Goji berry also known as wolfberry is a very nutritious fruit. Since ancient times it has been very helpful in medical treatment. But can our guinea pigs eat goji berries? Let’s find out!
Guinea pigs can eat goji berries along with its seeds and skin but in a small quantity. Goji berries are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals that is essential for guinea pigs. However, It should only be served as a treat to guinea pigs as they are high in sugar content and complex carbs.
Goji berry belongs to the nightshade family. That means goji berries leaves and stem can be toxic. However, goji berry taste is different from other nightshade family fruit.
Serving your guinea pig with an appropriate food is critical for well being. So, you must learn everything about food before serving it to your guinea pig. So, let us learn more about it.
Are guinea pigs allergic to goji berries?
In general, guinea pigs are not allergic to goji berries.
But being a berry, it is not appropriate to feed them goji berry regularly. It has high sugar and fiber content that can harm your guinea pig severely.
However, if you’re newly introducing goji berries to your guinea, there can be chances that your guinea pigs are specifically allergic to goji berries. There is a possibility that some guinea pigs can be allergic to particular food without any actual logic.
So it is better to take a certain measure when you newly introduce goji berries to them:
- Firstly give them a small number of goji berries to them.
- Keep them under the observation of 12-24 hours.
- If you have seen any signs of discomfort like diarrhea and stomach ache, you may want to remove goji berries from the food list. And if the situation gets worst, you should visit a vet.
As per the matter of fact, guinea pigs are not allergic to goji berries. So you should not worry too much.
Do guinea pigs like goji berries?
Goji berries have a distinct taste. It has a very overwhelming sour and tart flavor.
Fresh goji berries look very attractive by its juicy, cherry tomato appearance. But these are pretty bitter.
Thus, there is a possibility they may not like goji berries. However, it depends more on guinea pigs, whether they like it or not.
When it comes to food, a guinea pig can be over-particular about it. So, you have to give it a shot to know whether they like it or not.
If you have decided to feed goji berries to your guinea pig, then you should be aware of its pro and cons.
Is goji berry Toxic To Guinea Pigs?
No, the goji berry is not toxic to guinea pigs.
Goji berry is safe to feed but only give it to them as a treat. Due to its high sugar and fiber content, regularly feeding can cause some health problems.
Let us focus on some of its adverse effects:
- Diabetes: Goji berries contain a good amount of natural sugar in it. Excessive consumption of goji berries can lead to problems like diabetes. A Guinea pig can enjoy goji berries in a moderate amount.
- Digestive problem: Goji berries have sugar, carbs, and protein, which in excess amount are not suitable for guinea pigs. Guinea pig weak intestine can’t digest any kind of sugar. So if overfed goji berries, stomach ache could occur.
- Diarrhea and constipation problem: High content of sugar and carbs can lead to diarrhea. Due to the excess quantity of dietary fiber and protein, issues like constipation can occur. Cause excess amounts of dietary fiber and protein can create difficulty in digesting the food properly. Thus, leading to illness.
Note: Goji berries should be avoided for guinea pigs suffering from diabetes and blood pressure problems.
If you feed goji berrries sparsely your guinea pig will not face any of these issues. Overfeeding is the root cause of such issues in our guinea pigs.
Health Benefits of Goji berry for our guinea pigs?
Goji berries are packed with vitamins, minerals, and dense protein value. Also, it offers a range of other nutrients as well.
Let us look at goji berries health benefits:
- Boost immune system: Vitamins and antioxidants found in goji berries can improve the immune system. Antioxidants fight against free radicals and inflammation. Vitamins like vitamin A and C help build immunity and prevent illness, right from common cold to cancer.
- Protect against cancer: Goji berries have the presence of a high level of antioxidants, Vitamin C, zeaxanthin, and carotenoids, which help guinea pig fight against cancer. Antioxidants help in slowing tumor growth and reduce inflammation.
- Antioxidants for eyes and skin: Research claims that antioxidants are good for guinea pig eyes and skin. Thus, goji berries can keep guinea pig eyes and skin healthy.
- Antioxidants can help guinea through:
- Protect against harmful UV rays.
- Free radicals.
- Oxidative stress.
- Maintain blood sugar level: Goji berries can be sweet, but they help control blood sugar levels. It can help guinea pigs through the following ways:
- Improve sugar intolerance.
- Lower the blood sugar level.
- Reduce insulin resistance.
