You may know that grapes are toxic to some animals, such as dogs and cats. The specific toxin in grapes is unknown and seems to affect animals even within the same species differently, making things even more complicated. Can guinea pigs eat grapes, or are they toxic to them too?
Learn all about grapes and other things to feed your guinea pig in this article.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Grapes?
Yes, guinea pigs can eat grapes. While grapes are toxic to dogs and cats, they’re completely safe for guinea pigs. However, it’s important to feed them in moderation.
Grapes contain natural sugars, which aren’t bad in small amounts. However, a guinea pig is a lot tinier than a human, so their serving sizes are much smaller. Giving a guinea pig a handful of grapes would be like feeding a child a whole carton of ice cream!
Too many grapes may cause stomach issues, particularly stomach pain or soft poops. More rarely, your guinea pig may suffer from emergent conditions such as GI stasis (when the gut stops moving and processing food) or deadly bloat (also known as gastric dilatation-volvulus or GDV).
What Types of Grapes Are Safe for Guinea Pigs?
Guinea pigs can eat all colors of grapes, including white, green, purple, and red. The darker grapes contain more nutrients, but all are safe and healthy as an occasional snack.
You can also feed wild grapes to your guinea pig. As with all foraged foods, make sure you’ve correctly identified the fruit and that there have been no chemicals or pesticides sprayed in the area. It can be unsafe to forage for your guinea pig in unfamiliar areas.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Raisins?
While raisins aren’t toxic to guinea pigs, their sugar is more concentrated than the sugar in a grape. This makes them less healthy and more likely to cause digestive issues. Feeding raisins to your guinea pig is not recommended.
If your guinea pig eats raisins, watch them for signs of digestive upset. See a veterinarian for help if needed, especially if they show signs of bloat or GI stasis.
How to Prepare Grapes for Guinea Pigs
Guinea pigs can eat every part of a grape, including the skin. Please don’t feed them parts of the grape plant, such as the stem or leaves.
To prepare grapes for your guinea pigs:
- Wash the grapes well
- Remove the grapes from the stem completely
- Cut each grape into halves or quarters to prevent choking
- Feed a maximum of one grape per guinea pig
Guinea pigs shouldn’t eat grapes more than a few times a week. They contain too much sugar for daily feeding, even in small amounts.
Grapes for Guinea Pigs: Benefits vs Risks
Benefits
Grapes have many vitamins and nutrients that are beneficial to guinea pigs. However, they don’t need grapes in their diet. Their everyday hay, vegetables, and pellets should fulfill their nutritional needs. Grapes are just an extra treat!
Here are some benefits of grapes for guinea pigs:
- Supports eye, heart, and bone health
- A source of vitamins B1, B2, B6, C, E, and K
- It contains fiber to support digestion
- A good source of potassium and manganese
- Can provide additional hydration to guinea pigs in need of water
- It contains antioxidants, which can help prevent cancer and other diseases
Risks
Risks of grapes include:
- Digestive issues due to high sugar and water content (if fed in excess)
- Obesity and other health issues due to high sugar content
- Stems may be difficult to digest or pose a choking hazard
- Grapes themselves pose a choking hazard if not cut in half
- Unwashed grapes may contain pesticides or other harmful chemicals
However, grapes are generally safe for your guinea pig to eat, and you’re unlikely to see major issues unless your guinea pig eats a lot of them. As with everything, moderation is key.
What to do if Your Guinea Pig Eats too Many Grapes
If your guinea pig eats too many grapes or raisins, keep an eye on them. Watch for signs of digestive issues, such as soft poops, or signs of pain, such as hiding more often or behaving unusually. It’s normal for guinea pigs who eat watery foods to drink less water for the following day, so this isn’t a concern.
If the symptoms persist or you notice more worrying signs, such as your guinea pig sitting in a hunched position, having a swollen abdomen, eating little or nothing, or not pooping, get them to the veterinarian immediately. These are signs of GI stasis or bloat, both of which are emergent and often deadly.
Daily Guinea Pig Diet
While grapes are a great treat for guinea pigs, they can’t be fed daily. This might leave you wondering: what should your guinea pig eat every day?
Guinea pig diet can be confusing since they need so much variety. Unlike cats or dogs, which can eat one kibble their whole lives, guinea pigs shouldn’t eat only pellets.
Instead, feed your guinea pig:
- Unlimited amounts of grass hay such as timothy hay or orchard grass
- A plain, timothy-based pellet in small amounts (typically ⅛ cup daily)
- Around a cup of daily vegetables consisting primarily of dark, leafy greens
Great vegetables to feed your guinea pig are romaine lettuce, red or green leaf lettuce, bell pepper, cilantro, and parsley. However, there are many options out there, and feeding a variety of foods is best.
The calcium to phosphorus ratio in your guinea pig’s veggies is another thing to consider. An imbalance of too much calcium can cause health issues such as bladder stones, while too much phosphorus can cause weakened bones.
Other Fruits to Feed Guinea Pigs
Other fruits your guinea pig may enjoy include:
- Bananas
- Apples (without the pit, stem, or seeds)
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Pears (without the seeds or stem)
This is far from an exhaustive list, so feel free to explore new fruits with your piggies–just make sure they’re safe first and introduce them slowly rather than all at once. Remember that guinea pigs should eat small amounts of fruit a few times a week at most.
