Can Guinea Pigs Eat Bananas?

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Is it safe for guinea pigs to eat banana? Yes, guinea pigs can eat banana but only in small amounts. Bananas are high in carbohydrates and therefore very likely to cause obesity in guinea pigs.

Most guinea pigs like bananas because of the sweet, soft texture, but what about banana peels, are they safe as well? And should you be worried about pesticides in bananas?

If you’re interested in learning more about bananas for guinea pigs, this page is a great place to start.

Amounts displayed per 100 grams.

Recommendation Occasional treat
Vitamin C 8.7 mg
Fiber 2.6 g
Protein 1.09 g
Sugars 12.23 g
Calcium (Ca) 5 mg
Phosphorus (P) 22 mg
Ca:P Ratio 0.23:1 (Recommended: 1.5:1 to 2:1)
Magnesium 27 mg
Potassium 358 mg
Sodium 1 mg

Nutrition data source: USDA

See the full guinea pig food list

Guinea pigs and bananas

Most people love bananas. They’re sweet, creamy, and have a delightful mild taste. So it comes as no surprise that guinea pigs love them too, but unfortunately they can’t have everything they love.

Guinea pigs have no self control when it comes to eating, so you’ll have to be careful and make sure they get the right amount of nutrients on a daily basis.

Unfortunately, bananas are considered a snack rather than food because of the high sugar contents.

You can in fact offer the entire banana with skin to your guinea pig, but we would strongly suggest that you only do so if the bananas are organic and therefore not treated with chemicals that could be potentially harmful to your guinea pigs.

Health benefits of bananas

Bananas are a decent treat for a healthy guinea pig. They contain some vitamin C, which is vital for all guinea pigs, but they shouldn’t act as a vital source of vitamin C as there are plenty of other options with even higher amounts of vitamin C and less carbs.

Guinea pigs can also benefit from the high fiber contents as well as vitamin A and vitamin B-6, but we strongly advice that you feed in moderation and never consider bananas a part of their regular fresh produce diet.

Another great thing about bananas is the amount of potassium in them. Potassium helps prevent calcification, and therefore lowering the risk of developing bladder stones.

Although guinea pigs can eat the peels and those are high in nutrition too, we advice against this unless you have access to either home grown bananas or organic bananas.

FAQ about bananas

Below are some frequently asked questions about bananas for guinea pigs. Read on if you’re interested in learning more about bananas and how to make the most of them when offered to your guinea pigs.

How to select the best bananas for guinea pigs?

Bananas have to be ripe, but once they turn brown the sugar contents go up. For that reason we recommend that you choose bananas that are still slightly green in color, but mostly bright yellow with no brown stains.

How to feed bananas?

Bananas are easily served to guinea pigs as they have no seeds or anything else that you have to be careful with. Simply cut a small slice of a peeled banana, and serve it to your guinea pig as an occasional treat.
You can serve the peels too, but you have to make sure they’re clean with no pesticide residue.

Are bananas good for guinea pigs?

Bananas have some health benefits, but because of the high sugar contents we do not recommend bananas as part of a guinea pig’s regular diet.
They do make great treats though, and most guinea pigs would love a small slice of banana every once in a while.

Do guinea pigs like bananas?

Yes, most guinea pigs love the sweet taste of a ripe banana. The soft, tasty flesh is wildly popular with most guinea pigs, but we have seen examples of some guinea pigs that simply don’t care about bananas.
If you want a healthy treat for your guinea pigs, for instance if you want to use it as a reward during training or taming, a slice of banana could work.

Peels and flesh – are they safe to eat?

Based on what we found, guinea pigs can eat the entire banana. However, you might want to consider removing the skin first, because it might contain some pesticide residues unless it’s organic or home grown.
One thing worth noting though, is that excessive intake of banans could cause an upset stomach which is potentially quite harmful to a guinea pig.

Are cooked bananas safe for guinea pigs?

Whether you boil or fry the bananas, it causes a loss of important nutrition. Guinea pigs cannot eat any cooked fruit or vegetables, and they are very likely to get severely ill if they do so.
Nothing might happen if they accidentally nibble on a cooked piece of banana, but if you serve a large piece of cooked banana to them they are likely to fall ill.
It’s important to note that we haven’t found any scientific evidence backing up this claim, but there is proof that gastrointestinal disease is caused by an improper, high-carbohydrate diet.

Are frozen bananas safe for guinea pigs?

We have seen different claims about whether frozen bananas are safe for guinea pigs or not, but none of the sources seem trustworthy to us.
However, we would advice against serving frozen bananas to your guinea pigs based on the little knowledge there is in this field, simply because it isn’t worth taking the risk.

Are dried bananas safe for guinea pigs?

Dried bananas are widely popular across many countries, and are usually sold as “banana chips”. Regardless of whether you make your own dried banana slices or buy them at a store, the sugar contents are increased significantly and we would strongly advice against serving dried bananas to your guinea pigs.

Sources

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