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Yes, guinea pigs can eat sweet bell peppers every day, and they are one of the best foods you can give. A strip or two, about a sixth to an eighth of a pepper, supplies a good share of the vitamin C guinea pigs need daily. Take out the seeds and stalk, and never give chilli or other hot peppers.
| Safe? | Yes, a daily staple |
| How much | 1 or 2 strips, about an eighth of a pepper |
| How often | Daily or most days |
| Best served | Raw, washed, seeds and stalk out |
| Watch out for | Hot peppers; too much at once can soften droppings |
Are peppers good for guinea pigs?
Yes. The RSPCA lists bell peppers among the vegetables guinea pigs can eat often, Burgess lists bell peppers among its safe vegetables, and VCA Animal Hospitals names bell pepper among its high vitamin C vegetables. Guinea pigs can't make vitamin C, and VCA puts their daily need at 10 to 50 mg.
Worked out from the Guinea Lynx food chart, peppers are low in calcium (7 to 11 mg per 100 g) and low in sugar, so they suit daily feeding in a way that kale or fruit doesn't.
| Pepper colour | Vitamin C per 100 g (3.5 oz) | Sugar per 100 g | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | About 184 mg | Not listed | Highest vitamin C |
| Red | About 129 mg | About 4.3 g | Sweetest, most popular |
| Green | About 80 mg | About 2.4 g | Least sugar, slightly bitter |
Values are worked out from the Guinea Lynx chart. Guinea Lynx notes vitamin C fades after harvest, so fresh peppers carry the most.
How much pepper can a guinea pig have?
One or two strips a day, roughly an eighth of a medium pepper. In its guide to daily greens, Burgess suggests an eighth of a green pepper as one day's serving in a mixed bowl. That is around 20 g (under an ounce), which even from green pepper gives about 16 mg of vitamin C. Peppers should be one part of the cup of mixed veg the PDSA recommends daily, not the whole cup.
How to prepare peppers
- Wash it. Rinse the pepper under cold water.
- Core it. Cut off the stalk and scoop out the seeds and white core.
- Slice it. Cut strips about 1 cm (half an inch) wide.
- Serve it fresh. Feed raw, and cut a fresh strip each day rather than leaving a cut pepper for days, as the vitamin C fades.
Seeds, stalks, cooked and hot peppers
- Seeds and core: remove.
- Stalk: remove.
- Mini sweet peppers and pointed (romano) peppers: fine, the same as bell peppers.
- Roasted, jarred or pickled peppers: no, they carry oil, salt or vinegar.
- Chilli, jalapeno and other hot peppers: never. Woodgreen lists hot peppers among foods guinea pigs should not eat.
- Leaves and plant: no.
Who should go easy on peppers?
Almost every guinea pig can have peppers. Start new or young guinea pigs on a small piece and build up over a week. If droppings soften, cut back for a few days. Guinea pigs watching their weight can lean on green pepper, which has the least sugar.
What to pair with peppers
Peppers go well with romaine lettuce, cucumber and celery. Read more in our vitamin C guide, the safe food list, the guinea pig diet guide and the guinea pig care guide.
Pepper questions
Can guinea pigs eat pepper seeds?
It is best to take them out. The seeds and white core are not known to be poisonous, but they are bitter, slippery and give nothing useful. Scoop them out with a teaspoon and keep the stalk and core for the compost rather than the cage.
Which colour pepper is best for guinea pigs?
Yellow and red have the most vitamin C, about 184 mg and 129 mg per 100 g (3.5 oz), against about 80 mg for green, worked out from the Guinea Lynx chart. Red and yellow are also a little sweeter. Green has the least sugar. Rotating colours works well.
Can guinea pigs eat chilli or jalapeno peppers?
No. Chillies, jalapenos and other hot peppers contain capsaicin, the burning compound, which can hurt a guinea pig's mouth and upset its gut. Only sweet bell peppers (capsicum) are safe. If yours has had a bite of chilli, give water and hay and ring a vet if it stops eating.
Can guinea pigs eat pepper leaves or the plant?
No. Pepper plants are in the nightshade family, like potatoes and tomatoes, and guinea pig charities warn against the leaves and vines of tomatoes for this reason. Feed only the pepper itself, and keep guinea pigs away from the plants in the garden.
