Jackfruit is a tropical fruit that’s known for its large size and sweet taste. The fruit is packed with nutrition that can benefit humans. As for guinea pigs, you must be wondering if you can feed them jackfruit too.
Yes, you can feed your guinea pigs jackfruit, but in moderation. This fruit has many nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamine, and riboflavin. All of these are essential for guinea pigs to keep them healthy. However, the high amount of sugar in the fruit could lead to diarrhea and obesity in guinea pigs. To prevent health issues from arising, feed them jackfruit, once or twice per week.
Is It Safe For Guinea Pigs To Eat Jackfruit?
Jackfruit doesn’t contain any toxins that could harm them. Therefore, it’s safe for guinea pigs to eat.
The only thing though, is that jackfruit contains a lot of sugar. In a small amount, it can benefit them. In large amounts, it can cause health issues.
Below are some drawbacks of feeding jackfruit to your guinea pigs:
Digestive Problem: Jackfruit is naturally sweet and contains a lot of sugar. Guinea pigs are not able to digest sugar properly. For this reason, feeding jackfruit to them in large amounts will cause stomach aches and other gastrointestinal problems.
Diarrhea: Besides being high in sugar, jackfruit contains high oxalic acid. These minerals can cause discomfort for guinea pigs. Usually, they will have diarrhea or an upset stomach from eating too much of it.
Although jackfruit can cause the issues listed above, it doesn’t mean you can feed them any of this fruit. As long as you feed them in small quantities and once in a while, you shouldn’t worry about your guinea pigs developing any health issues.
Benefits of Feeding Jackfruit To Guinea Pigs
Jackfruit is a good source of vitamins and minerals that is essential for the guinea pig’s health. Therefore, if the cavies eat jackfruit, they will benefit from the following:
Improve Digestion: Jackfruit has a good amount of fiber in it. Fiber is crucial for the health of the entire digestive system. It helps promote regular bowel movement, which will make food travel through the digestive tract more smoothly. Also, the fiber in their diet on a daily basis will help prevent constipation.
Prevent scurvy: Jackfruit is a moderate source of vitamin C. Guinea pigs in captivity are prone to having scurvy. Scurvy is a disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin C. Guinea pigs are unable to synthesize or store this vitamin in their body. They will need a constant supply of vitamin C to stay healthy and prevent scurvy.
Boost immune system: Jackfruit is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B, and potassium magnesium. All of these will help boost the immune system of guinea pigs. Also, jackfruit has protein, which helps in the development of the immune system.
Can Baby Guinea Pigs Eat Jackfruit?
You should avoid feeding baby guinea pigs jackfruit. They are too young and their digestive system has not fully developed to digest the fruit.
Instead, you should feed baby guinea pigs Timothy hay and their mother’s milk. This should be the only diet for them until they are about 3 weeks old.
Once they are 3 weeks old, their digestive system is more developed and able to eat other foods.
You can start by giving your baby guinea pig a small piece of jackfruit. Then wait for about 24 hrs to see if they have any allergic reactions. If they do, they’ll have an upset stomach or diarrhea.
If there’s no allergic reaction, you can continue to feed them jackfruit. Only give them a small piece of jackfruit, once a week for the next 6 months.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Jackfruit Skin?
You should not feed the jackfruit skin to your guinea pigs. The skin is too tough and will be difficult for them to bite it. Also, the skin doesn’t taste very good either.
It’s best to throw the skin out and feed only the flesh of the jackfruit.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Cooked Jackfruit?
When it comes to cooked jackfruit, you should not feed them any. Guinea pigs cannot eat anything, whether it’s fruit or vegetables that have been cooked.
Also, jackfruit is usually cooked with spices and other ingredients. All of these are not safe for guinea pigs. Due to their sensitive digestive system, it will cause them health issues.
How To Prepare Jackfruit To Feed Guinea Pigs
Jackfruit will need to be prepared first before you can feed them. You’ll need to cut open the fruit and remove the aril (soft yellow flesh) from the fruit.
While cutting the fruit, it contains a white substance that’s very sticky. Make sure to wear a glove to prevent it from sticking to your hands and fingers.
After removing the aril from the fruit, tear it open to remove the seed from it. Discard the seed and cut the yellow flesh into smaller pieces.
Then place them into their bowl for them to eat.
How Much Jackfruit To Feed Guinea Pigs?
While jackfruit is a good source of vitamins and minerals, guinea pigs should only be fed a small amount.
Jackfruit has a high level of fat and sugar. In large amounts, they are unable to properly digest it.
Also, it can increase their sugar level which will result in high blood pressure and obesity.
If the guinea pigs are fed in small quantities, they should be fine and will have no health issues.
For baby guinea pigs, it’s best to not feed them any jackfruit yet. For adult guinea pigs, you can give them a whole aril. Make sure to remove the seeds from the aril first.
How Often Can A Guinea Pig Eat Jackfruit?
For guinea pigs, it’s best to feed them jackfruit once or twice a week. For example, if you’re going to feed them the fruit on Sunday, wait until Friday to feed them again.
Also, jackfruit should only make up 10% of their entire diet. The rest should come in the form of hay and quality feeds. You can give them about 1/8 cup of pellets once a day. Hay should be available to them at all times. Guinea pigs need hay to aid their digestion and limit their teeth from growing too long.
Other Fruits That Guinea Pigs Can Eat
Apples
Apples make a great treat for your guinea pigs. It’s packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and many other nutrients. However, due to their high level of sugar, you should feed them apples in moderation. Too many apples will cause them to have health problems such as high blood pressure and could lead to obesity.
Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit that’s popular since it’s nutrient-rich, yet low in calories. This fruit is only available during the summer months. When feeding dragon fruit to your guinea pigs, make sure to feed them the fruit somewhere you can clean afterward. This fruit will cause staining, and it will be difficult to remove the stain.
Mangoes
Mangoes are packed with nutrients that the guinea pigs can benefit from. While it has essential vitamins and minerals, the fruit also has a high level of sugar and water content. Both of these are harmful to guinea pigs and can cause digestive and health issues. To prevent any issues, feed the mangoes to the guinea pigs in moderation.
Conclusion
Jackfruit makes a good treat for guinea pigs due to its high amount of nutrients. However, this fruit also has a lot of sugar, which can cause guinea pigs to develop high blood pressure and also lead to obesity. To keep them safe and healthy, only feed the jackfruit to them, once or twice per week.