Finding healthy guinea pig treats is important for many reasons. Treats in themselves are a fantastic way to give your piggy something extra besides his regular diet. Treats can also act as rewards – great if you're trying to encourage good behavior. That's not to say that you can give your piggy any type of food as a treat. Many treats are given with good intention, with owners thinking they're offering something delicious and appealing. Some treats can be unhealthy and others can even be dangerous to your guinea pig's health. Knowing what guinea pigs can eat (and what they can't eat) is therefore essential.
As herbivores, guinea pigs eat only plant-based foods. A good diet consists of quality hay, limited amounts of pellets, and some fresh fruit and veggies. Giving your piggy too much of the wrong food can cause diarrhea, obesity, and more serious problems, including diseases of the heart, liver, or kidneys. Many commercial treats contain not-so-healthy ingredients. You can find lots of healthy treats around the house, however. Leafy greens and small amounts of fruits high in vitamin C will be a perfect choice.
Wondering how to find the right things to give your piggy? We've put together a guide to healthy guinea pig treats, along with some tips on choosing treats the right way.
There is an excellent reason why guinea pigs are called “pigs.” Just as their 600-pound farm namesake implies—they can eat up a storm!
Unlike farm pigs, who are prone to overeat, guinea pigs know when they have had enough. There are few things I enjoy more than seeing a happy guinea pig take a treat and run away to the safety of their house to munch on it.
The key to guinea pig food happiness is serving up the healthy treats—the healthy ones. I promise you they will love them just as much as the unhealthy snacks. Best of all, the healthy treats are budget-friendly. Just feed them little nibbles of fresh foods you regularly eat. Baby tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, and Romaine lettuce are all safe and delicious treats. Even fresh grass is a delightful snack for a guinea pig.
Many companies make treats for guinea pigs; it has become a big business. A quick search on Google pulls up page after page of yummy-looking goodies. One thing to keep in mind is that many treats are made to appeal to humans. Still, a lot of the more colorful treats are not necessarily suitable for guinea pigs.
You should always read the ingredient list on any guinea pig food or treats. All highly processed foods are usually loaded with sugar and/or dairy, neither healthy nor natural for guinea pigs to eat since they’re herbivores. I looked up the ingredients for a popular yogurt drop treat and found the main ingredient is dairy. Other ingredients were sugar, vegetable oil, dried whey protein concentrate, dried skim milk, dried yogurt, corn starch, lecithin, ascorbic acid, and vanilla. Another popular treat I looked up listed its ingredients as peanut, rice flour, corn starch, sesame seed, and sugar. However, natural treats are always preferable. Guinea pigs love them just as much and have the added bonus of being healthy for them.
Here are some natural treats I love to feed my piggies:
- Grow your own wheatgrass! It’s easy and fun to watch the seeds transform into yummy, succulent grass with the Pet Greens Garden. The seeds germinate in two days and grow to maturity in six to ten days.
- Healthy Snackers are little cookie crackers that are cubes of goodness. The ingredients are Timothy hay pellets, oats, and fresh fruit and herbs (apple, banana, pumpkin, pear/blueberry, or carrot/pineapple).
- I have yet to meet a guinea pig that doesn’t like humble Pea Flakes. Our fellow guinea pig lovers in Europe are responsible for bringing the pea flake to guinea pigs everywhere. Small Pet Select sells these little bags of odd-shaped bite size snacks. In fact, Small Pet Select has a whole section on their website dedicated to healthy food and treats for guinea pigs and other small pets.
When considering adopting a guinea pig for your family, please research their nutritional needs, and the responsibility (and reality) of guinea pig ownership, including common diseases. If you are unprepared, the piggies’ health and quality of life can decrease drastically. To help you properly prepare to be a piggy pawrent, I’ve got a lot of free resources on my YouTube Channel “Saskia from Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue.” Hop on over there and check it out!
Much *wheek* *wheek* love,
Saskia Chiesa
Founder/Director, Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue
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