Guinea pigs love to eat a wide range of fruits in their diet. While proper nutrition is important for our cavy friends, you must be aware of what you feed your pets.
I’ve recently watched a video of a hamster eating kiwi. This makes me wonder, can guinea pigs eat kiwi fruit too?
Yes. Guinea pigs can eat kiwi fruit. Kiwi is rich in Vitamin C, making the fruit good for preventing scurvy in guinea pigs.
However, since the fruit also has a high content of fructose or sugar, it is best if you feed them in moderation.
I highly recommend giving your cavies kiwi once or twice a week.
It is now clear that guinea pigs can eat kiwi in moderation. However, as pet owners, it is important to understand what other parts of the kiwi they can eat.
Let’s find out more about this below!
Table of Contents
What Parts of Kiwi Can Guinea Pigs Eat?
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Kiwi Skin or Husk?
No. Kiwi skin or husk is not an ideal part for feeding a guinea pig. The slimy and rough texture of kiwi skin tends to choke our cavy friends when they try to swallow it.
Some people may suggest washing the kiwi skin thoroughly before serving it. However, I have observed that kiwi skin doesn’t provide any nutrition.
In addition, it is difficult to remove the pesticides from kiwi skin, even after thorough washing. The slimy skin of kiwi absorbs all pesticides and chemicals, making it harmful for your cavies.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Kiwi Seeds?
Yes. Guinea pigs can easily eat kiwi seeds. Kiwi seeds are soft seeds, similar to tomatoes or blueberries.
However, while you provide your cavies with kiwi fruits along with seeds, you must remember that not every seed is suitable for guinea pigs.
Watermelon, apple, or papaya seeds being rough can lead to throat injury in guinea pigs. Even kiwi seeds can be harmful if your cavy is too small.
Therefore, you must feed seeds to your cavies at your own risk!
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Kiwi Leaves?
Yes. Kiwi leaves can be a treat for your guinea pigs, but you should feed them in moderation. I suggest that you mix chopped kiwi leaves with other veggies while making a fresh salad for your cavy.
Even the kiwi leaves are rich in Vitamin C and fructose. Hence, you shouldn’t feed these leaves to your guinea pigs more than a couple of times a week.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Kiwi Core?
Yes. Guinea pigs can eat kiwi core, but only as a special treat. The kiwi core is perhaps the most nutritious and tasty part of the fruit. Guinea pigs enjoy eating the core.
But it is better to avoid frequent feeding of the core to your guinea pig as the sugar content of the core is very high.
So, if you are planning to feed the kiwi core to your guinea pigs, I would recommend removing the skin and chopping up the entire fruit (with seeds) into small bits and feeding it to your guinea pigs.
Nutritional Value of Kiwi
Kiwi, or the Chinese gooseberry, is a highly nutritious fruit. The antioxidant benefit of the fruit is highly appreciated among fruit lovers. Though the fruit is quite tasty, your cavy friends may or may not like its takes.
Here we have the nutrient content of kiwi per the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Nutrient data.
| Nutrients | Amount per 100g of kiwi fruit |
| Water | 83.9 g |
| Protein | 1.06 g |
| Total Fat or Lipid | 0.44 g |
| Carbohydrates | 14 g |
| Total dietary fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar (inclusive of NLEA) | 8.99 g |
| Calcium | 35 mg |
| Magnesium | 16mg |
| Potassium | 198 mg |
| Phosphorus | 34 mg |
| Sodium | 5 mg |
| Iron | 0.24 mg |
| Zinc | 0.14 mg |
| Copper | 0.134 mg |
| Vitamin C | 74.7 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.061 mg |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 4 µg |
| Beta Carotene | 52 µg |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 40.3 µg |
| Vitamin E (Alpha-tocopherol) | 1.3 mg |
| Energy | 58 Kcal |
Benefits Kiwi on Guinea Pigs
Fruits, like kiwi, are an essential source of Vitamin C in guinea pigs. Kiwi contains ingredients like Vitamin C, calcium, etc., for guinea pigs’ health in abundance.
There are several health benefits of kiwi on guinea pigs if fed in moderation.
