Figs is a tropical fruit that’s sweet with an edible purple or green peel. The inside is filled with hundreds of tiny seeds that usually eaten with the flesh. If you enjoy eating this fruit, you may wonder if you can feed figs to your guinea pigs as well.
Can guinea pigs eat figs? Yes, guinea pigs can eat figs. This fruit contains many essential nutrients that the guinea pigs need. Figs are high in sugar and acidity, which can cause digestive problems. Avoid giving them fig leaves and tree branches as it is very harmful to them.
Is It Healthy For Guinea Pigs To Eat Figs?
Figs are rich in nutrients while being low in calories. Guinea pigs can gain a lot of health benefits from eating this fruit.
One small (40-gram) fresh fig contains:
- Calories: 30
- Protein: 0 grams
- Fat: 0 grams
- Carbs: 8 grams
- Fiber: 1 gram
- Copper: 3% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Magnesium: 2% of the DV
- Potassium: 2% of the DV
- Riboflavin: 2% of the DV
- Thiamine: 2% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 3% of the DV
- Vitamin C: 2% of the DV
- Vitamin K: 2% of the DV
The above data is according to the USDA
Below are some of the health benefits of feeding figs to your guinea pigs:
Prevent Scurvy
Figs is a good source of vitamin C. This vitamin is very important for guinea pigs. Vitamin C helps prevent the cavies from getting scurvy. Scurvy is a disease when the body lacks enough vitamin C.
Unfortunately for guinea pigs, they are not able to create or store vitamin C in their body. They will need a constant supply of the vitamin to stay healthy.
In order for them to maintain good health, guinea pigs require 10-50 mg/kg of vitamin C daily.
Promote Digestive Health
Figs have a good amount of fiber in them. There are many benefits that fibers offer the guinea pigs. One of them is the digestive system. Fiber helps promote a healthy digestive system by maintaining healthy bowel movements.
The fiber also helps bulk up the stool which will make food move through the digestive tract smoothly.
Risks To Consider When Feeding Figs to Guinea Pigs
Guinea pigs are creatures that like sweet-tasting fruit. This makes figs a fruit they will enjoy eating.
However, if they eat too many figs, it could affect their health and well-being. Below is some risk when feeding figs to your guinea pigs:
Digestive problems: Figs are naturally sweet and acidic. Guinea pig’s digestive systems are not designed to digest food high in sugar. Hence, excessive eating of figs will cause them digestive problems such as diarrhea, bloating, and an upset stomach.
Constipation: Due to the high amount of fiber in figs, guinea pigs that consume too much will get constipation and other stomach-related problems.
Obesity: Figs is high in sugar and this will lead to obesity in guinea pigs when they consume too much of it. When your cavies are obese, it will have a negative effect on their health.
Can Baby Guinea Pigs Eat Figs?
Baby guinea pigs can eat figs, but it’s recommended to wait until they are about 3 weeks old. When they are younger than this age, their digestive system is still developing and won’t be able to digest figs properly. This will lead to all sorts of health problems for them.
Instead, the baby guinea pig’s diet should mostly of hay and their mother’s milk. This is all they need to grow strong and healthy.
Once they are about 3 weeks old, you can introduce figs to them if you want. Start with just a tiny piece of fig. Place it next to them and let them eat the fig on their own.
Then wait 24 hours to see if they have any allergic reaction to the figs. If they do, you’ll notice diarrhea or an upset stomach. If that’s the case, avoid feeding them any more figs.
On the other hand, if the baby guinea pigs enjoy eating fig and have no allergic reaction, you can continue to feed them. Feed them only a small piece of fig, once a week until they are an adult.v
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Fig Tree Leaves?
Avoid feeding fig tree leaves to your guinea pigs. While it may seem safe for them to eat it, the leaves are harmful to them. It contains white latex sap, and it is irritating for them. This will result in discomfort in the mouth and their stomach.
Leaves of many fruits are safe for guinea pigs to eat, but not fig tree leaves. It’s recommended not to feed any leaves from the fig tree to your cavies.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Fig Seeds?
Yes, fig seeds are edible and guinea pigs can safely eat them.
Figs have tiny seeds which are small enough for them to eat and digest without any issue.
Since the seeds are small, you can give the figs to them without removing them.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Fig Skin?
Yes, guinea pigs can eat fig skin. It doesn’t contain any natural toxins that could harm them.
However, if you’re buying figs from grocery stores, you’ll want to be very careful with them. These fruits will usually contain traces of pesticides. This chemical along with fertilizers is commonly used to grow figs commercially.
Therefore, it’s best to peel off the skin and feed your guinea pigs just the flesh of the fruit.
How To Feed Figs To Guinea Pigs
Figs can be fed to the guinea pigs in a couple of ways. You can either give them fresh figs or mix them in with other food.
Feeding Guinea Pigs Fresh Fig
Start by washing the fig with water thoroughly. If you’ve bought them from the grocery store, it’s best to peel the skin off. It will most likely contain traces of pesticides.
On the other hand, if it’s figs from your own yard, or it’s grown organically, you can feed them the skin.
Slice the fig into small pieces and feed them to your guinea pigs.
Mixing Figs With Other Food
You can mix figs with other food such as fruits, vegetables, and even their pellets. Doing so will give them a boost in nutrition.
When mixing them with other food, especially other fruits, cut only a small piece of each fruit for them. Most fruits are high in sugar and that can be harmful to them if fed in excess.
Mixing it with other vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, and kale is fine. These vegetables are their staple food which can be fed to them daily. Adding figs to the vegetables will create a healthy and nutritious salad mix for them.
How Many Figs To Feed Guinea Pigs?
When feeding figs to your guinea pigs, give them a small quantity of it. This means, for an adult guinea pig, you can give them a small piece of fig. For baby guinea pigs, you can give them a tiny piece of the fruit, but wait until they are at least 3 weeks old first.
Figs should not be part of their daily diet. Feeding them too much of this fruit will most likely lead to obesity and other health problems.
How Often Can A Guinea Pig Eat Figs?
Figs should be fed to the guinea pigs occasionally. The high content of sugar in this fruit will cause them health issues.
Figs should only make up 10% of their entire diet. The rest should come from quality pellets, hay, and plenty of vegetables.
Therefore, to keep them from having any issues, serve figs to your guinea pigs once a week.
Other Fruits That Guinea Pigs Can Eat
Apple
Apples are packed with essential nutrients that guinea pigs need. You can feed the apple with the skin attached as it contains a lot of nutrition as well. However, avoid feeding them the seeds in the apple as it contains cyanide which is toxic for the cavies. Make sure to feed them apples in moderation to prevent any health issues as the fruit contain a lot of sugar and water.
Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit is a good source of many vitamins and minerals. This makes them an ideal treat to give guinea pigs. All parts of the fruit are safe for them to eat, but you want to feed just the flesh and seeds to your cavies. Since dragon fruit is high in water and sugar, only feed them in moderation to avoid your guinea pigs having any health issues.
Mango
Mango is one of the fruits that’s healthy for your guinea pigs to eat. It’s loaded with essential vitamins and minerals, and a good source of antioxidants. Mangoes also have a lot of sugar which can be bad for guinea pigs if eaten a lot. Therefore, to prevent any health issues such as obesity, high blood pressure, and heart problems, feed mangoes to your guinea pigs in moderation.
Conclusion
Figs are great for guinea pigs to eat. It’s packed with nutrition that they can benefit from. Due to their high level of sugar, it’s best to feed figs to your guinea pigs in moderation. This will avoid them from having any health issues such as obesity and heart diseases.