Can Guinea Pigs Eat Grapes?

Grapes are a go-to picnic snack and it’s natural to start to wonder if this fun treat should be shared with your cavy. Can guinea pigs eat grapes? 

Yes! 

But not as much as you can. Guinea pigs need to limit their sugar intake so their gut microbiome keeps the good fiber-loving bacteria around. Too much sugar can throw the bacteria colonies out-of-whack in your cavy’s sensitive stomach. 

We respect and take care of our cavy’s digestive systems around here. That’s what gives them access to all the wonderful nutrients they take in every day! And what gives them the energy to popcorn and squeal with excitement. 

Will My Guinea Pig Choke On Grapes?

With toddlers, we worry about grapes and choking. Your guinea pig won’t be able to put an entire grape in their mouth. However, choking is still something to be aware of when you‘re preparing treats for your cavy. 

The skin or seeds of a grape could worry some guinea pig parents. You can remove both of those before giving them to your cavy. Keep in mind, the skin is where most of the nutrients are and your cavy has some sharp teeth that can certainly handle the skin of grapes. 

What Your Guinea Pig Needs

The most important thing in your guinea pig’s life is hay. So before we start talking about other fun treats for your cavy, let’s make sure we have the basics in place.

Your guinea pig needs a high-fiber, low-calcium grass hay available as a free-choice food. This is what their healthy gut bacteria thrive on! So it needs to be the majority of what they eat so the good bacteria doesn’t die off. 

Hay is also perfect for wearing down teeth as a guinea pig’s teeth are always growing. Guinea pigs can eat grapes but those soft foods don’t help with their teeth at all!

They need to work on chewing and gaining some good jaw muscles to keep their teeth healthy. They need healthy teeth because  the digestive process starts with their teeth! 

Pellet food is a great supplement to your cavy’s diet of hay. This can fill in nutritional gaps as pellets are fortified with important vitamins including vitamin C. Which guinea pigs need a lot of!

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Grapes For Vitamin C? 

Grapes do give guinea pigs a burst of vitamin C but as we know too many grapes are not good for your cavy’s system so don’t rely on sugary fruits to fulfill your pet’s vitamin C requirement. 

Red, black, and concord grapes have less sugar and more nutrients than green grapes. The darker grapes contain resveratrol and flavonoids. Resveratrol is an anti-inflammatory antioxidant that helps protect against diseases!

Grapes also contain a good amount of phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium. These vitamins need to be balanced (meaning when your cavy eats one, they need more of the other), so it’s good to feed your cavy foods with a quality ratio of these vitamins. 

There are plenty of low-sugar vegetables that are great sources of vitamin C for guinea pigs. 

• sweet bell pepper

• parsley

• kale

• thyme

• dill

• brussels sprouts

• red cabbage

• broccoli

• cauliflower

• turnip greens

And fresh leafy greens can be a daily part of your guinea pig’s diet! 

Other Treats For Guinea Pigs

Fruits do make excellent treats. For humans and cavies both! So cut up an apple and share it with your friend. But only a small piece and make sure treats don’t steal the show from the low-sugar foods we talked about.  

Some fruits that make excellent treats for special occasions:

• apples

• apricots

• bananas

• watermelon

• blueberries

• cranberries

• strawberries (green tops are okay too!)

• raspberries

• plums

• pears

• cherries

• red tomatoes (not the stems or leaves!)

• kiwi

• mango

• papaya

There are also ways to treat your guinea pig that are low-sugar! Sometimes just a change of texture is enough to get your cavy excited.

Hay Cubes are an excellent option because guinea pigs love them and they’re simply made of hay, which their stomachs love! 

Treats can also be used for foraging! Pea Flakes are a low-sugar option that can be spread around making your guinea pig’s enclosure all the more exciting.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Grapes Every Day?

At the very most a guinea pig could have a small piece of fruit once a day. But it would be better to limit fruit to once or twice a week. 

With so many different options of fruit and other treats for guinea pigs, there’s no reason your guinea pig should be eating grapes every day. This is just one of many treats that your guinea pig can enjoy. 

Enjoy little cavies!