Dont Feed Your Guinea Pig Lemon

I was browsing a few forums and saw the question can guinea pigs eat lemons? This one might be obvious to many but here it is.

No, guinea pigs cannot eat lemons, as they are highly acidic. They can cause anything from cavities and canker sores to stomach issues in guinea pigs.

I think it's very important that guinea pig owners have a general understanding of the foods we feed our pet. That's why I was outraged when I saw websites telling owners it's safe to feed lemons. It's simply not. They might contain a high amount of Vitamin C as citrus fruits do. But the benefits do not outweigh the negatives.

Dangers of feeding guinea pigs Lemons

Most often I will write a comprehensive list of the benefits as well as dangers of guinea pig foods. However, in this case there is no need to, as they should not eat lemons. So here are the worst reasons guinea pigs cannot eat lemons.

Eating Lemons Causes Teeth Problems in Guinea pigs

The teeth of a guinea pig might just be the most important tool they have. After all, they don't use their little "hands" much. Everything is done with the use of it's little teeth. So it's important to keep these healthy at all times.

Lemons are highly acidic which means they are sure to cause teeth issues. acidic foods cause enamel damages, which can be painful. It can actually permanently damage the enamel to the point where your guinea pig's teeth become fragile.

If the enamel gets too broken down it will begin to degenerate more rapidly. Especially when continuously fed highly acidic foods as lemons.

High Acidic content in Lemons

The acidity of anything is measured in PH Where the most normal level is 7. and anything above is a "basic", and anything below an acid. So the lower the PH the more acidic it is. So what is the PH of lemons?

The acidic content in lemons is nothing to joke about. Feeding your guinea pig too many oranges can cause stomach issues. And Oranges have a much lower acidic content than lemons do. Oranges have a PH level of 3.3 to 4.2, while lemons are as low as 2-3. Meaning it's very acidic.

This is sure to wreak havoc in your guinea pig's stomach. As well as ruin their delegate teeth. Even small amounts of lemon is still much more than your guinea pig can handle. They might not die, but they will have bad side-effects.

Do Guinea Pigs Like Lemons?

I know that guinea pigs should not eat lemons, so I have never tried this myself. But according to multiple sources, they don't even like lemons. Well, all guinea pigs are different and some might like it. But overall, guinea pigs don't even like lemons. So even feed your guinea pig lemons?

It's a very dangerous food for your guinea pig. It can cause issues, and will cause issues over time. So even if your guinea pig, against all odds, like lemons. They should not eat them.

Guinea Pig Nutrition In Lemons

So your guinea pig should not really eat lemons. Nevertheless, you might be interested in knowing the nutritional content of lemons. There are some things that can be considered health benefits. But it does not change the acidic levels, so should not be consumed anyways.

The following list is measured in per 100 grams of Lemon.

• Sugar is low at 2.5 grams. Good for weight control and preventing heart issues.
• Fiber content is surprisingly high at 2.8 grams. Good for digestion, weight-control and prevents heart problems.
• Sodium is very low at 2mg. This is great as sodium increases blood pressure, which can lead to heart attacks.
• Potassium is high at 138mg which actually lowers blood pressure.
• Calcium content is fairly low at 26mg. This is great as high amounts of calcium can cause bladder stones. -And adult guinea pigs don't have a high required intake of calcium.
• PH value is 2-3. This is the one that makes all the others redundant. As high acidic content degenerates teeth and wreak havoc in your guinea pig's stomach.

There are actually some health benefits of lemons. Sadly the high acidic content makes it so that lemons should not be consumed. The nutritional data in this list was gathered from the USDA, U.S Department of Agriculture. While the PH value is an article from Thoughtco.

Can guinea pigs eat green lemons?

We mostly refer to the normal yellow lemon when talking about lemons. They are the same thing, but the content is different. Lemons become more yellow when they are left out, and this is actually a good thing. As time goes the acidic content decreases.

As we discussed earlier the acidic content of lemons ranges from 2-3 PH. This is because the PH content changes over time. Green lemons are by far the most dangerous for your guinea pig. As this indicates they have a much higher acidic content. As the younger the lemon, the closer it comes the PH of 2.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Yellow Lemons?

Yes the acidic content might be lower in yellow lemons, but it's still high. It becomes closer to the PH of 3, which is good. But is's still way too acidic for your guinea pig. No matter the amount you feed it.

So despite it's color you should always keep lemons out of your guinea pigs diet. Even thought the acidic content changes over time.

Can guinea pigs eat citrus fruits?

Yes, guinea pigs can safely eat many citrus fruits. You should aim for citrus fruits with lower acidic contents. Meaning their PH value should be as close to 7 as possible. As great alternative to lemons is oranges. Their acidic content is much lower than lemons.

Citrus fruits are generally very high in Vitamin C, and the same goes for oranges. Lemons are not really that high the vitamin compared to other citrus fruits. So aim for less acidic citrus fruits, with high Vitamin C content.

Conclusion

There are a few health benefits to be found in lemons. But sadly your guinea pig cannot have this citrus fruit as it's acidic content is simply too high. I recommend that you never feed your guinea pig lemon.

Do you guinea pig really like lemons? This is rather unlikely, but if it's the case, you can try other citrus fruits. Such as oranges or pineapple. These have similar benefits with much lower acidic content.

Did you like this article? Please share it with others, so they don't accidentally feed their guinea pigs this highly acidic citrus fruit.

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Source: https://ourguineapig.com/can-guinea-pigs-eat-lemons/