- Develop and recover cells that help produce insulin.
Now you are aware of all the advantages and disadvantages of feeding goji berries to guinea pigs.
If you are ready to feed guinea pig goji berry, you should know how many goji berries are served at a time? Let’s find out.
How many goji berries can guinea pigs eat at a time?
Guinea pigs should be served 1-2 goji berries at a time. Our little furry friend has an incredibly small digestive system.
Thus, It is recommended to feed a small proportion of goji berries at a time.
So, overfeeding them with berries is a bad idea.
How often can guinea pigs goji berries?
The Guinea pig should be given goji berries once or twice a week. Guinea pigs cannot eat goji berries very often. It should only be introduced as a treat to guinea pigs.
Goji berry should not be added to the guinea pig daily diet due to its high sugar content.
It is excellent and safe for guinea until it is fed in moderation.
Can baby guinea pigs eat goji berries?
Yes, baby guinea pigs can eat goji berries. But you should feed them more of green veggie and hay as they are in the developing stage and need proper nutrient-rich food in their diet.
The baby guinea pig should be fed goji berries once in a month. And 1-2 pieces at a time should be cut halves so that they don’t face any choking problem.
Can guinea pigs eat wild black goji berries?
Yes, guinea pigs can eat wild black goji berries.
Black goji berries are more healthy and mighty than the regular ones. These are high antioxidants and can improve boost the immune system and improve circulation.
Although goji berries come from nightshade families that can turn out to be harmful to guinea pigs sometimes, so, you must be knowledgeable enough to choose the safe ones.
Wash the wild black goji berries very well. And never feed its roots, leaves, and stems as it belongs to the nightshade family.
Wild black goji berries are sweeter than the regular one. So, there is a possibility that guinea pig would love wild black goji berries more.
Can guinea pigs eat goji berries leaves?
Guinea pigs cannot eat goji berries leaves.
Goji berries belong to the nightshade family which contains a chemical called solanine. So it can be toxic to feed guinea pig goji berries leaves to our guinea pigs.
Can guinea pigs eat goji berries seeds?
Yes, guinea pigs can eat goji berries seeds.
Goji berries seeds are small enough and they will not create any choking problem in guinea pigs.
Thus your guinea pigs can have goji berries seeds without any problem.
Also, its seeds are filled with healthy antioxidants that are helpful for a guinea pig.
Can guinea pigs eat goji berries stem?
No, guinea pigs cannot eat goji berries stem.
However, goji berries stem is very useful in traditional medical purposes.
But guinea pig cannot have goji berries stem as it belongs to the nightshade family and could turn out to be poisonous.
So it is better to avoid feeding goji berries stem.
Can guinea pigs eat goji berries with skin?
Yes, guinea pigs can eat goji berries with skin.
Of course, if you feed goji berries without skin, it much safer as it would be free of chemicals that are sprayed on them to keep in fresh.
But there won’t be any problem if you feed goji berries with specific measures.
- Wash goji berries nicely
- Then clean it with a clean cloth and remove its leaves and stem.
Can guinea pigs eat goji berries jam?
No, guinea pigs cannot eat goji berries jam.
A Guinea pig can only digest raw food. They cannot eat anything cooked like goji berries jam.
Also, the jam is much sweeter, making it more difficult for a guinea pig to digest.
If you try to feed anything cooked, they can suffer through diarrhea, diabetes, and digestive problem.
Can guinea pigs eat canned goji berries?
No, guinea cannot eat canned goji berries. Canned goji berries have added preservatives in it and it also has added sugar in it.
Canned food can hurt their tummy and can leave an adverse impact on their health. So it’s no worth feeding guinea pigs with canned goji berries.
Can guinea pigs eat frozen goji berries?
Yes, guinea pigs can eat frozen goji berries when it is thawed and brought back to room temperature.
Feeding directly frozen goji berries can be hard to chew and create a choking problem. Direct feeding of cold food can lead to diarrhea, bloating, and acidity.
Also, when it is frozen, its nutrition value is somehow affected. So we must bring back goji berries to room temperature before feeding.
Let’ see how to defrost goji berries:
- Take out the berries from the refrigerator.
- Wait for a few minutes till it comes to room temperature.
- Then wash it with regular or lukewarm water.
- Lastly, cut down then into halves and serve them.
Can guinea pigs eat dried goji berries?
