Dates are a very sweet, rich flavoured fruit which has a chewy and lush texture.
The are one of the oldest cultivated fruits and we’re originally grown in Israel and North Africa.
Image http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dattes_deglet.JPG
So can guinea pigs eat dates, and if they can, how much of them can they eat?
Let’s get under the skin of them and take a look at their nutritional data a it more closely. In particular, the sugar, phosphorus, acidic, ft and calcium content is that which is most pertinent to guinea pigs.
Energyt1,178 kJ (282 kcal)
Carbohydratest75.03 g
– Sugarst63.35 g
– Dietary fibert8 g
Fatt0.39 g
Proteint2.45 g
Watert20.53 g
Vitamin At10 IU
– beta-carotenet6 μg (0%)
– lutein and zeaxanthint75 μg
Thiamine (vit. B1)t0.052 mg (5%)
Riboflavin (vit. B2)t0.066 mg (6%)
Niacin (vit. B3)t1.274 mg (8%)
Pantothenic acid (B5)t0.589 mg (12%)
Vitamin B6t0.165 mg (13%)
Folate (vit. B9)t19 μg (5%)
Vitamin Ct0.4 mg (0%)
Vitamin Et0.05 mg (0%)
Vitamin Kt2.7 μg (3%)
Calciumt39 mg (4%)
Iront1.02 mg (8%)
Magnesiumt43 mg (12%)
Manganeset0.262 mg (12%)
Phosphorust62 mg (9%)
Potassiumt656 mg (14%)
Sodiumt2 mg (0%)
Zinct0.29 mg
Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_palm
As you can see dates contain a hint of fat, a bit of phosphorus, calcium, and are a little acidic. But they are very sweet which is a problem for guinea pigs.
Dates are not the greatest food for guinea pigs and be wary of feeding them to your piggies as they contain no vitamin c and their sugar content is not good for them. So if they happen to nibble on one or two they will be finest they shouldn’t be eaten on a regular basis. A few times a months would be fine.