Guinea pigs are smaller rodents who are extremely cute and cuddly.They are herbivorous in nature and spend most of their time eating hay and veggies. They also eat other items like fruits to meet their nutrient requirements.Guinea pigs are easy to feed animals that cause no problems while feeding. Moreover, guinea pigs are all-time hungry animals. They need a continuous supply of food so that they can kill their hunger.Guinea pigs generally eat hay and vegetables. Hay takes around 70% of their daily diet, and vegetables take around 20-25 %. The rest, 5-10 %, is fulfilled by complimentary treats. Some owners feed mushrooms to their guinea pigs thinking it will help to reduce their hunger. Well, the mushroom is not harmful to guinea pigs but vet doctors generally tell them to avoid this particular food. Let’s find out why mushrooms are not recommended by doctors!Hope you liked the read! If yes then you will also like our facts on can guinea pigs eat corn and can guinea pigs eat grapes.Can guinea pigs have raw mushrooms?As guinea pigs eat lots of veggies and fruits, owners sometimes think that it is OK to feed their guinea pigs mushrooms and sometimes mushroom soup. Eating mushrooms is OK but according to vet doctors and other experts, mushrooms aren’t included in their diet at all. Different type of mushroom is available where some mushrooms are safe and others can cause allergies.To answer this question that is ‘can guinea pigs have raw mushrooms’, the answer is simply ‘yes’. But behind this simple ‘yes’, there are a lot of complexities hidden. It is true that guinea pigs eat mushroom but first of all, remember that mushroom doesn’t get included in their natural diet. However, you can give them mushroom to eat but make sure it is raw. Mushrooms like button mushrooms, white mushrooms, and portobello mushrooms are safe for guinea pigs and can be served raw. A lot of unaware owners serve their guinea pigs cooked mushrooms like mushroom soup. Never do that! Guinea pigs are delicate small beings who cannot eat cooked food. Eating cooked food can cause severe health problems like food poisoning and symptoms of vomiting as guinea pigs can’t digest cooked food. However, mushrooms have less nutritional value for guinea pigs. Vet doctors and other experts tell not to generally feed mushrooms to guinea pigs. Still, people can feed mushrooms to their guinea pigs but only in a little quantity. Guinea pigs eat mushrooms as a complement to their regular diet. Mushrooms mainly contain water, carbohydrates, protein, and very little fat. There are no vitamin c or fiber available so mushrooms are less helpful if compared to other foods like vegetables and fruits.Benefits Of Mushrooms For Guinea PigsIt is a common question that every guinea pig owner asks that can guinea pigs eat mushrooms. The answer is yes they can. Mushrooms are not that nutritional or helpful in their diet but they cause no harm to their system as well. You can readily give them white, button mushrooms that are not toxic and cause no harm. Remember the serving amount should be little.To be very honest, there are no major health benefits of mushrooms. Guinea pigs eat mushrooms just to fill their tummy. It has no essential nutrients present in it that are very much important for guinea pigs. Mushrooms contain mainly water. Around 90% of a mushroom is water only. The rest part contains protein, carbs, and very little fat. None of these nutrients are essential to guinea pigs for maintaining a healthy life. However, mushrooms do contain very little fiber in them also so eating mushrooms in large quantities can help. Vets prefer the serving amount of mushrooms to be less. And it is not that important also to feed them mushrooms. So what to feed them to keep them healthy? Well, guinea pigs are easy to keep pets who cause no tantrums while feeding. The two most important nutrients needed to keep guinea pigs healthy and glowing are fiber and vitamin c. They need other minerals like calcium and potassium but in very few amounts. Vitamin C keeps them healthy and going by strengthening their immune system. Guinea pigs are also prone to scurvy and consuming vitamin c in good quantity keeps scurvy away from them. Fiber on the other hand keeps their digestive system strong. Dietary fiber is known for taking care of the digestive health in humans also. It might sound a bit yucky but dietary fiber helps in keeping the bowel healthy. Fiber absorbs water and provides weight and size to the poop. This weight and size help in quickly throwing it out of the body. It is also known that fiber speeds up the digestion process. Guinea pigs are very delicate and are prone to several health problems. While feeding them, always keep in mind to never give them food that is high in calcium or at least has more calcium compared to vitamin c that is present in that food. Calcium is needed in their body when they are very young for the good formation of bones and teeth. But gradually when they grow up, the requirement for calcium becomes very low. Consuming calcium in high quantities can be extremely toxic and life-threatening in adult guinea pigs. If eaten in a big amount, calcium forms crystals in ducts and can cause kidney stones and bladder stones. Some common food you can feed your guinea