It can’t be that you’ve never thought about feeing your guinea pig some fruit. And I bet you’re thinking of something less exotic but healthy. Perhaps… watermelon? Who doesn’t love a bowl of watermelon during the summer? But can Guinea Pigs eat watermelon?
Let’s think about this for a minute. Watermelon is found everywhere. It’s one of the healthiest fruits of the summer with 90% water weight. And humans are supposed to consume watermelon only when it’s fully ripe. It’s nutritious and hearty when it’s ripe.
In human terms, you can eat as many watermelon pieces as you want. But for Guinea pigs, you must keep it to a certain measure. That measure is just a slice or two x 1 2 times a month. The bottom line is you your Guinea pig can eat watermelon. But not too much.
Guinea Pig Safe Fruits
Guinea Pigs Can Eat Watermelon
Watermelons are naturally sweet and juicy. And too much sugar can cause stomach indigestion, weight gain, and diarrhea. Feeding your Guinea pig large portions of watermelon may blow this out of proportion.
A Guinea Pig’s diet mainly consists of lots of vegetables. They’re herbivores so they fill up on a mixture of fruits and veggies. Such as carrots, apples, pears, celery, tomatoes, etc.
Watermelon, strawberries, and grapes are not included in their staple diet. That’s an off and on kind of treat. Would you consider ice cream or cake a part of your staple diet? I don’t think so. Not unless you have it every day, after every meal. And that would only lead to more health problems.
Much in the same way, watermelons should seldom be fed to Guinea Pigs.
With that out of the day, there are some good things about watermelons you ought to know.
Such as they contain vitamins, biotin, potassium, and magnesium. Vitamin C, A, B6, and B1 are all antioxidants and anti inflammatory compounds. Even carotenoids triple and double in quantity in watermelon as it gets ripe.
So you know how nutritious watermelon is before feeding it to your Guinea Pig. Guinea Pigs need vitamin C as a part of their daily nutrition. However, there are reasons why you must feed them more veggies than fruits. Simply said, fruits like watermelon are candies for Guinea Pigs.
And the high sugar in content in watermelon is even more so. Also, stay away from the seeds. They’re not toxic for Guinea Pigs but may cause problems. Seeds don’t often digest every easily. That’s okay for humans as we have a stronger immune and digestive system.
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Guinea Pigs Can Eat Watermelon Rind
The watermelon rind is the part that’s not red. This includes the white fleshy part which constitutes the hard shell and green skin. Is that safe for Guinea pigs? Yes, it is. In fact, some say that Guinea Pigs enjoy eating the rind more than the juicy red bits.
Just make sure the watermelon rind is clean and toxin free. You also want to make sure you slice the watermelon rind into thin slices. They should not be too chunky as that’s hard to swallow.
Feeding watermelon rind every day is okay. Your Guinea pig is already eating her share of nutrients for the day. So there’s no need to supplement this into her staple diet. However, consider watermelon rind as treats… sort of like an evening snack.
Half or 1/4 cup of watermelon rind per day and 2 4 times per week. This is the best time to give your Guinea Pig watermelon rind. It’s low in sugar and most Guinea Pigs love to chew on it.
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Some Tips Before You Go
Here are some quick relevant facts about watermelon.
- There are over 1,200 types of watermelons to choose from.
- The seedless ones are usually GMO free and organic.
- Because of their 90 92% water content, they can keep you full for longer. So feeding a Guinea Pig a slice is more than enough. You never want to overfeed.
- Lastly, all the parts of watermelon are edible. Nothing is toxic or unhealthy. All you must do is make sure you wash the rind and skin with water a few times before feeding.
Based on all these facts, it’s established why you must practice moderation. The high sugar and potassium content in watermelon may cause sensitivity. If not, it could pose a dangerous threat to your Guinea Pig’s overall health and well being.
Guinea Pigs have a sensitive stomach. You cannot overfeed or overindulge a hungry Guinea Pig with such fruits. While they are safe and healthy for your pet pig, it contains lots of water and vitamin C. But constant feeding of watermelon can lead to diarrhea and stomach pain.
To maintain a good gastrointestinal system, fruits are best fed sporadically. A cup or two of seedless watermelon cubes per month. This is the ideal amount of watermelon a Guinea Pig must eat.
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Final Thoughts
Even occasional treats for a Guinea Pigs are supposed to be healthy. Such as watermelon, grapes, apples, or bananas. Then their staple, primary source of diet is pellets and hay. Fruits make the best, inexpensive and anti inflammatory, treats for Guinea Pigs.
As they often experience symptoms of a sensitive stomach. Such as diarrhea, tummy ache, allergies, etc. Avoiding packaged and processed treats is always a good idea. Watermelons are not toxic for Guinea Pigs. Chances are your pig may even love it; the rind and everything!
Training a Guinea Pig is an integral part of their lifestyle. That’s how you create a bond with them. And offering delicious treats like watermelon will only strengthen that bond. That means keeping stock of fresh fruits when you train your Guinea Pig.