Fruit Can Guinea Pigs eat Apple slices?

[iwish16]

Hi! I have a guinea pig, and I feed him a few shreds of carrots every day. Now, I decided to give him some fruits. I don't have ANY other types of fruits other than apples. So (i can't use a knife very well, just saying!) I try to cut a little chunk from the apple. I am really bad at cutting off the skin of the apple, so - can guinea pigs eat the apple slice WITH the skin still on it?

 

[Sl and S]

guinea pigs need a variety in their diet and carrots and apples isnt going to cut it. apples can only be feed rarely bc it can cause sores on the mouth. if you go to the nutrition section there's a sticky with a chart and what veggies you can feed and when. i doubt the skin would do anything.

 

[kittymalone]

Yes, they can eat apples but not very often, more as an occasional treat. Take a look at this chart, it will answer any questions you might have about what you can feed them and how often. It's great! I have a copy printed out that I carry with me to the grocery store.
https://www.guineapigcages.com/threads/22156/

They can eat apples with the skin and carrots (these should be kept to a minimum, too). Staples of my pigs diet include red leaf lettuce, cilantro, and green pepper daily. I buy small quantities of some other things on the chart and feed sparingly. As long as they are getting the above mentioned veggies, they should be good (especially the green pepper which is high in vitamin c) and then add in the other things for variety. Once you get the hang of it, it's very easy!

 

[bpatters]

He doesn't need fruit except for a small treat occasionally. Sugar upsets a guinea pig's intestines and can cause real problems for them. But if you give him a small slice once a week, he can have it with the skin on or off.

Here's what he needs to be healthy:

1) Long strand grass hay (timothy, orchard, blue, meadow, brome) ALL THE TIME -- as much as he will eat. That will keep food moving through his system and keep his teeth ground down, saving you hundreds of dollars in guinea pig dental bills.

2) A cup of veggies every day, spread out throughout the day if you can manage that. Good staples for him are red or green leaf lettuce and bell pepper (about 1/4 of a small pepper per day). Herbs are good -- they usually adore cilantro and dill, but basil and thyme are also ok. One baby carrot per day is the limit on carrots -- they have too much vitamin A to be given in large quantities. A slice of tomato (or a grape tomato) is good. They can also have squash, a couple of green beans, endive, parsley (if they're over six months, limit that, because it's very high in calcium).

3) 1/8 - 1/4 cup of a good quality pellet per day (1/4 if they're under six months, 1/8 if they're over). Don't buy anything with colored bits, nuts or seeds in it. Just plain alfalfa pellets (if he's less than six months) or plain timothy pellets (if he's over six months). Depending on where you are, pellets ordered from (broken link removed) are absolutely the freshest to be found. Oxbox pellets can be purchased from pet stores.

Read this thread for what your pig can be fed and how often: https://www.guineapigcages.com/threads/22156/.