I can’t think of much better than chowing down on a creamy, sweet orange sweet potato loaded with butter (and/or possibly sour cream) after a long hard day in the office, or a session in the gym.
But… I’m not a guinea pig. I’m a human.
So can guinea pigs eat sweet potato?
The answer is in fact Yes – and they quite enjoy it. But it’s not really one of their natural food groups (way too starchy, tuberous and carby, they prefer leaves, flowers and grasses), so you’ll need to limit intake and not overload them on it.
How Often?
Sweet potatoes are chock full of Vitamin C and potassium so you can feel good about your piggy eating them. Just don’t go overboard, or you’ll end up causing them digestive issues and diarrhoea. Their bodies simply aren’t made to process lots of starchy vegetables like this. Limit sweet potato servings to once per week at most.
How Much?
Not much to be honest. This is a treat food, so only a small chunk here and there. Sweet potatoes also contain high levels of Oxalate which can cause guinea pigs to get bladder stones.
Raw or cooked?
There is no need to cook sweet potatoes before feeding them to your guinea pig. Guinea pigs like to munch and crunch on the foods they eat! Cooking sweet potato also removes nearly 70% of it’s Vitamin C level, which is the main reason you are feeding sweet potato to your piggy in the first place.
Cab guinea pigs eat sweet potato peelings?
Guinea pigs can eat sweet potato skins (i.e., peelings) as well. The same rules apply though – moderation! The most important thing to remember is that there may be chemicals on the sweet potato peels which can harm your guinea pigs, so make sure you give them a really good scrub before feeding it to them.
Out Takes
We would have loved to put a photo of both piggies at the top of this post… sadly Oreo wasn’t too keen on riding the sweet potato like Milo.
- Guinea Pig Weight Guide: How To Weigh Your Little Mate - January 29, 2021
- How To Make A Wooden Guinea Pig Hidey House (DIY) - January 24, 2021
- Guinea Pig Pellets 101: Exposing The Truth Behind The Ingredients - January 20, 2021
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