Can Guinea Pigs Eat Apples?

Apples are the go-to favorite snack for so many people. They’re sweet, crunchy, juicy, and fit perfectly in your hand… Can guinea pigs eat apples? They can!

Apples should be in the treat category of your guinea pig’s diet. This means they’re only given to your cavy sometimes, and not every day. Consider a half-inch cube to be a good size.

Apples contain a lot of vitamin C which is very important for guinea pigs but that vitamin C comes with a lot of sugar which is why apples need to be limited. Let’s talk more about apples, vitamin C, and treats so you can add an appropriate amount of sweetness to your guinea pig’s diet!

Check out Saskia, our guinea pig expert as she tells you all about what fruits guinea pigs can have on YouTube! 

How Apples Fit Into Your Cavy’s Diet

The majority of your guinea pig’s diet should be high-quality hay like Timothy hay or orchard grass hay. Guinea pigs need hay available 24/7 as a free-choice food. This gives them enough fiber to keep their digestive system in tip-top shape but it also gives them roughage to chew on to keep their ever-growing teeth healthy! 

When you introduce too many other foods into your cavy’s diet, your pet may fill up on foods other than hay.

So while we talk about apples and other fruits and vegetables to add to your guinea pig’s diet, make sure nothing crowds out hay as the main show. 

Can Guinea Pigs Eat The Skin of Apples?

Yes! Some cavies are picky and may leave the skin behind but those that do like the skin are getting the most nutritious part of the apple. 

The skin is where most of the apple’s fiber and potassium are so it’s a shame to miss out! 

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Apple Seeds? 

Guinea pigs cannot eat the seeds of apples. Small amounts of cyanide in apple seeds can be poisonous if your small pet has too many. The apple seeds can also become a choking hazard. So when you're cutting a nice cube for your guinea pig, leave out the core! 

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Too Many Apples? 

As mentioned, apples need to be fed to guinea pigs in small quantities and only a few times a week. If you give your guinea pig too many apples or too much of any fruit, they won’t be able to digest the sugars properly leading to an upset stomach or diarrhea. 

You don’t want the excitement of a new treat to turn into a stomach ache!

A diet too rich in fruit will throw off the balance of good and bad bacteria in your cavy’s gut. This makes it harder to digest all of their food! Which causes even more issues. 

Giving your guinea pig too many sweets may seem nice and fun at the moment but it’s up to you to be a responsible parent and keep the treats in check.

Guinea Pigs Need Vitamin C

Getting vitamin C into your guinea pig’s diet should be a priority for any guinea pig parent. If you’re giving your cavy a high-quality pellet food, make sure it’s fortified with vitamin C. That’s a great way for cavies to fulfill their vitamin C requirement without consuming too much sugar. 

There are also plenty of low-sugar vegetables that have a nice dose of vitamin C so although fruits have a lot of vitamin C, they shouldn’t be the main source of vitamin C in your cavy’s diet. Keep fruits as an occasional treat!

Other Fruits Guinea Pigs Can Have 

Don’t stop the party with apples! There are lots of fruits that guinea pigs can get a taste of. Just remember to cut a cube for your friend and remove any pits or seeds. 

• apples

• apricots

• bananas

• watermelon

• blueberries

• cranberries

• strawberries (green tops are okay too!)

• raspberries

• plums

• pears

• cherries

• cucumber

• kiwi

• mango

• papaya 

One way to get a fruity taste with less sugar is with Healthy Snackers. These are treats made with hay and a touch of dried fruit mixed in.

You can break one up and hide it around your cavy’s space as a way to encourage foraging. These have less sugar so you can give them to your cavy more often than straight fruit, but still limit these treats to once a day. 

Be Cautious When Adding New Foods To Your Pet’s Diet 

All guinea pigs are different! While one guinea pig may love one food, another may find it too sour. And while one cavy may digest an apple chunk just fine another may get an upset stomach from it. 

Can guinea pigs eat apples? Depends on the guinea pig! Keep a close eye on your cavy after giving them something new and make sure it’s settling well with them. Any time you give your cavy something for the first time make sure it’s an extra small piece. 

Treats are only fun if they can be digested well! So keep apples and other fruits fun by keeping the portion sizes small. 

Happy snacking little cavies!