Can Guinea Pigs Eat Strawberries? Vet-Reviewed Facts & FAQ

Guinea Pigs are herbivores, which means they eat plants. However, that doesn’t mean they can eat every plant.

Luckily, strawberries do not fall into that category and are completely safe for Guinea Pigs to eat! They’re a tasty treat, but they shouldn’t make up a large portion of your guinea pig’s diet. Strawberries are very high in sugar and don’t contain the fiber your Guinea Pig needs. Feeding your Guinea Pig lots of strawberries can lead to obesity and other health problems.

An adult Guinea Pig can have one to two small strawberries a week. You don’t want to feed any more than that, and juvenile Guinea Pigs shouldn’t have any more than that, either.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat the Whole Strawberry?

Guinea Pigs can eat all parts of the strawberry, including the green, leafy top. However, whether or not your Guinea Pig can eat a whole strawberry depends on the strawberry.

Smaller strawberries are fine to offer whole. However, larger strawberries may simply be too much strawberry! Therefore, you may have to cut it in half or even a fourth to make it an appropriate portion for your pet.

No part of the strawberry is toxic to a Guinea pig. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about exactly what parts to feed. However, you still want to be aware of how much your Guinea Pig is eating.

Are Strawberries Healthy for Guinea Pigs?

Strawberries can be healthy in smaller amounts for guinea pigs. As we’ve stated, too much strawberry isn’t a good thing. But that doesn’t mean you need to skip strawberries altogether.

Strawberries are high in antioxidants, which help prevent oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can lead to inflammation, which may be tied to certain health problems. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to prevent this sort of cellular damage when you can, which is largely done by antioxidants.

These fruits are also high in potassium, which plays a variety of roles in the body. It may help regulate blood sugar, for instance. When you’re such a little animal, this can be a huge boon. Strawberries are also high in vitamin C, which Guinea Pigs need to survive. Guinea Pigs cannot create vitamin C and must receive it from their food. Therefore, it’s important to include it in their diet.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Strawberries Daily?

We don’t recommend letting Guinea Pigs eat strawberries daily. They are too high in sugar and too low in the nutrients Guinea Pigs need. Many Guinea Pigs may develop diarrhea if they consume too many strawberries at once. It is also commonly thought that feeding acidic fruits such as strawberries and tomatoes can play a part in developing cheilitis, a painful inflammation of the corners of the mouth. Other factors include abrasive foods, low vitamin C and infections.

For this reason, we don’t recommend feeding more than one or two small strawberries a week to adult guinea pigs. Any more may lead to health problems.

What Types of Strawberries are Safe for Guinea Pigs?

Most types of strawberries are safe for Guinea Pigs to eat. However, fresh strawberries are best. Always wash the strawberries carefully before giving them to your Guinea pig. Be cautious about pesticides and similar chemicals, as Guinea Pigs can be particularly sensitive to these additives. Even if the levels are safe for human consumption, that doesn’t mean your Guinea Pig can snack on them.

Other types of strawberries can be hit-or-miss. Dehydrated strawberries are very high in sugar, which means they’re not as healthy as fresh strawberries and are not recommended. Furthermore, many owners report that dehydrated strawberries tend to upset their pets’ stomachs more.

Canned strawberries often include added sugar and other ingredients. However, if you do find canned strawberries without these additives, there is no reason not to give them to your guinea pig. The act of canning itself isn’t bad—it’s just the sugar that’s often added.

Frozen strawberries are also okay, as long as they are defrosted first. Frozen strawberries can be a choking hazard, especially for particularly excited eaters. However, thawing the strawberries reduces this risk. Again, watch for added ingredients in the frozen strawberries. While these strawberries are less likely to contain tons of other ingredients, they still sometimes include added sugar.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Strawberry Plant Leaves?

The whole strawberry plant is safe for Guinea Pigs to eat, including the leaves. Of course, these leaves are lower in sugar than the fruit, so your Guinea Pig can eat more of them. However, they still shouldn’t make up the majority of your guinea pig’s diet. Consider them a treat, instead.

Strawberry leaves are much harder to find than the fruit, as they aren’t commonly eaten by people. However, if you have your plants, then you can safely feed the leaves to your Guinea Pig.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Strawberry Stems?

Guinea Pigs can eat strawberry stems, just like they can eat strawberry leaves. They aren’t as high in sugar as the fruit, which makes them a healthier snack. Therefore, they can easily be added to your Guinea Pig’s diet.

With that said, the stems are often harder to find in bulk than the fruit, as humans don’t commonly eat them. However, if a stem comes attached to a strawberry you purchase, there is no reason you can’t give it to your Guinea Pig.

As always, feed your Guinea Pig strawberry stems in moderation only.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Strawberry Seeds?

The seeds on the strawberry are a perfectly safe thing for Guinea Pigs to eat. These seeds are found on the surface of most strawberries and are completely safe to consume.

With that said, we wouldn’t recommend purchasing a pack of strawberry seeds for your Guinea Pig to consume. They aren’t appetizing or considerably healthy. Plus, they can be expensive for the number of calories they provide.

Don’t worry about your Guinea Pig eating seeds that are found on the strawberry, but you shouldn’t go out of your way to feed your Guinea Pig strawberry seeds.

Conclusion

Guinea Pigs can eat a moderate amount of strawberries, which boils down to around 1–2 small strawberries a week.

Strawberries can be nutritious. They include several necessary nutrients, like vitamin C. However, they’re high in sugar and do not contain everything that Guinea Pigs need. Therefore, they aren’t necessarily the best thing for them to eat.

Think of strawberries as a treat, not as a major food source for your guinea pig.

See Also:

• What Not to Feed Guinea Pigs – 10 Toxic or Harmful Foods
• Can Guinea Pigs Eat Blackberries? Nutrition Facts & FAQ

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Featured Image Credit to: Engin Akyurt, Pixabay