Guinea Pig Killing Foods (What You Need To Avoid)
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We all love delicious foods, don’t we? And when our piggies desire these tasty treats, we want to feed them. But, is it safe to feed them any food? “What foods can kill guinea pigs?”
Guinea pigs can die if they eat food that is cooked or food that’s too sugary or fatty. Guinea pigs are herbivores, which means they can’t eat meat at all. Some fruits, vegetables, and household plants can also be harmful to your guinea pigs. Baked, pickled, and canned foods are also unhealthy for guinea pigs.
I know it’s hard to resist the temptation of sharing your food with your piggies.
But, there’s some foods you really shouldn’t bring near them (ever).
Let’s dive into those common yet toxic foods that we shouldn’t give our piggies.
1. Chocolate
Is this shocking? Well, chocolate is toxic to piggies (and many other pets too!). Piggies have a sensitive digestive system and can’t digest the sugar in chocolates. Plus, chocolate has high levels of fat (which is a no-no for piggies).
There’s also caffeine, which has the same effects on piggies as theobromine. They’re both stimulants that can send your fuzz spuds to an early grave.
You’ll want to keep those chocolates away from your piggies (any type of chocolate). If your piggie happens to eat chocolate by mistake, get your little friend to the vet quickly.
2. Rhubarb Leaves and stalks
Even though it’s a vegetable ( and piggies love veggies), rhubarb is poisonous to guinea pigs. There are a lot of things wrong with feeding this plant to piggies.
The leaves contain oxalic acid, which is a disaster to piggies (and humans). This acid is also in the rhubarb stalks, so the entire plant is poisonous. Even when cooked, rhubarb is still poisonous to pigs. (and piggies shouldn’t eat cooked food).
If you happen to have rhubarb in your garden, keep it away from your cavies. A little quantity of this plant spells danger, even humans are poisoned by rhubarb leaves.
If you want some more information on what guinea pigs can and can’t eat, check out these posts: What Guinea Pigs Can Eat (Everything You Need To Know) and What Herbs Can Guinea Pigs Eat? (The Good, The Bad, The Tasty)
3. Evergreen Shrubs
Evergreen shrubs are harmful to piggies (all the shrubs!). It’s best to believe that any evergreen shrub will kill your fur babies. Because it wouldn’t be cool to learn the hard way (by losing your piggies).
When I say evergreen shrubs, I mean the likes of ivy, boxwood, laurel, etc.
Ivy, for example, contains hederagenin. This chemical will cause a toxic reaction if it’s eaten by your piggies. You never can tell how severe it may be (and death is very likely).
Piggies might willingly stay away from the evergreens, but taking precautions is better.
So, if your cavies are always outdoors, they should be far away from the evergreens.
Check out more of these posts on what guinea pigs can eat: Can Guinea Pigs Eat Grass from Outside? (Find Out Now) and Are Bananas Safe for Guinea Pigs to Eat? (Find Out Now)
4. Tomato Stem and Leaves
The tomato fruit isn’t bad for piggies, but the stem and leaves are harmful to them.
Tomato leaves have something called alkaloids, and they don’t affect humans. But when piggies eat tomato leaves, the alkaloids affect them and make them nauseous.
Since piggies can’t vomit, they start struggling with cramps and pass loose stools. Tomato stems are equally harmful because they have alkaloids too.
There’s another reason to keep your little friends away from tomato leaves. Tomato leaves contain phosphorus and calcium (red flags).
They can pile up in their body and cause kidney stones. They can also cause bladder stones which will become a critical urinary issue.
The point is, don’t ever let your piggies eat tomato leaves or stems.
If you grow tomatoes at home, make sure your piggies can’t reach the leaves or stems.
5. Potatoes or Potato Leaves
You might be a very big fan of potatoes, but it wouldn’t be a good idea to try to transfer your love of them to your piggies.
This isn’t because piggies don’t like them (in fact piggies will eat them). This is because potatoes will ruin your piggie’s digestive system.
Potatoes and their leaves contain solanine and alkaloids (which are poisonous to piggies). It doesn’t matter the form in which the potato is, it remains toxic to piggies.
When piggies eat potatoes, they start feeling nauseous and lethargic. Potatoes have some nutrients that are not bad for piggies. But, these nutrients are in high quantities so they become toxic.
There’s sugar in potatoes and piggies are not fans of sugar. There are also vitamins in potatoes but it’s not worth the risk. The right foods can provide your piggies with nutrients without harming them.
Your piggie doesn’t need potatoes, (even if potatoes are your favorite).
Unlike regular potatoes, sweet potatoes are good for piggies. So, feel free to give some to your fur babies but in moderation.
6. Seeds with Hard Shells
I guess you’re thinking of different fruits that you want to feed to your cavies. Before you go ahead, check if the fruits have hard seeds. If the fruit seeds aren’t as soft as cucumber seeds, they’re risky.
First off, they might choke your piggie (possibly to death). Strong seeds can easily result in the suffocation of your piggies. They can also get stuck around your guinea pig’s teeth (painfully). This is very disturbing to them and can be hard to remove.
Another reason why hard seeds can kill your piggie is the “seed content”. They can be toxic to the piggies or contain a dangerous amount of a toxic compound.
If you’re giving your piggies any fruit, make sure you get rid of the seeds first.
