Can Guinea Pigs Eat Sage? What Are The Benefits?
Guinea pigs are herbivores, meaning their diet consists mainly of hay, pellets, and water. Fruits and vegetables are offered to the pigs to balance their diet.
Can guinea pigs eat sage? Yes, guinea pigs can eat sage. The plant is packed with beneficial nutrients and antioxidants, including some vitamins that guinea pigs cannot create in their bodies. However, feeding your pig too much sage can lead to health problems because of the essential oils.
Before you feed your pet guinea pig some sage, read on to find out how much is enough, the plant’s benefits, and the risks of overfeeding.
Can You Feed Sage To Guinea Pigs?
Yes, you can feed sage to your guinea pigs. Sage contains several minerals that offer a variety of benefits to guinea pigs. A guinea pig cannot produce several of the vitamins that sage offers. Hence eating the plant contributes massively to the overall health of the pig.
According to Healthline, a teaspoon of sage, about 0.7g, contains the following;
- Calories – 2
- Carbohydrates – 0.4g
- Proteins – 0.1g
- Fats and oils – 0.1g
- Calcium – 10 mg
- Vitamin K – 8 micrograms
- Vitamin B6 – 0.02 mg
- Magnesium – 4 mg
- Manganese – 0.01 mg
- Iron – 0.08 mg
Carbohydrates are useful to your pig because they get broken down and converted into energy the animal uses to run around the whole day. The proteins can also be converted into energy or used to build muscles, heal wounds, and boost the immune system.
The nutrients that sage offers benefit your guinea pig in various ways, as shown in the table below;
Nutrient | Benefit |
Magnesium | Magnesium regulates metabolism. Hence it controls the amount of sugar in the blood. The mineral also helps facilitate proper muscle function. |
Manganese | Manganese is involved in many body processes like blood clotting and reproduction. It also helps a guinea pig counter stress. |
Iron | Iron is used to make hemoglobin which helps transport oxygen around the body. Iron also strengthens bones. |
Calcium | Calcium is crucial in developing strong bones for young guinea pigs. |
Vitamin K | Vitamin K is used to synthesize prothrombin, a protein that is important in blood clotting. Vitamin K also helps maintain healthy bones and supports the immune system. |
Vitamin B6 | Vitamin B6 helps your guinea pig cope with stress, boosts its immune system, and may help treat and prevent anemia. |
Since it offers so many benefits to guinea pigs and smells so nice, sage is an excellent addition to a balanced diet.
Is Sage Safe For Guinea Pigs?
Humans have used sage for centuries for medicinal purposes and in the kitchen as a spice. The plant has undergone many changes over the centuries, one being the preference for sage leaves with more essential oils since they have a better smell.
Since taking too much of sage’s essential oils is bad for guinea pigs, it is safe for the pigs as long as the servings are small and not served daily. Regarding feeding your guinea pig sage, moderation is the key.
Health Benefits Of Sage To Guinea Pigs
Sage has not only great taste and smell but also several health benefits. They include;
Better digestion
Sage has a relaxing effect on the stomach, so it can help treat many stomach-related issues. If you notice that your guinea pig has lost its appetite, feeding it a little sage should have the anima wanting to eat food.
Improves mental health
Eating sage improves mental performance, allowing your guinea pig to learn better. Another benefit is the improved mood that comes after consuming the plant.
Dental health
The antimicrobials found in sage kill microbes in the mouth, preventing the formation of dental plaque. Since a guinea pig’s teeth need to be trimmed regularly, chewing fresh sage leaves is good because it helps wear them down.
Provides antioxidants
Sage has plenty of antioxidants that prop up your guinea pig’s defenses against bacteria and other harmful microbes.
Health Risks For Guinea Pigs Eating Sage
The sage plant, especially the leaves, is known to have various essential oils. The essential oils are primarily good for your pig, but there’s a caveat – they have a compound called thujone. Thujone is toxic to guinea pigs and, if taken consistently, leads to problems such as liver failure.
Apart from having thujone, the essential oils in sage can also make your pig restless and affect its heart rate.
How Much Sage Should You Feed A Guinea Pig?
A guinea pig’s diet should predominantly comprise hay with feeds like pellets forming a small part. Sage should be part of the supplementary foods meant to balance the diet, constituting no more than 10 percent of their diet.
Two to three sage leaves per meal are enough for your pig. Also, since regularly eating the plant is bad for the pig, the frequency should be at most two times per week. After they eat, remove all the remains to avoid overeating.
Guinea pigs are highly sensitive to changes in their diet, and they become sick whenever there is a slight imbalance of nutrients. Hence, when introducing feeds like sage, do it gradually.
Related Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about feeding guinea pigs sage.
1. Can guinea pigs eat fresh sage leaves?
Since they are herbivores, guinea pigs can eat fresh sage leaves. However, you must ensure they don’t consume too much sage because that can lead to health problems. Two to three leaves at a time should be more than enough for your pet pig.
2. Can guinea pigs have sage leaves?
Guinea pigs can eat all parts of a sage plant, including the leaves. The leaves are among the easiest parts of the plant to feed your pig because you can count them to avoid overfeeding.
The Bottom Line
Sage contains high amounts of Vitamin K and B6, which is great for your guinea pig since it can’t produce these vitamins in its body. Its high nutritional content, savory taste, and great smell make sage the perfect treat for your pig.
Though sage is highly beneficial, you shouldn’t feed your pig daily. The essential oils that give the plant a good smell contain a chemical called thujone, which is toxic to pigs when consumed regularly.
References:
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sage#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/key-minerals-to-help-control-blood-pressure/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8780346/