Yes, guinea pigs can eat cherry tomatoes. They are a great treat for your pet. Moreover, they contain vitamin C, and if your cavy’s diet lacks vitamin C, she would suffer from scurvy. Give your pet cherry tomatoes in moderation. Tomatoes have low sugar content but still, when fed excessively, they could increase your cavies’ blood sugar because they are small animals.
If you feed your pet a large number of cherry tomato fruits, she might develop painful wounds around her mouth. That’s because cherry tomatoes contain oxalic acid which burns their mouth region. In medical terms, this condition is called cheilitis. However, in moderation, you can include cherry tomatoes in your cavy’s diet as long as they are ripe but not mushy. Avoid any unripe tomatoes as they are awful for your guinea pig’s digestive system.
But how often can guinea pigs have cherry tomatoes? Every day? Once a week? Stick with me, and I’ll explain how you can add tomatoes to your guinea pig’s diet. I’ll also recommend how much tomato is safe for your pet in this article.
Let’s dive in.
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Cherry tomatoes are a great treat for your pet. Moreover, they contain vitamin C, and if your cavy’s diet lacks vitamin C, she would suffer from scurvy. Give your pet cherry tomatoes in moderation as it contains sugar, although it’s a low amount when fed excessively, it can increase your cavies’ blood sugar because they are small animals.
Table of Contents
How Often Can Guinea Pigs Have Cherry Tomatoes?
If you are wondering how you can safely add tomatoes into your cavy’s diet, here’s what you need to know:
Guinea pigs can eat one cherry tomato three to four times a week. However, if your cavy is suffering from vitamin C deficiency, you can give her one cherry tomato once every day. A large-sized cavy can safely ingest two cherry tomatoes three to four times a week. But, it’s better to stick to one fruit thrice a week to prevent your pet from acid which may burn her mouth. Baby guinea pigs shouldn’t have more than half of one cherry tomato thrice a week.
Cavies love tomatoes, and they can get addicted to this fruit. So, sometimes, it’s better to add a variety or make a salad with other fruits and vegetables. For instance, you could cut some cut tomatoes, shred some lettuce with it and your pet have a meal.
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Cherry Tomatoes Nutrition
~80% of your cavy’s diet consists of hay. Fresh fruits & vegetables are of course a great supplement to your pet while keeping it served moderately. Your guinea pig can’t produce its own vitamin-C and one cup of cherry tomatoes contains 18[mg] of it while the daily requirement of a guinea pig is ~100[mg]. Vitamin C is an essential part of the diet as it helps to keep their immune system strong, helps to keep their teeth healthy, and prevents cardiovascular diseases. Lack of vitamin-C will finally lead to scurvy. Cherry tomatoes contain more vitamins & minerals which can benefit our pet. Here is a summary of the vitamins/minerals and each benefit.
| Vitamin/Mineral | Amount in one cup of cherry tomato | Benefits/Risks for guinea pigs |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin-C | 18.92 [mg] | Your guinea pig cant produces its own vitamin-C, so it's very important to contain it in its diet. The daily required vitamin-C for guinea pigs is ~90mg. It will make your pet's immune system stronger. Vitamin C is required for making collagen. Collagen is required for maintaining blood vessel integrity, the formation of bone, and |
| Potassium | 353.13[mg] | Potassium may help reduce blood pressure and water retention, protect against stroke and prevent osteoporosis and kidney stones |
| Fiber | 1,79[g] | Helps maintain bowel health |
| Protein | 1.31[g] | Increases your pet strength, lower the blood pressure, and speed-up the metabolism |
| Calcium | 14.9[mg] | Notice that normal adult guinea pigs should eat around 8g of calcium per day per kg of pellets. If A Guinea pig eats 1/8 cup of pellet each day, it means ~130mg of calcium each day. |
| Sugar | 3.92[g] | Try to avoid sugar for your guinea pig. As it most of the time resting and not moving a lot, high sugar amounts will lead to fat and health issues. |
| Vitamin-A | 1241.17[IU] | To maintain normal tissue histology, and storage of vitamin A in the liver guinea pigs need a 23 µmol/kg diet or more. |
| Vitamin-K | 11.77[mcg] | Vitamin K is a group of vitamins that the body needs for blood clotting, helping wounds to heal. There's also some evidence vitamin K may help keep bones healthy. |
| Magnesium | 16.39[mg] | It Has Anti-Inflammatory Benefits. It Reduces Insulin Resistance and will help lower blood pressure. |
| Folate | 22.35[mcg] | Folate is one of the B-vitamins and is needed to make red and white blood cells in the bone marrow. |
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Your guinea pig can’t produce its own vitamin-C and one cup of cherry tomatoes contains 18[mg] of it while the daily requirement of a guinea pig is ~100[mg]. Vitamin C is an essential part of the diet as it helps to keep their immune system strong, helps to keep their teeth healthy, and prevents cardiovascular diseases. Lack of vitamin-C will finally lead to scurvy.
