Just like with most fruits and vegetables, guinea pigs can eat mango in carefully moderated amounts! There are several different benefits and drawbacks to consider before deciding to include these delicious tropical fruits into your piggy’s diet.
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 mango contain?
Vitamin C
This is necessary for growth, development, and repair of your guinea pig’s body tissues! For guinea pigs, they’re quite prone to infections, and can even get infections from things like mites and fleas that result in skin wounds. It’s important that their body is able to heal these injuries and create new tissues to help with healing.
It also helps maintain their immune system. Because guinea pigs catch infections so easily, we want to prevent it from happening in the first place! One of the best ways for this is by building up their immune system so it’s equipped to fight them off. There is 36.4 mg in 100 g of mango.
Calcium
Guinea pigs need calcium to build and maintain strong bones, especially when it comes to young guinea pigs, and older guinea pigs as well! Pregnant guinea pigs need tons of calcium to help with nursing and lactation. Their heart, muscles, and nerves also need it in order to function properly. We don’t think we need to emphasize how important it is for the heart to be in its best condition!
Your guinea pigs need their muscles for basically everything, whether it’s eating or zooming around their cage, and their nerves need to be able to send signals throughout the body in order to carry out different biological functions. There is 11 mg in 100 g of mango.
Phosphorus
Its main function is working hand-in-hand with calcium in the formation of bones and teeth! This is why it’s important for the ratio of calcium-to-phosphorus to be as close to the ideal as possible, which is 1.33:1. It also is vital for helping the body properly use carbohydrates and fats.
Carbohydrates help with fueling most guinea pig functions, and so it’s important that phosphorus is able to aid with fuel allocation throughout the body. Phosphorus also plays a part in maintaining your guinea pig’s blood pH, as well as with filtering out wastes in the kidneys. There is 14 mg in 100 g of mango.
What other benefits does mango provide for your guinea pig?
Mangos are low in calories compared to some other fruits! It’s also lower in calcium, which means you don’t have to worry too much about excess calcium consumption and the development of urinary tract issues!
What are the downsides about mango for guinea pigs?
Unfortunately, while this fruit is delicious, it is also high in sugar content. Excessive sugar consumption can have some unpleasant consequences, such as diarrhea. Guinea pigs can’t process sugar as well as their humans can, which means unprocessed sugar can cause some discomfort in their bellies! Too much sugar can also lead to weight gain in the development of diabetes.
Guinea pigs can eat mango, but do they like it?
Yes, they do because it’s sweet and soft, which makes it easier for them to eat!
How should you go about feeding your guinea pig mango?
If you’re choosing to include this into your guinea pig’s diet, make sure to carefully moderate the amount they are having so they don’t end up having too much sugar! The best serving size would probably be around a one square-inch cube around once or twice a week!
Overall, it is OK to feed your guinea pigs mango!
However, just like with other fruits and vegetables, moderation is key in order to achieve a well-balanced diet that gives the best nutrition for your guinea pig.
What else can guinea pigs eat?
Check out our Fruit Master List for quick facts on common fruits that your guinea pig can and can't eat.
3 comments
Are dried mango slices or any dried fruit for that matter safe for Guinea pigs to eat?
Is it okay for Guinea pigs to eat the mango seed?
Is there a full list somewhere for us to easily refer to then going thru multiple blogs. I understand it’s for your SEO visibility but from our POV, it’s quite annoying.