Will Eating Mint Kill Your Guinea Pig? (Time to Find Out)

Guinea pigs get excited when they hear the crinkle of a bag of mint. They think it’s dinner time! While you’re putting mint in your tea, you might wonder if guinea pigs can eat mint.

Of course, guinea pigs can eat mint. Mint has vitamins and nutrients that are good for them. Mint can improve their digestion, sharpen their eyesight and can even boost their immunity. But, the calcium content is high in mint, which can cause bladder stones in guinea pigs. So, don’t feed guinea pigs mint more than once or twice a week – in small amounts.

Before you start garnishing your fur potatoes meals with mint (Bon Appetit little piggies) you need to consider a few facts about this herb. To learn how to feed your piggies mint safely, read on below. But first, let’s answer this question.

What Is Mint Anyway? 

Mint is an herb that originally came from the middle east. Mint has a bright taste and flavor that compliments food with chicken and lamb. It is used fresh and dried. Oils extracted from this plant make essential oils for toothpaste and mouthwash.  

There are different types of mint, like spearmint and peppermint. 

This plant herb has lots of vitamins (like vitamin A) and has antioxidants. Mint is low in sugar and has fiber that helps digestion. It’s popularly used in teas, drinks, desserts and more.  

Mint chocolate chip ice cream is a delicious dessert for you, but never for your piggie! They can only eat this herb raw. 

Is Mint Good For Guinea Pigs? 

Mint is good for guinea pigs. It has several nutrients and vitamins that can boost your piggie’s health. Mint adds to the variety of veggies they need to eat. Some of the benefits of mint are as follows:

Anti-Inflammatory And Good for Pain Relief

• Mint is an anti-inflammatory. This means it can help reduce swelling that can cause pain and discomfort for your piggies. 
• It can also help prevent bloat. Bloat is a painful illness caused from eating inconsistently or foods high in sugar. It makes their tummies swell and harden painfully. 
• Mint is a mild pain reliever and a good snack to help sick piggies feel better. This can be helpful for piggies recovering from urinary infections. Pain is stressful for guinea pigs, and a natural aid to help them can make them feel better faster. 

This is something we all want, healthy, happy piggies. 

Improves Eyesight 

Guinea pigs have a high need of vitamin A. Mint has a good amount of vitamin A and helps improve guinea pigs’ eyesight. This is a great help, since guinea pigs don’t have great vision.  

Helping your cavy see better is a plus, especially since they can get frightened by anything they can’t see well. On top of helping them see, this vitamin is important for growth. It helps piggies grow strong by helping them grow healthy teeth, bones, and muscles.  

Healthy teeth are important for guinea pigs. Issues from dental diseases can be painful for fur potatoes. A healthy treat to keep them chewing strong is a good thing indeed. 

Low Sugar and Calories  

Mint is low in sugar and calories. This means they can eat mint without having weight issues. Too many sugars and calories can cause heart disease and other health problems in guinea pigs, like diarrhea.  

Piggies can get mint as a special snack, and you can feel great about giving them something tasty that makes them happy but not overweight. 

Scurvy Repellant 

Mint helps keep that dreaded scurvy away! Scurvy happens when your guinea pig doesn’t get enough vitamin C. They need to eat veggies with it since they can’t synthesize it themselves. (Humans can’t either) 

Scurvy can cause some serious health problems for your fur baby. The signs to watch out for are:

• A ragged fur coat.
• Showing little interest in food 
• Weight loss from not eating
• Pain when you pick them up, they might squeal or run away.
• Sore joints that make them slower and move less
• Diarrhea

Scurvy can be life threatening for guinea pigs. Any piggie showing the signs above should be taken to the vet. Vitamin C supplements might be needed to help them get better.  

Giving your piggie a little mint is helpful in keeping them scurvy free and healthy.

Immune System Booster 

The high amount of vitamin A also boosts your piggies’ immune system. Having a strong immune system is important to keep them healthy and free from infections. 

Rich in antioxidants, it helps clear your cavies body of free radicals. What are free radicals? Bad news. Oxidative stress is what happens when your cavy has too many free radicals in their bodies and not enough antioxidants. 

It’s then that oxidative stress can cause cells to get damaged and become cancerous. Mint helps keep free radicals away and keep your cavy healthy and cancer free. 

Helps With Digestion  

Mint has a lot of fiber. It has almost twice the amount found in kale. Fiber is important for a healthy digestive system and keeps your piggies regular. 

Fiber clears their tummies and pushes through all the food they eat to keep them pooping. (And a pooping piggie is a happy piggie) They do get a lot of fiber from the hay they eat but eating a treat with a little more is always a good idea.

