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Yes, guinea pigs can eat pears as a treat. A thin slice, about 1 cm (half an inch) thick, with the core and pips removed, once or twice a week is plenty. The PDSA, Woodgreen and Burgess all list pear as a safe fruit, but it is sugary and has little vitamin C, so keep portions small.
| Safe? | Yes, as a treat |
| How much | One thin slice, about 10 to 15 g (half an ounce) |
| How often | Once or twice a week |
| Best served | Fresh, ripe, washed, core and pips out |
| Watch out for | Pips, sugar, soft droppings |
Are pears good for guinea pigs?
As a treat, yes. The PDSA, Woodgreen and Burgess all include pear in their lists of safe fruit, and VCA Animal Hospitals names pear as a high-fibre fruit. Worked out from the Guinea Lynx food chart, pear has about 10 g of sugar per 100 g (3.5 oz) but only about 4 mg of vitamin C, a tiny amount next to bell peppers.
So pear is a tasty extra, not a useful source of vitamin C. The PDSA says fruit should be given in very small amounts because it is high in sugar, and Woodgreen advises fruit just once or twice a week.
How much pear can a guinea pig have?
One thin slice, about 1 cm (half an inch) thick and 10 to 15 g, per guinea pig, once or twice a week. Woodgreen suggests feeding fruit such as pear in small pieces once or twice a week, while the PDSA is stricter, suggesting treats once every week or two. If your guinea pig is a healthy weight we'd follow Woodgreen; if it is on the heavy side, follow the PDSA.
How to prepare pear
- Pick a ripe pear. Firm-ripe is best. Avoid bruised, very soft or spoiled fruit.
- Wash it. Rinse the skin well under cold water.
- Cut from the side. Slice a thin piece from the outside of the pear, away from the core.
- Check for pips. Make sure no pips or core are left in the slice.
- Clear up. Remove leftovers within a few hours, before they brown and attract flies.
Skin, pips, core, stalk and other forms
- Flesh: yes, a thin slice.
- Skin: yes, washed.
- Pips and core: no, take them out.
- Stalk: no, throw it away.
- Tinned pears, pear juice, dried pear: no. Woodgreen lists canned and dried fruit as unsuitable.
- Prickly pear: a cactus fruit, not a pear. Our sources don't cover it and it has spines, so we'd leave it out.
Who should avoid pears?
Skip pear for overweight guinea pigs, those with soft droppings or a sensitive stomach, and young guinea pigs still getting used to greens. If yours has eaten a lot of pear, or a core with pips, take the rest away, offer extra hay and water, and ring a vet if droppings stay loose for more than a day or it stops eating. See our guinea pig health guide.
What to offer instead
Other fruit treats to rotate with pear include apples, blueberries, grapes and peaches, 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.
Pear questions
Can guinea pigs eat pear skin?
Yes. The skin is soft and safe once washed, and it carries much of the fruit's fibre. Wash it well under cold water to remove dirt and spray. If the pear is waxed or you can't wash it properly, peel it.
Can guinea pigs eat pear pips or the core?
No. Take out the core and every pip. Woodgreen lists fruit seeds and pips among foods guinea pigs should not eat, the PDSA says apple should be fed without the pips, and the core is tough. Cut the slice from the outside of the fruit so there is no core in it at all.
Can guinea pigs eat nashi or Asian pears?
Our sources don't name them, but nashi pears are close relatives of ordinary pears with similar sugar and water, so we'd treat them the same: a thin, washed slice with the core and pips removed, once or twice a week at most.
Can guinea pigs eat tinned or dried pears?
No. Tinned pears sit in syrup or juice and dried pears are concentrated sugar. Guinea Lynx warns against treats with dried fruit. Only give fresh pear, and only a small slice.
