Have you ever wondered if your guinea pigs can eat strawberries? Or maybe you’re looking for something to do with your strawberry tops after eating some fresh fruit yourself?
These fruits are healthy, contain high amounts of vitamin C, and seem like the perfect fresh treat for your piggy. But can guinea pigs eat strawberries safely, and how much strawberry can they eat? Let’s explore the health benefits and risks of strawberries for your guinea pigs.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Strawberries?
Guinea pigs can eat fresh strawberries, whether they’re wild, directly from your garden, or purchased at the grocery store. They can also eat dried strawberries so long as they’re single-ingredient with no added sugars, preservatives, or other additives. Keep in mind that the sugars in dried fruit are more concentrated, so they should be fed even more sparingly than fresh fruit.
When it comes to canned or frozen strawberries, these are best avoided. Canned strawberries often contain additives, including sugar and dye, that are unhealthy for guinea pigs. Frozen foods can cause digestive issues and hurt your piggies’ teeth.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Strawberry Tops?
Strawberry tops are great for guinea pigs! They contain lots of healthy nutrients and less sugar than the fruit itself. However, some guinea pigs won’t eat strawberry tops because they taste bitter. You’ll have to get to know your guinea pig to learn their food preferences.
If your guinea pigs do eat strawberry leaves, this is a great way to reduce your waste when eating strawberries yourself! Just remember to feed them in moderation, especially if you’re feeding the top of the fruit as well.
How Much Strawberry to Feed a Guinea Pig
One small strawberry or a portion of a larger berry is plenty for a guinea pig. While strawberries are less sugary than some other fruits, they still contain a lot of natural sugar–and guinea pigs are small creatures!
If you have large strawberries, consider cutting them into halves or quarters and feeding one piece to each of your guinea pigs. You can also eat the leftovers yourself! Remember to only feed fruit to your guinea pigs a couple of times a week.
How Many Strawberry Tops Can a Guinea Pig Eat?
Strawberry tops can be fed less sparingly since they contain less of the sugary fruit and more of the nutritious leaves. How many strawberry tops you can healthily feed your guinea pig depends on how much fruit is attached.
If you’re feeding leaves only, you can feed the tops of many strawberries. These are a great leafy green to add to their veggie mix. If there’s fruit attached, stick to just a few strawberry tops or the equivalent of one small berry.
Preparing Strawberries for Your Guinea Pig
Before feeding your guinea pig strawberries:
- Wash the fruit thoroughly to remove pesticides and other chemicals
- Cut large fruits into halves or quarters for a better serving size
- No need to remove seeds or leaves!
Once they’re washed and cut, the strawberries can go straight to your piggies’ mouths. Small berries won’t even need cutting!
Health Benefits of Strawberries for Guinea Pigs
Strawberries contain some great vitamins and nutrients, including vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, and fiber. However, they should never be the primary source of these nutrients, as they should already be included in your guinea pig’s daily diet of grass hay, fresh vegetables, and timothy-based guinea pig pellets.
When it comes to fruit, strawberries are one of the healthier treats for guinea pigs as they contain more vitamin C and fewer sugars than many other fruits.
Risks of Strawberries for Guinea Pigs
Digestive Upset
Strawberries shouldn’t cause health problems in moderation, though you might see slight digestive issues if the fruit doesn’t agree with your guinea pig. Bigger concerns arise when guinea pigs eat strawberries in excess.
You might see anything from mild digestive issues, such as soft poops or a tummy ache, to severe health problems such as Gi stasis. This is when a guinea pig’s digestive system slows or stops, which can quickly become deadly, especially without medical treatment. See a vet if your guinea pig stops eating, pooping or eats or poops very little.
Sugar Content
While strawberries aren’t the most sugary fruit, they still contain enough sugar to cause problems if eaten in excess.
Health risks include obesity, diabetes, and digestive issues. The worst risk of sugary foods for guinea pigs is bloat or GDV, which is a deadly condition in which the stomach fills with air and flips inside the body. Signs of bloat include hunching over in pain, a swollen abdomen, lethargy, and restlessness.
If you notice these signs, rush your guinea pig to the vet. Guinea pigs will quickly die of bloat without emergency surgery to fix the problem.
Messiness
Lastly, strawberries can be messy! This isn’t necessarily a risk, but it can be a downside, especially if the strawberry stains your guinea pig’s beautiful white fur! On the other hand, it’s adorable to see a happy piggy with strawberry juice on its chin as it munches away at the fruit. And you can always wash your guinea pig’s face after they’re done eating.
How to Grow Strawberries for Guinea Pigs
Growing your own food is a great way to care for your guinea pigs. While they often won’t grow to the size of the giant fruits at the grocery store, they typically taste better fresh from the garden. I especially love picking them on a sunny day and eating them warm!
The easiest way to grow strawberries is to purchase a starter plant from your local plant nursery, farmer’s market, or even the garden section of a big box store. The best time to find them is in the spring.
They can grow in small spaces such as a small plant pot, or you can plant them in the ground. Pots of strawberries may need to be protected over winter, while in-ground plants can survive the frost and will continue to produce fruit for multiple years.
Water your strawberries daily or less often in cold or rainy weather. Allow the soil to dry between waterings. Pick the fruits when they’re ripe and feed them to your piggies–or eat them yourself!