Drawbacks Of Feeding Mint To Guinea Pigs 

There are some drawbacks to feeding mint to your guinea pigs. You might be thinking, “isn’t this contradicting what you just said?” Stay with me please! I just need to share why too much mint can cause some issues for your cavies. 

If you feed them the right amount, the issues below shouldn’t become a problem. I’ve made a list describing what happens to help you out. 

Digestive Issues 

A few leaves of mint can help your piggie’s digestive system run smoothly but give them too much and they can have problems. 

Too much mint can give your cavy gas. Excessive gas can lead to bloat and a full stop of their digestive system. 

Mint can give cavies diarrhea which can lead to dehydration and weight loss – if you overfeed it.

If you see your guinea pig pooping watery, smelly poops, back off the mint immediately. Remember, a little mint is ok but too much means trouble. 

Pesticides

Mint can contain chemicals and pesticides that can make your guinea pigs sick. Even grocery store-bought mint for your food might have some pesticides that can hurt your furry potato. Buy organic (if you can) to be safe.

Washing your mint thoroughly can help make mint safer for them to eat, but unless you’re growing it yourself it’s hard to know what’s on it. 

Luckily, this plant is easy to grow and can even be kept inside. 

Bladder and Kidney Stones

Mint has too much calcium for your cavy. Even though it’s low in sugar, it’s too high in sodium. Calcium can cause bladder and kidney stones for your guinea pig. 

Guinea pigs can’t digest large amounts of calcium. The excess hardens into crystals or stones. They can develop in the bladder, kidneys, or the urethra. The urethra is the area that piggies pee out of. These stones block urine and make peeing painful. 

Guinea pigs can also get infections with bladder and kidney stones. Signs of this are peeing a lot, hunching over in pain, straining to pee, and blood in the urine. 

Is It Safe For Guinea Pigs To Eat Mint? 

It’s safe for guinea pigs to eat mint if the amount they eat is small. Guinea pigs aren’t great at knowing when to stop eating a certain food so you will need to make sure they eat mint as a treat and not every day. 

Organic, clean mint is the best choice to keep them from getting sick. Chemicals and pesticides are less likely to be on organic bought mint. You can also check with the grower to make sure it doesn’t have pesticides.

Nutritional Facts Of Mint 

For 100 grams of peppermint and spearmint, these are the nutrients and minerals that help your piggie be happy and healthy. (In small amounts, of course)

Nutrient	Peppermint	Spearmint	Benefit
Water	78.6g	85.6g	High water content helps them hydrated and healthy
Energy	44 kcal	70 kcal	Energy helps piggies stay active and happy.
Carbs	8.41 g	14.89 g	A primary source of energy for your cavies
Protein	3.29 g	3.75 g	This helps cell growth and repair
Total lipid (fat)	0.73 g	0.94 g	Low in fat which keeps piggies at a healthy weight
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg	None, which is awesome for keeping them at a healthy weight
Dietary Fiber	6.8 g	8 g	Good for digestion and keeping piggies regular
Calcium	199 mg	243 mg	Good for strong teeth and bones. Too much is bad for kidneys and bladder.
Copper	0.24 mg	0.329 mg	Helps absorb iron and boosts immunity
Iron	11.87 mg	5.08 mg	Keeps piggies breathing clear
Magnesium	63 mg	80 mg	Helps nerve and muscles
Zinc	1.09 mg	1.11 mg	Keeps them growing healthy and boosts immunity
Phosphorus	60 mg	73 mg	Helps grow, repair, and maintain body tissue
Sodium	30 mg	31 mg	Helps piggies regulate fluids
Potassium	458 mg	569 mg	Good for heart health and muscle function
Vitamin C	13.3 mg	31.8 mg	Good for preventing scurvy and has antioxidants
Vitamin B-6	0.158 mg	0.129 mg	Helps absorb iron
Vitamin A	203 µg	212 µg	Good for eyesight
Folates	105 µg	114 µg	Helps develop piggies’ nervous system
Niacin	0.948 mg	1.706 mg	Helps turn food into energy
Riboflavin	0.175 mg	0.266 mg	Also helps turn food into energy
Thiamin	0.078 mg	0.082 mg	Helps (yep, you guessed it) turn food into energy

 

How Much Mint Can Guinea Pigs Eat? 

Guinea pigs can have no more than two leaves twice a week. Each piggie can only have a small amount, so hand feeding them to make sure they get only a small amount is a good idea. 

You don’t want one to hoard all the mint and get sick. 

Guinea pigs suffering from kidney issues shouldn’t eat mint. They’re safer eating veggies that have less calcium. 

Which Parts of Mint Are Safe for Guinea Pigs to Eat? 

The leaves, stems, and flowers are the parts of mint that are safe to eat. Guinea pigs enjoy eating the flowers that have a milder taste than the leaves. A little sweeter but still bright in taste, flowers are yummy snacks for our fur potatoes.

