Can Guinea Pigs Eat Grass? (Hazards, How Much & More)

If you learn about wild guinea pigs then you will probably realize that they graze upon grass from the fields whenever possible. But what about our guinea pigs? Can our guinea pigs eat grass? Is it safe for them?

I decided to do some research on my own and here is what I have learned.

Guinea pigs can eat grass provided it is fresh and free from chemicals. Don’t allow your guinea pigs to eat grass mowed by a lawnmower. Also, if you haven’t fed grass earlier, start by serving a small quantity, so your guinea pig’s digestive system gets adjusted to it.

You must make sure that the grass is not treated with any chemicals, as it can be toxic to your guinea pigs.

Try not to feed grass from anywhere else except your organic yard.

Feeding grass from the outside yard is not a good idea as outdoor grass may contain chemicals. Many other pets must have used it, and while using, they may have urinated on the lawn. If we feed such grass to your guinea pig, it can cause many health problems.

You can serve grass from your own organic yard as it gives many benefits to your guinea pig. Let us learn more about it.

Contents

Can guinea pigs eat grass from your yard?

Yes, guinea pigs can eat grass from your yard, but you must consider that it is fresh and does not contain any chemicals.

Always use scissors to cut grass for your guinea pig and avoid using a lawnmower as it undergoes fermentation.

You can also grow grass and other plants indoor for your guinea pigs.

Is grass bad for our guinea pigs?

The grass is a great snack for our guinea pigs. Guinea pigs love to munch on fresh grass and it has many benefits for them as well. However, if you don’t serve it right it can get your guinea pigs into some trouble.

Carelessness in serving grass to your guinea pig can even risk its life.

Remember not to serve grass in excessive quantities if your guinea pig is not familiar to the green.

You can start by serving small. Once it becomes familiar and starts liking it, then you can serve it how much they want to eat with no sort of worries.

Still, your guinea pig can face some unwanted situations if you show any carelessness while preparing grass for your cavies.

Let us discuss some hazards of feeding grass to your guinea pigs:

Wild grass: If you feed grass from the outside yard, it can be harmful to our guinea pigs. It may contain certain chemicals that can be toxic for our guinea pigs and can also risk the life of guinea pigs.

Using lawnmower: Using lawnmower to cut grass for your guinea pig can be a terrible idea as it undergoes fermentation. It can upset your guinea pig stomach and can also cause many other diseases.

Grasses are receptive to mold attacks: This means that it can destroy the power of grass and convert into poison for our guinea pigs. So it recommended washing the grass properly before serving it to your guinea pig. Any carelessness in such terms can also risk the life of your guinea pig.

Allergic reactions: It is possible that grass does not suit well to your guinea pig, and it develops some allergic reactions. An allergic reaction can be explained as when your immune system finds a foreign substance, it produces histamine, which then causes allergic symptoms like coughing, sneezing, etc.

So, if you see your guinea pig coughing or sneezing, immediately stop serving grass and consult your vet for proper guidance.

Are guinea pigs allowed grass clippings?

Serving clippings of grass can be a good idea as your guinea pig will enjoy the act of love from you.

And if we talk on technical terms serving excerpts also reduces the risk of any mishappening to our guinea pigs.

Come, let us learn some benefits of serving clippings to your guinea pigs.

Rich in Vitamin C: Grass is considered to be a good source of Vitamin as it is an essential nutrient that is required by our guinea pig. Vitamin C helps to prevent many diseases like scurvy and also helps our guinea pig to stay active and healthy.
Regulate cholesterol level: Rise in cholesterol level may lead to many diseases like heart issues. Grass, therefore, helps guinea pigs to maintain their cholesterol level.
Low fructose content: As grass contains low fructose content, your guinea pig can dive into it. Low fructose content also helps to maintain low blood sugar levels.

Can guinea pigs eat grass instead of hay?

Guinea pigs enjoy grass very much, but that doesn’t change the fact that hay is an essential part of their diet. Therefore, the hay has more nutritional facts than grass as it is packed with fiber, and hay is much more robust than grass.

Even grass is right for your cavy, you can feed grass to them, but you must remember that 80% of their diet must consist of hay. The grass is just a small substitute for hay.

How often can guinea pigs eat grass?

If your guinea pig does not have any allergic reaction, then you can feed grass every day to your guinea pig as it is not harmful.

But it would be best if you remembered that hay must hold a significant portion of their diet.

You can serve grass with some veggies to maintain the nutritional balance so that your guinea pig is provided with all the important nutritional benefits.

How much grass can we feed to our guinea pigs?

You can feed them as much they like. Yes, you can serve grass in the right quantity as it contains a moderate amount of Vitamin C and many other essential nutritional requirements.

Grass has moderate amount of nutrients but very low fiber in it.

It would be best if you remembered that fresh hay should hold a significant portion of their diet as it is packed with fiber, and guinea pigs are mostly dependent upon a high fiber diet.

You can also serve grass with some veggies to balance the nutrition requirement.

