Can Guinea Pigs Eat Bread?

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Bread?

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Who doesn’t love bread? Freshly baked, it’s delicious on its own, with jam, or with your favorite sandwich toppings.

The question is, can you give bread to a guinea pig? If so, how much can they have? How often can they eat it?

Unfortunately, bread isn’t one of those things guinea pigs should eat a lot of. In fact, there are certain bread varieties that your guinea pig shouldn’t have at all and giving too much of any kind of bread can cause some serious problems.

Let’s take a closer look. By the time you’ve finished reading our guide, you’ll know all about bread for guinea pigs.

Bread Nutrition Stats

Bread might not be the best food for your guinea pig, but it can be a healthy part of your own diet! You’ll want to check nutrition labels for actual stats since different brands and varieties offer their own nutritional profiles.

On average, one slice of whole wheat bread contains:

• 128 calories
• 6 g carbohydrates
• 8 g fiber
• 8 g protein
• 5 g fat

Bread Nutritional Facts

Since different bread brands and varieties have different nutrients, you’ll want to check the label for specific vitamin and mineral content.

But on average, a single slice of whole wheat bread offers:

• .3 mg manganese
• .8 mg iron
• 6 mcg selenium
• 22 mcg folate
• .1 mg riboflavin
• .8 mg niacin
• .1 mg thiamine
• .1 mg copper
• 2 mg phosphorus

Can Guinea Pigs Have Bread?

Technically, yes. Guinea pigs can have bread, but you’ll want to avoid offering any sweet varieties. Breads with seeds or nuts are completely out of the question too, since these can cause your guinea pig to choke.

Never offer sugary “dessert” bread such as banana bread, zucchini bread, or cinnamon rolls – things like these are really bad for your pet.

Is Bread Good For Guinea Pigs?

Bread isn’t part of a guinea pig’s natural diet. Long story short, bread and other highly processed foods aren’t good for cavies.

Do Guinea Pigs Like Bread?

We don’t like to give our guinea pigs unnatural things, so we’ve never witnessed a cavy eating bread. But it’s fairly safe to say that most guinea pigs would at least try a nibble and perhaps enjoy bread as a very rare treat.

How Much Bread Can A Guinea Pig Eat?

Not much, if any! Here’s how much bread to feed a guinea pig:

Age	Amount
Baby guinea pig	None
Adult guinea pig	¼ inch square

Really, you can give your guinea pig a tiny bit of crust or a little bit of plain, crunchy breadstick, but there are far better things to feed them. Hint: many fruits and most veggies are good – and far better for your guinea pig than bread!

In case you decide to give your guinea pig bread, remember our advice about offering only a teeny, tiny amount: Too much bread can stick to your guinea pig’s mouth or make them choke, and it can be difficult to digest, too.

How Often Can A Guinea Pig Eat Bread?

Guinea pigs really shouldn’t eat brad but if you do offer it to them, make it only occasional – maybe once per month.

The Correct Diet is Important

Since guinea pigs shouldn’t really have baked goods including bread, what can you give them?

The best approach is to mimic your guinea pig’s natural diet. Guinea pigs are herbivores, and in the wild, they spend their days happily nibbling on grasses and leafy greens that grow close to the ground.

Of course, they’ll certainly eat other veggies and some fruits!

Here’s what you should feed your cavy:

• Fresh Timothy hay is the cornerstone of your guinea pig’s diet, so offer an unlimited supply.
• Clean, fresh water is essential. Help your guinea pig stay healthy by rinsing and refilling their water bottle at least once per day.
• Fresh foods including leafy greens and crunchy green veggies help your guinea pig live their best life! You’ll want to offer a “salad” every day, consisting of about one cup of different fresh foods. Split your guinea pig’s veggies into two or three servings if you can.
• Specially formulated guinea pig food with vitamin C added. It’s another dietary staple that your piggie should eat every day. Be sure to check the package for the correct serving size since this can vary from one brand to the next.

What Are Other Healthy Alternatives To Bread In A Guinea Pig’s Diet?

Bread might be off the menu, but great news:

There are tons of natural, healthy guinea pig treats out there in the farmer’s market, the supermarket, or even growing in your own garden – and many of them can be offered on a regular basis.

Here’s a list of guinea pig approved veggies to consider:  a favorite guinea pig treat but there are plenty of other options to choose from – and most can be offered more frequently!

Here’s a list of some veggies guinea pigs usually like:

• spinach
• red lettuce
• bibb lettuce
• buttercrunch lettuce
• escarole
• green beans
• bell pepper
• celery
• cucumber
• winter squash
• pumpkin
• parsnip
• broccoli
• broccolini
• summer squash
• zucchini
• tomato
• sweet potato
• cauliflower
• yu choy
• bok choy
• sweet corn
• baby corn
• artichoke
• basil
• asparagus
• cabbage
• parsley
• cilantro
• carrot
• carrot tops
• beets
• beet tops
• romaine
• arugula
• rocket
• endive
• swiss chard

Although most fruits and veggies are safe for guinea pigs, it’s important to do a little bit of research each time you consider a new addition to their diet.

The main reason for this is that certain foods are toxic to guinea pigs – you don’t want to make your pet sick!

Other foods aren’t ideal and really ought to be limited; for example, giving your guinea pig bread probably doesn’t seem like the best idea now that you know it can cause problems.

FAQ

Is bread safe for guinea pigs?

While bread isn’t toxic to guinea pigs, too much can cause problems swallowing and stick to the roof of your guinea pig’s mouth. Even though it’s not ideal, a very small amount might be OK.

Can bread make my guinea pig sick?

Bread can give your guinea pig a painful tummy ache and a horrible case of diarrhea when too much is eaten at once. We join other pet experts in recommending that you avoid it and choose natural treats instead.