Curious if your guinea pig can nibble on apples? Yes they can, but moderation and preparation are key.
In this guide, our experts at HayDay discuss the benefits of apples for guinea pigs and provide practical advice on safely incorporating this fruit into their diet, answering the question: can guinea pigs eat apples?
Shop consistently premium, quality hay for your guinea pig here.
Can You Give Guinea Pigs Apples? - Overview
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Apples offer nutritional benefits like vitamin C and fibre for guinea pigs - with recommended amounts being 10-50 mg of vitamin C daily (NRC, 1995) and 25g (approximately 1/4) of diced apples once or twice a week at most.
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Remove apple seeds before feeding due to potential toxicity and wash the skin, like with all fruits, thoroughly to remove pesticides. Also offer a variety of safe apples like green and red but avoiding cooking apples due to high acidity.
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Guinea pigs can eat apples like treats on top of the staple diet of hay (Timothy hay or Meadow Hay for example), alongside some pellets and fresh veggies. Any new foods should be introduced slowly, over a period of 7 to 14 days to avoid any potential digestive issues.
How Much Apple can I Give My Guinea Pig?
Our in-house nutritionist Briony says,
"Apples are great as a treat for guinea pigs, but you should keep the portion size small. Give around 25g of apple, or roughly one quarter with the pips removed"
Apples are a safe and healthy snack for your guinea pig, but that doesn’t mean they should indulge in them frequently. Like all fruits, apples need to be given in moderation.
Consider this analogy: Just as you wouldn’t consume an entire chocolate cake at once (even if the temptation is there), portion control is similarly important in small pets when feeding your guinea pig apple.
Any uneaten portions of their apple treat should be removed after several hours to prevent potential health concerns from spoiled or mouldy fruit leftovers.
Apples for Guinea Pigs and Nutritional Values
The question is, are apples simply a treat or do they offer health benefits to our guinea pigs?
Just as we know piggies relish eating apples, these fruits come chock-full of essential vitamins and dietary fibre that can be quite the wellness treat for your pet.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C acts as a vital health defender for your guinea pig, protecting it from sickness and aiding its growth. Similar to humans, guinea pigs rely on their diet to acquire sufficient levels of Vitamin C as they can't produce it themselves. Some great sources of this indispensable nutrient include:
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Pineapple
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Oranges
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Strawberries
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Bell peppers
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Kale
Make sure to include a handful of green leafy vegetables in your guinea pig’s everyday diet too, to ensure they get enough Vitamin C.
Fibre
Turning our attention to dietary fibre, it’s worth noting that while Vitamin C is very important, fibre is also vital in your guinea pig’s digestive system.
The flesh and peel of an apple are both rich in fibre, but this shouldn't be relied upon as the fibre source for your guinea pig.
You should incorporate a range of other foods high in fibre into their staple diet (i.e. fibre-rich hay and pellets), which will help maintain great dental, digestive and gut health for your guinea pig.
Providing your small pet with Timothy or Meadow Hay is a great high fibre option - Shop our Guinea pig hay here >
B-Complex Vitamins
B-complex vitamins are essential for transforming food into energy and preserving the health of guinea pigs' skin, eyes, and nervous system. Unsurprisingly, apples are high in these vital nutrients!
Feeding Apples to Guinea Pigs: Safety Precautions
Providing your guinea pig with fresh fruit, such as an apple, requires some preparation rather than just throwing an entire apple to them.
On the other hand, while dried apple pieces could appear to offer novelty value as treats, they pose risks of choking and contain elevated levels of sugar. Always best to stick with fresh!
Removing Apple Seeds
Apple seeds can cause significant trouble therefore you should not let guinea pigs eat apple seeds. They contain a compound which can transform into cyanide upon digestion, proving toxic for your guinea pig (Allen et al., 2015). Apple seeds can also pose a potential choking hazard.
Try not to panic - the occasional tiny seed may not cause immediate harm, but don't take the risk? Prepare the snack carefully so it is as safe as it is tasty!
Apple Skin
Regarding the skin of an apple, it is perfectly safe for your guinea pig to consume. This part of the apple is rich in quercetin, a substance linked to brain health benefits (Boyer and Lui, 2004). Great!
However, apple skin can contain some pesticides, so always best to thoroughly wash apples before your guinea pigs can eat them.
Which types of Apples Are Safe For Guinea Pigs?
As we now know, guinea pigs can consume green apples in moderation as a part of a balanced diet.