1. Scurvy Prevention and Improves Immunity:
Like humans, guinea pigs also don’t produce Vitamin C in their bodies naturally. But they do require a lot of Vitamin C for their health.
Our cavy friends have a daily requirement of about 25-40 mg of Vitamin C in their body for their immune functions, scurvy prevention, etc.
Kiwi serves as an important source of Vitamin C to guinea pigs.
A 100g of kiwi fruit can supply approximately 74.7 mg of Vitamin C. Serving kiwi fruit to your cavy friend once a week can do twice the work of oranges of similar quantity.
So, we can say that kiwi fruit, being rich in Vitamin C-
- Prevents scurvy
- Improves the immunity system
- Improves health and increases the life-span of guinea pigs
2. Improves in Digestion:
The enzyme and fiber combination together works to improve digestion in guinea pigs.
Weekly consumption of kiwi prevents digestive problems by providing your pig’s digestive system with the necessary dietary fiber and digestive enzymes.
3. Reduces the Potential of Cancer in Guinea Pigs:
Kiwis being high in antioxidants works like a miracle in preventing many diseases in guinea pigs.
The antioxidants present in the fruit cures oxidative stress occurring in your cavy and prevent cancer, especially the ones in the colon.
Oxidative stress in guinea pigs leads to DNA alteration that links to colon cancer.
Guinea pigs, like their humans, can develop cancer and the best way to prevent it is to provide your pets with a weekly-once diet of kiwi.
4. Prevents Blood Loss in Guinea Pigs:
The Vitamin K present in Kiwi fruits promotes blood clotting and prevents excess outflow of blood flow in guinea pigs.
However, guinea pigs gather their required amount of Vitamin K from different vegetable sources. Therefore, Vitamin K deficiency is rare in cavies.
5. Presence of Calcium, Potassium, and Phosphorus:
Kiwi contains calcium and phosphorus in a decent quantity that helps in developing strong bones and healthy teeth in guinea pigs.
Can you imagine a guinea pig with a broken incisor?
Weekly consumption of kiwi ensures protection of your teeth from scurvy.
Potassium, on the other hand, prevents bladder stones and calcification. It is one of the major ingredients in kiwi fruits that prevent cholesterol in the blood.
How Often Can Guinea Pigs Eat Kiwi?
Experts suggest that you should feed kiwi fruit twice or a maximum of thrice to cavies in one week.
it is rich in minerals and vitamins, making it a great source of healthy food. However, excess feeding of gooseberries can lead to several health issues.
Kiwis contain sugar or fructose in high quantities, which can lead to obesity, diabetes, and even stomach aches. Therefore, you should feed kiwi in moderation.
How much Kiwi can Guinea Pigs Eat?
I recommend serving 1-2 bite-size small kiwi slices, once or twice a week. You can, however, change the kiwi frequency in your cavy’s diet to maintain a balance in their diet.
When you feed kiwi fruit to your guinea pig, keep in mind that you should feed it in moderation to your cavy friends.
The best way to achieve moderation is by serving a balanced diet to your cavies. You must serve the right quantity and right parts of the fruit such that your guinea pigs get the maximum benefit from it.
Risk in Feeding Guinea Pigs Kiwi
Anything fed in excess to guinea pigs has a risk associated with it. Though kiwi is rich in minerals and vitamins, it affects your pigs’ health when you feed them too much.
Let’s take a look at the possible risks of feeding kiwi:
1. May Cause Bladder Problems
While the high phosphorus and calcium content in kiwi fruit is extremely beneficial for young and pregnant guinea pigs, it can harm an old cavy.
Excessive consumption of calcium from kiwi can lead to bladder stones in guinea pigs, thus affecting their urination and causing pain.
2. Obesity and Diabetes:
The most important risk kiwi fruit pose is the sugar content. The high level of sugar in kiwi leads to several alarming diseases like stomach ache, diarrhea, diabetes, and obesity.
That is why I recommend feeding kiwi fruit in moderation to your guinea pigs.
A maximum of two to three times feeding in a week is sufficient to provide them with the necessary nutrients.
How to Serve Kiwi to Guinea Pigs?
You should follow the following steps while serving kiwi to your guinea pigs.
