Can Guinea Pigs Eat Chard? (Find Out Now)

Guinea pigs are a popular pet in many households. But guinea pigs also have dietary needs that must be met. One question that guinea pig owners often ask is if guinea pigs can eat chard?

Yes, guinea pigs can eat chard. Chard is a good source of vitamin C, A and K, as well as minerals such as potassium and magnesium. To avoid bladder stones and other health issues, only feed chard in moderation.

But, how often can you feed your little friends chard? How should you introduce the vegetable to your cavies?

Keep reading to learn the answers to these questions (and more!).

I’ll also go over the benefits and drawbacks of adding chard to your guinea pig’s diet below. But, first let’s start off with…

What is Chard?

Chard (also called Swiss Chard) is a green leafy vegetable with large leaf stalks that are often prepared separately from the leaf blade. Sometimes the edge of the leaf might be green or reddish in color; the leaf stalks are usually white or a colorful yellow or red. 

Chard’s leaves are packed with nutrients, just like most green veggies. This has made it a favorite among dieticians. Chards look similar to beets and cardoons, and they’re used in a lot of cuisines around the world.

Benefits of Feeding Guinea Pigs Chard

There’s no doubt that chard is a healthy vegetable. It’s loaded with vitamins A, C and K – all of which are essential for your fur babies’ health.

Chard also contains minerals like potassium and magnesium, which can be hard to come by in other foods.

But, let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits of chard specifically for guinea pigs:

1. Lots of Antioxidants

Chard contains high-quality antioxidants like vitamins E and C. Antioxidants are essential for guinea pigs’ health. These antioxidants help fight off potential toxins in food and their environment, which can leave your guinea pig’s body susceptible to diseases like cancer (among other things).

Not only is Vitamin C good for your little friends’ immune systems, but it’s necessary for the absorption of iron from other plant-based foods (cuz iron is essential for guinea pigs’ health too).

Added bonus: Vitamin C prevents your fuzz spuds from getting scurvy. Now, in case you haven’t heard what scurvy is, let me enlighten you.

Scurvy is a disease that cavies can get when they don’t have enough vitamin C in their diet. It causes them to lose their appetite, become weak and lethargic, and eventually leads to death if left untreated (and yes, that’s as horrible as it sounds).  

So, any veggie with a lot of Vitamin C is typically a good choice to add to your piggie diet.

Vitamin E is also a powerful antioxidant that helps protect cells and tissues from damage. Yep, vitamin E can be thanked (at least in part) for your cavies’ healthy skin and fur.

Together, these vitamins can help scavenge harmful toxins and free radicals in the guinea pig’s body, slowing down the aging process and reducing the risk of diseases.

Antioxidants are also essential for keeping your piggies healthy during stressful  periods – both physical and mental. This makes chard an excellent choice to feed your guinea pig during times of stress, such as when you’re first bringing them home or maybe during the death of a cage mate.

Adding a bit of extra Vitamin C to their diet is another great way to keep your little friends healthy and happy.

2. Fiber For The Win

Chard also has fiber which is really important to piggies to keep their gut health in good shape.

(Full disclosure: chard doesn’t have quite as much fiber as other veggies do, but it has some and every little bit helps, know what I’m sayin’?)

So, chard can help digestion and prevent constipation – both of which guinea pigs need help with.

You might be wondering how fiber keep your cavies’ gut healthy.  It helps remove toxins from the intestine. A healthy gut = a healthy guinea pig!

Plus, fiber helps piggies maintain a healthy weight – something that’s definitely important for guinea pigs. A diet high in fiber can help your guinea pig feel full without consuming too many calories, helping to prevent obesity and other health problems down the line.

So, as you can see, chard is a great choice for cavies – especially when it comes to antioxidants, fiber and gut health.

3. Low Fat and Calories

If you want your piggies to maintain a healthy weight, it’s important that you feed them a diet that’s low in calories, but high in fiber and other nutrients that your furry, little friends need.

(And that last thing you need to do is shove your piggies face full of pet food junk like muesli or yogurt drops. These foods are full of calories, but not the nutrients they need.)

Chard fits the bill.

All that vitamin C, E and fiber means that chard is a low-calorie food. In fact, 100 grams of chard only contains around 25 calories.

This makes it the perfect food to feed to all your piggies.

Plus, chard is also a low-fat food, containing only around 0.15 grams of fat per 100 grams.

