Can Guinea Pigs Eat Watermelon? Guide To Feeding Your Pet Fruits

We normally do not eat watermelon rinds but can a guinea pig eat them?

Guinea pigs will like the taste of watermelon because of the sweetness. However, this candy-like fruit must only be an occasional treat.

Watermelons are edible fruits of flowering plants. Native to Africa, there are over 1,000 varieties grown across the world. Evidence of seeds was also found in Pharaoh tombs indicating watermelon cultivation in ancient Egypt. This fruit is a berry with a hard rind and is juicy and fresh. As per 2017 data, China was the leading producer, followed by Turkey, Brazil, and Iran. The nutritional value in two-thirds of a cup is 30 calories; very little fiber, fat, and protein; 0.013 lb (6.2 g) of sugar, and 0.016 lb (7.6 g) of carbs. Like all other vegetables and fruits, watermelons must be fed in moderation. The water content hydrates guinea pigs in hot summers. As per reports, the taste of watermelon rind is the same as the taste of the flesh of watermelons for a guinea pig. Also, watermelon rinds have less sugar content than the flesh, which reduces the risk of diabetes. A guinea pig needs a constant supply and serving of fresh hay or other similar foods because these animals feed continuously. If they do not find food around they will develop bad habits like chewing on things like hair. Like human nails, guinea pigs' teeth grow continuously so they will constantly gnaw on things to prevent their teeth from growing out of their jaw. This is also the reason they often chew on paper, cloth, rubber, and plastic, if available.

When it comes to vegetables and fruits, guinea pigs are fickle eaters, and once they have learned to choose their food, it is hard to change that habit when they grow old. So, they can be stubborn about trying new foods, and they can even starve if you change their feeding routine. Some illnesses and complications in guinea pigs due to a poor diet include difficulties with pregnancy, teeth problems, vitamin deficiencies, metastatic calcification, and muscular dystrophy. Some foods that you should not feed your guinea pig are coconuts, cherries, sweet peas, avocado, beans, garlic, potatoes, olives, and rhubarb.

If you enjoy reading these facts about can guinea pigs eat watermelon, then make sure to read some more interesting facts about can guinea pigs eat mango and can guinea pigs eat avocado here on Kidadl.

Are watermelons safe for guinea pigs?

Yes, guinea pigs can eat watermelons only in small amounts.

The main staple food of a guinea pig's diet includes timothy hay. Guinea pigs must be provided with hay and clean water 24/7. Watermelons, like many other fruits and vegetables, are high in sugar, so they cannot be a staple food in guinea pigs' diets. It is also better to feed your guinea pig vegetables that have less sugar content in them. Fresh fruits like strawberries, watermelon, or tomatoes are like candies for guinea pigs. Watermelon flesh and rind are safe for guinea pigs. Watermelon seeds are also loaded with nutrients. Due to the size of these seeds they can easily get stuck in guinea pigs' throats. A guinea pig cannot bite into these seeds due to their slippery texture. Seeds must be removed as they can be a choking hazard to your little furry friend. Even though watermelon rinds have low sugar content they should also be an occasional treat. The essential nutrient in watermelon is vitamin C. Watermelon rinds can be hard to digest but if they are cut into small pieces, it will help your guinea pig's digestion. The watermelon skin is also identical to the rind so feed watermelon skin in moderation.

Guinea pigs do not eat fruits naturally. So, your guinea pig might just not like the taste of the fruit you offer. They might prefer another fruit to watermelons or might just like the rind or the skin. It is better to let your guinea pig choose what fruits it wants to eat rather than forcing them to eat anything. Keep your guinea pigs away from watermelon juice because it has a high sugar content. It has not yet been proved that either leaves or stems are good for guinea pigs. So, you need to keep your pet away from stems and leaves. Watermelon or any other fruit must not be given to baby guinea pigs. They are more at risk than adult guinea pigs.

Benefits Of Watermelon For Guinea Pigs

The following are health benefits of watermelon and its rind: they improve heart function, they hydrate, they boost immunity, they keep a check on weight and blood pressure, they provide energy, they promote digestion, and they regulate sugar levels.

