Ultimate List of Guinea Pig foods Good AND Bad!
This list is originally from what_never_was. I'm going to add it to the memories so that it is easily accessible for everyone!
SAFE GUINEA PIG FOODS
HIGH Vitamin C foods:
- Guinea pig pellets with stabilized vitamin C - alfalfa based for
youngsters, pregnant & nursing sows, slim or sick pigs; timothy based for
healthy, grown, chubby pigs (do not substitute rabbit or chinchilla
pellets; avoid mixes with nuts, seeds or colored bits)
- Parsley - curly or plain (high in calcium)
- Cilantro / Chinese Parsley / Corriander greens
- Celery leaves
- Collard greens
- Mustard greens / Leaf Mustard
- Water Cress
- Garden Cress
- Swiss Chard, Red Chard
- Beet greens
- Spinach (feed in moderation, linked to formation of kidney & bladder stones)
- Carrot tops / leaves
- Peas in pods, Pea Shoots (not dried)
- Dandelion greens
- Grass - wheat, winter rye (grown in pots from seed)
- Kale - curly or plain
- Broccoli, Broccolini (stems are liked better than flowers)
- Broccoli Rabe / Rabe / Rapini
- Cauliflower / Broccoflower
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Red Cabbage
- Tuscan Cabbage / Cavolo Nero
- Savoy Cabbage
- Kohlrabi leaves
- Bell / Sweet Peppers - red, green, yellow (not hot or chile)
- Tomato (sores around mouth can develop; leaves poisonous; artificially
grown can be low in vit C)
- Tamarillo (leaves poisonous)
- Orange (caution - sores around lips can develop)
- Tangerine / Mandarin (caution - sores around lips can develop)
- Grapefruit (caution - sores around lips can develop)
- Lemon, Lime (home-grown best, otherwise feed cautiously)
- Cantaloupe Melon
- Honeydew Melon
- Currants - yellow, red or black (leaves also edible)
- Gooseberries
- Strawberries
- Kiwi Fruit
- Mango
- Guava
- Feijoa / Pineapple Guava
- Papaya / Paw Paw / Tree Melon
- Persimmon - american or oriental
- Rosehip
LOW Vitamin C foods:
- Hay - timothy, meadow, alpine and others (must always be available)
- Alfalfa - green or dried (high calcium & calories - good for youngsters,
pregnant & nursing sows)
- Romaine Lettuce
- Lettuces - red, green, butter, Boston and other (avoid iceberg)
- Frisee Lettuce
- Arugula / Rocket / Roquette / Rucola
- Green Endive
- Belgian Endive
- Radicchio / Italian Chicory
- Treviso Radicchio
- Salad mix (without iceburg lettuce)
- Artichoke
- Asparagus
- Anise
- Basil
- Dill
- Mint
- Thyme
- Chives (caution, feed in moderation)
- Green Onion tops (caution, feed in moderation)
- Green Leek tops (caution, feed in moderation)
- Sweet Onions (caution, feed in moderation)
- Celery stalks (cut into small pieces)
- Corn on the cob (strings, leaves & stalks are edible too)
- Green Beans in pods / String Beans (not dried)
- Carrots (feed in moderation, vit A in carrots said to cause liver problems)
- Yam / Sweet Potato (high in vit A? - leaves edible)
- Beets
- Celery Root / Celeriac
- Kohlrabi bulbs
- Radishes (if mild)
- Turnip
- Parsnip
- Rutabaga
- Parsley root
- Cucumber (fresh only, not pickled)
- Squash - acorn, banana, butterhorn, spagetti, and others (feed in moderation)
- Zucchini
- Pumpkin
- Pineapple - fresh (sores around lips & mouth can develop)
- Apple (avoid seeds; if too tart, sores around lips & mouth can develop)
- Crabapple
- Pear
- Asian Pear
- Plum, Prune (dried high in sugar - as treat only)
- Nectarine
- Apricot
- Peach
- Cherries (remove pits)
- Cranberries (whole fruit, not concentrate or juice)
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Bilberries
- Blueberries
- Watermelon (can cause diarrhea - high water content)
