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Home > Guinea Pigs > Can Guinea Pigs Eat Grapes? Our Vet Answers

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Grapes? Our Vet Answers

Can Guinea Pigs Eat_grapes

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Dr. Luqman Javed Photo

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Dr. Luqman Javed

Veterinarian, DVM

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

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The adorable guinea pig is a popular rodent kept as a pet because of their docile nature, ease of care, and because they make little to no noise. Being herbivores, many fruits are readily accepted by guinea pigs.

When it comes to grapes, it’s the same: guinea pigs can safely eat grapes. However, moderation is key when offering your guinea pig any fruit (including grapes). Read on as we explore fruits’ role in a guinea pig’s diet.

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Grapes and Guinea Pigs

Grapes, like most fruits, are best when considered an occasional treat for your guinea pig. All variations and varieties of grapes are safe for guinea pigs to consume, provided they are prepared correctly (which we will discuss shortly). The nutritional yield of grapes per 100 grams can be summarized as follows:

  • Water: 80.5 g
  • Energy: 69 kcal
  • Carbohydrates: 18.1 g
  • Protein: 0.72 g
  • Fat: 0.16 g
  • Vitamin C: 3.2 (mg)

Grapes have trace amounts of other micronutrients (including some minerals and other vitamins), which, while beneficial for your guinea pig, are too small to warrant feeding your guinea pig grapes to acquire those nutrients.

Interestingly, though grapes do offer some vitamin C, it’s worth noting that there are other fruits that offer far more vitamin C for your guinea pig.

Examples of such fruits (per 100 grams) include:
  • Kiwi: 74.7 mg
  • Strawberries: 58.8 mg
  • Pineapple: 47.8 mg
  • Cantaloupe: 36.7 mg

The comparison above reveals that grapes really don’t fare well in the vitamin C department, either. It’s also worth noting that the comparisons above are for a 100-gram serving of the fruits; your guinea pig wouldn’t eat that much (or rather, they shouldn’t be fed that much) fruit! Therefore, the amount of vitamin C in a grape or two (which is what you’d offer your guinea pig) would be extremely minimal. Conversely, a small serving of the other fruits above would yield more vitamin C.

Nonetheless, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t feed your guinea pig grapes. In fact, mixing it with some other fruits or rotating several safe-to-eat fruits in their treat selection is probably the best way to go about incorporating fruits into your pet’s diet.

Serving Your Guinea Pig Grapes

The best way to feed your guinea pig grapes (and most other fruits) is as follows:
  • Always opt for raw, fresh fruits. Candied, frozen, or dried fruits are not recommended for guinea pigs.
  • Thoroughly wash the fruit to remove any pesticide or chemical residues that might be present on their skin.
  • Slice the fruit into small pieces if needed.
  • It is best to remove the seeds of most fruits before offering them to your guinea pig.
  • Place the fruits in a clean dish (you can mix them with your guinea pig’s vegetables if needed).
  • It is very important to discard any uneaten fruit after 4 hours (at most). Fruit sludges and spoils much quicker than guinea pig pellets or some vegetables, and spoiled fruit can make your guinea pig unwell. Thoroughly clean the dish the fruit was offered in and allow it to completely dry before using it again. If the dish or bowl is dishwasher-safe, it is acceptable to clean them using the appliance.

As mentioned before, a small serving of grape (about an inch in size) should be enough for guinea pigs as a treat, offered once or at most twice a week.

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A Guinea Pig’s Diet

The most important component of a guinea pig’s diet is an unlimited amount of fresh, high-quality hay. This includes timothy, oat, orchard, or grass hay. You can mix several types of hay together to offer your guinea pig on a daily basis. Hay makes up a very large portion of your guinea pig’s daily diet, up to 80–90%.

In addition to hay, guinea pigs require about a cup of a pelleted diet made specifically for them every day. It is important not to feed your guinea pigs pellets made for other herbivores (such as rabbits). While the other pellets wouldn’t necessarily be toxic, they would deprive your guinea pig of vitamin C (which they cannot make on their own, but most other pets can). Pellets are preferred over seed mixes for guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs also require a daily serving of fresh, leafy vegetables (about a cup). You should opt for vegetables that are naturally very high in vitamin C. Examples of such vegetables include parsley, kale, red bell peppers, capsicum, and asparagus.

Fresh, clean drinking water should always be available for your guinea pig.

Portrait of cute red guinea pig. Close up photo
Image Credit: Dev_Maryna, Shutterstock

The Importance of Vitamin C for Guinea Pigs

The most important aspect of feeding guinea pigs is ensuring they always receive plenty of hay and daily supplements of vitamin C. While many guinea pig pellets are often fortified with vitamin C, the vitamin, unfortunately, doesn’t stay stable for very long and can naturally degrade in a matter of a few months once the package is opened. The same is true for vitamin C powders added to water.

This is why vegetables are important for your guinea pig; they can ensure your guinea pig receives the vitamin C they require. The vitamin C requirement of guinea pigs is around 10 mg of vitamin C/kg body weight daily for maintenance and up to 30 mg of vitamin C/kg body weight daily for pregnancy.

The Role of Fruit for Guinea Pigs

Notably, while many fruits are safe for guinea pigs to consume, they aren’t recommended for them daily or in high amounts.

There are several reasons for this, which are as follows:
  • Most fruits are high in naturally occurring sugars, which can lead to an insulin spike for your guinea pig if they consume too many at once.
  • Most fruits are primarily composed of water and will cause your guinea pig to fill up on “empty” calories because they don’t offer enough of the other nutrients that they need. They also usually fail to meet the fiber requirements of guinea pigs.
  • Fruits can be easily swallowed because they are soft and mushy. However, guinea pigs, like many rodents, require foods to constantly chew on because their teeth continuously grow throughout their lives. Their gut also functions better when they’re fed “rougher” foods (such as hay or leafy vegetables).
  • The acidic profile of most fruits means overconsumption of them can lead to sore lips in guinea pigs.
  • When left out, fruits quickly spoil and can form a sludge-like mess in your guinea pig’s enclosure. If not cleaned promptly, this creates an environment where harmful bacteria can quickly multiply, which can be problematic for your guinea pig.

That being said, many fruits can be safely given to your guinea pig as a treat. A small piece of fruit, about an inch in size or diameter, offered once or twice a week (at most) is usually safe for guinea pigs. When used as a treat, fruits are fantastic for guinea pigs. They spruce up their palate, and some fruits offer vitamin C in good amounts too.

Little curly-haired guinea pig with grapes on New Year's Eve
Image Credit: skdi, Shutterstock

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Conclusion

Grapes are safe for guinea pigs to consume in moderation. However, like most fruits, they should be considered an occasional treat and not a staple daily addition to their diet. If you’re in doubt about your guinea pig’s diet, it’s best to consult with your veterinarian.


Featured Image Credit: Karolsejnova, Shutterstock

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