Pet owners love to give their pets treats. Even pets that aren’t going to be trained and therefore have no specific need for rewards, are now getting treats. There are a wide variety of treats available in pet stores today. These treats claim to be made for guinea pigs, but sometimes I wonder if the manufacturers really had guinea pigs in mind. Some treats seem to be more catered to the owners and what people think they would like if they were guinea pigs. Guinea pigs don’t need treats, but it’s obvious that pet owners still want to give them treats anyway. There are many healthy options that you can give your guinea pigs to satisfy your need to provide treats, and their desire for tasty things to eat.
Unhealthy Options to Avoid
There are so many unhealthy options out there. There are also treats that can be healthy in moderation, but aren’t a good idea to give frequently. I see many people buying unhealthy treats for their guinea pigs, but what finally inspired me to write this article, was actually another article about treats for guinea pigs. Fun Treats for Your Pet Guinea Pig by D. Miller is a great example of common misconceptions about guinea pig treats. Yogurt is a good example of a treat that is not meant for guinea pigs. Think about it for a minute. Guinea pigs are herbivores, but yogurt is an animal product derived from dairy. Dairy products are meant to be consumed by calves, but your guinea pig’s digestive tract is no where close to being similar to the digestive tract of a calf. If anything, your guinea pig’s digestive tract is similar to that of a horse. Treat sticks are bad news for guinea pigs and should not be given. Treat sticks contain seeds and nuts which are choking hazards, plus they are coated with honey so they have a very high sugar content. Graham crackers and cereal aren’t great choices either. Guinea pigs may not seem like they have sensitive digestive tracts, but they can suffer from quite a few problems. You don’t want to feed them grains and breads that expand in their digestive tract. You also don’t want to feed sugary foods. Feed the cereal to your children, not your guinea pigs. Dog biscuits are called dog biscuits for a reason, they are for dogs. Although dog biscuits make great treats for rats, they’re not that exciting to guinea pigs. Dandelions aren’t the worst thing in the world, but a lot of people can’t tell the difference between backyard plants that are good and those that are poisonous. If you buy dandelion greens at the store, you can feed those in moderation. If fed frequently however, these often contribute to bladder stones and sludge. Fruits are great, but only in moderation. Many fruits have a high sugar content so it’s not a good idea to feed fruits daily (I definitely wouldn’t recommend making fruits count for 10% of your piggie’s diet). Carrots also have the high sugar content problem and should only be fed in moderation. Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower should be avoided or fed in moderation as these can cause gas. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes should not be given. Iceberg lettuce doesn’t make a good treat either, as it has basically no nutritional value.
Treats Your Guinea Pigs Will Love
Now that the unhealthy options have been eliminated, let’s take a look at some treats that are actually healthy. As an added bonus, these also happen to be treats that your guinea pigs will go crazy for. These “treats” can be given daily. In fact, I’d recommend one to two cups of “treats” per day per pig. Vegetables will be your guinea pig’s favorite treats by far. I’ve fed up to four cups of vegetables per day per pig and it has never resulted in diarrhea. However, I would recommend only introducing one new veggie at a time. Cilantro seems to be the universal favorite treat for guinea pigs. I’ve never met a guinea pig who didn’t like cilantro. This seems really odd to people, as we wouldn’t likely eat cilantro plain and enjoy it. However, cilantro is a healthy treat and great for guinea pigs. Leafy green lettuces such as romaine, green leaf, and red leaf, are all excellent choices as well. Corn silk is a true treat. It probably doesn’t have a whole lot of nutrition, but it isn’t bad for guinea pigs and they absolutely love it. The best part is, you can often get this for free at the market. Red bell peppers are an excellent treat because they are high in vitamin C, which is essential to your guinea pig’s diet. Guinea pigs can get all the vitamin C they need from veggies easily, but for some owners that just isn’t reassuring enough. Luckily, there is another treat that you can give your guinea pig that contains vitamin C. Vitamin C tablets make great treats. Buy the chewable kind of vitamin C tablets from the health food store or buy tablets made specifically for guinea pigs. Split them so that the tablet is 25 to 50mg. Don’t put vitamin C drops in your pet’s water, as they’ll be less likely to drink it. Despite the reassurance you get from putting vitamin C in their water, vitamin C actually deteriorates quickly in water so it isn’t doing your pet much good (if any). If you’re worried about vitamin C, feed your piggie vitamin C tablets. In my experience, guinea pigs love vitamin C tablets and think these are candy.
Fun Ways to Feed Treats
Guinea pigs will happily just eat their food rather than play with it if you’ll let them. However, they will humor you if you wish to try some of these fun ways to give them their treats. Build a loft on your cage and make them climb up a ramp to get their treats. Stuff cilantro (or even hay) through cardboard toilet paper rolls for some fun. Crush up the vitamin C tablet portion and mix with water. Draw up the mixture and give it to your guinea pig in a 1 cc syringe. Aside from this one being fun for your guinea pig, it gets your guinea pig used to syringes. If your guinea pig should ever fall ill and need to take oral medication, it’s much easier to medicate your guinea pig if they love syringes and want to practically rip the syringe out of your hand for whatever happens to be in it. You can also make your guinea pigs walk through a maze for their treats, but don’t be surprised if this method takes them a long time. Some treats, such as red bell peppers and strawberries, have the fun after effect for owners that the guinea pig looks like a vampire.
Vegetables are a necessary part of your guinea pig’s diet, as is vitamin C. However, these are the foods that your guinea pigs really want. Vegetables also happen to be good for your guinea pigs, just like they’re good for you. Don’t forget to also feed plenty of grass hay at all times and to provide a dish of plain pellets (no seeds and other little goodies). While you may want to give unhealthy treats to your guinea pig, your guinea pig doesn’t need those. Your guinea pig will be perfectly happy with healthy treats, plus, they’ll live longer. Feed a variety of veggies and you’ll have happy piggies.
