Crispy and crunchy celery stalks are a delight for everyone, be it human or animals, because of their taste and health benefits. Celery makes a healthy diet for many animals including goats, rabbits and parakeets. But you must be wondering, can guinea pigs eat celery?
A big YES! Celery is a healthy snacking option for guinea pigs if served twice a week in small amounts. Most guinea pig owners consider celery a safe and nutritious food option for their guinea pigs.
Moreover, the low sugar content and anti-inflammatory qualities of celery are perfect for the sensitive digestive systems of guinea pigs.
Now that you know that you can feed guinea pigs raw celery, you must be wondering – can they eat the whole part? Let’s read more below!
Table of Contents
Can Guinea Pigs Eat the Whole Celery?
No, guinea pigs cannot eat the whole celery. Celery should be introduced carefully to your guinea pigs to see their response to this new dietary supplement. Make sure to start off slow.
You might also be curious to know whether or not guinea pigs can eat different parts of celery. There are some parts which guinea pigs cannot consume. Let’s discuss which parts of celery are safe and which are dangerous for guinea pigs.
Also Read: Can guinea pigs eat apples?
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Celery Leaves?
Yes, guinea pigs can eat celery leaves. Celery leaves are easier to chew and digest as compared to celery stalks, which are way more crunchier. Celery leaves are like any other leafy vegetable or lettuce.
You should serve small amounts of celery leaves to your cavies as they are rich in oxalates. Large amounts of oxalates can cause kidney and urinary problems.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Celery Stalks?
Yes, you can feed celery stalks to your guinea pigs. However, it’s advisable to feed them only one-sixth of a stalk to provide them with the necessary nutrients.
Since stalks are hard and crunchy, you should serve them to your cavy in moderation. When served in small proportions, celery stalks act as a great source of hydration for your guinea pigs.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Celery Roots?
Yes, guinea pigs can eat celery roots as they are edible. However, you should serve them celery roots in small quantities just like its other parts. Since celery roots are rich in starch, feeding them large amounts of celery roots can be risky for your pet.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Celery Peel?
No, it’s not advisable to feed celery peel to guinea pigs. Celery peels are basically thin strands that form their outer covering. They are unpalatable and difficult to chew. They can also choke guinea pigs by getting stuck in their necks. Therefore, you should avoid giving celery peel to them.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Celery Strings?
No, guinea pigs cannot eat celery strings. Most people prefer removing celery strings before serving them to their pets. Celery strings can get stuck in the neck of guinea pigs and can cause choking. Therefore, it’s better to avoid serving guinea pigs with celery strings.
Can You Feed Your Guinea Pigs Celery Every day?
No, it’s strictly not recommended to feel celery to your guinea pigs every day. Celery does have some major health benefits for guinea pigs as they are rich in vitamins and other nutrients, but only when served in moderation.
Feeding guinea pigs celery every day can cause health risks like diarrhea, urinary and kidney problems, and bladder stones. At best, keep it once or twice a week for your pet’s proper health.
Can Celery Kill Guinea Pigs?
No, celery is not toxic for guinea pigs. Your guinea pig will definitely not die after consuming celery, so don’t worry. However, like discussed before, feeding your guinea pigs celery every day can cause major health problems like bladder stones.
But before discussing the health issues, let’s talk about the health benefits of feeding celery to your guinea pigs.
Health Benefits of Celery for Guinea Pigs
There are numerous health benefits of celery for guinea pigs if served in the right amount. Let’s have a look at them one by one.
- Good for your guinea pig’s digestive system:
Low-sugar content of celery ( one gram in 40 grams of stalk) is good for your guinea pig’s digestive system. Moreover, its high fibre content is also good for a smooth bowel movement in guinea pigs.
- Rich in Nutrients:
Celery is rich in Vitamin A and C. It also has substantial amounts of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. All these nutrients are good for the bone health and strength of your guinea pigs. Celery helps them stay active and full of energy.
- Promotes good eyesight:
Celery helps in promoting good vision in guinea pigs since it is a good source of vitamin A. With time, the eyes of guinea pigs start degenerating leading to poor vision. However, a diet rich in vitamin A can help improve their eyesight and prevent it from degeneration.
- Helps reduce inflammation:
Celery is high in antioxidants, and therefore, it helps reduce inflammation. Antioxidants help in reducing inflammation by regenerating or repairing damaged cells.
- Boosts Immune System:
Since celery is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, it helps guinea pigs to fight diseases better by improving their immune system.
The antioxidants present in celery help in repairing the damaged cells and tissues and also improve the blood flow. Proper blood circulation ensures the good cardiovascular health of guinea pigs.
- Rich in Fiber:
Celery is a good source of dietary fiber. Since it is rich in fiber, the digestion process becomes easy for your guinea pigs. As a result, they will have a strong digestive tract.
Apart from the health benefits of celery, you must also know some of the major health risks of celery for the safety of your guinea pigs. To help you take care of your cavies better, we have come up with the major diseases that can occur due to excess celery consumption.
