Popular dry cereals include rice Krispies, oatmeal, cornflakes, cheerios. And it’s natural to wonder if guinea pigs can eat dry cereal.

Guinea pigs shouldn’t eat dry cereals because their digestive system has a difficult time digesting grains and other processed foods. The high sugar content of some cereals can also cause diabetes and weight gain in your piggies. If you do serve dry cereal to your guinea pigs, only do so as an occasional treat. And only serve unsweetened, plain cereals without added sweeteners or milk that will cause health problems for your guinea pigs.

Keep reading to learn more about why dry cereal is not a good snack option for guinea pigs and what other snacks you can give them instead.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Dry Cereal?

That’s the wrong question to ask. The real question is SHOULD guinea pigs eat dry cereal? The answer to that question is a resounding NO!

Dry cereal isn’t a good snack option for guinea pigs because their digestive system can’t handle the grains and other processed foods. Guinea pigs are herbivores and their digestive system is designed for hay (mainly hay), vegetables (a good variety), and fruits (in small amounts as a treat).

If you really want to give your fur babies a cereal treat, make sure it’s the healthiest version possible (and I use that term loosely when it comes to cereal and piggies).

This’ll likely help lower the risk of your little friends getting diabetes, gaining weight, or having other health problems.

And only give them a small amount as an occasional snack (but I really have to repeat that guinea pigs shouldn’t really be eating dry cereal; #justsayin’).

Should Your Guinea Pigs Eat Dry Cereal?

As a general rule, it’s not a good idea to feed your guinea pigs dry cereal. Now will one tiny bite of cereal kill them? Probably not. Social proof dictates, your little friends will (probably) be okay if you only give them a tiny bit as a rare treat.

But, it’s not worth the risk when there are so many other healthy snacks you can give them instead. Dry cereal can be dangerous to your little friends in a few different ways, including:

• Choking hazards from small cereal bits can block your guinea pigs’ windpipe (and doing the Heimlich maneuver on a guinea pig is not fun).
• Cereal tends to have a lot of preservatives and additives in it, which can cause long-term health problems
• Some cereals have a high sugar content which can cause diabetes and weight gain (yep, I’m bring that up again).
• There can be too much of a good thing, and this is true for nutrients in cereals when it comes to our piggies. Too much of certain type of vitamins and minerals (like calcium; hello, bladder stones!) can actually be harmful.
• If you give your fur babies too much cereal, it can cause them to get sick. Plus, cavies can also start to like sweet foods, like cereals, more than their regular food, like hay and vegetables. And that’s not good for their health.

There are different types of food that you can give your guinea pigs. You can give them pellets, hay, fruits (occasionally), and vegetables.

Of all these options, hay is the best for them. Timothy hay should make up 85% of their diet. The other 15% should be made up of fruits and vegetables.

Your cavies will live longer if they eat fresh, natural food rather than dry cereals made from grains.

What If I Just Want To Give My Guinea Pigs A Tiny Taste Of Cereal?

I did a manual survey based on people that had given their guinea pigs cereal to try. When I looked at the data, I noticed a few patterns that can help you if you’re still insistent on giving your piggies a tiny taste of cereal.

So, if you’re set on giving your piggies a little bit of cereal, here’s a few things to keep in mind:

• Stick with well-known grains like rice, corn, wheat, and barley. Don’t add any other ingredients. Honey, nuts, sugar, milk, flavoring, saturated fats, sweetener are all big no-nos. And makes the cereal much more dangerous for them.
• Only give them a few bites as an occasional treat.
• Choose plain, unsweetened cereals without added flavors or colors.
• Watch them closely after eating to see how they react. If they have any bad reactions to what you’ve given them, then call your vet right away.

These cereals have preservatives and additives. These chemicals are not good for your guinea pigs, so they can only eat these cereals as a treat, not as a regular meal.

Most people who’ve given their guinea pigs cereal say that they’ve fed their little friends the following dry cereal:

• Unsweetened Oat cereal
• Plain cheerios
• Unsweetened corn flakes
• Barley flakes
• Rice Krispies
• Weetabix
• Rolled oats
• Shredded wheat
• Bran flakes

Does that mean that doing so is completely safe? No, of course not.

I can’t guarantee that your guinea pigs will be okay if you give them a few bites of dry cereal. All I can tell you is that based on the data from the survey, and the people I’ve talked to, it seems like giving your guinea pigs a little bit of dry cereal as an occasional treat is probably not going to kill them.

But again, it’s not worth the risk when there are so many other healthy snacks you can give them instead.