Typically, soft seeds like bell pepper, cucumber, and tomato seeds are perfectly fine for guinea pigs to eat. Harder seeds or pits from fruits like peaches or avocados are choking hazards and/or poisonous.
7. Onions Or Anything Grown From Bulbs
Onions are one of the most poisonous vegetables your piggie can come across. If you feed your piggies onions, you’re setting them up for disaster.
Why is onion so toxic to piggies?
Onion contains toxic sulphuric compounds. So if you gave your piggies onions, they’d experience different levels of sickness (more on that later).
Onions also contain too much sugar and calcium (for guinea pigs). Eating them can cause urinary issues (bladder stones) in your cavies.
Not only that, they’ll experience digestive issues and worse…anemia.
The toxic components of onions (disulfides), will damage your piggies’ red blood cells. These damages will give your piggie anemia and respiratory problems.
You’ll agree with me that these are quite serious and can kill the cavies. These hazards are not only from onions, they’re from anything grown from bulbs.
Never let your piggies near onions and call the vet if you think they might have eaten them.
If you want some helpful information on how to improve your guinea pig’s eating habits, check out: 5 Top Reasons Your Guinea Pig is a Picky Eater (You Need To Know) , 9 Tips For How To Teach A Guinea Pigs To Eat Vegetables and 20 Best Low Calcium Vegetables For Guinea Pigs
8. Avocado Skin, Bark, and Leaves
Yes, we love avocado, it’s nutritious, tasty, and worth the hype. Sadly, it doesn’t have such a good reputation amongst our piggies. Avocado (skin, bark, and leaves inclusive) is harmful to our cavies.
You might think it’s only harmful in large quantities (sorry, no). It’s hazardous no matter how little your little piggies eat.
Avocado contains a compound called persin (which is the culprit here). Persin will immediately ruin your piggie’s digestive system.
Aside from the harmful effects of persin, avocados have excess fatty acids. They’re much more than our furry pals can tolerate.
Even if it’s not toxic, it’ll make our cavies dangerously fat and probably give them heart problems, too.
Then again, avocado also has sodium and calcium (another disaster). They can cause urinary problems in your guinea pig (bladder stones).
Now that you know this, you won’t be tempted to feed your guinea pigs avocados again.
9. Pits From Most Stone Fruits
Pits of stone fruits like cherries and peaches are harmful to our cavies. These pits contain cyanide. Cyanide is highly toxic to piggies.
If your piggie eats the pit of a stone fruit, it will have trouble breathing. Your little friend will start breathing very quickly and then it might start having seizures. In a short time, your guinea pig might lose consciousness and have heart problems.
If you want some more information on tasty things you can feed your guinea pigs, then read: What Fruits Can Guinea Pigs Eat? (What You Need To Know) and Is It Safe For Guinea Pigs To Eat Oregano? (Find Out Now)
What Weeds Are Poisonous To Guinea Pigs?
Sometimes piggie owners don’t know which plants to keep away from their piggies. A lot of weeds around you can be harmful to your piggies’ health.
Here are some of the most common piggie-killing weeds around you:
- Buttercups
- Foxglove
- Scarlet Pimpernel
- Lily of the valley
- Rhododendrons
- Amaryllis
- Arum Lily (aka Cuckoo Point)
- Bracken
- Bryony
- Convolvulus (aka Bindweed)
- Deadly Nightshade (aka Belladonna)
Make sure that you monitor your piggies when they’re outdoors. Weeds like these can grow in your backyard and you might not be aware. So it’s best to keep a close eye on them whenever they’re out and about.
What Plants Are Safe For Guinea Pigs To Eat?
Piggies love veggies (a lot!). Not all veggies are killers of your furry friends. Some of them contain vitamins and antioxidants which are great for cavies.
They also help in calming anxiety and regulating bowel movements. These plants have so many benefits for piggies. They’re our piggies’ immunity booster.
Here’s some posts that should be helpful to you: Is Your Guinea Pig Dead or In Shock? (How to Tell), and 10 Common Causes of Guinea Pig Death (Piggie Parents Weigh In)
Here are some plants your guinea pigs can happily munch on without problems:
- Strawberry
- Dandelion
- Cabbage
- Cucumber
- Lettuce
- Basil
- Oregano
- Coriander
- Cilantro
- Grass
- Parsley
- Carrots
- Kale
- Spinach
- Raspberry
- Celery
- Pears
- Dill
- Chickweed
You can plant some of them around you to secure a steady veggie source for your piggies. But remember that they should eat them in moderation (don’t get carried away).
Vegetables, especially greens, are extremely important for your piggies’ diet. Keep track of what you give your tiny companions to make sure you’re not feeding them too much of anything. Moderation and variety are what you’re going for.
Final Thoughts
I know we all want our piggies to be safe and robust. A proper diet with the right veggie treats would keep our guinea pigs healthy. You shouldn’t test your cavy with any food you’re not sure of.
Food poisoning is not easy to treat because our furry pals are really delicate. Their digestive system is as fragile as an eggshell (so let’s not stuff it with just any food).
That’s why I compiled a list of the most common guinea pig-killing foods you might not have known about.
Now you’re aware that you should keep your piggies away from snacks, sweets, canned foods, etc.
And if you can’t confirm whether a type of forage is safe or not, err to the side of caution and don’t feed it to your piggies.