Are Blueberries Safe Snacks for Your Guinea Pigs? Find out Before Offering This Treat

As a guinea pig parent, you want only the best for your small furry friend. This can mean offering your guinea pig treats like fruits, but some foods are toxic to pets. So can guinea pigs eat blueberries? Read on before giving them to your pet.

Blueberries are a "superfood" for humans, and their nutritional qualities can also benefit animals. Fortunately, they aren't toxic to guinea pigs. Among the various guinea pig treats you might offer, here are the guidelines regarding blueberries for your guinea pigs.

The short answer is that yes, you can feed blueberries to guinea pigs! VCA Animal Hospitals notes that fruits for guinea pigs can be occasional treats and only in small amounts. Blueberries come with health benefits. However, remember that guinea pigs have different dietary needs than people. So you don't want to give too many blueberries for several reasons.

Guinea pig owners must limit the amount of blueberries they allow their pets to eat because, for one thing, guinea pigs need specific foods to live long and healthy lives. According to PetKeen.com, guinea pigs need a diet of high-quality pellets, unlimited hay, and fresh leafy vegetables. Those items should make up the bulk of their caloric intake, not treats like blueberries.

If you want to give your guinea pig blueberries, be sure you're giving the recommended amount of necessary food first. PetKeen.com says they need one cup of high-quality pellets made for guinea pigs, one cup of fresh leafy greens high in vitamin C, and as much high-quality hay as they want.

Since we've established that blueberries are best as an occasional snack, here are the guidelines. PetKeen.com recommends one or two blueberries for guinea pigs and no more than twice per week. And if your guinea has never tried a blueberry, start small and monitor them carefully for any problems.

Limiting blueberries and other fruits helps prevent giving your guinea pig too much sugar. According to The Spruce Pets, too much fruit for guinea pigs may cause digestive problems that may even be life-threatening, so minimize fruit intake to no more than two percent of your guinea pig's diet.

As noted by Vetexplainspets.com, you should avoid giving frozen or dried blueberries to guinea pigs, as they can pose a choking hazard. However, fresh blueberries are fine, and if you use frozen berries, just be sure to thaw them before feeding them to guineas.

Cooked blueberries are also a no-no since there's often a lot of added sugar in jams and jellies.

Blueberries aren't the only healthy fruity treat for guinea pigs, per The Spruce Pets. You can feed guinea pigs a wide variety of fruits, as long as you keep them in moderation:

• apples
• bananas
• berries including blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and more
• melons
• citrus fruit
• guava
• kiwi
• passionfruit
• mango