pig are carrots, cabbages, cauliflower, celery, lettuce, and obviously hay.Should you feed guinea pigs mushrooms?Guinea pigs are small rabbit-like animals who mostly eat hay and vegetables. They will also eat mushrooms if you serve them to them. Guinea pigs actually have a never-ending hunger. They constantly need food for filling their void like tummy. They might eat anything but it is your duty to provide them with fresh food that has good nutritional value and cause no harm. And for that, good research is a must.If you ask ‘can’ you feed guinea pigs mushrooms then the answer would be yes. Yes you can feed but if the question is ‘should’ you feed mushroom to your guinea pig, then the answer would be simply no. Why no? Well, as we discussed earlier, mushrooms mainly contain water, fat, protein, and carbs and none of these are essential for guinea pigs. Guinea pigs eat mushrooms as a complementary food, and mushroom doesn’t get included in their natural diet. Guinea pigs eat vitamin c and fiber for maintaining their health and mushroom doesn’t supply that so it is better to avoid this food. However, some mushrooms like white, button mushrooms are safe to eat. These mushrooms somehow supply fiber to their body and are considered good. But be careful while giving mushrooms to your pet guinea pig as some of them can be toxic also. You can only give them white mushrooms, buttoned mushrooms, and portobello mushrooms. Never give them wild mushrooms. Wild mushrooms are poisonous for guinea pigs and can cause several health problems. Morel and oyster mushrooms are of this kind. Morel and oyster mushrooms grow only in the wild and contain potassium, copper, and other minerals. Vets and other experts advise not to feed pet guinea pigs these mushrooms and if they accidentally consume these mushrooms then contact a vet as soon as possible. Other than wild mushrooms, another mushroom preparation is there that is again poisonous for your cavy and that is cooked mushrooms. A guinea pig’s stomach is made for digesting raw food only. They can not digest cooked food and if eaten, causes food poisoning and can also show vomiting symptoms. So what should you feed your cavy to keep them healthy? Give them hay and vegetables like carrots, lettuces, and celery and to compliment their good behavior, sometimes give them vitamin c rich fruits like mangoes and oranges. Guinea pigs’ requirement for food is very easy to meet.Risks To Consider While FeedingGuinea pigs are easy to feed animals who eat their food without creating any tantrums. Guinea pigs need mostly fiber and vitamin c for staying healthy. You can say, these two items are their fuel. They require other vitamin forms also like vitamin k, vitamin e, and vitamin a. They get nutrients from their diet only. Sometimes they need supplementary foods like fruits to meet the vitamin requirement. Some owners ask if they can include mushrooms in their guinea pig’s diet. Well, as discussed, mushrooms can’t be included in their natural diet as they don’t have any essential nutrients that guinea pigs need.Guinea pigs are not just easy to feed animals but are also tranquil natured animals who cause to hue and cry. They just require a clean surrounding, water to drink, and a continuous supply of food and that’s it. They are small and delicate beings who are prone to several risks. There can be feeding risks as well as environmental risks. Though guinea pigs cause to tantrum in feeding but require a clean cage for living. So you always have to keep an eye on their cage and have to clean it at regular intervals. If the guinea pig cage is not clean, mold and moss will form and will spread a bad smell. This condition is bad for guinea pigs and can give them infections. Guinea pigs are clean animals. They keep them clean by grooming themselves regularly so you don’t have to give them a regular bath. Give them baths only when they look dirty even after their cleaning seasons. Now let’s discuss the feeding risks that you have to keep in mind. Well, this article is about guinea pigs eating mushrooms so let’s start with this. Now, we know that mushroom doesn’t hold many nutrients that are essential for guinea pigs. So better avoid giving them mushrooms and still if you want to feed them mushrooms, then give them fresh button or white mushrooms. Some useless mushrooms are also there like the Chinese mushrooms which have nutritional value at the same time no toxins. It is completely useless eating this. Never give them wild mushrooms as they are rich in potassium and other minerals. And by minerals, never give them food that is high in calcium. Too much calcium is fatal for guinea pigs. Calcium in high quantity forms crystals in their urinary duct and forms stones in the kidneys and bladder. Only give them food that is high in vitamins and fiber. And yes, always place some water inside your guinea pig’s cage. It is still not known if guinea pigs really like eating mushrooms or not. And at the same time, there is no specific value for how many mushrooms guinea pigs can eat!Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for can guinea pigs eat mushrooms then why not take a look at can guinea pigs eat bread or guinea pig facts!
Guinea pigs are smaller rodents who are extremely cute and cuddly.