So, if you’re looking for a healthy and nutritious food to feed your guinea pig, look no further than chard.

Chard Nutritional Facts 

Name	Amount	Unit
Water	92.7	G
Energy	19	kcal
Energy	79	kJ
Protein	1.8	g
Total lipid (fat)	0.2	g
Ash	1.6	g
Carbohydrate	3.74	g
Fiber	1.6	g
Sugars	1.1	g
Calcium, Ca	51	mg
Iron, Fe	1.8	mg
Magnesium, Mg	81	mg
Phosphorus, P	46	mg
Potassium, K	379	mg
Sodium, Na	213	mg
Zinc, Zn	0.36	mg
Copper, Cu	0.179	mg
Manganese, Mn	0.366	mg
Selenium, Se	0.9	μg
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	30	mg
Thiamin	0.04	mg
Riboflavin	0.09	mg
Niacin	0.4	mg
Pantothenic acid	0.172	mg
Vitamin B-6	0.099	mg
Folate	14	μg
Folic acid	0	μg
Vitamin K	830	μg
Vitamin A, IU	6120	IU
Carotene, beta	3650	μg
Carotene, alpha	45	μg
Vitamin A, RAE	306	μg
Lutein + Zeaxanthin	11000	μg
Vitamin E	1.89	mg

Some Basic Facts About Chard

Want to know a few more interesting things about the chard? Here are six facts you might not already know:

1. Chard and beets share the same classification: Beta vulgaris. The difference is that while beet has edible roots, chard has inedible roots. Its stalks and leaves are the edible parts it has.
2. Chard is the queen of nicknames. Some people call it White beet, others strawberry spinach, and others seakale beet or leaf beet, or Sicilian beet, etcetera.
3. Bitterness comes from the stalk. The oxalic acid causes bitterness we spoke about in the dangers of feeding your guinea pigs too much chard. Oxalic acid is found in the stalk of the chard and can be removed altogether or cooked out.
4. The green leaves of the chard are extremely high in vitamin K, A, C, and also antioxidants.
5. In some places, the chard plant can grow to heights of over 2 feet.
6. The chard has a lifespan of 2 years, making it a biennial plant (bi- meaning “two”)

Risks to Consider When Feeding Guinea Pigs Too Much Chard

There should be no issues with adding chard to their diet as long as your Guinea pigs are fed the right mix of food and chard is included to supplement it.

However, if you dump salad bowls of chard into your guinea pigs’ enclosure (or let them have it every day), it can cause some serious “What the heck is wrong with my piggie?” health issues down the road.

So, as with anything, moderation is key when it comes to cavies and chard. Anything in excess can cause issues, no matter how healthy it is for your guinea pig!

Here’s a few things you should know about guinea pigs and chard:

1. Too Much Calcium

There’s no better way to land your guinea pig in the vet’s office than to overfeed them calcium.

Chard has a lot a calcium in it. If your furry potatoes are eating too much chard, they could be getting an overdose of the nutrient. This can cause bladder stones.

The stones in the urinary tract of your pet guinea pig make it hard for them to pee. Can you imagine anything more painful and uncomfortable than not being able to pee when you need to?

And normally, it requires surgery to remove the stones (not fun for you or your piggie).

Feeding your guinea pig some salad with a bit of chard in there is fine (and healthy), but don’t let them munch on nothing but leaves all day long

When combined with oxalate, calcium becomes particularly harmful to guinea pigs because it irritates their urinary tract and bladder. Unfortunately, chard had both calcium and oxalate.

Having bladder stones stresses your little friends’ whole urinary system and that makes your guinea pig’s kidneys fail.

Untreated, this disease can kill your little friend. So, take steps to make sure it doesn’t happen – watch how much chard your piggies are eating and mix it up with other healthy vegetables.

So, while chard can be a healthy addition to your guinea pigs’ diet, make sure that they’re not eating too much of it. A little bit goes a long way!

2. Diarrhea

Here’s the thing. Guinea pig digestive systems can be sensitive things. They tend to react badly when you overfeed foods that weren’t meant to be overfed.

(Are you noticing a common theme here?)

Chard is one of those foods.

If your little friends eat too much chard, they can get diarrhea.

This condition are not only uncomfortable for your guinea pig, but can also be dangerous if left untreated.

So, how do you know if your guinea pig has eaten too much chard?