- Banana (feed in great moderation - can cause constipation)
- Passion Fruit / Granadilla
- Grapes (in moderation, high in sugar)
- Figs (dried high in sugar - as treat only)
- Dates (dried high in sugar)
EDIBLE wild grasses, plants and herbs:
(make sure you know what you are picking! be sure to pick from places free
of contaminants such as pesticides , exhaust fumes or animal urine ; pick
plants that are healthy looking, without insect damage, fungus spots,
breakage, or wilting)
- Grass (common grasses are edible, avoid ornamental grasses)
- Clover (Trifollium repens or Trifolium pratense)
- Dandelion (Teraxacum officinale) - pick leaves, stems, flowers (even root OK)
- Anise (Pimpinella anisum)
- Blackberry leaves (Rubus plicatus) - pick young & tender leaves and shoots
- Calendula (Calendula officinalis) - leaves and flowers
- Caraway (Carum carvi)
- Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis)
- Chickweed (Stellaria media)
- Cleavers / Stickyweed / Goosegrass / Bedstraw (Galium aparine)
- Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
- Cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaeae) - berries, leaves in moderation
- Cow Parsley (Anthiscus sylvestris)
- Dog Rose (Rosa canina) - ripe fruits
- Duckweed (Lemna minor) - aquatic
- Fennel (Foeniculum capillaceum)
- Field Violet / Wild Pansy (Viola tricolor)
- Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)
- Lemon Mint / Melissa (Melissa officinalis)
- Linden / Lime Tree (Tilia cordata or Tilia platyphyllos) - flowers with
pale yellow leaflets
- Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)
- Pepermint (Mentha piperita)
- Plantain (Plantago major or Plantago lanceolata)
- Raspberry leaves (Rubus idaeus) - pick young & tender leaves and shoots
- Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
- Shepherd's Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)
- Silverweed (Potentilla anserina)
- Vetch (Vicia x)
- Yarrow (Achllea millefolium)
- Whortleberry / Heidelberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) - berries, leaves in
moderation
- Wild Chamomile (Matricaria chammomilla)
- Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) - berries and leaves
UNSAFE GUINEA PIG FOODS/DO NOT FEED THESE TO YOUR PIGGIES!
AVOID Danger foods:
- Avocado (too high in fat)
- Coconut (too high in fat)
- Dry beans and peas
- Flowers (commercially grown decorative plants contain preservatives &
pesticides)
- Fried, cooked and otherwise prepared foods
- Fruit juices (sugar-free, or unsweetened juices are OK)
- Garlic or pungent onions (will not poison pigs, )
- Horseradish (leaves probably ok, root too pungent)
- Hot herbs and spices
- Hot Peppers / Chiles / Paprikas
- Iceburg Lettuce (low nutrition, high water)
- Jams, jellies and fruit preserves (too high in sugar)
- Milk and milk products
- Mushrooms
- Nuts (too high in fat)
- Peanut butter, cakes, cookies, baked goods
- Pickled veggies (dills, capers, sour krauts)
- Potatoes (poisonous if green or sprouted) - sweet potatoes / yams are ok
- Rhubarb (poisonous)
- Seeds (choking hazard)
- Taro (dangerous if eaten raw / unprepared)
- Teas, coffee, colas
- Wild grasses, plants and herbs that you are unsure of, or that look different
from ones you know
Poisonous plants:
- Aconite
- Amaryllis
- American Holly
- American Nightshade
- Anemone
- Angel's Trumpet
- Antirrhinums
- Azalea
- Bird of Paradise
- Birdseye Primrose
- Bittersweet
- Blue Cardinal (Lobelia)
- Bluebells
- Bryony
- Bulbs-(any plants grown from bulbs)
- Buttercup (Ranunculus)
- Caladium
