Can Guinea Pigs Eat Cilantro? Vet-Approved Facts & FAQ
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Guinea pigs are the perfect pets if you like adventurous eaters. They love eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and even a few herbs. That includes cilantro. Cilantro is a delicious and healthy addition to your guinea pig’s diet as long as you don’t overfeed.
Read on for everything you need to know about how, when, and why to feed your guinea pig cilantro!
Cilantro Health Breakdown
Cilantro is a leafy herb that is often used in salsas, rice, and dishes from around the world. It’s a staple of Mexican cuisine and one of the easiest herbs to find fresh in supermarkets. It does have a lot of benefits for guinea pigs—especially because it’s high in vitamins C, A, and K. On the other hand, it also has a moderate amount of calcium. Too much calcium in your guinea’s diet can cause health problems.
- Vitamin C – Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins for guinea pigs to get in their diet. Unlike many animals, guinea pigs can’t produce their own vitamin C. That means that vitamin-rich foods are necessary to help fill in the gap. Cilantro has more vitamin C than many leafy greens and herbs but less than kale, broccoli, and bell peppers. Vitamin C boosts your guinea pig ‘s immune system and helps prevent diseases like scurvy.
- Vitamin A – Cilantro also contains vitamin A. This vitamin is great for your guinea pig’s eyesight and helps with healthy growth, tissue repair, and preventing aging.
- Vitamin K – Vitamin K is another important nutrient found in guinea pig food. Vitamin K helps your guinea pig have healthy teeth. It also helps increase overall bone density, leading to lots of great benefits for your piggie.
- Calcium – Calcium is an important mineral, but guinea pigs don’t need very much of it. Too much calcium and other minerals can lead to the formation of bladder stones. These painful stones can be a major health risk to your guinea pig! That makes it pretty important not to overfeed cilantro and other moderate-calcium foods to your guinea pig.
How Much and How Often?
Cilantro is good for guinea pigs in the right serving size, but too much of it isn’t good for your pig! Guinea pigs eat hay as their primary food. About 90% of their diet should be hay, leaving only 10% fresh food. The fresh food should be a mix of different fruits and vegetables to give your guinea pig a variety of vitamins. Guinea pigs also appreciate the mix of flavors. And since high calcium can be a concern for guinea pigs, cilantro isn’t best as an everyday food either. If your guinea pig loves cilantro, you can feed it a few sprigs a couple of times a week.
Preparing Cilantro for Your Guinea Pig
When you want to feed your Guinea pig cilantro, it’s important to do it right. Make sure that any cilantro you feed your piggie is fresh—there’s not much nutrition in rotting leaves! Weed out any stems or leaves that are yellowed or wilted. Then wash your cilantro carefully to get rid of any bugs, dirt, and other nasties that might be hiding on the leaves. You don’t need to dry your cilantro afterward—the water on the leaves can help your guinea pig stay hydrated. You can serve your guinea pig cilantro with the stems attached. They can even eat cilantro flowers! But cilantro seeds (also called Coriander) and roots should be avoided.
Do Guinea Pigs Like Cilantro?
Different guinea pigs have different tastes. Cilantro has a sharp, herby taste that may be too strong for some guinea pigs. But others will find that its flavor is a new favorite! Some guinea pigs are a little shyer around new food than others. If your piggie is one of the cautious ones, you might want to try introducing it several times until it gets used to the smell. Guinea pigs are also more likely to try foods like cilantro if it’s introduced on its own, without other, more familiar fresh foods available.
Last Thoughts
If you’re looking for a delicious fresh herb to add some interest to your guinea pig’s diet, cilantro is a great choice. Most of your guinea pig’s diet should be hay, and you should have many different types of fresh foods to add a variety of nutrients. That means that cilantro shouldn’t ever make up a big part of your guinea pig’s nutrition. But in the right portions, it makes delicious and healthy food!
Featured Image Credit: Sharon Snider, Shutterstock
