It is not uncommon for you to want to treat your pet with your food leftover especially when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Your thought will be since it is edible for you therefore, it should be edible for your pets as well. What you should know is that human edible foods sometimes are not healthy and it is downright dangerous. Hence, you should be able to differentiate the healthy meal in other to avoid long-term health problems. This leads you to ask yourself whether a type of fruit named apple is considered safe for your guinea pigs. Apples are known to be rounded fruits that sometimes have red, green or the blend of the two previous colors as their exterior skin. It is juicy, and it comes in various sizes. So, Can guinea pigs eat apples? Keep reading to find out the answer.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Apple?
The relative answer to this question is yes, Guinea pigs can eat apples. The next question you should ask yourself as a pet owner is can your guinea pig eat an apple? There are some things you should be aware of in your pets before you decide to slice up and feed your guinea pigs with apples. Everything is not about feeding your pet a delicious and nutritious meal, it is about how keen your guinea pigs are about that exact fruit. Testing them with a small treat and doll-up apple should be the first on your agenda before introducing the pet to the apple. Above all, you should know that Apple is a good meal you can serve to your guinea pigs because of the nutritional benefit they offer to the pet when offered in small quantity. Large quantities can be hazardous to them.
What Are The Nutritional Benefit Of Apple For Guinea Pigs
We have established that Apple is satisfactory for your guinea pigs because of the nutritional benefits and because of the sweetness of the fruits. Guinea pigs require a certain amount of vitamins and other essential mineral elements in their body before they can be considered as healthy. This fruit is known to fulfill some of those nutrients, and they are listed below
Vitamin C is one of the most important nutrients that can be found in the apple. According to researchers, happy and healthy guinea pigs require approximately 10mg of vitamin C per day. 3-4 bites from the guinea pigs on the apple will serve as the entire vitamin c nutrients the pet requires for that day.
Vitamin B-complex is one of the water-soluble vitamins that can be found in an apple. This vitamin's role in the body of your guinea pig is to perform an essential function in their body's cellular part. This means that they work mainly to improve the nervous system of the pets and also to help them relieve the amount of stress they undergo. Sometimes the vitamin B-complex found in the apple can also help them transport various nutrients around the body.
This nutrient is mostly found in the external parts of the apple. It can also be found on apple leaves, and these leaves mostly contain the highest amount of fiber in apples. Fiber is generally known to aid digestion both in the body of the pet owner and the pet itself. Another nutrient that is found in apple leaves is calcium which is very useful to help support their bone and strengthen it.
The largest nutrient that can be found in the part of an apple is water which is essentially good for hydration. Both humans and pets need to stay hydrated all the time for them to survive. Alongside the water content, there is also a decent amount of sugar found in an apple. Their role is to mainly improve the dry matter digestibility, and it is also essential for them to live and survive. Too much of these two nutrients can be hazardous to your pet. Therefore the fruits should be given to them in small quantities.
Other beneficial nutrients that can be found in an apple are:
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Iron
- Phosphorus
- Vitamin A, E, and K
- Sodium
- Magnesium, etc
Serving Size Of An Apple to Guinea Pigs
Due to an apple containing high sugar and water content, pets should feed on the fruits in moderation. Therefore, you should know the correct proportion and tips required for feeding the pet. You should note that Apple should be given to guinea pigs as treaties and not a full meal to minimize their hazardous meals. Unripe apple contains a high amount of acid and this will dead to mouth sore for the pet.
Hence, A full rounded apple should be cut into four parts, and ¼ of the apple should be served with its original meal that contains Timothy hay and pellets. The fruits should also be given to the pet once or twice a week in other to help the pet utilize and digest all the sugar content and every other nutrient that was gathered in the fruits.
Which of the Variety Of Apple Is Good For Guinea Pigs
The red apple is considered the most sought-after apple because of the higher sugar content it possessed. Both the green and red apples are good for your pets but guinea pigs tend to favor the sweeter and juiciest fruit. Hence, if it is one of those varieties of apple that is found in your area then it is appropriate for your pet when served in the correct proportion.
Conclusion
Yes, guinea pigs eat apples even if they are wary of them at first a chunk on the apple will make them love the fruits. You should also know that Guinea pigs can be well-behaved and looks adorable to the extent that you want to spoil them with apples, but before you consider that you should be aware of the benefit and the hazardous impact apple will cause on the said pet. The health of your guinea pig should be one of your concerns. All you need to know about Apple and guinea have been discussed above.
