Can Guinea Pigs Eat Blackberries? | Is Blackberry A Safe Choice?

Yes, guinea pigs can enjoy having blackberries only if they have them in a fair quantity. Blackberries are small, delicious, fruit full of minerals, vitamins, cancer-fighting agents, etc. Guinea pigs can also eat blackberries with seeds and skin. You will find guinea pigs a great fan of this small fruit. Nonetheless, it is obvious that if they like some food, you cannot overfeed them with the same item. Every fruit has its pros and cons. With providing gigantic benefits, blackberries will lead to health problems as well.

It is important to know can guinea pigs have blackberries and in what proportions? What are its nutritional facts? Whether they can have blackberry juice or not. 

Nutritional Facts Of Blackberries

A bowl with 100 g of blackberry fruit will provide:

Here is the list of benefits that 100 grams of blackberries hold for the guinea pig’s health. 

Vitamin A is found in abundance in blackberries i.e., 214 IU in 100 grams. The vitamin A has its importance regarding the protection of the guinea pigs against several diseases. It works well for teeth and bone health. Moreover, Vitamin A promotes a healthy and strong immune system.

Injuries are unpredictable and to deal with that body needs Vitamin K. Blackberries are rich in VItamin K, which helps in clotting after an injury. Vitamin K improves the guinea pig’s immune system the same as Vitamin A does. 

Blackberries provide Vitamin C to the body, which plays an important function to improve general health. In guinea pigs, it helps to 

The high fiber content in blackberries is magical for guinea pigs’ health. Fiber is sorted into two types, soluble and insoluble. The former is soluble in water. While the latter one is in no way soluble in water. Soluble fiber helps in maintaining cholesterol levels and lowering blood sugar levels. Insoluble fiber improves the digestive system of the body. Also, the fiber in blackberries helps in losing weight and enhances the intestine’s regular movement. 

Blackberries possess antioxidants that are mandatory for fighting against free radicals. In guinea pigs, effective stopping of free radicals is essential to save the little creature from developing cancer, damaging cells, heart diseases, and so on. 

Manganese improves cardiovascular functioning, and blackberries have manganese in bulk amounts. The manganese in guinea pig’s diet stable heart health and enhance their functioning. It keeps the blood sugar in a normal range. 

How Many Blackberries Can Guinea Pigs Eat? 

It is better to feed just one blackberry at a time to guinea pigs. No doubt, that blackberries are delicious and juicy to eat, and guinea pigs love them. Still, it is not recommended as a daily treat. 

However, we should be careful before feeding. If you throw a bunch of blackberries at guinea pigs, they will eat all of them at once. They are unable to differentiate between what is good and what is not for them. More than one blackberry at a time will be considered as overfeeding. It can lead to an attack on their sensitive digestive system and will cause discomfort. 

Once or twice a week will be safe if you want to feed blackberries to your pocket friend. You can only give blackberries as a feast because they are also high in sugars. 

Underlying Risks Of Blackberries For Guinea Pigs

When fed in larger quantities, blackberries can get around to the below-mentioned health issues in guinea pigs.

Lots of sugars in blackberries can be dangerous for guinea pig’s dental health. Excessive sugar intake can cause gum diseases and cavities. 

Guinea pig’s digestive system is unable to manage sugars or to break them down. As their tiny stomach cannot handle it,  you should have to avoid feeding them blackberries daily. Otherwise, it will affect their absorption system and can cause diarrhea. 

When the sugar intake increases in a guinea pig’s diet, it makes them over-weighted. Every vitamin or mineral works well until consumed according to body requirements. Sugars in blackberries can convict obesity in adult guinea pigs. Therefore, pocket pets can develop diabetes due to an increased sugar level. 

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Blackberries With Skin?

Absolutely yes, there is no harm in trying feeding blackberry skin to guinea pigs. Just be watchful because the skin has some toxins, pesticides sprayed on them. Better to wash blackberries outside the skin so any damaging chemicals or dirt will be cleaned out.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Blackberries With Seeds?

It depends on what quantity you are feeding seeded blackberries to your pigs. A small number of blackberry seeds will be okay. If you provide the seeds in a big proportion, it will cause harmful side effects. You have to be cautious because seeds contain ellagic acids, omega-6, and omega-3. How often, it is better to give them seedless blackberries to avoid any choking hazard.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Blackberry Leaves?

Guinea pigs can eat blackberry leaves if they are washed properly. Leaves from organic farms or your homemade grown plant leaves will serve best because of zero chemical sprays. 

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Wild Blackberries?

Guinea pigs can eat wild blackberries. There is no particular difference between regular ones and wild ones. Despite this, wild blackberries could have worms in them or chemicals on the surface. Only feed wild blackberries if you are sure that they are good for your guinea pigs. Toxins could prove to be a life threat to these pigs. 

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Blackberry Jam?

Whether the jam is homemade or commercial made, it is a straight no for guinea pigs. Jam contains unnecessary sugars that lead to obesity. Additionally, the process from the jam goes through is not safe. Guinea pigs’ tiny stomachs cannot handle any processed edibles. 

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Canned Blackberries?

No, they cannot eat canned blackberries. Canned food uses preservatives to increase its shelf life. Besides preservatives, it has lots of sugar as well. Combinations of sugars and preservatives are disastrous for guinea pig’s health. 

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Frozen Blackberries?

Frozen blackberries are not the wise choice for guinea pigs. Frozen Black Berries prompt stomach inches, diarrhea, and other issues in guinea pigs. Try to buy fresh organic blackberries from the store to feed. Frozen blackberries are only edible if they come down to room temperature. 

Can Guinea Pigs Drink Blackberry Juice?

No, guinea pigs cannot have blackberry juice because it’s just too sugary. Although, there are already enough sugars present in blackberries. This amount gets doubled or tripled when we make blackberry juice. Blackberry juice and canned blackberries are harmful to guinea pigs.

How To Prepare Blackberries For Guinea Pigs?

Guinea pigs like blackberries, and they can consume them till the end. It is crucial to make sure that guinea pigs will enjoy the blackberry treat and it is safe. Here are a few tips to consider.

To keep fruits and veggies fresh and to make them shine, producers use pests, sprays, and chemicals. You never know that the blackberries we are purchasing from a store have undergone that harmful spray. It is prescribed to scrub the blackberry fruit thoroughly with water to make them hygienic for eating. 

Blackberry is a small fruit itself, but cutting it into further tiny pieces will assist guinea pigs in eating. If they are new to blackberries, cut the fruit in small chunks and mix well with other veggies to make a feast for them. 

Guinea pigs have delicate digestive systems, so be mindful while buying blackberries. Try to reach a store that sells organic fruits or go to the farmer’s market. 

What Can We Add Besides Blackberries To A Guinea Pig’s Diet?

A balanced diet is necessary for guinea pigs to nibble, tunneling, and nesting. With their commercial feed, add a bowl of veggies too. They usually like to have green vegetables that are crunchy and fresh. You can mix fruit twice a week in their veggie bowl. 

Make a habit of changing their drinking water every day or twice a day. Drinking clean and fresh water saves them from dehydration. 

Except for berries, guinea pigs can have green beans, carrots, mint, cucumber, bell peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, pumpkin, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, asparagus, and more. 

Conclusion

Blackberries bring numerous health benefits to guinea pigs because of their high nutritional value. It contains Vitamin C, A, K, fiber, antioxidants, and more. Besides having more perks than harm, guinea pigs should be fed on blackberries only once or twice a week. Also, rinse them properly before giving them to the guinea pigs due to various pest sprays.

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