Step 1: Choose Fresh Kiwis only:
The first step of kiwi serving includes choosing the right type of kiwi for your cavies. While selecting a kiwi fruit, look for a fresh and ripe one.
Feeding fresh and ripe kiwi to guinea pigs is important to avoid digestive problems from eating stale and unripe ones.
Step 2: Wash the Fruit Carefully
Fruits bought from grocery stores may contain pesticides and harmful chemicals. It’s always best that you wash kiwis with clean running water.
I recommend washing it at least twice to ensure the safety of your guinea pigs.
Step 3: Peel of the Skin:
We already know that the kiwi skin can lead to choking in guinea pigs. Though they can eat kiwi skin, I would recommend peeling off the skin for safety.
Step 4: Preparing Kiwi for Feeding:
Once you have removed the skin from the kiwi fruit, you need to slice it into 4 small-sized bits for easy digestion.
You can remove the seeds from the fruit after cutting it into pieces. But it is not an essential part.
Step 5: Feeding Kiwi to Guinea Pigs:
Once you have prepared the food, it is time to serve it to your cavies. It is best to feed them not more than one or two slices of kiwi in one meal.
Serve them two kiwis from the four parts you cut and keep the rest for the next day.
Step 6: Cage Cleaning:
The final step of serving kiwi to your cavy requires cleaning the cage. Don’t forget an unclean cage leads to bacterial and fungal growths.
Once your guinea pig has finished eating the kiwi slices, remove all remnants of the fruit from the cage. An unclean cage leaves a bad smell and attracts flies.
What Type of Kiwi Can Guinea Pigs Eat?
When we buy kiwis, we get a few varieties in the market. Before you serve them to your cavies, let’s find out if all the types are safe for them.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Sungold Kiwi?
Yes. Cavies can eat Sungold or simply golden kiwi fruits.
Though the Vitamin C content of golden kiwis is higher than that of green kiwis, you can feed golden kiwis in very small quantities to your guinea pigs.
I have observed that guinea pigs like golden kiwis in particular. But you must never increase their weekly serving of golden kiwi and over-feed you cavy to keep them happy.
Your guinea pig can be cute and persuasive about treats.
But as a pet owner, I recommend staying firm and serving golden kiwis not more than once or twice a week, in small quantities only.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Green Kiwi?
Yes. Green kiwi is the most common form of kiwi provided to cavies. Though your cavies love small treats, not all will love to have green kiwis.
It is best to provide them with small quantities of green kiwi at a time and observe them for reactions.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Dried Kiwi?
No. Cavies can’t eat dried kiwi fruit. The outer coating of dried kiwi fruits is always covered in granular sugar.
The fruit itself is very sweet, and the sugar coating of the dried version makes it worse for a guinea pig’s health.
You must always avoid feeding dried and sugar-coated fruits to your cavies. Feeding sugar-rich treats to guinea pigs leads to serious diseases and obesity.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Frozen Kiwi?
No. Guinea pigs can’t eat anything frozen, including kiwi. Frozen fruits and vegetables are bad for their health as they are too hard and cold for guinea pigs.
Serving raw and fresh fruits is the best choice for your cavies.
What Other Types of Fruits Can Guinea Pigs Eat (Kiwi Alternatives)?
If you are looking for kiwi alternatives for your guinea pigs, there are a lot of healthy snacking options. Each of these fruits is similarly delicious as kiwi and is rich in vitamins and minerals.
Let’s take a look at these fruits below:
READ ALSO: CAN GUINEA PIGS EAT BLACKBERRIES?
| Peaches | Banana | Mango | Cantaloupe or Rockmelon |
| Orange | Strawberry | Peach | Papaya |
| Pear | Apple | Nectarines | Pumpkin |
Final Thoughts
In this article, we have learned that guinea pigs can eat kiwi fruit but only in moderation. Though kiwi is rich in vitamins and minerals, the high sugar content of the food makes it unhealthy for cavies who consume too much.
While preparing the kiwi fruit for your cavies, it is best to remove the skin, cut the pulp in small slices, and give small quantities from it to your piggies once or twice a week.
Over-feeding kiwi to your guinea pigs can have severe health issues like diabetes, diarrhea, obesity, digestive problems, etc.
If you find this article helpful, share it with your guinea pig-lover friends!
