Can Guinea Pigs Eat Cucumbers?
Guinea pigs can eat cucumber but is it safe to give them the skin and the seeds of this salad vegetable and what nutrition does it provide for them?.
In fact, the skin or peel of a vegetable is often where vitamins and minerals are more concentrated and the skin is also the most fibrous part of the cucumber. These are very good reasons to feed this vegetable with the skin on because guinea pigs need plenty of fiber in their diet and the cucumber skin is really good for them.
Of course, organic is always better but it is usually more expensive so if you can’t buy organic just give the skin a good wash first.
Some seeds are not suitable for guinea pigs but the seeds of a cucumber are safe for them to eat.
Baby cucumbers can also be fed whole to guinea pigs.
Nutrition in cucumbers
Cucumbers are low in sugar which is good but they are also high in water and quite low in vitamin C and fiber so although it is fine to feed a few times a week to your guinea pigs, don’t give them large quantities.
A half inch chunk is plenty as part of their daily veggie portion.
When feeding cucumber as part of their daily veg, make sure they get a good variety of other less watery veggies mixed in with it. Some less watery veggies are pumpkin, mint, parsnip, dandelions, parsley, basil, kale, fennel and sweet bell pepper.
If the weather is very hot, cucumber can be a great veggie to feed your guinea pigs as it will help keep them hydrated. But never feed in large amounts even during a heatwave.
Nutritional information for cucumbers
Below is the nutritional value per 100g of cucumber
- Vitamin C: 2.8mg
- Calcium: 16 mg
- Phosphorous: 24 mg
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Sugar: 1.7 g