Before you give a new food to your guinea pig, you may need to do research. You don’t want to give them foods that are detrimental to their health. As in some cases, an improper diet can even lead to fatal outcomes.
Many pets like guinea pigs are allergic to certain kinds of food, and you may even want to avoid unknowingly feeding them with toxic foods. Now, let’s find out if avocado is good food for guinea pigs.
Can guinea pigs eat avocado? Guinea pigs can’t eat avocado due to its high-fat content that can cause digestion problems and other internal health issues. Also, a toxin called “persin” in avocados (especially in avocado leaves) is very dangerous to guinea pigs.
In the following sections, you can read more important information about the guinea pig and avocado. Find what are the risks of including avocado in their diet, what happens if you feed avocado to them, and more. Let’s start!
Table of Content
Is Avocado Good for Guinea Pigs?
Avocado is a very nutritious and exotic fruit that is often found in many human meals. However, avocado can be damaging to animals such as guinea pigs, cats, horses, dogs, etc.
Hence, avocado is not good for guinea pigs to eat, as it’s high in fat and contains a toxin that is dangerous to your pet.
Nutrition Facts of Avocado
The following is a nutritional chart for the 100 grams of avocado according to U.S. Department of Agriculture:
- Energy – 160 kcal
- Protein – 2 g
- Total Lipid (Fat) – 14.7 g
- Carbs – 8.53 g
- Dietary Fiber – 6.7 g
- Sugars – 0.66 g
- Calcium – 12 mg
- Iron – 0.55 mg
- Magnesium – 29 mg
- Phosphorus – 52 mg
- Potassium – 485 mg
- Copper – 0.19 mg
- Vitamin C – 10 mg
- Selenium – 0.4 µg
- Vitamin B-6 – 0.257 mg
- Folate – 81 µg
- Vitamin A – 7 µg
- Sodium – 7 mg
- Vitamin E – 2.07 mg
- Zinc – 0.64 mg
- Vitamin K – 21 µg
- Lutein + Zeaxanthin – 271 µg
Is Avocado Toxic for Guinea Pigs? | Risks to Consider
Avocado may be a superfood for humans, but it is toxic for guinea pigs. Feeding your guinea pigs a highly toxic food such as avocados can lead to digestive problems, internal health issues, and even death.
On the other hand, a little bit of avocado can’t harm your pet, but would you take the risks? So it is much better to avoid it at all costs.
Here are some of the possible health risks to keep in mind if you insist to feed them avocado:
Toxicity
The skin, flesh, and seeds of the avocado contain an insoluble compound toxin called persin. Also, the highest quantities of this toxin are present in the avocado leaves and can be very poisonous for guinea pigs and many other animals.
We can’t say how much avocado is fatal for different animals as that depends on the animal species.
Some of the symptoms of avocado poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea, difficult breathing, fluid accumulation around the heart and lungs. Unfortunately, all these symptoms can lead to death.
Bad for Digestion
The high-fat content in the avocado meat is not good for guinea pigs. It can affect and slow down its digestive process.
Pancreatitis
Due to avocados’ high-fat content, there is a possibility of developing pancreatitis in guinea pigs. Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the organ called the pancreas.
So, avoid feeding avocados to guinea pigs and provide them with foods that are low in fat. This is very important because pancreatitis can affect the digestive process and be fatal to guinea pigs.
Urinary Problems
Guinea pigs are unfortunately very prone to getting some urinary problems, and their diet affects that a lot. Food rich in calcium and sodium can result in urinary difficulties, such as bladder or kidney stones.
Signs of these problems may be blood in the urine, loss of appetite, and difficulties with urinating or being unable to urinate as well.
This is important because there is also some calcium and sodium in avocados, so it would be better to avoid them in guinea pig’s daily diet.
Weight Problems
Avocados are relatively high in fat, calories, protein, and carbs in comparison to other vegetables. Guinea pigs usually have problems with weight and obesity if fed with foods that are high in these nutrients.
This is one more reason why avocados are not the preferred food for guinea pigs, as obesity can lead to many health issues.
Cardiovascular Problems
It’s important to mention that obesity and weight gain can lead to severe cardiovascular problems.
Avocados are fattening, and they are not good for guinea pig’s blood vessels and, in general, for their blood and cardiovascular system.
Also, as we have mentioned above, there is a possibility of avocado poisoning, and one of the symptoms can be fluid accumulation around the heart and lungs.
Note: Avocados are not a good fit for guinea pigs and other animals. Even for humans, the hard skin and the seed have to be removed first before eating.
If your guinea pig eats some avocado accidentally, don’t panic. Just pay attention to the guinea pig and if it has some symptoms mentioned above, then you should visit the vet.
More Information About Avocado and Guinea Pigs
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Avocado Leaves?
Guinea pigs can’t eat avocado leaves because these leaves are the most toxic part of the avocado. Leaves contain the largest amount of persin, so feeding avocado leaves to your guinea pig can actually kill your pet.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Avocado Pit / Avocado Seed?
Guinea pigs can’t eat avocado pit or avocado seed because this seed also contains persin. Aside from being toxic to guinea pigs, an avocado seed can be a choking hazard to them.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Avocado Skin?
Avocado skin is also unsafe for guinea pigs, and they can’t eat it. The avocado skin also contains an insoluble toxic poison called persin, just like any other part of the avocado.
Furthermore, avocado skin has a hard texture that can be very difficult for them to digest.
If the guinea pig ate just a small amount of the avocado skin, do not panic. Your guinea pig will be alright, but keep an eye on its behavior for any changes.
Now, if your guinea pig overate on the avocado skins, immediately visit the vet.
Sometimes you can’t leave anything to chance, and the vet can help your guinea pig by applying proper medicine to cure the effects of the poison. Just keep your head cool, and everything will be okay.
What Fruits Can Guinea Pigs Eat? |Fruit Alternatives
Guinea pigs are herbivorous animals that’s why they eat fruits and vegetables. Although some fruits are not good for guinea pigs, there are a lot of fruits that are beneficial if consumed in moderation, such as the following:
Quick Facts on Avocado
- Avocado (sometimes called an avocado pear or alligator pear) is a popular and highly prized fruit.
- It has a wide range of nutrients, including 20 different vitamins and minerals.
- Avocados have a lot of fat (a total 60%) derived from oleic acid, palmitic acid, and linoleic acid.
- Many people confuse avocado as a vegetable, but in fact, avocado is a fruit.
- There are around 500 types of avocados in the world.
- Avocados can be eaten either raw or cooked in meals.
- The avocados are usually grown and cultivated in tropical and Mediterranean climates around the world.
We have also made a full list of foods that guinea pigs can and can’t eat (150+ Types of Foods). Be sure to also check our recommended products page for everything you will ever need to assure a happy life for your guinea pigs. Hope this information was helpful and you have found the answer you were looking for.
List of Sources
A Food Production Wiki for Public Health Professionals: Avocados