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Yes, guinea pigs can eat courgette (zucchini). One or two raw slices, skin on, can go into the greens mix most days. Courgette is low in sugar and calcium and gently hydrating, and its flowers are safe too. It doesn't carry much vitamin C, so pair it with peppers or leafy greens rather than relying on it.
| Safe? | Yes, part of the daily greens |
| How much | 1 or 2 slices, about 1 cm (half an inch) thick |
| How often | Most days, rotated with other veg |
| Best served | Raw, washed, skin on |
| Watch out for | Soft droppings if overfed |
Is courgette good for guinea pigs?
Yes. Burgess lists courgette and courgette flowers among its safe vegetables, Woodgreen includes courgette in its safe list, and RSPCA Australia names zucchini among good vegetables for guinea pigs. Worked out from the Guinea Lynx food chart, courgette with skin has about 2.5 g of sugar, 16 mg of calcium and 18 mg of vitamin C per 100 g (3.5 oz).
That makes it a safe, low-risk everyday filler, a bit like cucumber with slightly more goodness. It won't meet a guinea pig's vitamin C needs alone, which is why the PDSA asks for five or six kinds of veg a day, including some high in vitamin C.
How much courgette can a guinea pig have?
One or two slices, each about 1 cm (half an inch) thick, per guinea pig, most days. That is roughly 15 to 25 g (half to just under an ounce). The PDSA suggests a cup of fresh veg per guinea pig each day, so courgette is one part of that cup. If droppings soften, cut back.
How to prepare courgette
- Wash it. Rinse the skin under cold water and rub off any dirt.
- Trim the ends. Cut off the stalk end and the tip.
- Slice it. Cut rounds about 1 cm (half an inch) thick, or sticks for easy holding.
- Serve raw. Add to the bowl and remove leftovers before they go soft.
Skin, seeds, flowers, leaves and cooked courgette
- Skin: safe, leave it on.
- Seeds: the soft seeds of a normal courgette are fine; scoop out large tough seeds from an overgrown marrow.
- Flowers: safe fresh and unsprayed.
- Leaves and stems: leave them out.
- Yellow courgette and summer squash: fine, fed the same way.
- Cooked, fried or courgetti with sauce: no.
- Bitter-tasting courgette: throw it away. A strongly bitter courgette is unusual and not safe for people either.
Who should go easy on courgette?
Almost any guinea pig can eat courgette. Young guinea pigs and those with a sensitive stomach should start with a small piece and build up over a week, as with any new food.
What to pair it with
Pair courgette with bell peppers for vitamin C, and rotate it with cucumber, celery and a little pumpkin. See the safe food list, our guinea pig diet guide and the guinea pig care guide.
Courgette questions
Can guinea pigs eat courgette skin?
Yes. The skin is soft, safe and holds much of the courgette's fibre, so there is no need to peel it. Wash it well first, since that is where dirt and spray sit. Only peel a courgette if you can't wash it properly or the skin is very old and tough.
Can guinea pigs eat courgette flowers?
Yes. Burgess lists courgette and its flowers among its safe vegetables. Pick fresh, unsprayed flowers, check them for insects, and give one flower as part of the day's greens. Never give stuffed or fried courgette flowers.
Can guinea pigs eat courgette leaves?
Our sources don't cover the leaves, and they are large, bristly and prickly, so we'd leave them out. The fruit and the flowers are the parts known to be safe. Keep guinea pigs on the lawn away from the plants in the vegetable patch.
Can guinea pigs eat cooked courgette?
No. Guinea pigs should only have raw vegetables. Cooked courgette is soft, often oiled or salted, and gives their teeth nothing to work on. Raw, washed slices are better in every way.
