Can Guinea Pigs Eat Cherries? What You Need to Know

Cherries, both sweet and sour, are a favorite fruit for most people across the globe. It’s in the blend of the inside texture that seems to get people hooked on. And yes, you can serve cherries to your guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs are herbivores and have enzymes that break down veggies and fruits. Cherries have several minerals that can be good for your cavy’s general health.

Cherries are rich in Vitamin C, which guinea pig bodies’ can’t produce, and they can get them from eating cherries. Below are more of the benefits that can come when your cavies munch on cherries.

You can also find out why you should watch the number of cherries your guinea pig consumes.

What Are Cherries and What’s in Them?

Cherries are great fruits that are good for both human and guinea pig consumption. For guinea pigs, cherries have many minerals that can be good for them. Here are a few of them

· Riboflavin · Thiamine

· Vitamin K · Phosphorous

· Magnesium · Zinc

· Manganese · Potassium

· Iron · Vitamin B

· Vitamin C · Niacin

· Folate · Pantothenic Acid

How Much Cherries Should Guinea Pigs Eat?

Guinea pigs love cherries, but they should feed on them with moderation. You can provide a grown guinea pig at least one cherry a day. Some adverse effects can come from overfeeding the cavy with cherries.

So, when you have your weekly fruit, you can feed them one.

How Often Should Guinea Pigs Eat Cherries?

Like with most fruits, you shouldn’t overfeed your cavies with cherries. At most, you can feed your cavy with cherries three times a month. Moderation is quite crucial when it comes to cherries.

One cherry in a day — three times a month should be enough for your grown guinea pig. Also, don’t give cherries when there’s another snack on their diet. As much as you love seeing your cavy nibble on cherries, you should moderate.

Never feed them more than the recommended amount of cherries.

Why I should Feed My Guinea Pig with Cherries

There are a lot of benefits that can come from your guinea pig chowing down on cherries. Some of them include

· Prevention of scurvy

One of the deadliest diseases that your cavy can contract is scurvy. This disease starts with roughening of the fur then goes on to quite extreme symptoms. Within a short time, your cavy may experience bleeding and discharge.

Cherries are rich in Vitamin C, which can help the guinea pig keep this disease away.

· Cardio Benefits

With one cherry, you can help the cardiovascular system of your guinea pig. Cherries help regulate cholesterol and glucose levels in cavies. It means that heart conditions won’t be a risk for your guinea pig.

· Digestion

Your guinea pig’s digestive system is tiny, and cherries can help them with better digestion. Cherries are rich in fiber that can make the digestive process of the cavy run.

· Stimulation

When your guinea pig munches on cherries, they won’t be susceptible to obesity. It [cherries] will stimulate cavy’s metabolic system, especially for the lazy ones. You can also feed a cherry to a recently ill piggy to have boosted their energy levels.

· Good Sleep

When your piggy isn’t having enough sleep, it may look like sulking off. But a bite of cherry can help them sleep well and look as healthy as ever.

· Oral Health

The amount of fiber in the cherries can help your guinea pig’s oral health. It also helps them maintain a reasonable length of their teeth and also keeping them healthy.

· Boost Immune System

Did you know that cherries can keep some diseases like cancer, chronic heart, and arthritis at bay? The amount of nutrients in these fruits is enough to boost the immune system and prevent diseases.

· Improves the Omit Body Activity

With enough antioxidants, cherries can keep the internal body operation active. Cherries also have anti-inflammatory effects thanks to the high ORAC value they have.

· High amount of Water

When your guinea pig munches on cherries, they won’t need to drink lots of water since they’d have some in their system. If you need to increase fluids to your cavy’s diet, you can feed them with cherries to help in that aspect.

Risks Associated with Feeding My Guinea Pig with Cherries

There are a few negatives that come from overfeeding your guinea pig with cherries. If you exceed the required amount, here are some of the risks your piggy may face:

· Sore Mouth

There are a lot of acids in cherries, as much as most fruits. And they can burn your cavy’s mouth. If you don’t moderate the number of cherries that you feed your cavy with, it may not be able to eat due to a sore mouth.

· Constipation

Too much fiber can cause constipation — did you know that? Well, that’s what happens when you feed your guinea pig with cherries ever too often or vast amounts of it. They will have consumed too much fiber and can lead to constipation.

· Diabetes

Wild cherries, or as you’d have them sweet cherries, have sugary aspects. They also carry enough carbs that can cause diabetes if consumed in large quantities. Like with any other adverse effect, too much consumption isn’t recommended.

· Obesity

Cherries can keep obesity away for guinea pigs, but too much consumption can also lead to obesity. It is best to moderate the number of cherries that your piggy eats.

· Diarrhea

Your piggy may also experience diarrhea when they consume too many cherries. When you introduce cherries to the piglets, ensure that you watch them for changes. Diarrhea is one of the signs that your cavy isn’t taking in well with cherries.

- You need to watch out for any of these signs, and if you notice any, stop feeding the cavy with cherries. And if the symptoms persist, consult a vet.

How to Feed Cavies with Cherries

When it comes to the preparation of cherries for your guinea pig, you have first to pick out fresh fruits. They seem to have more nutritional value than overstayed ones. You then have to wash them to do away with the pesticides they may have sprayed on them.

You then have to take off the stems, pits, and leaves. Only allow the cavy to eat the fruit alone. Serve the piggy with one cherry -you can cut it into have for easy consumption.

Why Do Away with the Stem, Leaves, and Pits?

There are some cyanide trace amounts found in stems of cherries which are fatal for your guinea pig. Leaves also carry prussic acid, which will, in time, turn to cyanide.

The pits or seeds also contain a few traces of cyanide. Remove the seeds from the cherries before you feed them to the cavy. By doing away with these parts, you will increase the lifespan of your cavy.

How About Sour Cherries, Do Guinea Pigs Eat Them?

Guinea pigs can eat both sweet and sour cherries, but you can notice the difference. When they are munching on sweet cherries, they seem to love them. They don’t seem to enjoy the sour ones as much.

You can feed your cavy with sour cherries, but they won’t love them.

At What Point Should I feed Cherries to Guinea Pigs?

All guinea pigs can eat cherries, though it should be in moderation. For example, a full-grown piggy can eat a whole cherry. And as stated, around thrice in a month at most. This pattern also applies to pregnant and feeding mothers.

As for baby guinea pigs, if you have to feed them cherries, you need to serve at most half a cherry in a month. If possible, they shouldn’t have cherries at all.

Some Alternatives to Cherries

Since you have to be watchful when feeding cherries to guinea pigs, you need other treats options. Here are a few that are healthy and don’t have the need to watch.

· Summer squash

· Cabbage

· Brussel sprouts

· Pumpkin

· Cilantro

· Beet tops

· Basil

· Parsley

· Winter squash

· Bibb lettuce

· Spinach

· Endive

· Parsnip

· Bell pepper

· Cucumber

· Arugula

· Swiss chard

· Mint

· Romaine

· Carrot tops

Conclusion

Cherries can be good for your guinea pig and, at the same time, wrong for them. For example, fiber that is great for the cavy’s digestion, if overdone, can cause constipation. You have to track the number of cherries your guinea pig consumes as some side effects can be severe.