Guinea pigs are adorable and easy to care for, but their little digestive systems are kind of sensitive. For this reason you want to make sure to provide safe treats for guinea pigs. My young kiddos were always asking me what they could give our guinea pigs so I made a little infographic for them to reference. I wanted to share it for our fellow Cavy owners out there!
A Few Tips About Treats for Guinea Pigs
This list does not include everything that is safe to give to guinea pigs, but it does include the most common items. As with all treats, they should be given sparingly (2-3 times per week) and in small amounts. 95% of a guinea pigs diet should be hay. Not all guinea pigs will like all of these foods they do have their own personalities and likes and dislikes! However, most will love the variety. Treats are a great incentive to encourage exercise or to use as motivation to teach your guinea pigs tricks.
Download the infographic in an easy to print pdf by clicking the button below. The 1 Mom Against Money logo will not be on the downloaded version.
A Few Foods To NEVER Give Your Guinea Pig
- Garlic-it is poisonous to guinea pigs and will cause them a lot of pain.
- Onions-very toxic to guinea pigs and can cause damage to their red blood cells. Do not offer guinea pigs anything in the onion family (leeks, chives, shallots)
- Potatoes-This includes their leaves. They contain solanine which is poisonous for guinea pigs.
- Hot Peppers- Spicy vegetables cause painful stomach upset for guinea pigs.
- Avocado-avocados contain persin which is poisonous to guinea pigs
This is not full list of items to avoid, but some of the most harmful. They fall into the fruit and vegetable category that we would think are ok, but are not. Be sure to educate anyone caring for your guinea pigs about these items!
Interested in more Guinea Pig content? Check out these posts:
You can also check out our Guinea Pig Pinterest Board!
