Can Guinea Pigs Eat Mangoes?
Owners, again and again, have asked us whether Guinea pigs can eat mangoes or not. Let’s finally answer your question today. A normal diet for a guinea pig consists of veggies and hay. This is what we have heard or seen majorly, Can Guinea Pigs Eat Mangoes? Let’s find out.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Mangoes?
Yes! Guinea pigs can eat mangoes for sure. Mango is considered the king of fruits and is a rich source of vitamin C and vitamin A which is an important nutrient for a guinea pig to consume. just like humans, even Guinea pigs cannot create their nutrients hence they depend on outer sources for them, vitamin C is an integral nutrient required for a guinea pig, for deficiency of vitamin C can lead to a disease called scurvy which was suffered by sailors during long sea voyages when they could not get fruits for long. Before going further with the article, if you want to check out about the other fruits like pineapple and blackberries.
Are Mangoes Good For Guinea Pigs?
Mangoes also contain a minor amount of calcium in them, calcium intake can be suitable for smaller Guinea pigs but it can lead to bladder stones in larger Guinea pigs.
Why Should You Feed Mangoes To Your Guinea Pig?
As mentioned previously, Mango contains essential nutrients including Vitamin C which is a necessary source for a Guinea pig as they cannot create their own Vitamin C and need to obtain it from outside sources. If you feed Mango to your guinea pig it reduces the risk of the deficiency disease called Scurvy. So basically Mangoes are beneficial for guinea pigs if given in the right quantity.
Why Should You Feed Mangoes To Your Guinea Pig?
There is however a drawback of feeding mangoes, for mangoes have a high sugar content and can be terrible if overfed. Excess of mangoes can even cause diabetes in a guinea pig.
Mangoes can be fed as a treat occasionally but it should never be made a part of the major diet. Hay should be 80% of the diet, 15% veggies and 5% fruits, which too carefully chosen. Underfeeding your guinea pig can be e bad for the sensitive digestive system as well as overfeeding can be fatal in many cases, owners have to keep an eye over the diet. Mangoes are a great source of nutrients initially but it should not be made a part of the daily diet.
Mangoes are fruits rich in sugar, small amounts can be suitable but these small animals have a never-ending hunger in their stomachs, they keep coming back for more and more food and looking at these small for balls you end up overfeeding them, we would request that the owners do not overfeed mangoes to their Guinea pigs for mangoes contain sugar amounts in highly large volume. A high-sugar diet can lead to diseases such as obesity and diabetes and also ill-health of a guinea pig is guaranteed.
| Features | Oxbow Essentials | Oxbow Essentials | Hartz Small Animal Pellets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image |  |  |  |
| Brand | Oxbow | Oxbow | Hartz |
| Item From | Pellet | Straw | Pellet |
| Ingredients | Natural | Natural | Scientifically-Formulated |
| Veterinarian Recommended | Yes | Yes | - |
| Speciality | Perfect For Picky Eaters Fortified | Premium Quality Nutrient Rich Vet Recommended | Scientifically Formulated 100% Complete Nutrition Maintains Shiny Coat |
| Price |  | | |
How Many Mangoes Can Guinea Pigs Eat?
You can feed your guinea pig with one or two slices once a week, we would request the owners to make sure that the prescribed quantity is not crossed, make sure that you make full use of the mineral that mango can provide but also, on the other hand, make sure that it does not end up being harmful to your animal.
How To Feed Mango To Your Guinea Pig Properly?
You can feed Mango to your Guinea pig by following a series of steps which can be discussed under the following heads:
- Make sure that you choose a mango that is both ripe and sweet as sour mango can lead to health issues.
- You need to ensure that you wash the skin of the mango properly to remove any pesticides upon it, to make sure that things are in control you can even put mango in a vinegar solution for about 20 minutes and towel dry.
- Peel off the mango skin completely as the mango skin is not something you would want your guinea pig to consume.
- Make sure that you cut the mango into small pieces before feeding, if the food item is too large, the guinea pig may find it troublesome to chew it.
- Mix the mango with other fruits and vegetables while feeding to make sure that you provide all the vitamins in the required amount.
What Are The Edible Parts Of A Mango For Guinea Pigs?
The Following are the edible parts of a Mango for Guinea Pigs:
- Skin: Guinea pigs can certainly not eat the mango skin; you must always ensure that you remove the mango pit and the skin before serving it to a guinea pig. Mango skin can have some traces of pesticides sprayed upon it in earlier times, if it is going into a Guinea pig’s body, the results will not at all be healthy and can even be fatal. additionally, the skin is not even nutritional and the hard texture can lead to choking hazards.
- Pit: Guinea pigs cannot eat Mango pit at all, the pit is sturdy, can cause a choking hazard, is hard to swallow, and is best to avoid.
- You must not also feed your guinea pig with a dried mango as dried mango is not something that your guinea pig would like. Fresh fruits have an excellent nutritional value which is quite essential for any animal but on the contrary dried fruits can have high sugar content which is relatively bad for the animals. you should also refrain from feeding your guinea pig with a frozen mango as cold food can lead to an imbalance in the digestive system. In the end, we just concluded that mango is a great source of vitamin C and should be fed in moderation looking at the high sugar content.
