinea pigs naturally eat contemporary grasses and wild vegetation. A minimum of 85% of your pet guinea pig’s food plan must be hay or grass, they need to even have contemporary greens and greens every day and a small quantity of guinea pig pellets.
Closing Ideas
You typically need to keep away from seeds, grains, and nuts in your guinea pig’s diet. A limiteless quantity of orchard or timothy hay must be provided to guinea pigs, alongside pellets and appropriate contemporary veggies and small quantities of fruit. Guinea pig mueslis and different pet feeds with a excessive seed content material shouldn’t be fed, even alongside hay or contemporary meals.
Feeding seeds to your guinea places them liable to choking and the high-fat content material of seeds may cause weight achieve, whereas containing an imbalance of vitamins. Nevertheless, the mushy seeds found in bell peppers or cucumbers are normally protected for guinea pigs to eat.
Featured Picture Credit score: yesyesterday, Shutterstock