There are many health benefits in watermelon and when fed in the recommended serving size, will help your guinea pig stay healthy. Guinea pigs are incapable of producing vitamin C. The lack of vitamin C can cause scurvy in guinea pigs. Watermelon will help the body produce vitamin C. So, in turn, watermelon supports the immune system and helps prevent health problems. Too much sugar, such as the amount present in watermelons, is not good for guinea pigs. You can combine small amounts of many fruits to feed your pet. Watermelons also help a guinea pig's digestive system to break down food easily. Like humans, a guinea pig needs to have stable blood pressure for its body to function properly. Potassium in watermelon improves blood pressure and this food keeps guinea pigs healthy from infections. Watermelon also improves the health of guinea pigs' eyes and improves vision. Watermelon will also hydrate and regulate blood sugar levels in guinea pigs.

There are also a few risks involved with eating watermelon. Overeating watermelons can cause urinary issues in your pet. The calcium in watermelon must not be consumed excessively because excess calcium can cause kidney stones in your pet. Overconsumption of fiber in watermelon can cause diarrhea. Sugar is never healthy when overconsumed neither for humans nor for guinea pigs. It can lead to diabetes and weight gain. If minerals in watermelon are overconsumed then that can lead to digestive problems. If a large block of watermelon rind is given to your pet it can cause health issues. Pesticides on the rind are also harmful to your pet. Eating too many rinds can upset your pet's stomach.

Some illnesses and complications in guinea pigs due to a poor diet include difficulties with pregnancy, teeth problems, vitamin deficiencies, metastatic calcification, and muscular dystrophy.

What is the nutritional value of watermelon?

The nutritional value of watermelon in two-thirds of a cup is 30 calories; very little fiber, fat, and protein; 0.013 lb (6.2 g) of sugar; and 0.016 lb (7.6 g) of carbs. There are other vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds.

Watermelon has a lot of nutrients and water and is a food that is good for health. Carbs in watermelon are made up of a lot of sugar components like fructose, sucrose, and glucose. The glycemic index, which is a measure of how quickly blood sugar levels rise after eating a food, is quite high for watermelon. Watermelon has low fiber and calories. The fructose component of sugar is what causes digestive problems in guinea pigs who cannot fully digest watermelon. Watermelon is rich in vitamin C, the antioxidant that boosts the immune system and skin health. Scurvy is an illness that causes bleeding and weakness due to the lack of vitamin C. Vitamin C is needed to heal infections and injuries in your pet guinea pig. Potassium in watermelon is a mineral that promotes heart health and controls blood pressure. Plant foods have copper minerals in them. Beta-carotene gives color to the fruit. Beta-carotene in watermelon turns into vitamin A. Vitamin A boosts immunity, reduces swelling, fights illness, and improves eyesight. The natural carotenoid antioxidant called lycopene lowers blood pressure levels and cholesterol, prevents oxidative damage of cells, and prevents digestive problems.

There are other minerals like fatty acids, magnesium, phosphorous, calcium, manganese, iron, and sodium.

How much watermelon should you feed your guinea pig?

If your guinea pigs eat watermelon, the recommended serving size of watermelon for a guinea pig is one-fourth to half a cup of mixed fruits and vegetables two to three times a week.

You can prepare treats at home using various fruits like strawberries, watermelon, or tomatoes. Make sure to slice the watermelon or watermelon rind into tiny bite-sized pieces for your pet. Larger pieces can have excess nutrients that can damage the health of your guinea pet. Both potassium and sugar are harmful to a guinea pig if consumed excessively. Before cutting the watermelon, make sure to select fresh watermelon for your pet. Unripe watermelons have natural acids and overripe watermelons can cause tummy aches. Wash the watermelon under running water to get rid of pests and bacteria. Slice the watermelon and remove all the seeds. Seeds can be a choking hazard in guinea pigs. Cut the watermelon and use more rind than pulp. You can also peel the green skin. Feed the pieces to your guinea pigs and wait for them to finish. After they finish make sure to remove all leftovers from the cage as they can be harmful to guinea pigs.

Seedless watermelons are not seedless; they have white seeds. These seeds are softer and smaller than the black ones. So, these can be fed to guinea pigs and are not choking hazards. There are also yellow watermelons that can appear the same as red ones on the outside. The pulp is yellow and the seeds are black. Lycopene that gives the red watermelons its color is absent in this one. So, red watermelons are better than yellow ones. These yellow ones can be fed to a guinea pig like red watermelons. You can also buy organic watermelon from a farmer's market, which does not have any chemical pesticide or fertilizer. When watermelons are frozen, the nutritional values change. Sugar levels also increase in a frozen watermelon. So, it is better not to feed frozen watermelon to your guinea pigs. A few alternatives for watermelons are oranges, apricots, kiwi, strawberries, and raspberries.

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