Can Guinea Pigs Eat Spinach?
Guinea pigs can eat spinach which includes baby spinach and the larger leaves too. But there is something in spinach that can cause a problem for guinea pigs so you need to be careful with how much spinach they are fed.
Nutrition
Vitamin C is an important nutrient for guinea pigs and spinach has about 28mg of vitamin c per 100g. That’s about double the amount you’ll find in blueberries but a lot less than a sweet yellow pepper which has 6 times more vitamin C than spinach.
Sugar content in spinach is very low. This is good because too much sugar is not good for your guinea pigs.
Spinach has quite a bit of calcium – 99mg per 100g which is less than parsley which has 138mg per 100g.
Oxalates in spinach
Spinach seems to be a great vegetable to feed your guinea pigs but there is something else we need to look at which is the oxalates or oxalic acid.
Foods that are high in oxalates can cause problems with bladder stones which is a common issue among guinea pigs. Bladder stones can cause serious pain to guinea pigs and often require an operation that involves removing the stone. Spinach is one of those vegetables that is extremely high in oxalates.
How much spinach should guinea pigs eat?
Although spinach is safe for your guinea pigs to eat and most piggies love this green leaf, due to the high oxalate content, it shouldn’t be fed to them too often or in large quantities.
Make sure spinach is fed alongside a good variety of other veggies, because variety in fresh veggies is key to keeping your guinea pigs healthy.
Can guinea pigs eat frozen or cooked spinach?
Although it may seem obvious, frozen spinach and cooked spinach are not suitable. Always feed your guinea pigs vegetables and fruits that are raw and fresh.
Nutritional information for spinach
Below is the nutritional value per 100g of spinach
- Vitamin C: 28.1 mg
- Calcium: 99 mg
- Phosphorous: 49 mg
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Sugar: 0.4 g
Very high in oxalates.