Are Guinea Pigs Allergic To Mint? 

Guinea pigs aren’t allergic to mint. To be on the safe side, monitor your piggie after giving them mint for the first time.

Make sure they’re poops and pees are normal. And also make sure that they’re continuing to eat and drink normally, too.

Do Guinea Pigs Like Mint? 

I do love a good survey. I wanted to know how many piggie parents had success in feeding mint to their fur babies.

I asked 97 piggie parents what they experienced so you can get a better idea of what to expect.

Out of the 97 parents that feed their furry potatoes mint, 77 loved mint. They were given mint as a treat. Most of the piggie were careful about only giving their piggies small amounts of it

20 piggie parents said that their guinea pigs didn’t seem to care for mint.

Some interesting facts to consider from other pet parents include the following:

• Any pet parent (5 parents) that had problems with kidney issues or bladder stones stayed away from mint. They felt the risk of more stones was too high. Instead, they feed treats with little to no calcium, like carrots. 
• Some pet parents said they gave more mint to pregnant piggies to help digestion. They said the high water and fiber helped keep them regular and the vitamins helped keep the mom and babies healthy.
• Some parents recommended burying the mint leaves in hay for foraging. This was in cages where piggies could be separated when they ate. 
• About 43 grew it at home free from chemicals and pesticides. They fed piggies mint fresh from the garden. A few used it as an “after dinner mint” (what a cute idea).

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Mint Stems? 

Yes, your guinea pigs can eat mint stems. Just keep in mind that small amounts are safe. Stems aren’t as “minty” as the leaves. Some guinea pigs may prefer to just eat the leaves and flowers. 

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Mint Flowers? 

Yes, guinea pigs can eat mint flowers. In fact, this can be the best part of mint for most cavies. It’s sweeter and milder in flavor but has the same benefits. Flowers still need to be fed in small amounts. 

Flowers can be white, pink, or purple. The petals are small and dainty. This makes it easy for your piggy to chew and digest. 

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Dried Mint? 

No, your guinea pig shouldn’t eat dried mint. The nutrients are different in dried mint. The water and fiber content are much less. Dried mint can also have preservatives that can be harmful to your piggie. 

The small, dried flakes can also be a choking hazard. It’s best to stay with fresh, raw, mint for your cavies. 

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Cooked Mint? 

No, guinea pigs can’t eat cooked mint. Mint can make your chicken dishes delicious. But that dinner is just for you. Cooked mint doesn’t have the same amount of nutrients that are good for your fur potato. 

Cooking the mint also softens the leaves and makes it mushy. This thicker consistency can be harder for your piggie to digest. It can also be a choking hazard. 

Cooked mint is best kept in your plate and out of your fluffy potatoes’ dish.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Mint Seeds? 

No, guinea pigs can’t eat mind seeds. The seeds also have different nutrients and minerals. The seeds are also tiny and dry. They can also make your piggie choke. They’re not as tasty, either. The seeds don’t have that bright, minty flavor the leaves and flowers do. 

It’s important to remember seeds and nuts are choking hazards for your piggies. This should be added to the list of foods they can’t eat, or need the seeds and pits removed before feeding.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Mint Roots? 

No, guinea pigs can’t eat the mint roots either. In fact, the roots can be toxic to your piggie. The only safe parts for your piggie to eat are the leaves, stems, and flowers. 

If you’re picking mint from the garden, take extra care to trim mint so that there aren’t any roots attached. Wash them to remove dirt and other chemicals before giving them to your fur babies. 

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Mint Candy?

No, guinea pigs can’t eat mint candy. In fact, no part of the plant is safe for your piggie to eat if it has been turned into candy. This includes the leaves, stems, flowers, and even the roots

Mint candy can be harmful to your piggie’s health. The sugar and other sweeteners in the candy can cause stomach upset and diarrhea. The candy can also be a choking hazard.

Can Guinea Pigs Have Mint Flavored Gum?

Mint flavored gum is another no-no for your piggies. Chewing gum can be dangerous because it doesn’t break down in their digestive system. The gum could block their intestines and cause a life-threatening condition. 

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream?

No, guinea pigs shouldn’t eat mint chocolate chip ice cream. The sugar and dairy in the ice cream can cause stomach upset and diarrhea.

The mint chocolate chips can also be a choking hazard. Plus, guinea pigs are lactose intolerant, so they can’t process dairy products. This can cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea.

Mint chocolate chip ice cream is a delicious treat for you. But it’s not worth the risk to your piggie’s health.

Can Guinea Pigs Drink Mint Tea? 

No, guinea pigs can’t drink mint tea. They shouldn’t drink anything other than water. Tea might not give them the right kind of hydration. Just like with cooking the mint, the nutrients in mint change with boiling.