Guinea pigs and grass seeds

No, guinea pigs cannot eat grass seeds as it contains a lot of fat in it. Which, if consumed in an excessive quantity, can cause significant damage to our guinea pigs like obesity.

Guinea pigs can eat some dry cereals instead but only as a treat. Here is an article on dry cereal for your guinea pigs which you should definitely check out!

Guinea pigs and grass clover

A Guinea pig can eat grass-clover, but you must take care of certain things before serving it to your guinea pig.

You have to make sure that you pick it from an organic yard. If you collect it from any other yard, you must make sure that it should not contain pesticides, weedkillers and should not be spoiled from traffic pollution.

So you can serve clover but in moderation, as it is high in calcium. Before serving clover to your guinea pig, make sure that the entire yard has not been sprayed with any chemicals.

Can guinea pigs eat bermudagrass?

Yes, our guinea pig can eat Bermuda grass as it holds 32% crude fiber. A right combination of fat and proteins make it a good choice for our guinea pigs.

However, the price and availability is the crucial factor which makes it a rare choice among guinea pig owners.

Can guinea pigs eat lemongrass?

Lemongrass, also known as Cymbopogon, is a subfamily of Asian, Australian, and African. It helps prevent certain types of infection, maintain cholesterol level, and prevents many other diseases.

Our guinea pigs cannot eat lemongrass as its calcium content doesn’t allow it from being a part of our cavy’s meal.

We also suggest you not feed lemongrass to your guinea pigs as it also contains citronella oil. This oil is very harmful to our guinea pigs because especially if there is prolonged contact.

You can learn more about the type of oil and its safety from our article on essential oil for guinea pigs.

Can guinea pigs eat wheatgrass?

Guinea pigs can eat wheatgrass. In fact, wheatgrass is a healthy snack for our guinea pigs that can be a part of their regular diet.

It holds chlorophyll, amino acids, vitamins, and enzymes. Wheatgrass is sold in many forms in the market like juices, tablets, and powder.

It is also a good source of potassium, dietary fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and many other nutrients.

So food with such amazing benefits will provide many health benefits to our guinea pigs.

Our guinea pigs can be served with wheatgrass with no sort of worries.

If your piggie is not familiar to it, then start serving with very low quantity as serving in high amount, in the beginning, can cause stomach problems to your piggie.

Can guinea pigs eat Cat grass?

Yes, guinea pigs can eat cat grass. In fact, It is also known as wheatgrass, so it is perfectly fine to serve it to your guinea pig.

If your piggie is not familiar to it, then start serving with very low quantity. A large serving in the beginning can cause stomach problems to your guinea pig.

Can guinea pigs eat monkey grass?

Monkey grass is a subfamily of flowering plants from southeast Asia, which also looks very familiar to turfgrass.

As there is no concrete evidence of whether we can serve our guinea pig, it is always better to stay on the safe side and avoid feeding those to our guinea pig.

Can guinea pigs eat millet grass?

Unfortunately, no, we cannot serve millet grass to our guinea pigs.

Can guinea pigs eat pampas grass?

No, guinea pigs cannot eat pampas grass.

It is a tall red grass, also known as Cortaderia selloana, which belongs from a family of Poaceae, native to southern South America, is famous in many landscapes.

Pampas grass is a weed grass that cannot be fed to our guinea pig as it may contain some toxic compounds which can be harmful to our guinea pigs.

Can guinea pigs eat grassroots?

Grassroot can be defined as the starting level of the grass.

As there is no concrete evidence whether we can serve this to our guinea pig or not, it is better to stay on the safe side and avoid feeding those to our guinea pigs.

How to feed guinea pigs grass?

There are some necessary steps you must follow to prepare the grass for your guinea pig.

The first step is to collect grass from the yard. You must make sure that the yard is not sprayed with any chemicals.

The second step is to wash the grass properly as grasses are receptive to mold attacks.
The third step is to serve the fresh grass with some veggies to your guinea pigs. You must add vegetables to balance the nutritional requirement.

The final step is to clean all the leftover food from your piggies enclosure to maintain proper hygiene as an unhygienic environment gives an invitation to many diseases. It can also attract predators and pests.

Conclusion: Guinea pigs and grass

You can feed grass to your guinea pig as it is a moderate source of Vitamin C, minerals, and has a low level of sugar content.

Always remember not to serve grass from an outside yard as it may contain chemicals and the urination of other animals who went to the yard.

Please do not use a lawnmower to cut the grass as it undergoes fermentation.

You can serve wheat grass or cat grass, Bermuda grass, and grass-clover to your guinea pig.

Your guinea pig diet must contain 80% of hay as it has more nutrients like fiber, which fresh grass doesn’t.

Sources: M ineral Balance in Guinea Pigs, Dietary Vitamin C, and Vitamin E on Guinea Pig Immune Responses to Mitogens, Vitamin C requirements of the guinea-pig, Is Your Guinea Pig’s Diet Providing the Right Nutrients? Care of Guinea Pigs.