So, if you’re still insistent on giving your guinea pigs a little bit of cereal, use caution and follow the guidelines above. Otherwise, it’s best to just stick with healthy snacks like hay, pellets, vegetables, and fruits.

Now, below you’re going to see some example of cereals that you definitely shouldn’t give to your guinea pigs. These cereals have harmful ingredients like sugars, syrups, chocolate, and other unhealthy additives (like salt, preservatives, and saturated fats) that can make your piggies sick.

So, please don’t give your guinea pigs any of these cereals:

• Cinnamon Toast Crunch
• Cookies Crisp
• Captain Crunch
• Cocoa Puffs
• Fruit Loops
• Golden Graham 
• Honey nut cheerios
• Sweetened corn flakes or oats
• Fruit loops
• Raisin Bran
• Trix cereal
• Honey flakes
• Granola
• Honey Nut Cheerios
• Lucky Charms
• Frosted flakes
• Frosted oats 

Actually, when I did my survey, a lot people who said they let their piggies try dry cereal, were ones who had piggies that:

1. Were very old. And their pet parents just figured that since they were old, a little bit of unhealthy cereal wouldn’t kill them.
2. Were very old AND off their food. In some cases, the pet parent was trying to get their guinea pig to eat ANYTHING, so they turned to cereal as a last resort.

It seems from the survey that some people are more inclined to give their guinea pigs dry cereal if they fall into either of these categories. My guess is that it’s because their piggie is already sick or not eating well, so they figure a little bit of unhealthy food won’t make things worse.

But again, I can’t stress enough that you should use caution if you’re going to give your guinea pigs dry cereal. If possible, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and give them healthy snacks.

And if your piggies are young and healthy, I would avoid giving them any cereal altogether. Why would you take the chance of ruining their health when they’re healthy and have the rest of their lives ahead of them?

Health Benefits Of Dry Cereal 

Dry cereals are a good source of many nutrients. They have a lot of fiber, vitamins, iron, calcium, protein, and other minerals. Here’s a table that shows how much of each nutrient is in oats, cornflakes, and rice Krispies per 100 grams.

	Rice Krispies	Oats	Cornflakes
Fiber	0.4 grams	9.4 grams	3.3 grams
Carbohydrates	85.05 grams	73.23 grams	84.1 grams
Sugar	9.87 grams	4.36 grams	9.5 grams
Calcium	5 mg	401 mg	5 mg
Protein	6.75 grams	12.09 grams	7.5 grams
Vitamin C	63.3 mg	21.6 mg	1.79 mg
Vitamin A	1136 µg	990 µg	490 µg
Fat	2.05 grams	6.73 grams	0.4 grams
Vitamin B-6	2.35 mg	2.39 mg	21 mg
Vitamin D	6.2 µg	3.4 µg	3.6 µg
Phosphorous	125 mg	481 mg	102 mg

The table above shows that the cereals studied are high in fiber, carbohydrates, sugar, and vitamins. What are the health benefits of these cereals for guinea pigs?

• Fiber: Fiber is a nutrient that helps your guinea pigs’ digestive system. Having fiber in their diet will ensure good digestion, regular bowel movements, and easy stooling (cuz if your piggies aren’t poopin’, then they’re not healthy).
• Calcium: Want your piggies to have strong bones and teeth? Then they’re going to need a bit of calcium in their diet.  
• Protein: Protein helps your cavies grow and be healthy. Protein helps repair tissues and enzymes. What’s an enzyme? Enzymes are like little machines in your piggies’ bodies that help them break down food and absorb nutrients.
• Vitamin C: Vitamin C is an important vitamin for guinea pigs. It helps them grow, repair tissues, and heal wounds. And best of all, it stops scurvy ( a dangerous disease caused by lack of Vitamin C) from messing with their health.
• Vitamin A: Let’s face it. Guinea pigs need all the help they can get in the eyesight department. And vitamin A can help with that. Vitamin A is important for keeping your eyesight healthy and can also help prevent night blindness. When your cavies eat Vitamin A, they’ll have improved vision (slight, but every little bit helps, right?) and shiny fur and skin.
• Vitamin B-6: Vitamin B-6 helps your cavies absorb iron. Why is this important? Because iron is important for your piggies’ red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to all the different parts of your guinea pigs’ bodies. So, if they don’t have enough iron, they can become anemic (low in red blood cells).
• Vitamin D: Vitamin D helps your piggies absorb calcium. We talked about the importance of calcium already, but I’ll remind you: calcium is important for strong bones and teeth. An added bonus is that it helps keep diseases (I’m lookin’ at you upper respiratory infections) away

Hazards Of Dry Cereal To Cavies

Dry cereals are a type of food that is good for humans, but they can be dangerous for your guinea pigs. Dry cereals are processed food and they could have other things in them that are bad for cavies. Here’s some reasons why dry cereals can be dangerous to your little friends.:

1. Cavies are Herbivores Not Vegetarians

Guinea pigs are herbivores, not vegetarians. Vegetarians can eat anything except for meat (actually, some vegetarians do eat eggs and dairy, but that’s a different story).

