Can Guinea Pigs Eat Cucumber?

Cucumbers are a very safe food to feed Guinea Pigs and although they're not very high in nutritional value, guinea pigs are in love with them. Because they need a high water content (95%), it's one of the best vegetables to feed them when the weather is extremely hot as they find it refreshing.

If you want to feed you Guinea Pig with cucumbers you should slice the cucumber or make cubes from it. You also should include the skin, flesh, and seeds - it's all safe for your pet to eat. We tend to cube our cucumber as our piggies have a habit of picking them up in their little hands/feet and going around the edge to eat the skin! Then they'll sometimes leave the center. There's probably more nutrition within the skin so a minimum of they're choosing the most effective bit! 

In general, Guinea pig’s diet consist in 80% hay, 10-15% of vegetables, treats, and pellets cover the remainder 5-10%.

Serving a good quantity of food ensures that they get adequate vitamins and minerals which hay alone cannot provide. Although the staple a part of their diet is hay; Vegetables in their diet also play a significant role. 

Serving our guinea pigs with 5-6 different vegetables on a daily basis shall ensure they need a spread of food to dilapidate the identical time they'll get all the vitamins and minerals their body needs.

We can give our guinea pigs a combination of salads like cucumber, carrot, lettuce, Zucchini, or bell peppers. Having a healthy mix is important for your guinea pigs.

Nutrition In Cucumber?

Cucumber is a wonderful treat for your guinea pigs. Cucumber is 95% made of water and trace amounts of vitamins and minerals which makes it a healthy treat for your guinea pigs. 

Cucumber contains a trace amount of antioxidant, fat-soluble vitamin and antihemorrhagic factor in it. These vitamins are an important part of the diet because it helps in improving their system, Improving their eyesight and cardiovascular health.

Cucumber also contains an adequate amount of calcium and phosphorous in it which is useful within the proper development of bones and teeth within the body. Calcium is additionally vital in young and pregnant guinea pigs for the right growth of their body.

Cucumber also contains over 95% of the water which helps keep the body hydrated within the summer heat. It also includes a trace amount of fiber which helps in maintaining the system of the body.

A study also claims that eating cucumber with its peel helps in maintaining adequate blood glucose levels within the body. Serving the skin is a wonderful choice because it is helpful against diabetes.

Is cucumber bad for guinea pigs?

No, cucumbers are not bad for our guinea pig’s health if you feed it carefully. However, if we exceed the suggested serving quantity regularly, then it should do more harm than good to our guinea pigs. 

As the same as zucchini cucumber, it also belongs to the summer squash family. It contains a part called cucurbitacins. This element is chargeable for the bitter taste in cucumber in some occasions.

Although cucurbitacins don't seem to be harmful in small volume; if consumed in high quantity it will be toxic for Guinea pigs. Overfeeding cucurbitacins often ends up in an imbalance within the gastrointestinal system thus resulting in diarrhea.

Cucumber seeds also contain cucurbitacins and fatty acids. These compounds are diuretic in nature which suggests consuming them in high quantity can cause more frequent urination. Thus, resulting in loss of electrolytes and water from the body and severe dehydration in fatal cases.

Cucumber available in grocery stores is commonly coated with wax and other chemicals while they're growing. These chemicals are wont to prevent pests and transit damage in cucumbers.

If we serve these styles of cucumber to our guinea pigs without properly treating them, then it'd do lots of harm to our guinea pig’s health.

Also, cucumbers might cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea for some guinea pigs if you're feeding them with more than the suggested quantity.

Although this may be treated easily by serving them with hay and scaling down on veggies for some days, it's best suggested to assist cucumber only in limited quantity to our guinea pigs.

Guinea Pig Health

Vitamin C is really one in every of the foremost important vitamins a guinea pig needs. similar to people, guinea pigs cannot create this vitamin on their own, and thus must obtain it from an out of doors source.

If guinea pigs don't regularly consume ascorbic acid, it can quickly result in a health condition called scurvy! This one is often a very common disease that sailors on long voyages get after they failed to eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables during their journey.

Symptoms of scurvy include a scarcity of energy, slow wound healing, loss of appetite, weight loss, and diarrhea.

Furthermore, if the guinea pig also has other deficiencies, more serious symptoms can occur, like muscle death. Sadly, if this condition is left untreated, it's often deadly.

If you notice any of these symptoms in your guinea pigs, it's important to go with them to the vet immediately. Your vet can recommend and prescribe dietary changes to get rid of the deficiency.

Can Baby Guinea Pigs Eat Cucumbers?

Baby guinea pigs will get the best start in life if they have access to their mother’s milk.

So can guinea pigs eat cucumbers after they are pups?

Particularly for the primary three to 6 weeks, the baby guinea pig will nurse and there's no need to feed your little piggie with cucumber.

However, after the primary week, baby guinea pigs are going to be ready to munch on some grass or small pieces of leafy greens. Until your guinea pig is eating a full, solid diet, it's best to avoid giving them cucumber just in case they suffer from a stomach upset.