September 14, 2022

GuineaDad Food Blog: Can guinea pigs eat cantaloupe?

Just as with most fruits, guinea pigs can eat cantaloupe, but in moderation because of their sugar content!

Just as with most fruits, guinea pigs can eat cantaloupe, but in moderation because of their sugar content! It’s important to carefully balance the amount of sugar they’re consuming, and to learn about all the benefits and drawbacks of cantaloupe.

We've also got a Fruit Master List that lists common fruits that your piggy can and can't eat!

What vitamins and other nutrients does cantaloupe contain?

Vitamin A

This helps with maintaining good eyesight, the immune system, reproduction, as well as growth and development! As you probably know, guinea pig eyesight isn’t that great in the first place, which is why it’s important for us to feed them foods to maintain what they have! It also aids in maintaining and boosting the guinea pig immune system, which helps the body fight off illness and infection!

Guinea pigs are pretty susceptible to both these things, so it’s important that we prevent them from happening in the first place. Vitamin A is especially important for young guinea pigs since it’ll help their little bodies throughout their growth and development to their full-adult size! There is 232 mg in a 100 g portion.

Calcium

Not only is this necessary for building and maintaining bones, but it’s necessary for other functions in the body as well. Things like the heart and muscles rely heavily on calcium in order to function properly! So even though it’s good to feed foods high in calcium in moderation, make sure that you’re not completely avoiding it, as it’s still necessary for many body functions.

For example, in pregnant guinea pigs, they need plenty of calcium to aid them in the lactating and nursing process once they’ve given birth. In older guinea pigs, they need more calcium in order to maintain their bones as they get older so they’re still able to be active and healthy! There’s 9 mg is a 100 g portion.

Phosphorus

This helps with the formation of bones and teeth! This works hand-in-hand with calcium in order to do this, and the balance of the two is extremely important in order for them to work properly. We want to ensure that the bones and teeth are strong from the get-go, right when they’re formed! It also aids the body in using carbohydrates and fats!

Consumption of phosphorus-rich foods helps your guinea pig’s body figure out how to use carbs and fats effectively. However, it’s important that too much carbohydrates can be bad for your guinea pig, and their diet should be as low in fat as possible! There is 15 mg in a 100 g portion.

What other benefits does cantaloupe provide for your guinea pig?

Cantaloupe is a fruit that is super loaded with water! This will help with keeping your guinea pig hydrated. Even though they technically shouldn’t eat a whole lot of the fruit, the little bit they have still makes a tiny bit of a difference in their hydration levels.

This fruit is also lower in sugar compared to other fruits, so you don’t have to worry as much abt overloading on sugar, but as always, moderation is still very much key.

Cantaloupe contains phytonutrients, which can help suppress the growth of harmful life-threatening free radicals in their bodies. This makes them less likely to get cancer and other diseases!

What are the downsides about cantaloupe for guinea pigs?

Unfortunately, there are some downsides to this yummy fruit. Because it’s so full of water, too much water can lead to bloating or diarrhea. If this occurs, you should immediately stop feeding it to your piggy! You also need to be cautious about how much you give to your guinea pig because of the Ca:P (calcium to phosphorus ratio) not being ideal. You want that to be around 1.33:1, but cantaloupe is 0.6:1.

And as with all fruits and veggies, be cautious about the way you wash them! You want to make sure to thoroughly wash fresh foods you give your guinea pig so you can get rid of any pesticides. Any consumption of the chemicals can make your piggy sick.

Guinea pigs can eat cantaloupe, but do they like it?

Many do, but others don’t—you’ll just have to test it out and see if yours does! And if they don’t, then you’ve got more of this delicious fruit for yourself.

How should you go about feeding your guinea pig cantaloupe?

Taking into account all the benefits and downsides, it’s absolutely best if you limit the amount of cantaloupe that you give to your guinea pig. One, one-inch cube once or twice a week at most would be the safest amount.

Overall, it is OK to feed your guinea pigs cantaloupe!

As with most things, it’s best to keep the consumption of cantaloupe by your guinea pig to a minimum. Even if they seem to absolutely love the fruit, we have to hold back! By doing so, we can make sure we’ve got a healthy guinea pig, on top of a happy one.