Applesauce seems like a yummy treat, but is it good for our pets, especially small-sized animals like guinea pigs? You’ll have to scroll down to find out!
Having a pet guinea pig brings you many possibilities, and they include a slightly more varied diet than usual. Sharing a meal with your pet is the best, but where can we draw the limit?
For example, can guinea pigs eat applesauce? Although this is certainly a delicious treat you enjoy often, your guinea pig is allowed to have it also, but rarely.
If you’re new as an owner, or if you are just searching for fresh new ingredients you can include in your pet guinea pig’s diet, you came to the right place. Stay with us, and we’ll explain everything step by step.
Amount & Brand Matter
There is both good and bad news. The good news is that your guinea pig can consume applesauce. The bad news is that you can’t make this a daily meal.
When we think of applesauce, we think of how sweet and yummy it is. Although this works for us, it’s not that safe for our guinea pig. These miniature pets shouldn’t consume too much sugar.
The less you feed them this, the better. To make this clearer, let’s take a look at what plain applesauce is made of.
This is what one serving of unsweetened applesauce contains:
| Calories | 103 |
| Protein | 0.4 gr |
| Fat | 0.2 gr |
| Carbs | 27 gr |
| Fiber | 2.7 gr |
| Sugar | 23 gr |
As for the vitamins, there is:
- Potassium – regulates fluid balance, reduces high blood pressure, and prevents kidney stones
- Vitamin C – repairs body tissues, absorb iron, and protects the immune system
- Vitamin B6 – promotes better circulation and a stronger immune system
- Vitamin A – protects good vision, contributes to better reproduction of cells, and helps internal organs like the heart and kidneys work better
- Calcium – especially good for bone health, promotes stronger muscles, and regulates blood pressure
- Magnesium – boosts exercise performance, required for the proper functioning of nerves and muscles
Home-cooked applesauce is out of the question! Your guinea pig can’t and shouldn’t consume cooked applesauce – this is practically a recipe for disaster.
Pet’s aren’t supposed to eat cooked meals, and this one is even more dangerous because it contains added sugars.
If you do decide to give your guinea pig some applesauce, however, make sure that it’s not more than once a week and not more than two teaspoon drops. That’s more than enough.
Now, since cooked applesauce is a no, you ought to look for some quality store-bought applesauce for you and your guinea pig. Luckily, we’re here to back you up with some healthy solutions. The list we have for you is pretty lengthy, so prepare a pen and pencil.
- “Go Go Squeez Organic Apple Apple Applesauce”
- “Wild Harvest Organic Unsweetened Applesauce”
- “Thrive Organic Original Apple Sauce”
- “Santa Cruz Organic Apple Sauce”
- “Seneca Unsweetened Apple Sauce”
- “Seneca Organic Apple Sauce”
- “Trader Joe’s Organic Apple Sauce”
- “Kroger Unsweetened Applesauce”
- “Tree Top Original Apple Sauce”
- “Tree Top No Sugar Added Apple Sauce”
- “Market Pantry Homestyle Applesauce”
- “Zee Zees Original Applesauce”
- “Field Day Organic Applesauce”
As you can, a majority of products from the list contain the words “organic,” “unsweetened,” or “no sugar added.” This is something you should look for when shopping for applesauce.
However, sometimes the brand isn’t 100% honest with its customer. In that case, take a closer look at the components. The essential ingredients are usually written in the smallest font.
What are some health benefits of consuming applesauce, even in the smallest amount?
For instance, applesauce can improve digestion. If your guinea pig is suffering from poor bowel movements, it would be good to include just a sip of applesauce. To maximize and fasten up the process, add water to this.
Applesauce is made that way that contributes to the feeling of fullness, even after eating a small quantity. After feeding your guinea pig some applesauce, you won’t have to worry about preparing additional meals.
Applesauce is also beneficial for restoring appetite. Its sweet taste and easy texture make it easier to consume. Try giving this to your guinea pig if it’s been sick lately.
Traditionally, it was believed that applesauce is good for diarrhea and that the antioxidants contained in it can prevent liver cancer.
Apart from your and your pet guinea pig’s diet, applesauce has quite a few interesting “roles.”
- In the USA, it’s generally used as a dessert or as an ingredient in making apple cake.
- In France, it’s called “compote.”
- Applesauce can be used as a substitute ingredient for fat and eggs.
- In Sweden and Britain, people usually eat their applesauce with roast pork.
- In Germany, applesauce complements potato pancakes.
- In the Netherlands, it’s the dressing for french fries.
Okay, so if plain applesauce is okay in some situations, what’s the deal with cinnamon applesauce?
Sorry, but no way. Guinea pigs are not even supposed to rely on applesauce that much, and adding cinnamon to this is not the combo you are looking for.
But why?
Cinnamon is a spicy ingredient that comes from the inner bark of the tree. Giving your guinea pig applesauce (that is already not preferable in large quantities) and adding some spice to this is a huge NO.
