There are so many animals in today’s world that are used to produce meat products. However, not all meat is safe for consumption by either humans or animals. Also, not all animals or humans eat meat, separating them into groups of herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores.
Can guinea pigs eat meat? Guinea pigs do not eat meat. They are herbivores, and thus, they only feed on fresh fruits and vegetables. Their digestive systems are only designed to digest plant-based diets.
In this article, it’s essential to see if guinea pigs eat meat, possible risks providing them this food, some quick facts, and more!
Table of Content
Do Guinea Pigs Eat Meat?
Guinea pigs are herbivorous animals. Therefore, they do not eat meat. They primarily eat fruits and vegetables to get essential nutrients for their health and growth.
Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits of Guinea Pigs Eating Meat
Since guinea pigs cannot eat meat, then this means that it doesn’t have any benefit or nutritional value for them. Meat may have its benefits to humans, but in this case, none for your little pets.
Risks to Consider When Feeding Meat to Guinea Pigs
Meat is quite risky for guinea pigs. The following are a few possible risks encountered with meat consumption:
Beef Tapeworm
This is a parasite that can be found in meat, and as much as it may not cause death, it has severe symptoms. Some of the symptoms may include nausea, abdominal pain, and weight loss.
Excess Iron
Meat is one of the best-known sources of iron. This brings both positive and negative effects. Iron boosts the level of red blood cells in the body, but at the same time, too much of it can cause complications such as liver problems, cancer, and heart-related issues.
Lots of Saturated Fats
These saturated fats may cause a rise in cholesterol levels in the body, thus, leading guinea pigs closer to heart failure.
Probability of Heart Diseases
Cholesterol is a compound readily found in meat that can lead to severe complications in the heart. Recent studies have shown the possibility of reducing your chances of a heart attack by not eating meat.
Being a vegan can lower the chances by about 30 percent, making it safer to feed your guinea pig fresh fruits and veggies.
Lead to Diabetes
Among the most known dietary risks for diabetes, meat ranks among the top. When the disease advances, it can lead to several complications such as kidney failure, heart failure, and even blindness.
Excessive Weight
You don’t want an obese pet in the house, and meat is one way to get your pet to gain excessive weight. Good thing guinea pigs do not eat meat, which alleviates the problem of obesity from you. Be that as it may, meat is one of the best contributors to obesity.
Reduces Lifespan
With all the complications that meat brings to the table, it is almost impossible to imagine any chances of having a long lifespan. Consumption of meat makes it hard to live long since most vital body organs are affected.
Research has proven this argument after analyzing vegans’ lifespan over those who constantly devour meat.
The results were that those on a vegetarian diet for several years tend to live longer by around 3.6 years than those who eat meat regularly.
What Should Guinea Pigs Eat?
Guinea pigs strictly eat plant-based foods, which are essential to their well-being. This may include hay, green and leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, pellets, herbs, and grass. Note that each kind of food should only be served in certain amounts and frequency. High consumption of these foods can pose health risks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can My Guinea Pig Eat Processed Meat?
Your guinea pig cannot eat processed meat. Guinea pigs only eat fresh foods, and thus, giving them processed food is even worse. Also, guinea pigs only eat fresh fruits and vegetables, and hence meat and its products are out of the picture entirely.
Can I Feed My Guinea Pig Meat Soup?
Unfortunately, you cannot feed your guinea pig a meat soup. Guinea pigs cannot drink meat soup, and they will not even taste it if you provide it for them. The only liquid they can safely sip is water and nothing else aside from that.
Quick Facts on Meat
The following are some fascinating facts about meat that you probably didn’t know about:
- Meat is one of the earliest foods ever eaten by man. It dates back to several years ago where man hunted animals and ate them raw before starting to cook them.
- Around a million birds are boiled alive every year in a recent estimate.
- Research has shown the possibility of vegans living longer by around four years more than meat-eaters.
- The meat industry has the highest emission of greenhouse gases compared to any other entity in the world.
- Chicken is the highest known source of sodium.
- In recent times, processed meats have been placed under the same rank of cancer risk as cigarettes and asbestos are. This was research done by the World Health Organization.
- Animals that are placed in factory farms are so squeezed that they can’t turn or even lie down comfortably. This exposes them to severe torture.
With food, you should be careful what to choose. If you are not sure what to feed them but believe your little piggies deserve some great treats, check our Helpful Guide to the Best Guinea Pig Treats to get some ideas.
List of Sources
Caring for Your Pet Guinea Pig
Meat Consumption Is Associated With Obesity and Central Obesity Among US Adults