Can Guinea Pigs Eat Arugula? Health Benefits, Side Effects

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Arugula also knows as salad rocket is an edible leafy plant.

It tastes really good and is a great source for many essential nutrients like Vitamin A and Calcium, because of that we often like to use it in our sandwiches and salads.

But, is this safe for your guinea pig to consume?

It is essential to lookup any food item before you feed it to your fluffy friend as an innocent mistake can cost you your fluffy friend’s life.

So, read the entire article and learn whether or not guinea pigs can eat arugula.

Don’t be satisfied with a short answer because what comes after the “but…” is usually too important to miss!

Can Guinea Pigs have Arugula

The short answer is YES

This leafy vegetable is nontoxic to guinea pigs, and in moderate quantities, Arugula won’t have any adverse side effects on your guinea pig’s health.

In fact, arugula contains a lot of great vitamins and minerals guinea pigs can benefit from, including a surplus of Vitamin A, Calcium and Vitamin K.

However, cavies don’t really love the arugula too much because of its specific taste.

This veggie is peppery, a bit bitter and this is why cavies don’t binge this veggie as other favorite foods.

What Are The Health Benefits of Arugula for Guinea Pigs?

To fully understand how guinea pigs may be able to benefit from eating arugula, we need to examine the nutritional contents of arugula.

The truth is, these vegetables contain many more nutrients.

However, these are just a few of the top vitamin and minerals found in arugula.

First of all, arugula contains high quantities of vitamin C, which guinea pigs need in order to thrive.

Guinea pigs cannot make synthesize their own vitamin C.

Generally, it’s good to look for foods that are also rich in vitamins and nutrients.

Otherwise, the food would just be a chewing material; but that’s what hay is for.

Therefore, the actual food your piggies need should have some nutritional value.

An important thing to be kept in mind is that you must not comprise arugula as the only food of your cavy.

A guinea pig can never survive or grow on only a single kind of food, regardless of its nutritional value.

Moreover, arugula also has some level of phosphorus and calcium along with oxalate, and it signifies the fact that such veggies must not emerge on the food menu very often.

Thus, arugula should not be given to your cavy every day.

Here are some of the benefits:

• Not fattening – arugula is low in fat so even if it’s consumed in high amounts, it cannot change the weight of your guinea pig. It is leafy and light, so there is no risk of obesity.

• Healthy blood vessels – because it is low in fat, arugula is healthy for the blood vessels, and with arugula, the whole cardiovascular system will stay healthy.

• Energy – with the proteins and carbs, the guinea pig can have enough energy for any activity on a daily basis.

When Arugula Can Be Bad For my Guinea Pig?

Knowing what to feed your guinea pig is important and that’s why you must know the benefits and risks of feeding cabbage to your cute pet.

Some foods can have dangerous side effects when consumed in excess.

Yes! It is true that arugula contains a very high amount of nutrients.

However, too much of arugula can also have side effects on your guinea pig too.

Too much of arugula can take a toll on your piggy and damage its liver even if it contains essential antioxidants that can help safeguard the body from toxins.

Too much of it can also drastically lower the blood pressure of your piggy.

Another side effect is respiratory problems in your piggy, which can eventually lead to chronic asthma. Please also keep this in mind.

Other negative skin reactions to arugula include rashes, irritation, itching, swelling, hives and so on.

So when you limit the intake of arugula to your piglets, the risk of getting all the issues mentioned above is limited.

Then you have a safe and healthy guinea pig, that is fun to be with.

How Often Should your Guinea Pig Eat Arugula?

We know that there are many health benefits for guinea pigs if they eat arugula but everything above the normal limit can cause serious problems.

Frequency – it is recommended to give guinea pigs arugula ones or twice a week in small amounts.

Just keep in mind they are very small compared to us and we can’t give them a lot of the arugula.

Just be careful because the fiber and the sugar in them can really hurt your guinea pig.

How Much Arugula can I Feed My Guinea Pig?

It is important to vary your cavy’s diet on a daily basis.

Try feeding other leafy greens, like carrot tops or romaine lettuce, along with small amounts of fruits that contain vitamin C on a rotating basis in addition to arugula.

This will help prevent any dangerous build-up of excess nutrients and gives your guinea pig something to look forward to at meal-times.

It is tempting to treat our herbivorous pets as garbage disposals.

After all, we don’t want things going to waste.

F.A.Q

• Can Guinea Pigs Eat Cooked Arugula?

Cooked vegetables can come with risks.

Many recipes involving cooked arugula also contain other ingredients that may be toxic to your guinea pig.

Play it safe and always feed your guinea pig raw vegetables unless otherwise recommended by your veterinarian.

• Can Guinea Pigs Eat Arugula Every Day?

No, Definitely guinea pigs cannot eat arugula every day.

It is recommended that we feed our guinea pigs with spinach only once a week or so.

Trying to feed the arugula regularly can be bad for their health.

Although young and pregnant guinea pigs can be fed a small leaf up to twice a week considering you mix it up with other low calcium veggies like cucumber, lettuce, etc

• Can Baby Guinea Pigs Eat Arugula

Like adults, it is important that guinea pig pups have a plentiful source of vitamin C.

However, it may take a couple of weeks before pups will take to vegetables. As a result, arugula isn’t the most optimal source.

• What Are The Best Alternatives To Arugula For Guinea Pigs.

Because of the risks involved with including arugula as a regular part of a guinea pig’s diet, you might be looking for an option you can use more regularly.

– Carrot
– Romaine lettuce
– Cucumber
– Coriander

Conclusion

On the overall, as you were able to see, guinea pigs can eat arugula.

There is absolutely no problem in doing that, as long as the quantities are small and the feeding process is taking place twice a week, the most.

If you are giving them arugula in the right amounts, this food could become an essential part of their diet and a reliable source of vitamins and nutrients.

Pay a lot of attention to the reaction your guinea pigs get when you are introducing them to this new food. It is important to see if they are able to digest it well enough.

Additionally, don’t forget to introduce new foods gradually and in small quantities to prevent any digestive discomfort or diarrhea.

If you see any unusual behavior or loose stool, it’s best to stop feeding him this food.