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Tomatoes?
Of course, guinea pigs can eat tomatoes. There are different types of tomatoes; Roma, Grape, Cherry tomatoes, etc, and your cavy can safely eat any of them. In fact, cavies love this red juicy fruit. However, serve only in moderation. For cavies, eating excess tomatoes can lead to obesity or diabetes. Moreover, your pet can have cheilitis as a result of eating tomatoes.
Never serve your pet the leave or stem of a tomato. Tomato stems and leaves contain a toxic compound called tomatine. And when ingested, the compound can cause vomiting and GI problems in cavies.
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Can Guinea Pigs Eat Tomato Seeds?
Yes, they can. Tomato seeds are tiny, and your pet can safely ingest them. Besides, the seed is rich in Vitamin A and C and contains fiber which is healthy and needed for your cavy’s daily diet.
Remember to always wash the fruit before serving your pet to eliminate any trace of pesticide. The tomato should be served raw to your pet.
How Many Tomatoes Can I Give To My Guinea Pig?
Just like cherry tomatoes, you should give your guinea pig one tomato thrice a week. Large guinea pigs can eat as much as one tomato every day, but to prevent your pet from having mouth sores, stick to it three to four times a week.
Further Reading: “Can Guinea Pigs Get Worms?“
Related Questions
Can Guinea Pigs Eat Green Tomatoes?
No, guinea pigs can’t eat green or unripe tomatoes. Unripe tomatoes are high in tomatine and solanine. These compounds are toxic to guinea pigs and could make your pet sick when ingested. Some symptoms of solanine poisoning are vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea, stomach upset, etc.
However, some species of tomatoes stay green even when they are ripe. Just like cherry tomatoes, they contain vitamin A, & C, potassium, fiber, magnesium, iron, and calcium. You can give your pet this kind of tomato but only if you are sure that is a ripe green tomato. However, serve your pet this fruit in moderation because it contains sugar and oxalic acid.
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Can Guinea Pigs Eat Grape Tomatoes?
Yes, guinea pigs can eat grape tomatoes. The only difference between a grape tomato and a cherry tomato is their shapes. A grape tomato has the shape of a grape, while a cherry tomato is round like a cherry.
A grape tomato, like a cherry tomato, is red, fleshy, and has tiny seeds. It is rich in vitamin C and can be added to the diet of cavies with vitamin C deficiency. However, serve your pet this fruit in small quantities because of the sugar content and its acidity. You can serve adult cavies one grape tomatoes every day while baby guinea pigs can have half grape tomatoes per day.
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Can Guinea Pigs Eat Tomato Peels?
Yes, guinea pigs can eat tomato peels. In fact, they are nutritious for your pet. One red tomato contains 1.6 g of fiber. The dietary fiber in tomatoes is concentrated in the skin. A study by ScienceDirect explains that most of the antioxidants present in tomatoes are concentrated in the peels and seeds. So, don’t peel the tomato before serving it to your pet. However, wash the fruit thoroughly to eliminate traces of pesticides.
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Final Thoughts
Cherry tomatoes & tomatoes are great for your cavies. It is nutritionally beneficial and contains antioxidants that help them to heal their wounds. Cavies don’t generate Vitamin-C on their own, so, it is recommended to add this fruit to your pet’s diet to provide some vitamin C for your pet. However, remember to serve your pet this fruit moderately. only two-three times a week.
Allow your guinea pig to eat the seed and peel with the flesh. But never, serve the stem or leaves to your pet. In case your pet exhibits signs of tomatine or solanine poising, take her to see a vet. Your guinea pig’s diet is essential to their health. Therefore, you must always pay attention to what your pet eats so she can live healthily.
