Arugula is popularly known as a salad green lettuce that serves as a source of nutrients for both animals and its kind. It is not entirely known as lettuce but as a cruciferous vegetable like broccoli or cabbage and is considered a longtime cuisine for Italian and Greece. It has been discussed above that Arugula is a source of nutrients for the Italians and Greece, so the question is can guinea pigs also share in the nutrients? Are there any health challenges from eating arugula? How good is arugula for guinea pigs? What is the serving size for feeding guinea pigs with arugula? And any other related questions that can help you add cruciferous vegetables to your guinea pigs' diet will be discussed in this article.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Arugula?
Guinea pigs are mostly known to be herbivores (i.e feed on plant and plant-based food). Despite its being fascinating pets full of complex behaviors, the major challenges their owners face are their feeding and dietary care. They are not wild animals therefore, improvising for them instead of their natural herbivores' diet will be a better solution to that challenge. Arugula is the perfect and most improvised nutritious snack for all guinea pigs. This is due to the decent amount of calcium, vitamins, and other nutrients found in vegetables. It can be served in raw or cooked form as decided by the owner.
What Are The Benefits Of Feeding Guinea Pigs Arugula
Arugula is a nutritious leaf enriched with various elements essential and non-essential nutrients. These mineral nutrients are beneficial to their lifestyle, and they play important role in the well-being of healthy guinea pigs by increasing the pet immunity and molecular level. The nutrients present include vitamin A, B, C, and K, phosphorus, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, fats, fibers, carbs, protein, and many more. You should note that guinea pigs can generate vitamin C from arugula nutrients, and it is a key source of vitamin C. The beneficial role of feeding guinea pigs with all these mineral nutrients found in arugula will be discussed below.
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Source of Energy
Minerals, vitamins, magnesium, potassium, and fibers are the source of energy in the life of herbivores. Magnesium and potassium are essentially known to enhance the rate of the guinea pigs' metabolism. Arugula contains this important nutrient therefore, they serve as a source of energy for guinea pigs when used in the appropriate proportion.
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Improve the Animal's Vision
Vitamin A in arugula help to reduce the risk of macular degeneration, thus, it is regarded as an essential nutrient in good eyesight for guinea pigs. They contain an important component in protein rhodopsin which is essential for guinea pigs to see in low-light conditions. A deficiency of this nutrient can cause blindness, paralysis, or convulsions for guinea pigs.
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Strong Immune System
Fruits and vegetables are known for providing adequate nutrients, and this nutrient contains beta carotene, vitamin C, and sometimes vitamin E. It also comprises antioxidants whose major usefulness is to boost the immune system of the animals. The immune system becomes strong when the infection-fighting ability of their immune system is properly cared for. Arugula is among the cruciferous vegetables that offer this health benefit, and feeding your guinea pigs the vegetables as a snack will them live a healthy life. A healthy life translates to a happy guinea pig with a long life span.
In What Proportion Should Arugula be Fed to Guinea Pigs
It has also been stated above that Arugula is a good meal for guinea pigs, but too much of it in the body system of the pet can lead to health risks that should have been avoided. Arugula contains high calcium nutrients, when consumed in high proportion can lead to stones in the urinary tract of the pet. Therefore, the amount of arugula the pet should feed on must be in a minimum proportion no matter the health benefit it possesses. When feeding your pet, 2-3 arugula leaves must be combined with five varieties of another vegetable. Another method to reduce the proportion is reducing the number of times the vegetable is being fed to the pet, it can be reduced to 2-3 days a week.
Major Health Challenge That Arises From Excessive Feeding on Arugula
Yes, vegetables are very good for the body, but too much feeding on a particular meal can cause a health risk that is lethal in the future. This excessive feeding health risk can also occur in guinea pigs, hence, pet owners should always double-check their pet's diet. This can only be accomplished by maintaining the serving size of their meal. In the absence of the right diet proportion of arugula, the guinea pigs can suffer various health risks, they are listed below
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Bladder stone
Bladder stones can only be caused by excessive calcium nutrients in the body of guinea pigs. Arugula is scientifically proven to contain a decent amount of calcium compared to other mineral nutrients. The calcium will build up to form stones in the urinary tract, thereby causing blockage of the passage of urine. In the process, it can damage the pet kidney or other vital parts of the pet system
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Liver and brain malfunction
This is another common health challenge that could happen to the body system of a guinea pig. It is majorly a result of excess vitamin A in the body. Unused vitamin A is being stored as fat since it is a fat-soluble vitamin, and when it becomes excessive in the body of the pet it could lead to the malfunctioning of the brain likewise the liver. It could also cause a problem for the guinea pig's eyesight or bone
Conclusion
Arugula is a cruciferous vegetable containing a lot of health benefits when consumed by a guinea pig. But it can only be beneficial when the right proportion was given to the guinea pigs. Excessive arugula can lead to health risks, which can be minimal or vital depending on the excessive nutrients found in their body. Other additional information that should be known concerning guinea pigs feeding on arugula has also been listed above.
