Can Guinea Pigs Eat Oranges?

Sweet and juicy fruits are a favorite treat of guinea pigs. However, you have to exercise caution when feeding fruits to your guinea pig. “Can guinea pigs eat oranges?” is a very good question for guinea pig owners to ask.

The answer to this question is yes. Guinea pigs can eat oranges. Oranges are one of the sweetest fruits being a citrus fruit, loved by both humans and animals including guinea pigs. Guinea pigs are picky eaters and what a guinea pig likes, the other guinea pig may prefer not to eat.

Oranges are good for guinea pigs. It is of great benefit to guinea pigs and it would interest you to know that guinea pigs like oranges. Oranges are sweet and guinea pigs love sweet fruits especially citrus fruits. Guinea pigs are herbivores. So when feeding your guinea pig, you should know that its diet revolves around hay, plants, fruits, and vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables are of great benefits to your guinea pigs, they contain vitamins and minerals which are good for the growth and development of your guinea pig.

Benefits of Oranges to Guinea Pigs

Oranges are quite beneficial to guinea pigs. It contains vitamins and minerals which are of great benefits to guinea pig. Some of these benefits of oranges to guinea pigs include:

Orange is a source of Vitamin C

Guinea pigs in order to survive, need a healthy amount of vitamin c in their body. However, guinea pigs cannot generate vitamin c on their own, this makes a guinea pig dependent on secondary sources to get this necessary vitamin c.

Food is a source through which guinea pigs can derive vitamin c, vegetables and fruits are particularly helpful in this regard. Orange contains a high amount of vitamin c, thus feeding oranges to your guinea pig will give it the necessary vitamin c its body system requires.

Oranges are low in fats

Guinea pigs do not need too many fats else they will get obese and fat. Oranges have a low amount of fats, it thus helps guinea pigs not to get fat and overweight.

Oranges contain fiber

Oranges contain small amounts of fiber which is needed for healthy digestion in guinea pigs. Fiber also helps in the relief of blood pressure in a guinea pig. It also brings about a reduction in cholesterol levels in guinea pigs.

Health Risks Oranges pose to Guinea Pigs

Although oranges have great health benefits to guinea pigs, it also has some disadvantages which can be harmful to guinea pigs. When your guinea pig eats too much orange, it is prone to attract a number of health risks.

Oranges contain high sugar content

Oranges have high sugar content, this makes your guinea pig susceptible to a number of issues if you give your guinea pig a large serving size of oranges. Obesity, diabetes are some of the complications too much sugar can cause your guinea pig. Your guinea pig can get fat and obese due to the high sugar level in orange.

Thus, it is imperative that your guinea pig eat an orange in moderation. The high sugar level can also cause digestion problems in a guinea pig. Thus you would be careful not to allow your guinea pig to eat an orange every time. Oranges are high in sugar, so it is imperative that the serving size of orange you feed your guinea pig is small so as not to cause complications to your guinea pig.

Orange has a high acidity level

The level of acid in oranges also calls for caution before you feed oranges to your guinea pig. This high acid level can cause mouth sores, digestion complications, and diarrhea in a guinea pig. Thus, ensure that your guinea pigs have orange only in small quantities.

Can guinea pigs eat oranges or tangerines?

Can guinea pigs eat oranges or tangerines, well wouldn’t you love to eat these sweet citrus fruits too. Yes, guinea pigs can eat oranges and tangerines. They are sweet and tasty to guinea pigs and it would be okay for you to include them in your guinea pig’s diet.

Can guinea pigs eat orange skin?

Yes, guinea pigs can eat orange peel or skin. In fact, when guinea pigs eat orange peel or skin, it is more beneficial as it has more nutrients than the orange itself.

Feeding guinea pigs orange peel is very good as it has a high amount of vitamins, its vitamin c content is also higher than that of oranges. Although a guinea pig can eat orange skin, orange seeds are bad for a guinea pig, it is a choking hazard to your guinea pig. Make sure you remove orange seeds before feeding them to your guinea pig.

Can guinea pigs eat oranges every day?

No, it is bad for guinea pigs to eat oranges every day. There are a lot of risks to guinea pigs if they eat oranges every day, it can cause constipation, bladder problems, and obesity to guinea pigs. You can feed your guinea pig oranges twice per week, oranges provide a means of vitamin c so allowing your guinea pig to eat oranges in small quantity is better.

What fruits can guinea pigs eat?

Guinea pigs eat a wide variety of fruits, some of the fruits guinea pigs eat include:

Mango
Cherry
Orange
Blueberry
Banana
Raspberry
Kiwi
Grape e.t.c.

FAQs

Which oranges are best for guinea pigs?

There are several types of oranges that are all beneficial to guinea pigs, mandarin oranges contain high vitamin A, tangerines and normal oranges contain vitamin c which is good for guinea pigs. All types of oranges are good for your guinea pig.

Can guinea pig eat canned orange?

No, make sure you do not feed your guinea pig canned orange. It contains preservatives which are bad for guinea pigs, the sugar content of canned orange is also higher and can cause obesity and other complications to guinea pigs.

Can guinea pigs eat orange peels?

Yes, in fact when guinea pigs eat orange peels, it is of more benefit to your guinea pig because orange peels contain more nutrients than the orange itself. Thus, you need not entertain any fear of feeding your guinea pig orange peels.

Conclusion

Well the question, can guinea pigs eat oranges is not quite a poser, the benefits of oranges to guinea pigs are quite much including being a source of vitamin c. However oranges are safe for guinea pigs when they are served in small or moderate quantities, twice a week is advisable.

Guinea pigs love oranges and can overfeed on them, so it falls on you to control the number of oranges your guinea pigs eat. Eating too much orange is bad for your guinea pig. Also, note that orange juice is partly good for your guinea pig, you can let your guinea pigs have orange juice as long as the orange juice is unsweetened. Mix it with water before feeding it to your guinea pig.

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Gabriel Tackett

Double major in Engineering and Geology at the University of Minnesota. Experienced shooter & hunter for over 15 years. Certified NRA officer for over 10 years working as a writer at Ballachy.com .