But herbivores (like your fur babies) can only eat plant-based foods – preferably raw ones. It’s what their digestive systems are made to digest.

Processed foods (like dry cereals) are difficult for their digestive systems to break down and can cause health problems like bloating, gas, diarrhea, and even death (in large amounts).

You might be thinking: “Dry cereals are made from grains which are plants. So, they should be able to eat them.”

And you would be right – if we were talking about whole grains. But most dry cereals have been processed (i.e. the grains have been stripped of their nutrients and fiber) and are full of sugar, salt, and other unhealthy additives. So, they’re not good for your piggies (and they’re hard on their digestive systems).

Speaking of digestive systems, let’s take a look at…

2. Sensitive Digestive Systems

Guinea pigs’ digestive systems are sensitive. This means that they can get stomach problems quickly from eating dry cereals. Sugars, carbs, calories, excess fibers, preservatives, and additives can all upset a guinea pig’s stomach.

It seems like some guinea pigs can tolerate (and even seem to love) dry cereal from time to time without any issues. But, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and not give them too much (or any at all).

If your piggie does eat dry cereal and doesn’t have any problems, that doesn’t mean it’s good for them. It just means that their digestive system can handle it better than most (but it doesn’t mean that their system can handle it well).

But, there’s other things to consider. Dry cereals can also be a problem because it might cause…

3. Bloat

Bloat can be a very serious problem for guinea pigs. If their digestive system is gassy, obstructed, or running slow, they might get bloated. Bloat is very painful and can be deadly if not treated right away.

Nuts, grains, and other foods digest MUCH more slowly than veggies, hays, and grasses (what your piggies are actually supposed to be eating). That’s one of the reasons why dry cereals can cause bloat.

Cavy digestive systems are meant to keep moving (yeah, like all the time-that’s why they’re poopin’ machines) and dry cereal can cause those systems to slow down or even stop. If your guinea pig stops eating, drinking, and pooping – call the vet right away because that’s a sure sign that your little friend is in trouble.

Bloat can also be caused by:

• Eating too fast
• Eating too much
• Not enough exercise
• Obesity
• Anxiety or stress
• A change in diet or food

So, it’s best to avoid giving your piggies dry cereal (or any processed foods) to prevent bloat.

But there’s one more danger of dry cereal…

4. Obesity

Most dry cereals have a ton of sugar. And we all know that sugar can cause weight gain (in humans and animals). Too much sugar can also lead to diabetes.

You might think that your fur babies are too active to get fat. But, if they eat a lot of sugary foods (like dry cereal), they can easily become obese.

And an overweight guinea pig can have all sorts of health problems like:

• Arthritis
• Heart disease
• Respiratory problems
• High blood pressure
• Cancer
• A shorter life span

So, it’s important to keep your guinea pigs at a healthy weight by feeding them a balanced diet of hay, fresh veggies, and a small amount of pellets. And

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Cereal With Milk?

No, guinea pigs can’t have milk with their cereal (if you decide to offer them cereal). Their system cannot digest lactose in milk which makes it a no-no for them.

Since cavies are lactose intolerant, they can’t even eat products made from milk. Cheese, ice cream, or yogurts are also dangerous to guinea pigs. 

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Cornflakes?

Guinea pigs can eat cornflakes as long as they’re plain and unsweetened. But, should they eat cornflakes? Not really. They’re not especially healthy for guinea pigs (or any other animal that’s a herbivore).

If your piggy does eat cornflakes, only give them a few as an occasional treat. And don’t forget to supplement their diet with hay, fresh veggies, and water.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Trix Cereal?

Guinea pigs shouldn’t eat Trix cereal. It’s not safe for cavies to eat. There’s WAY too much sugar in Trix cereal which can cause weight gain and diabetes in guinea pigs.

Don’t even give your little friends Trix cereal as a treat (seriously!). Unless you want your guinea pigs to get sick, it’s best to avoid giving them any sugary cereals.

Plus, the brightly colored artificial dyes can also be harmful to your piggies. So, it’s best to avoid giving them this type of cereal (or any other sugary cereal).

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Shredded Wheat Cereal? 

Plain shredded wheat can be eaten by guinea pigs. But, I have to stress that it’s better that you don’t give your your fur babies cereals at all, because of the potential health problems (like bloat, gassiness, etc)

If you do give your guinea pigs shredded wheat, only offer it as an occasional treat. Make sure that the cereal is plain and unsweetened.

