GuineaDad Food Blog: Can guinea pigs eat peaches?

Your guinea pig can eat peaches in moderation! There are some downsides to including this fruit into their diet along with some benefits, so it’s important to know both to make the best decision for your piggy and their 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 do peaches contain?

Vitamin C

This is vital for boosting your piggy’s immunity and their body’s healing abilities. Boosting immunity is important because it ensures that your guinea pig is able to fight off infections, as well as recover from them properly if they do catch any. Many of these infections will also come with secondary infections that need to be recovered from as well.

Unfortunately, guinea pigs often die from infections, and we want to prevent this as much as possible. It’s particularly useful to their skin, bones, and connective tissues! Your guinea pigs’ bone health is so important because they play such a large role in staying active and in turn, healthy. There is 6.6 mg in 100 g of peaches.

Potassium

This helps your guinea pig’s nerves function properly and makes it so it’s possible for their body to continue to carry out the unconscious bodily functions such as digestion and breathing, and even getting the muscles to contract.

It’s also helpful for moving waste out of cells, and bringing nutrients in. This is essential because in order for cells to function properly and create the compounds that their body needs, wastes need to be removed from their cells. There’s 190 mg in 100 g of peaches.

Phosphorus

The main function is in the formation of bones and teeth! This works in conjunction with calcium, in order to perform this function. There is a ratio that is ideal when it comes to calcium and phosphorus, often referred to as Ca:P. Generally, for guinea pigs it’s going to be 1.33:1. For peaches, the Ca:P is 0.4:1.

This is pretty good, so you don’t have to worry too much about the calcium levels being too high. It also is important for the growth, maintenance and repair of cells and tissues. The ability to repair tissue is vital, whether it’s tissues within the body, or it’s damaged skin tissue from surface-level skin wounds.There is 20 mg in 100 g of peaches.

What other benefits do peaches provide for your guinea pig?

Peaches are rich in antioxidants that can help combat some cancers! These same antioxidants are good for protecting your guinea pig’s cells from free radical damage, which can cause premature aging and some diseases. They’re also low in calcium and phosphorus, which means you don’t have to worry about bladder and kidney stones when it comes to this fruit! Peaches are also low in fat, and water-rich—this means they can help keep your piggy hydrated.

What are the downsides about peaches for guinea pigs?

Unfortunately, one of the downsides of peaches is that they are high in sugar content, which means there’s a chance it’ll hurt their bellies if they eat too much of it. They’re also quite acidic, which means eating too much of it can lead to mouth sores. These are painful for our guinea pigs, and can make it uncomfortable for them to eat until they’re healed.

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

Yes, because they’re sweet! It makes the perfect once-in-a-while treat.

How should you go about feeding your guinea pig peaches?

We suggest first introducing the fruit very slowly into their diet, if you do choose to do so. Give them enough for a mouthful and see how their body reacts to it. If it goes OK, you can increase the amount and give them a full portion of one or two, one-inch wedges once or twice a week at most!

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

When it comes to any fruits and vegetables, we want to make sure that we give them a variety so we can give them the amount of nutrients they need to live the best life possible! A balanced diet is a big part of improving their lives and increasing their lifespan. 

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.