Well, diarrhea is pretty easy to spot. It’ll look like, well, diarrhea – loose, smelly, unformed droppings (yes, it’s as gross as it sounds). Too much of it will dehydrate your piggie and lead to a whole other slew of health issues.

3. Bloat

Chard isn’t meant to be shoved down cavies’ throats all the time. If you do that, your guinea pig can get bloat.

Bloating is essentially what happens when guinea pigs eat too much of something and it causes their stomach to over expand (not in a good way). This leads to lots of uncomfortable issues for them because they’re basically trapped with a really full stomach.

Bloat is actually pretty obvious to spot, too. When you know what to look for. Some signs of it are:

• sensitive tummy
• sluggish (serious lack of activity)
• hard, full, tight belly
• loss of appetite

Bloat can kill guinea pigs.

If your guinea pig starts exhibiting any of these symptoms, it’s time to cut the chard and get your fur baby to the vet – like , yesterday.

But, before you really start to panic, remember: If you avoid giving your guinea pigs too much chard, you’ll avoid these problems.

It’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to the health of your guinea pig!

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Chard Leaves?

Guinea pigs can eat chard leaves. Leaves are the edible parts of chard plants and contain a lot of nutrition for your guinea pigs. In fact, Guinea pigs should have more chard leaves than any other part.

Just be sure that you have properly prepared it for your guinea pigs. Wash any chard leaves you want to feed your fuzz spuds and remove the stems.

Bitter tasting oxalic acid is found in the stalk of chard, so sometimes it can be a good idea to avoid feeding your little friends this part entirely.

And if you can swing it, try to get organic veggies. It’ll save you the headache of worrying about whether or not you did enough to wash the pesticide off before feeding it to your piggies.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Chard Stems?

Guinea pigs can eat chard stems. But, some guinea pigs might prefer the leaves to the stems, because the stems can have a slightly bitter taste.

That aside, chard stems aren’t going to be difficult to chew by your guinea pigs. If your piggies do enjoy the taste, they’ll have a field day crunching on the stems.

Added bonus?

The chard stems have lots of nutrients, too, so it’s a good idea to at least offer them to your piggies to see if they like them.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Frozen Chard?

Guinea pigs should never eat frozen chard. In fact, guinea pigs shouldn’t eat any kind of frozen vegetable (or fruit). Frozen produce loses some nutrients when they’re frozen – especially if they’re blanched first.

Plus, guinea pig digestive systems are specially designed to digest raw produce – so eating the frozen, cold version would irritate their guts (and possibly cause diarrhea or bloat).

So stick to the fresh, raw stuff. I know that frozen veggies are probably more cost effective – especially if you have particularly picky piggies.

But, playing with your cavies’ digestive system isn’t a good idea – so I wouldn’t risk it for a few cents saved on veggies.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Canned Chard?

Guinea pigs can’t eat canned chard. Please don’t give them canned vegetables at all. To make sure that chard is preserved in the cans, preservatives and chemicals are added, which are harmful to your guinea pigs.

In fact, in the process of canning the chard, most of its nutrients and vitamins are lost. Serve only raw and fresh chard to your guinea pigs, and you’ll be grateful that you did.

How Much Chard Can Guinea Pigs Eat?

Guinea pigs can eat a small amount of chard two to three times a week as long as it’s rotated in with other low-calcium vegetables. A small leaf or half a leaf per day is a good guinea pig serving size.

And never feed chard alone or two days in a row if it can be helped. But feel free to mix it up with other veggies like kale, broccoli, and spinach. Your piggies will love you for it – and their health will thank you too.

Do Guinea Pigs Like Chard?

Many guinea pigs definitely like chard. So many that it’s quite likely that your guinea pig would like chard, too.

However, cavies can be very picky eaters (and maybe your fur baby is, too). So, you might have to give chard a try for several days in a row to see if your guinea pig eats it.

The good news is that once guinea pigs develop a taste for chard, they’ll love the stuff! So you’re guinea pig will be happily snacking on this healthy green vegetable in no time.

Can Baby Guinea Pigs Eat Chard?

Yes, as soon as your baby guinea pigs are a few days old, they can be able to nibble chard. But, sometimes it’s best to wait until their mother stops nursing them at around two weeks old.

At that time, baby piggies are more active and develop a taste for more solid foods like chard and other produce (e.g. strawberries, kale, endive, carrots).

Can Pregnant Guinea Pigs Eat Chard?

