Can guinea pigs eat peaches?

Are peaches safe for guinea pigs?

The flesh is, in small amounts. The vet-reviewed guide at The Vet Desk says guinea pigs can enjoy a few peach slices as a treat, introduced gradually. Worked out from the Guinea Lynx food chart, peach has about 8 g of sugar but only about 7 mg of vitamin C per 100 g (3.5 oz), so it is a sweet extra, not a healthy staple.

The PDSA and Burgess don't name peaches, but they list close relatives, cherries and plums, among safe fruit treats, and both stress very small amounts because of the sugar. Woodgreen lists fruit seeds and pips among foods to avoid, which covers the stone. The Vet Desk adds that the acids in peaches can make the mouth and lips sore if fed often.

How much peach can a guinea pig have?

One thin slice, about 10 to 15 g, per guinea pig, once a week at most. Start with half a slice the first time and check droppings the next day. The PDSA suggests treats only once every week or two, with less other food that day, and The Vet Desk keeps all treats under 5% of the diet.

How to prepare peaches

1. Pick a ripe peach. It should be soft-ripe but not bruised, wrinkled or spoiled.
2. Wash or peel it. Wash it very well, or peel it if it may have been sprayed.
3. Remove the stone. Cut around the stone and throw it straight in the bin, out of reach.
4. Slice thinly. Cut one thin slice and offer it in the bowl.
5. Clear up. Remove sticky leftovers within an hour or two.

Stone, skin, tinned and dried peaches

• Fresh flesh: yes, one thin slice.
• Stone (pit): never. It contains compounds that release cyanide and is a choking risk.
• Skin: a little if washed very well; peeling is safer.
• Leaves and twigs from the tree: no. They belong to the same family as the stone and our sources don't call them safe.
• Tinned peaches, juice, dried peach: no.
• Peach yoghurt or desserts: no, dairy and added sugar.

Who should avoid peaches?

Skip peaches for overweight guinea pigs, those with sore lips, soft droppings or a sensitive stomach, and young guinea pigs. If yours has chewed a peach stone, take it away and ring a vet for advice straight away. If it has simply eaten too much flesh, offer extra hay and water and ring a vet if droppings stay loose for more than a day. See our guinea pig health guide.

What to offer instead

Other fruit treats to rotate include pears, apples, cherries (stones out) and mango, one at a time. For daily vitamin C, use bell peppers. See the safe food list, our guinea pig diet guide and the guinea pig care guide.