If the shredded wheat is frosted, has gelatin or sugar-coating, or has raisin, apricot, or strawberry fillings, you definitely shouldn’t feed them to your fur babies.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Rice Krispie Treats?

Rice Krispies can be relatively safe for guinea pigs to eat. But, a guinea pigs diet’s should mostly be hay, leafy veggies, and a tablespoon of high quality pellets a day. Cereals are unnecessary for piggies and (depending on the circumstances) can be bad for their digestive system.

Plain Rice Krispies are best (if you’re going to try giving them to your fur babies). The sugar-coated or flavored versions can cause health problems for your piggies (like obesity and diabetes).

If you want to give your guinea pigs a few pieces of Rice Krispie cereal, only do so as an occasional treat (like once a month or so). Make sure that the treats don’t have any marshmallows, chocolate, or other added sugars.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Mini-Wheats?

Guinea pigs can enjoy mini wheat if it is not frosted. However, frosted mini wheat is more common and it can be dangerous to your cavies. Frosted mini-wheats have added sugar that can harm your cavies.

If I were you, I’d avoid it completely. If you can find plain mini wheats, those are the ones that you’d give to your piggies.

Just make sure you don’t give them too many, because even plain mini wheats can have a high sugar content. A few pieces here and there as an occasional treat is fine, but don’t make it a regular thing.

As always, the bulk of your guinea pigs diet should be hay, fresh veggies, and water.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Honey Nut Cheerios?

No, it’s not safe for guinea pigs to eat Honey Nut Cheerios. Honey nut cheerios contain 12 times as much sugar as plain cheerios. The cereal is coated in sugar. Thus, it is dangerous for your guinea pigs.  

Sugar in honey nut cheerios can cause health complications, including heart diseases, obesity, diabetes, amongst other complications. So, steer clear of giving this cereal to your little friends.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Multigrain Cheerios? 

Guinea pigs shouldn’t eat Multigrain Cheerios. Yes, multigrain cheerios are made from different types of grains, and they have tons of fiber. Unfortunately, they also have a high sugar content in them. Multigrain cheerios contains 4 times as much sugar as plain cheerios. 

Although their sugar is considerably less than honey nut cheerios content, they are dangerous to guinea pigs nonetheless. Guinea pigs should not eat multigrain cheerios in any case. 

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Cheerios?

Unlike multigrain and honey nut varieties, guinea pigs can eat plain cheerios (with relative safety). However, they can only eat then as an occasional treat. Plain cheerios don’t contain any added sugar, making them safe for cavies than other sugar-coated brands of cereal.

But, it’s also worth mentioning (yes, I’m about to say it again), that’s it’s better to feed your guinea pigs hay, fresh veggies, and water instead of dry cereal.

Fresh, raw foods are always going to be better for your guinea pigs than processed foods like cereal (no matter how “healthy” the cereal is).

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Oats?

Unless recommended by a vet (or someone with TONS of guinea pig knowledge ) guinea pigs shouldn’t eat oats. The cereal is very rich in calories and fiber and phosphorus. Unfortunately, these can lead to health problems in guinea pigs.

Some of the health problems associated with eating too many oats are obesity, digestive issues, and bladder stones (or other urinary systems problems) – especially if they eat a lot of them. So, unless your vet tells you otherwise, it’s best to avoid giving this cereal to your piggies.

Vets usually recommend a tiny bit of oats to treat skinny piggies with chronic diseases, hair loss, skin issues, or underweight piggies. Oats are very rich in calories. Thus, it helps your cavies in these regards.  

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Instant Oats?

No, guinea pigs shouldn’t eat instant oats. They have too much protein, phosphorus, and carbs which could be bad for your guinea pigs.

What is true for regular oats is also true for instant oats. If your cavies are underweight or a vet prescribes oats for them, only then should you give your piggies instant oats.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Oatmeal?

Guinea pigs shouldn’t eat oatmeal. Like every other oat variety, oatmeal contain a good amount of phosphorus (and a ton of calories) that could harm your little friends. They could develop urinary sludges and stones from eating too much oatmeal. 

The only exception is if your guinea pigs are underweight and a vet recommends oatmeal as part of their diet. In this case, you can give your piggies plain, steel-cut or rolled oats (not instant oatmeal).

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Porridge Oats?

It’s not good for guinea pigs to eat porridge oats. Porridge oats are very similar to other types of oats. The only difference is that they’re cooked. They have the same nutrients as regular oats. However, they’re not good for guinea pigs because they can cause health problems.