In fact, guinea pigs can eat other apple varieties like red ones and tart ones too. The world of apples is diverse, but not all apples are created equal when it comes to your guinea pig.
Green and red apples, like Granny Smiths and Red Delicious, are safe and enjoyable for most guinea pigs however, avoid cooking apples due to their high acidity.
Additional Treats for Guinea Pigs
Your guinea pig can be offered a range of different fruits beyond just apples, including banana, grapes, and berries.
Yet caution is necessary since not all foods are guinea pig safe, make sure you are confident with what you are feeding your guinea pig before doing so. Check with a vet or nutritionist if you are not sure.
It’s important to keep their diet diverse for optimal wellbeing, but introduce new edibles slowly, monitoring closely for any adverse reactions that may indicate discomfort or sickness. We would always recommend, that if you're unsure, you should consult a vet.
Caring for Your Guinea Pig's Overall Diet
Although treats such as apples can add diversity and enjoyment to your guinea pig’s diet, they should constitute only a minor part of their overall nutrition and should mainly be enjoyed as enrichment and to encourage foraging rather than for as part of their primary diet.
The mainstay of your guinea pig’s diet should be an unlimited supply of high quality hay, such as our Timothy hay alongside a small amount of pellets (high in vitamin C) and a handful of fresh vegetables.
This balanced guinea pig’s diet will ensure your guinea pig gets all the nutrients they need to stay healthy and happy. Remember, a well-fed guinea pig is a content guinea pig.
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Summary
In summary, guinea pigs can find apples to be a delicious and wholesome snack if provided in moderation (about 25g once or twice a week). If you own a guinea pig, it’s important to eliminate the seeds from the apple, cleanse its skin properly, and monitor the serving sizes carefully. Avoid feeding cooking apples.
For a healthy and balanced guinea pig diet, guinea pigs must be offered an unlimited amount of hay, at free choice > Try our premium, barn dried hay boxes now.
Other Things To Consider Before Feeding Your Guinea Pig Apples
Sugar Comparison - Apples vs Hay
| 25g Hay | 25g Apples | |
| Sugar Content | 3.75g | 5g |
25g of a typical hay would provide 3.75g of sugar compared to 25g of apple which would provide around 5g. While the sugar level does not seem too dissimilar, consider the amount of time (and chewing) that 25g of hay would facilitate vs a quarter of an apple (25g).
Other Fruits to Feed
In general, fruits tend to be higher in sugar than vegetables. Good lower sugar vegetable options include:
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Peppers
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Celery
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Rocket
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Spinach
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Water cress.
How to Feed Apple to Encourage Foraging
If it is hard to encourage your small pet to eat hay, you may consider occasionally offering treats (such as fruit) alongside their hay to encourage them to forage more.
Our nutritionist Briony recommends scatter feeding or mixing treats, pellets or veggies in with their regular hay.
Read more of Briony's foraging top tips for your small pets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What fruits are bad for guinea pigs?
Guinea pigs should not consume avocados due to the presence of persin, a toxic substance that poses health risks for them (Talcott and Peterson, 2012).
It is vital to refrain from giving your guinea pigs any avocado.
What else can guinea pigs not eat?
Guinea pigs should not eat cereals, grains, nuts, seeds, dried beans, and various plants like buttercups, lilies, and nightshade (Talcott and Peterson, 2012; Kohles, 2016).
It’s important to avoid feeding them these foods to keep them healthy and safe.
References
Allen, A.R, Booker, L., and Rockwood, G.A. (2015) Acute cyanide toxicity, in Hall et al. Toxicology of Cyanides and Cyanogens: Experimental, Applied and Clinical Aspects. John Wiley and Sons: pp.1-20.
Boyer, J and Lui, R.H. (2004) Apple phytochemicals and their health benefits. Nutrition Journal, 12: 3-5.
Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health. Apples | The Nutrition Source. [Online] Available from: Apples | The Nutrition Source
Kohles, M. (2014) Gastrointestinal Anatomy and Physiology of Select Exotic Companion Mammals. Veterinary clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice, 17 (2): 165-178
Mitchell , S. (2023) Can Guinea Pigs Eat Apples. [Online]
NRC (1995) Nutrient Requirements of Laboratory Animals. National Academies Press: Washington, DC.
Talcott, P.A. and Peterson, M.E. (2012) Small Animal Toxicology. Elsevier Health Sciences: London
USDA (2024) FoodData Central. [Online]
VSA (No Date). Feeding Guinea Pigs. [Online]