No, guinea pigs cannot eat dried goji berries.
Dried goji berries are much sweeter, which is not suitable for guinea pigs.
Also, it is very sticky and hard to chew.
You should avoid goji berries due to sugar content. A large amount of sugar intake can harm your guinea pig’s gut health.
Thus, dried goji berries should not be fed to your guinea pigs.
Can guinea pigs drink goji berries juice?
No, guinea pigs cannot drink goji berries juice. It has a good amount of sugar in it that is dangerous if fed in excess.
Although for a change of taste, they can have a tiny amount. However, goji berries juice should be avoided to a greater extend.
Guinea pig safe alternatives to goji berries?
There are some safe alternatives to goji berries. It is possible that your guinea pig won’t like goji berries due to its bitter taste.
Or you do not have goji berries available around you. So there are some safe and tasty alternatives for guinea pigs:
Plums
Plums serve vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber to guinea pigs. It is a delicious fruit. It can benefit guinea pigs in many ways, such as reduce heart disease, boost the immune system, reduce inflammation, and reduce the risk of diabetes.
Being a fruit has sugar content and also has the presence of calcium. Intake too much sugar can create problems in the digestive system.
A massive amount of calcium can create dangerous calcium stones.
So moderate feeding of plum is a healthy and safe option. You may serve once or twice this fruit.
Pomelo
Pomelo is the most abundant citrus fruit. Unlikely lemon, it is sweet and more like grapefruit. It is an excellent source of vitamin C that is essential for guinea pigs.
They can have pomelo once or twice a week. Do not overfeed guinea with pomelo. As it has phosphorus, fat, and it is acidic that can harm guinea pigs if fed in excess.
Persimmon
This fruit is tasty and loaded with nutrients like vitamins, phosphorus, antioxidants. It also has sugar and calcium that is not good for a guinea pig in excess amount.
A small slice of persimmon is enough for guinea pigs. It should be feed occasionally. Persimmon contains high sugar, calcium, and sodium, which can make guinea pig feel awful.
However, it is an excellent fruit with fantastic taste. Guinea pigs will have fun eating this fruit until fed in moderation.
Pears
This fruit is packed with essential vitamins and antioxidants that are needed by our guinea pigs.
Pears should be given once a week. And 1-2 small slices is enough for guinea pigs.
Overfeeding of pears can lead to problems such as sour mouth and diarrhea due to its acidic nature. Also, it has content sugar that is terrible for our guinea pigs.
Passion Fruit
Passion fruit is rich in vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional elements beneficial for guinea pigs. But this is also loaded with sugar, so it should be fed in moderation.
You may serve passion fruit 1-2 times a week. Overfeeding of this fruit can lead to diabetes, kidney problem, and improper bowel movement.
This fruit also has a range of health benefits if given in a limited dose. Interests such as good vision, prevention from scurvy, controlling blood pressure, maintain blood sugar, full of antioxidants, heal wounds, and maintain heart health.
How to prepare goji berries for guinea pigs?
Let us see how to prepare goji berries for our guinea pigs:
- The first step is to choose fresh and bright colored goji berries.
- The second step is to wash the goji berries properly. As the outside area is exposed to surroundings, goji berry skin can have unwanted germs and chemicals.
- Now cut down the berries in two or three small pieces.
- After washing and cutting, you can serve the berries.
- Lastly, remove all the uneaten and wasted part. As uneaten parts of goji berries may attract rats and files.
Conclusion: Guinea pigs and goji berries
Goji berries are a superfood with a slightly bitter taste. It is an excellent fruit with a range of benefits.
Can guinea pigs eat goji berries? Yes, guinea pigs can eat goji berries in moderation. It should be fed only once or twice a week due to high sugar content.
It has numerous health benefits such as boost the immune system, fights against cancer, improves blood sugar level, and improves sexual ability.
However, guinea pigs cannot eat goji berries with leaves, stem, canned berries, goji berries juice, or jam. Feeding any of it can be dangerous for guinea pigs.
Also, I have mentioned some of the safe alternatives to goji berries. As guinea pigs owner, you should be aware of all options.
Lastly, I want to say goji berries are a great fruit to be fed in moderation.
Source: Nutrition in goji berries, Benefits of goji berries, Diet Composition of Guinea Pigs, Dietary Vitamin C, and Vitamin E needs of Guinea Pig, Vitamin C need of our guinea-pig