Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pears

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pears

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Published By: Martyn

Can Guinea Pigs eat pears - Millie eating and enjoying one

If you’re like me, you probably think of pears as a healthy snack for humans. But what about guinea pigs? Can guinea pigs eat pears? The answer is yes – but not too many! Guinea pigs can eat one or two small pieces of pear per week, but no more than that.

Pears are a good source of Vitamin C and other nutrients, so they make a healthy snack for guinea pigs.

In this blog post, I’ll share with you everything you need to know about giving pears to your guinea pig, including which types of pears are safe for them to eat and how much to give them. So read on to learn more!

Do Guinea Pigs Like Pears?

Anybody who has ever tried to give a guinea pig a piece of fruit knows that they can be pretty picky eaters. While some guinea pigs will eagerly nibble on a slice of apple or pear, others will turn up their noses at the very idea. So, what is it that makes some guinea pigs like pears while others don’t?

It turns out that there are a few different factors that can influence a guinea pig’s opinion of pears. For instance, some guinea pigs prefer ripe fruit while others prefer fruit that is still a bit firm. Additionally, some guinea pigs have sensitive stomachs and can only handle small amounts of fruit. As a result, it’s important to offer your guinea pig a variety of fruits and vegetables so they can find something they like.

That being said, most guinea pigs seem to enjoy pears, and they are a good source of nutrients, so it’s definitely worth trying to get your guinea pig to eat them.

Guinea Pig eating and enjoying pear

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pears?

Like with other fruits, yes Guinea Pigs can eat pears but there are somethings you need to be careful of.

A guinea pigs diet should be 80% made up of hay, with the remaining 20% a combination of pellets, vegetables and fruits.

In the wild Guinea Pigs wouldn’t usually eat pears. They are safe to eat but in moderation.

Before you do decide to feed your Guinea Pigs pears, you should first understand how much they can eat and how often.

Its also important to understand the benefits and negatives to your guinea pigs health when eating pears.

Finally there are different types of pears and different parts of the pear. Its important to know which parts they can or cannot eat.

Im going to go through all of this below but in short, yes guinea pigs can eat pears.

Nutrients In Pears

It;s worth understanding what nutrients ate in pears. This will help show you what is good and what is potential bad for your guinea pig.

This data is from the USDA National Nutrient Database.

Vitamin C6 mg/ 100 g
Vitamin A25 IU
Vitamin K4.4 ug/ 100 g
Calcium9 mg/ 100 g
Phosphorous12 mg/ 100 g
Potassium116 mg/ 100 g
Fiber3.1 g/ 100 g
Sugar9.75 g/ 100 g
Protein0.36 g/ 100 g
Carbs15.23 g/ 100 g
Calories57 Kcal
Fat0.14 g/ 100 g
Water83.96 g/ 100 g

Let’s take a deeper look into some of these nutrients and their impact on your Guinea Pig.

A good thing about pears is that the level of fiber is normal. Fiber is good for our cavies as it helps with their digestion. They get a lot of fiber from the hay, so we dont want the vegetables or fruit to give them too much. This could cause diarrhoea.

Pears are also low in fat, which is great for our piggies. This will help their hearts stay healthy and prevent them from putting on too much weight.

One of the drawbacks is the amount of sugar, it’s quite high.

This shouldn’t put you off giving your guinea pigs pears. It just means you should only give them a small amount.

Pear has Vitamin C which is good, as this helps to prevent guinea pigs from getting scurvy. Just keep an eye on the amount of Calcium they have, this can cause urinary problems if they have to much.

How Much Pear Can A Guinea Pig Eat

You should only give your guinea pig a couple of thin slices or small chunks. There is a high amount of sugar in pears, so too much of this and other fruits could cause health problems.

How Often Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pears

Like I’ve already mentioned, pears should be eaten in moderation.

They should NOT be given every day.

If the pear is the only treat they have then a couple of times a week is fine. If your giving your cavies other fruits as well as treats then just give them pear once per week.

Millie enjoying eating a small bit of pear

Why Give Your Guinea Pig Pears To Eat

Even though the majority of your guinea pigs diet will be hay, pellets and vegetables. Adding fruits such as pear can be very beneficial to their overall health.

Reduces Risk of Anemia

In roughly 100g of pears there is 4% copper. Copper is essential to help reduce the risk of getting Anemia, which is basically a lack of red blood cells.

Improved Immunity

There are certain diseases that Guinea Pigs can be known to get. Copper also helps to improve the overall health and boosts your cavies immune system. This is because of the increase red blood cells.

Healthy Cardio System

I mentioned that pears are low in fat and low in cholesterol, this is great for your guinea pigs. This helps to ensure that their heart is working as it should. Not only that but keeping them on a low fat diet will help reduce the chance of them suffering from heart problems as they get older.

Improves Digestion

One of the biggest reasons why Guinea Pigs get poorly is their digestion. As mentioned above pears contain fiber, which helps improves your cavies digestive system.

Prevents Scurvy

Scurvy is a horrible disease that unfortunately a lot of Guinea Pigs suffer from. It’s caused by a lack of Vitamin C in their diet. Symptoms start relatively mild from losing a little fur to not eating. This can then lead to diarrhea and can be fatal if left untreated.

Luckily, 100 grams of pears have 6mg of Vitamin C so it helps to prevent this from happening.

Good For Hydration

Have you ever cut into a pear and when finished your hands covered in pear juice.

Its really annoying!

But this is actually a good thing for Guinea Pigs

Pears are made of around 84% water. This makes them great for making sure your guinea pigs are getting a little extra hydration.