- Cherry leaves (contain cyanide and are most potent when they are wilting)
and leaves of other stone fruits (fruits with pits)
- Chrysanthemum
- Clematis
- Columbine
- Corn cockle (type of grassy plant with a rather large lacey grain head)
- Crocus
- Cyclamen
- Daffodil
- Dahlias
- Daily
- Dog mercury
- Evergreen trees
- Fig
- Figwort
- Fools parsley
- Foxglove (Digitalis)
- Hellebore
- Hemlock
- Holly
- Hyacinth
- Hydrangea
- Iris
- Ivy
- Jerusalem cherry
- Juniper
- Kingcup
- Laburnum
- Leyland cypress
- Lily (All species)
- Lords and Ladies
- Lupine
- Lupins
- Marsh marigold
- Meadow saffron
- Mistletoe
- Monkshood
- Morning glory
- Nightshade (deadly and woody)
- Oleander
- Onion
- Philodendron
- Pigweed (amaranth - certain North American varieties may be toxic)
- Poinsetta
- Poppies
- Potatoes (poisonous if green or sprouted) - sweet potatoes / yams are ok
- Privet
- Ragwort
- Red maple leaves
- Rhododendron
- Rhubarb
- Spurges
- St Johns wort
- Tulip
- Tomatillo leaves & stalks
- Tomato leaves & stalks
- Vetch
- Walnut or Black Walnut
- White clover(red clover in small amounts is okay)
- Wisteria
- Wolfsbane
- Yew
QUESTION foods:
(just don't know much about them, or unsure if ok for pigs to eat)
Asian Fruit and Vegetables: (I tried to include names in various languages when possible)
- Abiu / Caimo / Canistel / Dan Huang Guo
- Baby Bok Choy
- Bamboo Shoots
- Banana Leaves
- Betel Leaves / La Lop
- Bitter Melon / Bitter Gourd / Balsam Pear / Balsam Pod (must remove
seeds)
- Chinese Broccoli / Gai Lum / Kai Lan / Kairan
- Chinese Cabbage / Wong Baak / Kubis Gna / Hakusai
- Chinese Chard / Bok Choy / Pak Choy / Pak Tsoi / Pechay
- Chinese Flowering Cabbage / Choy Sum / Sawi Manis / Saishin
- Chinese Keys / Khao Chae / Suo Shi / Temu Kunchi (like ginger)
- Chinese Long Beans / Yard-Long Beans / Asparagus Beans / Dau Gok
- Chinese Mustard / Gai Choy / Kaai Tsoi / Mustaa / Ha Karashina / Cai Xanh
- Chinese Spinach / Amaranth / Een Choy / In Tsoi / Bayam / Santonsai
- Chocolate Fruit / Black Persimmon / Black Sapote / Kaki Noir
- Durian / Dourian / Lau Lin
- Ginger Root
- Hairy Melon / Moa Gua
- Jute / Jew's Mallow / Meloukhia / Meloukhiya Sheitaani
- Kaffir Lime Leaves
- Longan / Litchi Ponceau / Loon Ngan / Lengkleng (like Lychee)
- Lychee
- Mangosteen / Saan Jook / Manggis
- Pe-Tsai Cabbage
- Sin Qua / Luffa - smooth and angled
- Soursop / Guanabana
- Star Apple
- Taro / Woo Tau / Dalo / Sato-Imo leaves (leaves ok? raw taro root
poisonous )
- Water Spinach / Convolvulus / Ung Choy / Yeung Choy / Kang Kung
- White Radish / Daikon / Loh Baak / Mu
- White Sapote / Casimiroa
- Winter Melon / Wax Melon / Dong Gua
- Yam / Shuyu / Ubi / Yama Imo (this tuber is safe for guinea pigs to eat)
- Yam Bean / Jicama / Di Gwa / Sinkamas / Seng Kuang / Kuzuimo (root ok?,
leaves & stems poisonous)
Other Fruit and Vegetables:
- Acerola- West Indian, Pitanga, Surinam, Sour, Sweet
- Babaco
- Borage
- Breadfruit
- Burdock
- Canned veggies
- Cardoon
- Cassava / Yucca Root
- Catus
- Chayota
- Cherimoya
- Custard apple
- Dock
- Eggplant
- Fern bracken - Fiddlehead Fern shoots
- Ginger
- Jujube (high vit C)
- Kailan
- Kiwano
- Komatsuna
- Kumquat
- Lemon Grass
- Longan
- Loquat
- Mizuna
- Okra
- Opuntia Cactus
- Oregano
- Plantain banana (needs cooking, high starch)
- Pomegranate
- Quince
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Sakata
- Salsify / Oyster plant
- Sapodilla
- Sorrel
- Soy beans and soy products (too high in protein?)
- Star fruit
- Sugar Cane (too high in sugar?)
- Tapioca (too high in starch & calories?)
- Yucca