Can Guinea Pigs Eat Celery? – the kind of vegetable that brings with it no wasteful fat no matter how much you consume it. The fact that they are packed with antioxidants and vitamins would automatically lead one to assume that they are good for guinea pigs too.
But are they really? Can guinea pigs eat celery? This is what we will be discussing and analyzing throughout this article, so read on to find whether your guinea pig can eat it or whether he they should stay away from it!
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Celery: Healthy Combination or Not?
Can guinea pigs eat celery? This question is one of the most frequently asked questions by the owners of guinea pigs. And, to answer that question, yes, guinea pigs can eat celery. Nonetheless, before you rush over to your pet guinea pig to feed him some celery, you should be mindful of a few things.
How Celery Benefits the Health
Studies conducted on animals show that what makes celery so great for them is its inflammatory properties. These properties protect their digestion systems from inflammation. Not just that, it is also packed with flavonoids, vitamin C and at the least a number of 12 other antioxidants.
The conducted research told that the said antioxidants protected cells, blood vessels and the rest of the organ system by preventing unwanted oxidative damage to them. Due to all of its qualities, celery helps prevent cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and it is said that it also prevents bladder, colon and stomach cancer.
Furthermore building on its case, the extracts of celery help protect the liver and the digestive tract due to the admission of acrylamides. Acrylamide is a potential toxic item that upon frying, creates a reaction between amino acids and sugars.
10 Points to Keep in Minding When Feeding Your Guinea Pig Celery
- Due its high water content, too much of it can result in diarrhea and mouth sores in Guinea Pigs and it can also cause them to urinate quite often.
- The peels of the celery stalks can get trapped in their teeth, throats and intestinal tracts.
- It should be given to your guinea pig in fair levels, for instance, a couple of times a week just to make sure that they are getting a healthy balanced diet.
- Cut the celery up in long strips in order to get rid of its stringy parts, which as we read before, can get stuck in their throats
- You can also cut it up into half inch pieces in order to ensure proper ingestion
- Try to mix it with other foods to make sure that your guinea pig does not find himself too bored of his meals. Making his meals interesting for him will help him look forward to them
- Their main staple mean is Timothy hay, vitamin c covered pellets and clean water. Celery is to be considered as just a treat to them.
- Some guinea pigs may like the celery leaves better than celery itself, so do not hesitate to feed them that
- Tastes of all guinea pigs are different, while some may like it and some might not. If yours doesn’t, then it is not worrisome at all. You could instead try other veggies to find out their likes and dislikes
- Peeling the celery sticks to get rid of the strings will be worth it.
Points To Take Under Consideration When Giving Celery
It is important to keep check on your guinea pig for whether they liked the vegetable or fruit that you fed them. Understandably, it takes time for them to get used to the taste of new foods. This is most applicable to infant guinea pigs.
A favorite amongst guinea pigs is celery stalks. However, that does not mean that you feed it as is. You should chop them in small pieces that are perpendicular to the stalks and then feed those to your pet. Guinea pigs are known to have small jaws, which means that giving them long or big pieces will make it hard for them to ingest them.
This is why you should always give them their food in small pieces. Moreover, the celery strings are prone to getting lodged in their teeth, throats, and intestinal tracts.
Be it animals or humans, too much of anything can be harmful and same is the case with guinea pigs and celery. Too much of it can lead to your guinea pig having severe diarrhea. And it may not sound like too big of a side effect, but if gone on for too long, it could be fatal to them.
Remember that a guinea pig’s diet should consist mainly of hay and pellets. The fruits and the vegetables should be given carefully and not very frequently.
So, Just How Much Of It Am I Meant To Feed My Guinea Pigs?
Unlike other fruits and vegetables like apples and spinach, celery does not have too high of a fiber content. What this means is that celery fed only a couple of times a week, as a treat, is good to go, but it is not meant to be served every day. It also depends on how your pet’s body reacts to the celery.
If there are any symptoms of upcoming diarrhea, stop immediately. In order to counteract those symptoms, feed your guinea pig some hay as it is great in nutrients.
Another thing that celery may lead to due to its high content of water is frequent urination.
Feeding Your Guinea Pigs Celery
Not all guinea pigs are fans of celery, and yours might be one of them and may refuse to even come near it. However, since its nutritious properties, it is to be fed and you can mix it up other foods that your pet likes in order for him to eat it. Tricking them into eating the right foods can be beneficial to them.
Other foods that are good to be mixed with celery include baby carrots, apple slices, romain lettuce, chard or spinach. You can also use the celery leaves themselves and mix them up with any of the foods mentioned above, looking for the right tasteful combination for your pet.
A trick to understanding how he reacts to the served up food is to listen to the sounds that they make. The louder they are, the more they like it!
It is extremely essential to conduct a research on other foods that you wish to feed to your pet. Not every fruit and vegetable is edible by your pet, and it is important for you to determine which one is before having them indulge in it.
Case in point, iceberg lettuce should not be fed to pet at all costs. Do remember to serve the food in tiny pieces to keep them from choking on it.
Cooked foods are a huge no for your pet, and the same is applied to cooked celery. Seasoned foods are also to be strayed away from when it comes to guinea pigs, along with canned celery.
Think of celery as an addition, a seasoning in its own, to your pet’s salad. Again, be mindful to serve it in small volumes.
- Mix celery leaves with lettuce or other veggies.
- Slice celery stalks thinly in order to make it easier for yourself to locate and remove the strings.
- Feed it on alternate days in order to avoid repetition and keeping meals interesting for your pet.
These are some helpful tips in countering problems like excessive feeding or your guinea pig’s boredom with his meals. Adding other vegetables to celery help to make meals a little fun and something to look forward to for your pet pig.
To conclude, remember that while celery might be one of the favorites of your pet guinea pig, it is not to be served in surplus amounts for that could result in it being counterproductive for them.
Stale celery that comes with yellow or brown leaves should be avoided, and only fresh celery is to be served. A common telltale for its freshness is the crispness and snapping of it when pulled apart. Its color should range from pale to bright green and its stalks should not be jutting out.
Upon introduction of new treats to your pet, start gradually with low volumes and then slowly build them up. However, you are to increases quantities only, and only if they react positively to the food served and do not show symptoms of digestive problems.
But if they do not show any problems towards it, then continue to build on quantity, but do not overdo it. All it will take for your pet to be happy with you is a little following of these guidelines. Good luck!