If your worried their not drinking from their water bottles or its a hot day. Giving them some pear to eat might be a good alternative.

Why You Shouldn’t Give Your Guinea Pig Too Many Pears

As mentioned pears are a good thing to let your guinea pig eat. There are however some downsides to them eating pears. You shouldn’t stop giving them to your cavies but just make sure you don’t give them too much.

Too much fruit such as pear, could result in;

Increases Weight

You should realise by now that pears have a high amount of sugar. It’s also fairly high in carbs. Both of these combined can cause your guinea pigs to put on extra weight.

It might only be a small amount to us but to cavies, it is a lot and can really impact their overall lifespan.

Digestion Problems

This one might confuse you as I just said that pears are good for the digestion. If your guinea pigs have too much then it can actually cause problems within their digestion.

Diarrhea

Eating too much pears can cause your guinea pig to suffer from diarrhea. If you notice they suffer from this, make sure they have access to plenty of water and keep and eye on them to ensure it stops.

If they continue to suffer then it might be worth taking them to a vet.

Urinary Problems

As mentioned before pears contain calcium, which in excess is not good for guinea pigs. Too much calcium can result in them getting bladder stones, which can be very painful for them.

If you see them struggling to urinate or their is blood in they urine, take them to a vet.

How To Serve Your Guinea Pig Pears

Its incredibly simple to serve pears to your guinea pig. Follow the below steps.

NOTE: If its the first time you’ve let your guinea pig eat pear, give them a very small bit first. Wait a couple of hours to make sure they don’t react to it and then give them a little more.

  • Wash the pear. This is important as it washes away any pesticides that might be on the skin
  • Slice the pear into small pieces. Remember you only want to give them 1 or 2 thin slices or chunks.
  • Remove any seeds from pear. These contain traces of cyanide which will be harmful and is also a chocking hazard.
  • Remove to avoid bacteria or flies in the cage

What Parts Of The Pear Can Guinea Pigs Eat?

Ill go into more details below but Guinea Pigs can only eat certain parts of the pear. They can also only eat them when they’ve been prepared a specific way.

Here is a quick guide on whether they can or cannot eat them.

Part of PearCan The Eat It (YES/NO)
Pear FruitYES
Pear SkinYES
CoreNO
SeedsNO
Frozen PearYES
Canned PearsNO
Pear JuiceNO
Dried PearYES

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pear Skin?

Yes, your guinea pig can eat pear skin or peel. In fact it’s full of nutrients. It does also contain sugar, so again give it to them in moderation. Make sure you do wash the peel as it may contain pesticides that can be harmful to guinea pigs.

can guinea pigs eat pear Cores

No, the core and the stems can be choking hazard. You should cut them away from the pear and DO NOT give them to your guinea pig.

can guinea pigs eat pear seeds

No, Guinea pigs cannot ear pear seeds. First of all they are a choking hazard. Secondly they do contain traces of cyanide, which is toxic and could make your guinea pig very poorly.

can guinea pigs eat prickly pear

Yes Guinea pigs can eat prickly pear but you do need to remove the skin, barbs and seeds. They should only eat the fruit centre.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Frozen Pears

Yes guinea pigs can eat frozen pears but should you is the real question. Now they are perfectly safe for them to eat. But I would recommend avoiding it.

I’d recommend giving them fresh pears if possible. When you freeze fruit it ends up losing a lot of the essential vitamins. So it becomes less beneficial for them to have it.

Plus if its frozen from the store, you dont know how they’ve prepared it.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Canned Pears

No, you should not give your guinea pig canned pears to eat. There are 3 reasons why.

  1. Canned fruit such as pears is normally kept in its juices, which are very high in sugar and can be harmful to your cavies.
  2. Canned pears will often have less nutritional benefits than fresh pears.
  3. They often use preservatives to help make them last longer. These can be harmful to your piggies.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pear Juice

No, do not let your guinea pig have pear juice. The juice is incredibly high in sugar, which is very bad for their health. The only liquid a guinea pig needs as part of their diet is water.

Can guinea pigs eat Asian pear?

Yes Guinea pigs can eat Asian pear, as well as Bartlett or red pears. Just remember to prepare them the same and ensure your guinea pigs don’t eat too much.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Dried Pears?

Your Guinea Pig can eat dried pears but that doesn’t mean they should. Dried fruits often have higher amounts of sugar in them, which means you need to give them even less.

There is also the risk that they have less nutrients in them. It is always better to feed them fresh pears.

Final Thoughts

So can guinea pigs eat pears? The answer is yes, depending on what part of the pear it is and how much of it your giving them.

If you have a guinea pig and are looking for a new treat to give them, why not try pears? Just make sure that you only give them 1-2 small pieces once a week, and that you don’t give them canned or pear juice. And of course, never give them the seeds or stems!

Millie loves pear, where as Molly is not as bothered. Let me know in the comments below if your guinea pigs are a fan of pears.

Martyn

I started my journey into the wonderful world of Guinea Pigs, when my 5 year old son wanted a pet. We spent many weeks and months deciding what type of pet to get him. This is when we fell down the rabbit hole of Guinea Pigs...

I had so many questions when we first started looking into them. Hours and hours of research has given me the answers. So I wanted to share what I've learned with you, to help you learn more about these amazing animals.

1 thought on “Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pears”

  1. What a great article, I recently gave my guinea pigs pears and they love them! Now if they smell me coming into the room with a pear, they’ll squeak with excitement!

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