the last article of guinea pigs nutrition, we really enjoyed writting every single article especially as it was like a nutrition to many guinea pigs lover .
although writing some of this topic was really diffuclt as sometimes we just cant find some reliable source to rely on , as pet nutrition is among the topic that we need to make sure that every details in scientific approved
knowing their nutritional requirment is crucial as any food you give them can be poisonous if you dont take everything on consediration nutrition profile chemical compound , some nutrient can be harmful even in small amount some vegetables contain some fatal toxic compound.
as this is the last article conserning nutrion let’s highlight some of the most dangerous food you can give them
proceesed meat and any type of processed food as they contain all kind of bad compound you can give to this little
some fruit or vegetables part like leaves tree branches ( twigs ) vines any fruit eaten without peeling like strawberries as unwashed fruit skin as they contain peptcides.
onion it’s among the few vegetables that you should never give to guinea pigs as it contain thiusulfate and disulfide which are very toxic even in very small quantities
any dairy product as guina pigs suffer from lactose intolerance their digestive system cant digest dairy as the lack the enzymes that breakdown lactose which can lead to many problems
any high fat content food.
now to the main question can guinea pigs eat apples or grape we know that too much of any fruit or vegetables can cause many problems so how often , much you could give them
apple and grapes are among the most importanst source of vitamin a this vitamin is crucial for guinea pigs as it improve mucous membrance and protect it from bacterial and viral infection
vision and eyes condition that’s why we notice conjunctiva dryness and eyelied problesm as one of the most of vitamin a deficiency symptomts.
vitamin a is important for good skin condition it protect from skin infection and even dermatisis that occur severe deficiency
fertility and growth.
full grown guinea pigs are more vulnerable to vitamin a deficiency than young guinea pigs however the symptoms of deficieny appear faster on baby guinea pigs full guinea pigs will not show any sign of weakness or vitamins deficiency or diseases as their prey instinct force them to hide this symptoms
guinea pis show some deficieny symptoms after 2 week of low vitamin a diet comared to 10 weeks in full grown guinea pis
vitamin e
one of most important vitamin that help in fat metabolisme what prevent and protect agaist fatty liver problesm
it can help in growth especially muscle one of most symptoms of this vitamin deficiency is muscle atrophy and skeletal muscle erosion.
imporatnt during pregnancy fetuses as it can cause abnormalties and high mortality in pregnant
vitamin c one of the important vitamin for them if not the most important as they cant make their own vitamin c just like us , so it’s crucial to give them high vitamin c food , what make apple a great treat is the content of this vitamin actually i prefer this fruit over orange as orange is acidic.
guinea pigs need more vitamin c in cases of any type of stress apsorbtion problems or diseases
it crucial to produce collagen , its one crucial compound for the formation of skin muscle tissue joints so its very imprtant for growing guinea pigs.
the deficiency of this vitamin can be painful , affect mucous membrance found in gums for example it can cause swolen or sore mouth and lips
many painful symptoms when guinea pigs suffer from a deficiency deterioration of the skin and fur
walking problem due to swolen joints
loss of appetite lead to weight losing and lethargy
diarhea
nasal and eyes secretion
problem wound healing which make them vulnreble to infection.
a juicy slice of fresh red , green apples is a good treat to give in hot weather 80 of apples and grape content is water
water is crucial for every living species guinea pigs will not survive 24 hour without water in hot wheather is hard for them if not impossible to survive for 1 without water therefore it’s crucial to provide a fresh source of water everyday
water is a major crucial component of blood important for good blood circulation , explusion of excess calcium what protect their kidney and urinary system.
you will notice a strong urine smell when they are deficient sometimes fever leathary and conflusion are symptoms of dehydration.
hishg sugar content fruit without a good amount of fiber is not recommanded thats why i prefer to give apples over grapes if you want to give grape just give them with a good source of fiber.
some types of apples are not that juicy like red golden delicious gala freeze dried cooking honey crisp pink lady
purple black white yellow grape share the same nutrition profile with small diffrences in terms of antioxidant and plant dyi all of them are full of oxidant though the diffrence in color is because of genetic mackeup.
concord grapes doesnt containt that much of seeds its almost seedless compared to muscadin cotton candy have higher sugar content like fuji apple sugar can cause many problems to guinea pigs so we always give unsweetened applesauce.
you surely can give crab apple to guinea pigs they eat this fruit and the blossoms in the wild so its safe for them
guinea pigs can eat frozen apple
whenever you offer your guinea pigs some apples we stress that you whole cores of apples as they would eat seeds which are bad for them.