Peaches are a fantastic fruit which are juicy and sweet. They tend to be more of a summer fruit rather than one that is bought in winter.
There are different types of peaches from red-blushed, golden yellow skin, and white peaches that have pink blushed skin.
As you may know they come in clingstone or freestone varieties
So can guinea pigs eat peaches, and if they can now much they can they eat?
Lets have a look at its nutritional data to find out a bit more about them
What I am interested in is their phosphorus, calcium, fat, sugar and oxelate acid content as all of these really affect piggies.
I am also looking for good levels of Vitamin A and C.
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 165 kJ (39 kcal)
Carbohydrates 9.54 g
– Sugars 8.39 g
– Dietary fiber 1.5 g
Fat 0.25 g
Protein 0.91 g
Vitamin A equiv. 16 μg (2%)
– beta-carotene 162 μg (2%)
Thiamine (vit. B1) 0.024 mg (2%)
Riboflavin (vit. B2) 0.031 mg (3%)
Niacin (vit. B3) 0.806 mg (5%)
Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.153 mg (3%)
Vitamin B6 0.025 mg (2%)
Folate (vit. B9) 4 μg (1%)
Choline 6.1 mg (1%)
Vitamin C 6.6 mg (8%)
Vitamin E 0.73 mg (5%)
Vitamin K 2.6 μg (2%)
Calcium 6 mg (1%)
Iron 0.25 mg (2%)
Magnesium 9 mg (3%)
Manganese 0.061 mg (3%)
Phosphorus 20 mg (3%)
Potassium 190 mg (4%)
Sodium 0 mg (0%)
Zinc 0.17 mg (2%)
Fluoride 4 µg
(source: Wikipedia)
As you can see they are quite high in sugar, however they are low in phosphorus, fat, and have no calcium and oxelate
So they are good for guinea pigs to eat but not too often, they can be eaten once a week in small amounts at the most.
image flickr
Can guinea pigs eat dried peaches?
If you buy them dried then they are too high in sugar to be fed to guinea pigs. If you dehydrate them yourself, then you could get away with feeding them to them sparingly.
Can guinea pigs eat peaches with skin?
Yes guinea pigs can eat the skin from peaches.
Can guinea pigs eat white peaches?
The difference between white and yellow peaches are that white peaches are lower in acid and taste sweet whether firm or soft. So guinea pigs can eat them, and in just the same way as yellow peaches on a weekly basis and in small amounts.
Can guinea pigs eat tinned peaches?
No, unfortunately guinea pigs can’t eat these as they are just too sugary for them and will really hurt their tummies.
Verdict
So guinea pigs can eat peaches, just don’t feed them too much and only on a once a week basis to ensure you protect their little tummies.