Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pea Shoots?

Guinea pigs consume various types of food, especially in their natural habitats. As a pet keeper, it is essential to know what to feed and what not to feed your guinea pig to avoid food poisoning.

So, can guinea pigs eat pea shoots? Yes, guinea pigs can eat pea shoots if served in small amounts. Pea shoots are highly nutritious and rich in vitamin C, necessary for healthy growth. To avoid stomach upsets, feed pea shoots and other parts in moderation mixing with fruits and vegetables.

This article explains whether guinea pigs can eat pea shoots and their nutritional benefit to your cavy.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pea Shoots?

Yes, guinea pigs can eat pea shoots but in moderation. Since guinea pigs cannot synthesize their own vitamin C, they need to feed on plants with vitamin C, such as pea shoots.

Interestingly, guinea pigs can feed on any part of the snow pea plant but in small amounts. Being a legume, guinea pigs love feeding on these pea plant parts. As the cavy owner, regulate the amount eaten daily.

Pea shoots are considered fresh and soft hence recommended for young guinea pigs. Pea shoots should be fed while raw. Never provide pea shoots that have been frozen, salted, or even cooked, which will cause stomach complications to your cavy.

To achieve a balanced diet for your cavy, provide fruits and vegetables in their raw form for mixing with the shoots. Ensure that the food is not chemically treated, as that would be fatal to these sensitive creatures.

Things To Consider Before Feeding Pea Shoots To Guinea Pigs

For proper feeding of pea shoots, several precautions must be put in place to ensure food safety and hygiene.

To start with, ensure the shoots are fresh and clean before feeding. Remove the strings in the pea shoots to prevent possible choking while feeding. Frozen, canned, and processed shoots should not be provided to guinea pigs as they can cause stomach upsets.

Secondly, check on the amounts of shoots fed to guinea pigs. Due to its high fiber and calcium levels, provide it in small quantities and at intervals of at least one week. Alternate the shoots with other fresh vegetables, such as carrots.

Lastly, consider the harmful content of the shoots. These include the excess sugar, calcium, phosphorus, and excess water from the freshly cut sprouts. Offer alternative foods to lower the concentration of these toxic nutrients.

How Often Should Guinea Pigs Feed On Pea Shoots?

Most guinea pig owners wonder how often they should feed their pets on pea shoots. It is important to note that being okay to provide your cavy on pea shoots does not mean you make it their daily meal.

The pea plant has a lot of calcium and phosphorus, which, if consumed in excess, can lead to the formation of urinary stones in the bladder. With that in mind, pea shoots should be fed in small quantities.

One guinea pig should feed on one or two shoots per week. For the young pets, moderate the sprouts to one per week.

Please note that pea shoots should be served as a snack or treat, constituting about 7% of the meals. Hay should make 85%, while fruits and vegetables make up the remaining 8%.

If you notice some pets have fed on more than enough shoots, adjust your program to replace the shoots with other vitamin C meals.

Do Guinea Pigs Like Pea Shoots?

Generally, guinea pigs like pea shoots. However, some hate the smell and taste of the peas. Once you feed them to your cavy for the first time, you will be able to notice whether your pet likes them or not.

Since pea shoots have no appealing taste and scent, it would be better if you moderated the feeding to avoid making it a daily meal.

To eliminate the taste of the shoots, cut them and leave them overnight before feeding them to your guinea pig. Also, mix the sprouts with sweet and pleasant-smelling vegetables and fruits. You can have apples, strawberries, and lettuce to spice up the taste.

Never add any chemical additives to these shoots, as that would put your pet at risk, especially if the chemicals get into its stomach.

Are Pea Shoots Good For Guinea Pigs?

Yes. Like any other part of the snow pea plant, pea shoots are healthy for guinea pigs. However, its feeding requires moderation.

Guinea pigs benefit from a vast pool of nutrients present in the shoots. Pea shoots are rich in vitamins C, A, and K, magnesium, and potassium.

Vitamin C is essential in developing strong bones and preventing scurvy disease common in guinea pigs with vitamin C deficiency.

For the growth and development of strong teeth and limbs, guinea pigs need a lot of magnesium. Pea shoots supplement the magnesium content hence the growth of a robust and healthy cavy.

For improved digestion and metabolism, guinea pigs require vitamins K and A, which are also necessary for blood clotting. These vitamins are also available in green vegetables.

FAQs

Below are questions from the majority of the guinea pig keepers to help understand the feeding program of your cavy concerning pea shoots.

Conclusion

Guinea pigs feed on several types of foods, including fruits and vegetables. Despite having the Timothy hay as their all-time meal, guinea pigs eat snow pea shoots and leaves. The pea shoots are rich in vitamin C, which guinea pigs require for healthy growth and development. However, as much as the shoots may be nutritious, they also have calcium in excess, which is harmful to your guinea pig. Therefore, feed them in moderation and in small quantities. Mix these shoots with fruits such as strawberries and vegetables such as kale.