Can Guinea Pigs Eat Avocado? Learn About Feeding Your Pet

Guinea pigs are domesticated animals from the Caviidae family.

They can be found in captivity. Guinea pigs are not related to the actual pig family.

They originated from South America, Andes. Guinea pigs are very low maintenance and are usually fed by their mothers. These animals have big eyes and large limbs. These small adorable species are called cavy as they are from the genus Cavy. These species weigh between 1.5-2.6 lb (700-1,200 g). The adult guinea pig is measured between 8-10 in (20-25 cm) in length. They can also remember a path for months. They can also startle easily and run for cover rapidly but can't jump high. The diet of a guinea pig should be mainly up of food, including hay and grass. The use of grass is important as it promotes the healthy growth of the teeth and protects gut health. Alfalfa hay has more antioxidants than asparagus and should be fed to baby guinea pigs. Timothy hay, another type of hay, has a lower calcium content and is high in fiber. A little guinea pig should not be allowed to eat avocados as they have different toxin substances, as well as vitamin C, vitamin E, and other vitamins and minerals. The answer to the question, can we give a few avocados to guinea pigs? Then the answer would be yes you can, but it should be given in small quantities. Sometimes, it is best to simply avoid giving guinea pigs avocados in their diet.

If you enjoyed this article why not read about or take a look about can guinea pigs eat corn or can guinea pigs eat grapes here at Kidadl!

Is avocado safe for guinea pigs?

The answer to the question whether or not we should feed your guinea pig avocado is no. Do guinea pigs even like the taste of avocado?

The inside part of the avocado is 'safe' for our little pet guinea pigs and avocados contain a great amount of vitamin C, vitamin K, and vitamin A which is very essential in the diet of a guinea pig. But, avocados contain a high fat content and lots of persin, which may affect the health of guinea pig. Too much of these substances can directly make your little guinea pig sick, causing digestion and intestinal problems. You should keep in mind the other parts of the avocado like the avocado skin, the avocado seed, and other parts of the fruit can be toxic. The avocado skin and the hollow pit inside could be poisonous to furry guinea pigs. An avocado contains a high amount of fat and sugar content, and the inside of avocados can be toxic to guinea pigs. Studies give a clear vision on this and recommend that people should avoid giving guinea pigs avocado skin, as well as the whole fruit, to eat.

There are few more things that you should avoid feeding guinea pigs. These include chocolate (or anything else that contains caffeine), meat, onions, garlic, mushrooms, bread, iceberg lettuce, nuts, potatoes, and seeds.

Benefits Of Avocado For Guinea Pigs

In general, avocado is a very good fruit for humans as it contains a lot of vitamins and minerals that are very beneficial for us. However, feeding avocado to a small pet guinea pig can highly affect the health of the guinea pig in many aspects.

Avocado contains a lot of nutrients like vitamin E, vitamin C, Potassium, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin K, and folate. The interior part of the fleshy part of the avocado is good for your guinea pig. However, it should only be fed in very small amounts, once or twice a week. As the inside fleshy part of the avocado has a high fat content, it can drastically make your pet sick. There are a lot of other foods that you can feed your guinea pig. These include spinach, fruits, and vegetables as part of the guinea pig's diet. Raw asparagus and other fruits are also very healthy and should be included in the diet of your pet guinea pig.

There are some other fruits that can be great to feed your little guinea. Guinea pigs love to have bananas, blueberries, cantaloupe, green beans, parsley, green and red leaf, lettuce, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelon and some other green veggie in their diet. They also like asparagus, apples, oranges, and other fruits and vegetables for a treat once in a while. They also like simple commercial guinea pigs food. Although humans enjoy eating cooked and baked food, guinea pigs cannot digest it. They can only eat raw vegetables and fruits.

What happens if guinea pigs eat avocado?

Studies always suggest people avoid feeding their guinea pigs avocados cause they are highly poisonous for your guinea pig.

Although the interior part of the fleshy part can be quite beneficial in terms of vitamins, it also contains a high-fat content which can make your guinea pig fall sick very easily. So, even if it is good in some aspects like it has vitamin C and vitamin E, avocados should be avoided. It is not a food that you should feed your guinea pig daily. Avocado slows down the digestion process in guinea pigs as they have a very mild digestive system. Their digestive system can easily be corrupted by eating anything that is not suitable or that is hard to digest.

An avocado contains toxic vitamins called persin which cause extreme digestion and urinary problems. Even cats and dogs that have strong digestive systems cannot digest these fatty acids. However, this ability of slowing down digestion is sometimes helpful. The weight of little guinea pigs also could be affected if they are given too much fatty food. The weight of a pet matters because it is directly connected with many aspects regarding their health. Guinea pigs are already famous because they can gain weight faster than any other normal pet and can become obese very easily. This means that the sugar in an avocado can be considered a toxin to their health too because it could lead to weight gain. This kind of thing can directly lead to diarrhea in your little guinea pigs. A small guinea pig can suffer from different disease when the buildup of fluid increases around the lungs and heart. The toxins contained in avocados called persin are oil-soluble and can be very harmful to your guinea pig's health.

Risks To Consider While Feeding

There is a very important question regarding a guinea pig and avocado. Should we let a guinea pig eat avocados? What would be the pros and cons of feeding your guinea pigs avocados?

Avocados contain a toxin known as persin which can be fatal or poisonous to your small guinea pig's health. This toxin is present in the avocado leaves, avocado skin, pit, bark, and also a small amount in the flesh. It is clear that you should avoid giving your guinea pig foods like avocados. It can also cause a number of diseases like diarrhea, respiratory infections, scurvy because of deficiency of vitamin C, tumors, abscesses due to infection, and urinary problems. Fruit like avocado and other foods that contain higher amounts of calcium and sodium can cause urinary problems. Other foods that can cause problems to guinea pigs' health are chives, coconuts, garlic, grapes, onions, and raisins. There are some fruit and veggies that should be eaten by guinea pigs which are very healthy. You can feed your guinea pigs apples and asparagus as a treat. You should introduce something new every time to make sure a guinea pig has a variety in their diet, otherwise it could become boring for them eating the same healthy foods daily.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for can guinea pigs eat avocado, then why not take a look at can guinea pigs eat bread or guinea pig facts.