Can Guinea Pigs Eat Lettuce?
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Calorie for calorie, leafy greens are among the most nutritious veggies around. You know that lettuce is great for you, but is it OK for your guinea pig?
If so, how much lettuce can a guinea pig have, and how often should it be part of their daily menu?
The quick answer is “It depends.” The topic of lettuce for guinea pigs isn’t exactly rocket science but there’s quite a bit to take in.
Keep reading and in a few minutes, you’ll be able to choose the right lettuce for your cavy and you’ll know exactly how much they ought to be eating as well as how often.
Lettuce Nutrition Stats
Lettuce is great for filling up when you’ve got a low calorie budget to work with, yet it’s surprisingly nutritious.
One cup of lettuce gives you approximately:
- 5 calories
- 1 g carbohydrates
- .5 g fiber
- .5 g protein
- 1 g fat
Lettuce Nutritional Facts
Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are important for your health – and your piggie’s!
The same cup of lettuce offers about:
- 5 mg vitamin C
- 2665 iu vitamin A
- 8 mg potassium
- 13 mg calcium
- 7 mg magnesium
- 3 mg iron
- 13 mg calcium
- 5 mcg vitamin K
- 7 mcg folate
- 4 mg phosphorus
Can Guinea Pigs Have Lettuce?
Yes, guinea pigs can eat most varieties of lettuce. There’s one exception, and that’s iceberg lettuce. While you can offer leaf lettuce, bibb lettuce, lots of romaine lettuce, and most other varieties, you should never give a guinea pig iceberg lettuce.
Is Lettuce Good For Guinea Pigs?
Since the darker green varieties of lettuce are so nutritious, they are very good for cavies. Lettuce is so good for guinea pigs that it can be part of their everyday diet.
You might be wondering why iceberg lettuce is bad for guinea pigs. The main reason not to give a cavy iceberg lettuce is that this variety is mostly water and fiber – ok for you, but not helpful or healthful for your guinea pig.
Cavies tend to suffer from severe diarrhea when given iceberg lettuce so it’s best avoided altogether.
Do Guinea Pigs Like Lettuce?
Yes! Guinea pigs love lettuce. The more flavorful, the better, which is good news as the same dark green varieties are both flavorful and nutritious!
How Much Lettuce Can A Guinea Pig Eat?
So, is there such a thing as too much when it comes to lettuce? After all, it’s good for your cavy! Unfortunately, the answer is yes.
Here’s how much lettuce a to feed your guinea pig:
| Age | Amount |
| Baby guinea pig | None |
| Adult guinea pig | 2 lettuce leaves |
We recommend offering your guinea pig two average size lettuce leaves as part of their salad. These should be thoroughly washed and dried, then torn or chopped into smaller pieces before being given to your cavy.
Any kind of dark-colored lettuce is good, with varieties including romaine, buttercrunch, and bibb leading the way.
How Often Can A Guinea Pig Eat Lettuce?
Great news for guinea pigs: Lettuce can be part of their daily diet – in fact, it should be a major component in their salad. Besides other veggies that you rotate through – cabbage, kale, and spinach are examples – you’ll want to offer those two torn-up or chopped leaves of lettuce every day.
The Correct Diet is Important
Your guinea pig should have an entire cup of fresh food (including lettuce, other greens, and different crunchy vegetables) daily This should be divided into at least two smaller portions that are offered at different times throughout the day. That’s not all.
Besides their salad, here’s what else to feed your guinea pig:
- Unlimited fresh hay such as Timothy hay
- Balanced, fortified guinea pig pellets (see the package for the correct serving size)
- Unlimited fresh water (rinse and refill your guinea pig’s drinking bottle daily)
Your guinea pig’s teeth are constantly growing so it’s very important to provide access to items that are safe to chew. Not only does chewing behavior keep your guinea pig’s teeth worn to the correct level, it helps enrich their habitat, alleviating stress and boredom.
Make sure that your guinea pig has safe chewable items at all times! We recommend hay cubes, apple wood sticks, and of course, fun chewable guinea pig toys.
What Are Other Healthy Alternatives To Lettuce In A Guinea Pig’s Diet?
Your guinea pig needs lots of lettuce each day, plus a variety of other veggies. To help you plan your guinea pig’s menu, we’ve put together a list of veggies that most guinea pigs like:
- asparagus
- artichoke
- summer squash
- parsnip
- pumpkin
- sweet potato
- tomato
- bok choy
- yu choy
- watercress
- basil
- cilantro
- mint
- parsley
- broccoli
- broccolini
- cauliflower
- brussels sprouts
- carrot
- carrot tops
- beets
- beet tops
- swiss chard
- spinach
- cabbage
- rocket
- cabbage
- green beans
- cucumber
- bell pepper
- zucchini
Giving your guinea pig lettuce (but never iceberg!) is a great way to help them live a happy, healthy life.
Remember to look for information on other foods before you offer them, as some items are toxic, and as it’s important to determine how much to offer as well as how often to offer it.
FAQ
Is lettuce safe for guinea pigs?
Yes! Lettuce is actually an important part of your guinea pig’s daily diet. Do remember to offer only darker green varieties such as romaine. In addition, never give your guinea pig iceberg lettuce.
Can lettuce make my guinea pig sick?
Overeating anything can make your guinea pig sick, and that includes items that are typically considered healthy. Stick to the recommended serving size (that’s two dark green lettuce leaves every day) and your guinea pig should respond very well.
Now that we’ve covered what to do, here’s one final reminder about iceberg lettuce: Cavies simply cannot handle it, so never ever give your guinea pig iceberg lettuce. The resulting diarrhea can lead to dehydration, and your guinea pig might not survive. If you’re in a pinch and have nothing but iceberg lettuce on hand, skip the veggies and just let your guinea pig eat hay and pellets. They’ll be OK until you have the proper leafy greens in your refrigerator!
