Can Guinea Pigs Eat Mushrooms? | A Safe Nutrition Guide 2024

Guinea pigs are herbivores so pet parents might think that all kinds of vegetables, fruits, and herbs are suitable for these cavies. However, you must be careful in selecting the foods for your guinea pig pet because there are several nutrients that may not be suitable for them. Can guinea pigs eat mushrooms?

Yes, they can have mushrooms, but which ones are you serving? All kinds of mushrooms are not suitable and therefore, you will have to filter out the ones that will be safe for them.

Guinea pigs rely on fiber and dry pellets as the main diet component. Vegetables and fruits are good staple food but there are some parameters that pet parents must maintain while feeding greens or sweet fruits. Get to know all about the guinea pigs’ diet so that you can ensure a healthy, and happy pet.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Mushrooms Or Not

There are numerous types of mushrooms. We have the Portobello, white, button, and shiitake. You may love them all but for your pet, a few wild mushrooms can be the last meal! All the mushroom types mentioned here are cultivated on farms and sold for consumption.

However, the wild mushrooms that emerge in your garden or backyard might make you smile, but they should be removed if your guinea pig pet is around the area.

Wild mushrooms are poisonous and can impact guinea pigs adversely. Within a few hours of consuming poisonous mushrooms, these cavies can have serious intoxication and that can lead to severe vomiting, or even organ failure and consequent death. We recommend pet parents exercise great care when it comes to selecting mushrooms for their pets.

It is better to buy fresh mushrooms from the grocer and feed them to your pet guinea pig. It is always best to serve raw mushrooms or any other vegetables to guinea pigs because their bodies accept raw foods only.

If you cook or grill mushrooms before giving them to your pets, they will not like them and even if they eat them, they can become ill. Also, find out Can Guinea Pigs Eat Peanuts.

Nutrition In Mushrooms For Guinea Pigs

Mushrooms are not nutritious as they do not have any Vitamin C and the fiber content is not too high either. This nutritional value means that these fungi are not good for guinea pigs. Cavies do not have a big appetite and consume a small amount of fruits and vegetables daily. These foods are the main source of vitamins and minerals.

Therefore, it is best to serve green vegetables or fruits that will provide good nutrients to your pets. Comparing mushrooms to some healthy vegetables, you will not be feeding a lot of nutrients through mushrooms, so why not replace these fungi with a more nutritious vegetable?

One benefit of mushrooms is that it gives a good bite and that is suitable for guinea pigs’ dentition. Guinea pigs have big teeth that keep growing and they need to eat hard and crunchy foods to file and erode the teeth gently. Biting into a mushroom can be good for your cavies because their teeth will not hurt and will remain the right size. Check out Can Guinea Pigs Eat Leeks next.

Additionally, mushrooms have protein, which is an integral nutrient for all beings. If you are feeding mushrooms to your guinea pet once in a while, they get a boost of

• Niacin,
• Riboflavin and
• Selenium.

Furthermore, mushrooms are good because they are low in

• Sodium,
• Fat
• Carbohydrates.

These factors can cause obesity and many health issues in guinea pigs. Therefore, we cannot say that mushrooms are all bad. However, if you can feed a more nutritious vegetable daily, it would be a better choice. Moreover, you may also want to find out Can Guinea Pigs Eat Sweet Potato.

How Often To Feed Mushrooms

As we mentioned earlier, it is best to feed mushrooms once a week or twice a week. Instead of filling the guinea pigs’ palate daily with mushrooms, you can feed them more beneficial vegetables. However, mushrooms offer some benefits which make it a suitable weekly, or biweekly fix.

The right amount of mushrooms to feed guinea pigs is minimal because these cavies do not have a big appetite. You can keep two mushrooms for a day, and fill in the rest of the portion with healthier options.

Types Of Mushrooms

There are many types of mushrooms, and while white, button, and Portobello are acceptable for guinea pigs, many other species are safe to eat as well. Swiss brown, flat, Enoki, oyster, and cup mushrooms are some of the common edible mushrooms that can be safe for consumption. Once in a while, you can add one of these types of mushrooms to your guinea pig’s diet.

The poisonous mushrooms include death cap, false morel, sulfur tuft, and galerina marginata. All these, and many other mushroom types grow wildly and can be dangerous for guinea pigs. Some of these mushrooms are harvested too, but those are for experimentation, or to extract the poison.

We always recommend pet parents check their garden grass for any wild mushroom growth. If your guinea pig accidentally consumes even a single mushroom, it can have serious consequences.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my guinea pig die if it eats a poisonous mushroom?

If your guinea pig pet accidentally ate a poisonous mushroom, it could be dangerous, and immediate medical help may be needed. However, if you do not see your pet vomiting or writhing in pain, you can treat them at home by giving them more water and fiber so that the mushroom passes through their system quickly.

What are the signs of poisoning in guinea pigs?

Detecting poisoning in guinea pigs can be tough because they behave lethargic and may fall ill due to weather changes and other minor changes in their environment. However, if you see your guinea pig pet drooling, vomiting, lethargic, with skin rashes, or with a change in diet, it is best to take it to the vet.

Should I cut mushrooms before serving?

Splitting the mushrooms into halves can be a good idea so that the pieces are not too small to choke the guinea pig. Neither are they too large for the cavy to bite it. If you are serving a bigger mushroom, you can even cut it into quarters to ensure that the bite-size for your pet does not pose any risk of choking.

Conclusion

Can guinea pigs eat mushrooms? Yes, they can, but the quantity should be low and the safe types of these fungi must be served. Be careful about serving only clean and fresh mushrooms because if your guinea pig pet eats a poisonous mushroom, it can cause a lot of health issues that worsen and cause serious losses. Pet parents must feed mushrooms to their guinea pig pets once or twice a week. Also, read Can Guinea Pigs Eat Dandelions.