Like other oat types, their nutritional value could harm your cavies. So, that makes it dangerous. Besides, porridge oats are cooked food, and guinea pigs should not take any cooked food. 

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Grits?

No, guinea pigs shouldn’t eat grits. Grits are corn meals that are made from grounded corn. Grits are corn varieties, just like porridge oats are oat varieties.

Can Baby Guinea Pigs Eat Dry Cereal?

You should never feed baby guinea pigs dry cereals. The preservatives, sugars, and nutritional content in dry cereal are not good for them and could make them very sick.

Can Pregnant Guinea Pigs Eat Dry Cereal?

No, pregnant guinea pigs can’t eat dry cereals. Dry cereals have a lot of preservatives and additives that can be dangerous for our pregnant cavies. These preservatives and additives could risk your piggies’ digestive system as well as the babies they’re carrying.

Pregnancy is a crucial time when you must pay close attention to what your guinea pigs eat. Instead of giving them processed foods like dry cereals, fresh and natural food are better. Pregnant cavies can take all of the following

• high quality hays (all. the. time.)
• fruits (as an occasional treat)
• vegetables ( a wide variety and in rotation)

Do Guinea Pigs Like Dry Cereal? 

Some guinea pigs like dry cereal. But, that doesn’t meant that dry cereal is good for them or that you should give it to them. As a rule of thumb, the digestive problems that dry cereals can cause should be enough to steer you away from giving it to your piggies.

If you’re looking for a treat to give your guinea pigs, try one of these instead:

• carrots
• celery
• cucumber
• zucchini
• apple (without the seeds)
• banana (in moderation)
• strawberry tops
• orange

How Much Cereal Can Guinea Pigs Eat And How Often Should You Feed Them? 

As a general rule of thumb, you should only feed your guinea pigs dry cereals as treats, nothing more (if you choose to feed your piggies cereal at all – which I hope you don’t). Your piggies can’t chow down on a whole bowl of cereal like we can. They should only have a few pieces at most, and only once a week (if that).

Just a few pieces of any plain, dry cereal is more than enough for one adult cavy. Besides, only a healthy and well-grown guinea pig can eat unsweetened dry cereals except for oats.

Although healthy cavies can eat them, they’re usually recommended for undergrown or sick cavies to improve their health and body. A vet might recommend it.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Cereal Boxes?

Cereal boxes are made from cardboard, and guinea pigs can nibble on them from time to time without having any major issues.

Whether it is a corn flakes package or granola bar boxes, guinea pigs can eat them. As long as they’re not eating cereal boxes, so much that they’re neglecting their hay, it’s fine.

In short, guinea pigs can nibble on cereal boxes occasionally. Just make sure the box doesn’t have any plastic or wax on it that could potentially harm your piggies.

Cavies’ teeth never stop growing, so they need something to nibble on to keep them from getting too big. Cereal boxes might be a good option for this.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Bread?

Guinea pigs shouldn’t eat bread. It’s especially important that you don’t offer your little friends banana bread, chocolate bread, bread with peanut, butter, or jam fillings, bread with onions, mushrooms, dates, cheese, etc.

These types of bread contain other things that could harm your cavies. They could end up having obesity, diabetes, heart problems, amongst other complications from eating these types of bread. 

Things To Remember About Guinea Pigs and Cereal

So, there you have it. Although some people feed their guinea pigs unsweetened, dry cereal, it’s not something that’s recommended as a regular part of their diet The risks far outweigh the benefits.

If you do choose to give them cereal as a treat, make sure it’s unsweetened and plain (and please done include milk). A few pieces once a week is more than enough.

Now, when considering feeding your cavies with dry cereals, remember the following 

• Pregnant cereals are not allowed to eat dry cereals
• Baby cereals can’t them either
• It is best to avoid oats for a healthy piggy. Unhealthy piggies can take them as a treatment to help them gain weight (usually recommended
• Plain Cheerios, unsweetened corn flakes, and bran flakes should be what you give your piggies, if you’re going to take feed your little friends dry cereal
• Granolas, fruit loops, Trix cereals, and other sweetened cereals aren’t allowed
• Your cavies love cereals, but they can only take a minimal amount
• Your little friends’ go-to food for every day should be high quality hay, veggies, and water. Treats like cereal should only be given every once in a while.
• No dry cereal, no matter how nutritious it should be in their regular diet. 

I hope this article has helped answer your question: can guinea pigs eat dry cereal? As you can see, the answer is not really – at least not on a regular basis.

Now that you know what kinds of cereals are safe for your piggies (and which ones to avoid), you can make the best decision for your little friends. Thanks for reading!