Sorry, but cinnamon is toxic for your guinea pig. This spicy ingredient is too strong for your guinea pig to digest properly. Another thing, it can cause irritation and allergies. If you give your guinea pig larger amounts of cinnamon applesauce, it may soon show redness.
Uncontrollable and unsupervised feeding of this food can lead to food choking or even food poisoning. In that case, veterinary assistance is needed immediately.
Basically, the advice of the day would be to stick to your guinea pig’s regular dietary plan and avoid experimenting with applesauce, let alone cinnamon flavored.
The Dangers Of Sugar
We’ve already mentioned that applesauce is known for its sweet taste, so here’s a heads up – avoid feeding your guinea pig ingredients that are high in sugar.
We’ll let you in on a major secret – sugar is hidden in the most unexpected of places, and by this, we mean fruits and vegetables you feed your guinea pig every day.
If you don’t do your research, you might go on thinking that you’ve been feeding your guinea pig this incredibly healthy food, while all that you’ve done was impair their health.
To make it easier for you, we’ve come up with some vegetables that contain high levels of sugar. They are:
- Sweet potato
- Green peas
- Sweet corn
- Winter squash
- Tomato
- Red cabbage
See Also:
Of course, these are just a couple of them. There are many more. To neutralize the high sugar content, you should give your guinea pig some veggies that are rich in vitamin C.
Here, the list of veggies include:
Are there any fruits that contain sugar within normal limits? Yes, a couple of them:
What About Just Apples?
Your guinea pig is allowed to have apples from time to time, even with its skin. Let’s take a look at what apples have in store for your pet:
| Calories | 52 |
| Water | 86% |
| Protein | 0.3 gr |
| Carbs | 13.8 gr |
| Sugar | 10.4 gr |
| Fiber | 2.4 gr |
| Fat | 0.2 gr |
As you can see, apples contain a significant amount of water, and why is that a good thing? Because it contributes to weight loss.
The amount of water contributes to the faster and better functioning of the organism and its digestive system. Your guinea pig will more easily process the eaten food.
It’s true; apples are good for all kinds of things. For example, they are great at lowering the risks of heart diseases. They are also great and preventing diabetes in animals (especially if you’ve gone overboard with treats for your guinea pig).
Apples are known to promote good gut bacteria. This is a type of benign bacteria that feeds off the apple that your guinea pig consumed earlier.
Lastly, apples contain vitamins that protect bone density. This is very important for your small-sized pet, mainly because of its tendency to run around in the cage all day.
The preferred feeding ratio for apples would be one slice a week. This should be quite enough.
One thing you shouldn’t give your guinea pig is apple seeds – they are toxic to your pet.
What do you need to pay attention to when feeding your pet guinea pig apples?
For starters, you need to chop it into smaller pieces so that it can chew it without problems. Next, you should peel the skin properly. Don’t give your guinea pig sloppy apple slices.
You should also pay attention to the shelf-life of apples – how long can they last before they go bad?
Your apples can last up to a week on your kitchen counter, 3 weeks in your pantry, and almost 6 weeks in the refrigerator – that is, if they are not sliced.
If you have already sliced your apple, the shelf-life is reduced. It would be best if you didn’t let it stay cut in your kitchen for too long, and it can’t last more than 5 days in the fridge.
Cooked apples are also not meant to stay for too long in your kitchen – this is also the case with applesauce.
How do you know when your apples are going bad? It’s pretty obvious. You will notice it by the external look of the apple. A bad apple will show signs of:
- Bruising on the surface
- Wrinkled apple skin
- Black spots all around the apple
- A mushy texture of the apple
- Bland taste
It will also have a sour smell to it, and once you cut it in half, you might even see some worms. If this is the case, throw it away immediately.
Guinea pigs are omnivores, so they can also nibble on some apple tree leaves – that is, of course, if they are not infected with chemicals or pesticides.
This is a rather risky choice, so it would be best if you avoided this “leafy green.”
So, what happens if your guinea pigs have had too many apples?
The sad news is that it will probably get diarrhea. How do you know this is the case? Well, you would notice signs such as:
- Lethargy
- Dehydration
- Rough hair coat
- Sunken eyeballs
- A watery stool
The most common causes for diarrhea are:
- Improper diet
- Stress
- Bacterial infection
So, if your guinea pig has eaten too many apples this week or even consumed apple seeds (which is strictly prohibited), you can treat it by doing the following:
You should reconsider and change its diet – take some and add some. Pay attention to the food that has upset your guinea pig’s stomach visibly.
You should definitely increase your guinea pig’s water intake. Keep their water bowl full. It would also be great if you paid some attention to the quality of the water. Sometimes, the water from the sink tends to be contaminated.
It would be best if you paused on the leafy greens while your guinea pig still has diarrhea. Replace the lettuce and kale with a bunch of hay – that will promote better digestion.
At last, you should never, and we mean NEVER, include medication of any kind without consulting with the vet first. Giving your guinea pig pills without your vet’s consent can be dangerous enough that it can kill your guinea pig. After all, you don’t know the correct dose.
