Celery is a plant from the Apiaceae family, and it is a plant consumed as a vegetable found throughout the world. It is an integral part of certain cultures’ cuisine. Celery contains minerals such as calcium, sodium, copper, magnesium, iron, zinc, and potassium. It contains fatty acids and vitamins including vitamins A, C, E, D, B6, B12, and vitamin K. It also contains thiamin, riboflavin, folic acid, and fiber. Most of what you will find in celery is water, about 95% worth. Because of that, there is zero fat and only one calorie in one strip.
Celery is a great source of natural electrolytes, and one of the best foods to consume when you have a fever and needed to rehydrate your body. The catch is that it has to be masticated to get the full nutritional benefits of celery. Can guinea pigs feed on celery? Can they benefit from the nutrient that celery produces just like humans? Answers to this question and any other one will be explained in this article.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Celery
Yes, Guinea pigs can eat celery, but it should be deveined first and only in moderation. Just like how humans get the veins stuck between their teeth, a guinea pig can too. Only they can not use a toothpick or floss. Thereby, it is considered a little extra work by pet owners, but guinea chooses to like them. After deveining the stalk, cut the stalk down lengthways in half, then chop it into manageable pieces. Celery does not contain a high amount of vitamin C an essential nutrient in the diet of your pets therefore, it should be used as a special treat rather than a weekly or every few daily meals. If your guinea pig has a history of urinary issues do not give them celery. It can lead to an increased chance of getting kidney and bladder stones. And lastly, If your guinea pig turns their nose at celery do not worry, they will not miss anything by not including it in a diet.
Is Celery Safe For Guinea Pigs And In What Proportion Should It Be Fed To Them?
Celery is safe for your guinea pigs since they are green vegetables, and guinea pigs us herbivores therefore, both of them go hand in hand with each other. There is a string in celery that can lead to choking hazards if not cut in the appropriate size which can be unsafe for your pets which is why you should be aware of the appropriate size and when celery should be fed to your pets.
Half a cup of celery should be fed to your guinea pigs twice or thrice a week, and pet owners should mix it with other vegetables because of the low Vitamin C present in them. You can also choose to feed your guinea pigs celery every day which is why two third of a cup per day in addition to other fruits and vegetables is enough to balance the diet of your pets on that day. Anything other than that is a major health risk for your pets.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Celery, roots, stalks, and leaves?
To keep your guinea pigs as healthy as possible, their diet should vary from just regular meals like hay and pellets. This is because it prevents your pets from suffering from diseases of too much or little amount of the same nutrients and also to feed them a balanced variety of essential nutrients. These varieties also keep them happy and their taste bud sharp from different favorites. Therefore, the bullet point below will allow you to know whether to hard the roots, stalks, or leaves to their varieties.
Celery root
Yes, guinea pigs can eat celery root but only in moderation, and it should be thoroughly washed and cleaned before feeding it to your pets. This is because it may contain chemical substances from fertilization
Celery stalks
Yes, guinea pigs can eat celery stalks but only in moderation. This is because the stalks contain the highest amount of water, and overfeeding them may lead to urinary problem
Celery leaves
Yes, guinea pigs can eat celery leaves but only in moderation. The leaves are enriched with a high amount of oxalate which can lead to bladder or kidney stone when it is overfed. Hence, pet owners should be careful with them.
What is The Health Benefit of Serving Celery To Guinea Pigs
Celery has always been associated with lowering blood pressure. When combined with other vegetables because it provides a different formula that helps other conditions.Some of the health benefits of celery vegetable
Low Cholesterol
This humble pale vegetable has been shown to effectively and significantly lower total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol in the body system of your pets
Reduces Constipation
The natural laxative effect of celery helps to relieve constipation. It also helps relax nerves that have been overworked by man-made laxatives.
Hydration effects
During dry and hot weather, feeding your pets with the correct proportion of celery wonderfully helps to normalize the body temperature of your guinea pigs
Diuretic
The potassium and sodium in raw celery help to regulate body fluid and stimulate urine production, making it an important help to rid the body of excess fluid.
Lower blood pressure
feeding raw and fresh celery to your pets significantly helps lower blood pressure. A compound called phthalides helps relax the muscle around arteries, dilating the vessels and allowing blood to flow normally.
Possible Health Risk Serving Celery To Guinea Pigs
When rules are not followed, and pet owners feed their pets in the wrong proportion, the guinea pigs are bound to suffer from unknown health risks. The bullet point below will highlight some of the health risks
Urinary issue
Celery contains a decent amount of water but overfeeding may lead to diarrhea, bloatedness, constipation, or some other digestive or stomach health risk
Allergy
There is also a chance that your pets can have an allergic reaction to celery even if it is not being overfed. Thereby, introduce celery to your pets at a slow pace to avoid allergy reaction
Conclusion
Celery is a vegetable enriched with a decent amount of beneficial nutrient, but they are also low in an essential nutrient (vitamin C) Therefore, the best way to keep your pets healthy is to feed them celery and other fruits and vegetables together. All you need to know about the vegetable have been listed in the article.
