Grapes are another luxury fruit which are always a big favourite, but can guinea pigs eat grapes and if so what effect do they have on them?
From eating them ourselves, we know that grapes should be eaten in moderation as too many can cause stomach problems. I know this oh too well!
My daughter is a great fan of grapes and can eat them morning, noon and night so we always have them around the house, so can guinea pigs eat grapes as well?
I decided to dig a little deeper and find out whether this was a viable options and found some things to think about before giving grapes to your guinea pig.
Here are the nutritional values for red or green grapes
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 288 kJ (69 kcal)
Carbohydrates 18.1 g
Sugars 15.48 g
Dietary fiber 0.9 g
Fat 0.16 g
Protein 0.72 g
Thiamine (vit. B1) 0.069 mg (6%)
Riboflavin (vit. B2) 0.07 mg (6%)
Niacin (vit. B3) 0.188 mg (1%)
Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.05 mg (1%)
Vitamin B6 0.086 mg (7%)
Folate (vit. B9) 2 μg (1%)
Choline 5.6 mg (1%)
Vitamin C 3.2 mg (4%)
As you can see grapes are quite low in vitamin c so adds no value to guinea pigs in that aspect. They also have quite a high sugar content.
source: wikipedia
7 Considerations to make before giving your guinea pig grapes
Some owners have given guinea pigs grapes without any problems, so if you do feed them grapes, please bear these things in mind;
When I cut up some grapes for my guinea pig ‘rocket’ he didn’t take to them and left them well alone.
It really does depend on what your guinea pig likes as to whether they will take them or not.
Verdict – can guinea pigs eat grapes?
Yes, guinea pigs can eat grapes. But taking all the considerations into account, it is your prerogative if you want to give grapes to your guinea pig. Do take care though and give them one or two at the maximum to ensure that they don’t get a tummy upset.
Over to you…
Have you given grapes a try with your guinea pig? How have they taken to eating them?