Chard is safe for pregnant guinea pigs to eat as long as it’s eaten in small amounts. Chard has the same risks as other greens. It also applies to pregnant guinea pigs, who should never have only one food. Chard should not be the sole diet of pregnant cavies since it might cause diarrhea, stomach pain, bladder stones, or other urinary tract issues.

How To Feed Chard To Your Guinea Pigs

Chard and other leafy greens (especially those that are high in calcium) should generally be fed with other foods. Take it easy on the calcium by mixing the chard up with other low-calcium veggies like carrots, endive, or cucumbers.

Typically, it’s recommended that the average adult pig get about a cup of vegetables a day. (This doesn’t mean that your fur baby will eat the entire cup; it’s just the amount that they should have available to them).

Make sure that you pay attention to the following tips below:

• When you feed your piggies chard, mix them with other leafy greens with other vegetables. For example, you might serve them some radicchio, celery or cucumber and wheat grass. You want balance in what they eat.
• Organic veggies are generally the healthiest option. Try to buy organic when you can.
• You need to wash the greens before you give them to your pet. You do not need to cut them into small pieces. Your pet will eat the food easily.

How To Introduce Chard To Guinea Pigs For the First Time (Especially if They’re REALLY Picky)

When you feed chard to your guinea pigs for the first time, make sure that feed it to them with other vegetables.

Here’s some tips to get your ultra picky piggie used to the taste of chard:

• Introduce them to this leafy green by chopping it up very, very finely and adding it to vegetables they know. There’s a good chance that they’ll be willing to taste it that way.
• You should observe your guinea pig after feeding them chard (at least for 24 hours). If they have diarrhea, stomach pain or if they pee too much, you need to take them to the vet.
• If your pet likes chard, you can keep giving it to them (following the recommended feeding guidelines). Gradually work up the amount you give your pet depending on their age, health, and if they have ever had bladder stones. Guinea pigs that have a history of bladder stones should only have teeny, tiny pieces of chard (if that).

What Other Types of Leafy Greens Can Guinea Pigs Eat?

There’s tons of leafy greens that your guinea pigs can eat. As long as you make sure that you don’t feed your cavies too much of any one thing, there’s no reason why they can’t enjoy a wide variety of greens.

• Mustard Greens: Mustard greens contain a lot of Vitamin C and very little fat and sugar. Guinea pigs can eat mustard greens because they are nutritious.
• Kale: Kale is a nutrient-packed vegetable containing lots of vitamins. But like chard, it has large deposits of calcium which means overfeeding is a big “no-no”.
• Romaine Lettuce: Romaine lettuce has large leaves, and many guinea pigs enjoy eating it. But, just a quick heads up. Serving daily can make some piggie urine turn cloudy white, which means they end up trying to pee out excess calcium.
• Endives: Endive is safe for guinea pigs to eat. It is high in fiber, Vitamin A, and lots of other important nutrients like Vitamin C, which are great for your piggie. Plus, the calcium content is pretty low.
• Spinach: Spinach is high in calcium, too. But, small amounts of it are excellent for piggies. It contains fiber, antioxidants, and other vitamins for a proper guinea pig diet.
• Radicchio: They can eat radicchio too. It is an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Which Foods Should Guinea Pigs Avoid?

There are some foods that guinea pigs should avoid, just as there are others that are excellent for them. Some foods may contain toxins; some have too much fat or sugar.

And some are dangerous since they ‘ll choke your fur baby. This list of foods should be totally left out when considering healthy foods for your little friends:

• Chocolate (or anything else containing caffeine)
• Onions
• Garlic
• Mushrooms
• Nuts and Seeds
• Potatoes
• Corn kernels
• Peanut butter
• Cabbage
• Dairy products and Meat

Let’s Wrap Up

So, there you have it. The ins and out of chard.

In short, guinea pigs can safely eat chard.  It’s stuffed with Vitamin C and other essential nutrients that your piggies need to stay healthy.

But, only feed chard in moderation. Overfeeding chard means your cavies are at risk for health issues like bloat, bladder and digestive issues.  And make sure that you rotate chard with other low-calcium, fresh vegetables.

Remember that guinea pigs can also eat other types of leafy greens, such as kale, romaine lettuce, endives, and spinach, too

However, they should avoid chocolate, onions, garlic, mushrooms, nuts and seeds, potatoes, corn kernels, peanut butter, and cabbage.

Hopefully, now you can make a better decision as to whether you should feed chard to your furry, little friends.