Food check · Guinea pigs

Can guinea pigs eat tomatoes?

Yes, the ripe red fruit: one cherry tomato, cut up, once a week. Never the leaves, stalks, vine or green tomatoes.

Checked against PDSA: Your guinea pigs' diet, Burgess Pet Care: Can guinea pigs eat bananas?, The Vet Desk: Can guinea pigs eat tomatoes? and 4 more on

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Can other pets eat tomatoes?

Yes, guinea pigs can eat ripe tomatoes, but only the red fruit. One cherry tomato, or a piece of a larger tomato about 2.5 cm (1 in) across, cut up, once a week is plenty. The PDSA and Burgess both say the leaves and vine are unsafe, and the Vet Desk adds green, unripe tomatoes and stalks to that list.

Safe? Yes, ripe red flesh only
How much 1 cherry tomato, or a 2.5 cm (1 in) chunk
How often Once a week at most
Best served Raw, ripe, washed, stalk off, cut into pieces
Watch out for Leaves, vine, green tomatoes, sore lips

Are tomatoes good for guinea pigs?

They are a fair treat with some vitamin C. Worked out from the Guinea Lynx food chart, ripe red tomato has about 13 mg of vitamin C per 100 g (3.5 oz), less than 3 g of sugar and very little calcium. VCA even lists tomato among vitamin C-rich foods for guinea pigs, and Burgess calls it high in vitamin C.

Not every source is so keen. The Vet Desk points out that tomatoes are acidic and watery, and that too much can cause sore lips and loose droppings. Bell pepper has far more vitamin C with none of the acid. So we treat tomato as a small extra, not a daily veg.

How much tomato can a guinea pig have?

One cherry tomato, or a chunk of a larger one about 2.5 cm (1 in) across, per guinea pig. The Vet Desk gives the same serving and suggests once a week or every other week. Woodgreen also lists tomato as an occasional food, in small pieces. We follow the Vet Desk's once a week at most, because tomato is acidic, and count it as that week's fruit, alongside unlimited hay and the daily cup of mixed veg in our guinea pig diet guide.

How to prepare tomatoes

  1. Pick a fully ripe, red tomato. Skip any that are green, part green or gone off.
  2. Remove every bit of green. Pull off the stalk and the little green star on top.
  3. Wash it. Rinse under cold water.
  4. Cut into small pieces. Quarter a cherry tomato, then clear away what isn't eaten within a few hours.

Tomato leaves, stalks, vines and green fruit are unsafe. If your guinea pigs have floor time or a run in the garden, keep them well away from tomato plants and grow bags.

Leaves, green tomatoes and cooked forms

  • Ripe red, yellow or orange flesh: yes. The Vet Desk says any variety is fine fully ripe.
  • Seeds and skin of a ripe tomato: fine.
  • Green or unripe tomatoes: no.
  • Leaves, stalks and vine: no.
  • Cooked, tinned, sauce, ketchup, sun-dried: no.

Who should skip tomatoes?

Guinea pigs with sore or cracked lips, loose droppings or a sensitive stomach, and babies still settling onto solid food.

What to offer instead

For vitamin C without the acid, bell pepper is the everyday choice. Cucumber is another juicy option. Tomatoes' cousin the potato is a firm no. See what can guinea pigs eat and our guinea pig care guide for more.

Tomato questions

Can guinea pigs eat cherry tomatoes?

Yes. Burgess suggests a cherry tomato as a guinea pig treat, and the Vet Desk calls one cherry tomato about the right serving. Make sure it is fully ripe and red, pull off the green stalk, wash it and cut it into quarters. Once a week is plenty.

Are tomato leaves poisonous to guinea pigs?

Yes. The PDSA and Burgess both list the tomato vine and leaves as unsafe, even though the ripe fruit is fine. The Vet Desk explains that leaves, stems and green fruit hold a natural compound called tomatine. Grow tomatoes well away from where your guinea pigs graze.

My guinea pig ate a tomato leaf. What should I do?

Take away any more and ring your vet for advice, telling them roughly how much was eaten. Guinea Lynx says to contact your vet straight away if you suspect poisoning. Meanwhile, offer hay and water and watch for not eating, fewer droppings, diarrhoea or a hunched posture.

Can guinea pigs eat tomato sauce, ketchup or tinned tomatoes?

No. Sauces, ketchup, purees and soups are cooked and usually carry added salt, sugar, onion or garlic, and the PDSA lists onion and garlic as unsafe for guinea pigs. Only fresh, raw, ripe tomato flesh is suitable.

Sources

Read next

Yes

Can guinea pigs eat peppers?

Yes: a strip or two of bell pepper a day is one of the best sources of vitamin C for a guinea pig. Never give chilli or hot peppers.

Yes

Can guinea pigs eat cucumber?

Yes: a slice or two of washed cucumber, skin and seeds included, can be part of the daily greens mix.

No

Can guinea pigs eat potatoes?

No: potatoes and their skin, raw or cooked, are on the charities' lists of foods guinea pigs must not eat.

What can guinea pigs eat? The safe food list

Daily: hay, dark leafy greens, peppers and herbs. Sometimes: carrot, broccoli, kale and fruit. Never: potato, onion, avocado, chocolate or iceberg lettuce.

Guinea pig diet: what to feed every day

Unlimited grass hay, about a cup of mixed fresh veg, a small portion of fresh guinea pig pellets and clean water, every day.