Risks in Feeding Guinea Pigs Tomatoes
- Diarrhea:
Serving celery every day to your guinea pigs is bad for their health. Since celery has high fiber content, it can result in wet and runny stool in guinea pigs if they are fed celery in large amounts. To prevent their stomach from getting upset, it’s better to keep the quantity limited.
- Urinary Issues:
Your guinea pig can also face urinary issues as celery is rich in calcium and oxalic acids. Therefore, make sure you don’t feed your cavies large amounts of celery.
- Bladder Stones:
Large servings of celery can also cause bladder stones in guinea pigs because celery is rich in calcium and oxalic acids. Both these things result in the formation of stones in the bladder of guinea pigs.
PRO TIP: To avoid skin-related and other issues, do not forget to wash celery properly before serving it to your little piggies. Celery may be exposed to pesticides and other chemicals, therefore, it’s important that you wash it properly under running water to prevent any skin allergies or reactions in guinea pigs.
How To Prepare Celery For Guinea Pigs:
Preparing celery for guinea pigs is no rocket science. However, if you are clueless about how to prepare celery for guinea pigs, follow these simple steps.
Step 1: Firstly, you have to gather celery for your guinea pigs. Prefer buying fresh celery from organic stores and grocery shops. While buying, take note that the celery leaves are fresh, green, and undamaged. Pick the best ones to feed your cavies.
Step 2: Once you are done with gathering celery, the next step is to wash celery properly under running tap water to remove dust and other chemicals. Make sure you wash your veggies thoroughly to make them safe for your guinea pigs.
Step 3: After washing the celery properly, it’s time to rinse them to remove excess water. You can put them in a separator or simply drain the water in your kitchen basin.
Step 4: The next step is to remove strings as celery strings can choke guinea pigs. You can also remove any damaged leaves or stalks.
Step 5: Remember we discussed feeding small quantities of celery to guinea pigs? Here, comes the step where you need to slice celery stalks and leaves into small pieces so that guinea pigs can easily eat them. It’s preferable to cut small bite-sized pieces for easy digestion.
Step 6: Once your guinea pig finishes its celery treat, it’s time to wipe the area with a wet cloth to prevent the breeding of germs.
TAKE NOTE: If your piggy gets bored of eating celery, you can also mix small slices of celery with lettuce salad to make it interesting for your pets. Or you can mix it with other veggies to offer something new to eat to your guinea pigs.
What kind of Celery Can Guinea Pigs Eat?
There are different varieties of celery available in the market. You must be wondering what kind of celery you can serve to your little pets. This is important to know for the better health of your guinea pigs.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Celery Lettuce?
Yes, guinea pigs can eat celery lettuce. Guinea pigs can easily munch on celery lettuce as they are soft unlike celery stalks and stems. Furthermore, they have many important nutrients as well. However, make sure you serve them celery lettuce in small quantities to prevent bladder stones in your guinea pigs.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Leaf Celery?
Yes, guinea pigs can eat leaf celery. Leaves are the best part of celery, and guinea pigs love eating them.
They make a healthy snacking option too if served in limited quantities. However, take note that celery leaves contain oxalates that can cause urinary issues and bladder stones in guinea pigs if served in large quantities or daily.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Celeriac?
Yes, guinea pigs can eat celeriac or celery roots as they are commonly called. However, you should be aware that celery roots are brown in colour and lump-like, and thus, they don’t look so appealing.
Because of their appearance, many guinea pig owners avoid serving celeriac to them. It, however, doesn’t mean that guinea pigs cannot eat celeriac. It’s absolutely safe for them.
What Other Vegetables Can My Guinea Pigs Eat Besides Celery?
Are you thinking about what other vegetables you can feed to your guinea pigs? If yes, have a look at the table below.
| Cucumber | Kale | Carrots | Broccoli |
| Basil | Cauliflower | Spinach | Asparagus |
| Green Beans | Cilantro | Dandelions | Green Turnips |
| Bell Peppers | Zucchini | Corn | Tomatoes |
RELATED QUESTIONS:
How Much Celery Should I Give My Guinea Pig?
You should always give small amounts of celery to your guinea pigs. Make sure you cut celery into small pieces before serving them to your piggies.
How Often Can Guinea Pigs Eat Celery?
Ideally, you should give celery once or twice a week to your guinea pigs. If served at recommended frequency, it will prove to be extremely beneficial for your pet’s health. You should strictly avoid giving celery as a daily dietary supplement to guinea pigs.
Does Celery Give Guinea Pigs Gas?
Yes, celery can give guinea pigs gas and cause bloating if served in large amounts. This happens because celery is rich in fiber. However, you can prevent gas by serving them the right amount of celery, that is in moderation.
Final Thoughts
Celery is a good source of nutrients for guinea pigs. It’s packed with important minerals and vitamins and also calcium, phosphorus, potassium. Moreover, celery stems can keep your guinea pigs hydrated as they have high water content.
However, you need to be cautious about the right amount. Excess celery can prove to be bad for the health of guinea pigs. It can cause various health-related issues if not served in moderation.
Do follow all the instructions given in this article carefully before feeding celery to your guinea pigs.
Also, feel free to share what other veggies your guinea pigs love eating.