This means your guinea pig won’t benefit from the vitamins that raw mint provides.  (Although guinea pig tea parties would be so cute!) Tea can help settle your stomach and help you relax, but please keep tea in your mug and out of your piggie’s water dish. 

Can Baby Guinea Pigs Eat Mint? 

Yes, baby guinea pigs can eat mint. Mint contains vitamins that can help them grow strong bones, teeth and boost their immune systems.

Growing guinea pigs can benefit greatly from all the nutrients in mint like vitamin C, A and B-6 that help grow muscles and nerves. 

They can eat the same amount as adults, about 2 to 3 leaves per piggie every week or so.

Can Pregnant Guinea Pigs Eat Mint? 

Pregnant guinea pigs can eat mint. This herb is a good source of Vitamin C and other nutrients that mom needs. This can help the babies and their mother stay healthy during the pregnancy.

Pregnant guinea pigs have more dietary requirements. They need twice as much Vitamin C as other guinea pigs and mint has a good amount of vitamin C. This treat will help meet pregnant guinea pigs’ health needs.

Remember, small amounts only. Always wash mint before you give it to any of your piggies, pregnant, babies, or adults. Keep an eye on them to make sure they’re digesting mint without any issues.

Can Guinea Pigs With Bladder Stones Eat Mint? 

Guinea pigs with bladder stones shouldn’t eat mint. Mint has too much calcium. Guinea pigs that have bladder stones shouldn’t have any foods with added calcium. 

Instead, offer your piggie treats that have little to no calcium. Tomatoes, peas, or carrots could be better options. Even if your piggy doesn’t have bladder stones anymore, they should have a diet with low calcium. 

Once a guinea pig gets bladder stones, it can be easier for them to form stones again.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Mint Everyday? 

Guinea pigs can’t eat mint every day. Mint has good vitamins and nutrients that would help your piggie grow healthy and be strong. But the high calcium amounts from feeding them mint every day can give them bladder and kidney stones. 

The sodium amounts can give them digestive issues like diarrhea. Mint is better given as an occasional treat. Instead, you should feed your guinea pig a healthy, balanced diet of hay, pellets, varied fruits, and vegetables every day.

What Portion Size Of Mint Should You Feed to Guinea Pigs? 

Guinea pigs can eat 2 to 3 leaves of mint every week or so. This amount will give your fur potatoes helpful nutrients, like vitamin A, without giving them too much calcium and sodium. 

By giving them small amounts of mint, you are making sure they are staying happy and healthy without making them sick. After all, too much of any treat will cause health issues.

How To Feed Mint To Guinea Pigs 

Make sure the mint that you give to your guinea pigs is organic and free of chemicals and pesticides. If you buy your mint from the store, you still need to wash it before you feed it to them. 

The same goes for garden picked mint. Remember, only raw, fresh mint should be fed to your guinea pigs. Any wilting or browning mint should be taken out of their cages and thrown away. You can try to hand feed them mint to make sure each piggie is getting a small amount. (No hogging the treats for anyone!)

How To Grow Mint At Home For Your Guinea Pigs 

Mint is an easy herb to grow at home. Mint can be grown from a cutting or from a seed. They do well in most temperatures and can be grown inside. They don’t need much fertilizer or care. If growing mint inside, a sunny windowsill is a good spot. 

Mint placed in the ground can overtake gardens. Keeping it in a pot would be the best option to keep it under control. Don’t use any pesticides if you’re planning on feeding this to your piggies. 

Instead, you may need to hand pick off insects and pests. Buying mint from nurseries and hardware stores is another option. They even sell organic grown mint for safer food for you and your guinea pigs. 

If you are choosing to grow your own mint at home, this is a wonderful option to know exactly what you are feeding your fur babies.

What Foods Can Guinea Pigs Safely Eat? 

The safest food your guinea pigs can eat is their regular hay, pallets, and small amounts of vegetables and fruits. For herbs and flowers, your piggies can eat small amounts of basil, clover, dill, parsley, and dandelion flowers. 

Just like with mint, you need to make sure they’re pesticide free. 

They must be given as treats and in small amounts. Guinea pigs are herbivores and need a wide variety of plants and vegetables (on top of all you-can-eat hay, and their pellets) like flowers and herbs.

Adding small amounts of herbs and flowers can add a delicious change to their diets.

Let’s Wrap Up 

When you garnish your ice cream with a fresh sprig of mint, you can also give your guinea pigs a treat by sharing a few leaves of mint.

Mint has lots of vitamin A to help them see better. Vitamin C prevents scurvy and other minerals to help them stay healthy. 

As pet parents, we want to make sure they eat the best foods. A few leaves given to them once in a while (After dinner mint, anyone?) are a delicious and healthy treat. Thanks for sticking with me and please feel free to share.