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can guinea pigs eat figs

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Figs?

Figs are a very luscious fruit that have a flavour that is sweet and a smell that is really quite delicate.

They are cultivated all across the mediterranean and there are so many different varieites that you can choose from such as purple/black, red, green and white.

They have an oval shape and a skin that is thin which contains a great deal of very small seeds which are contained within soft red or purple flesh.

They are quite delicate fruits and need to be handled gently.

image wikipedia

They are often cut up and put in salads amongst other things but have been known to be put in many other different dishes.

So if we can eat figs and enjoy them, can guinea pigs eat figs and if so, how much can they eat?

As usual, we need to look at the calcium, fat, sugar, oxelate acid and phosphorus content to determine whether they are any good for piggies.

Total Fat 0.3 g 0%
Saturated fat 0.1 g 0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.1 g
Monounsaturated fat 0.1 g
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Sodium 1 mg 0%
Potassium 232 mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 19 g 6%
Dietary fiber 2.9 g 11%
Sugar 16 g
Protein 0.8 g 1%
Vitamin A 2%
Vitamin C 3%
Calcium 3% Iron 2%
Vitamin D 0%
Vitamin B-6 5%
Vitamin B-12

source usda

As you can see they contain no oxelates, phosphorus, and are low in fat and calcium. However they are very high in sugar which is a let down.

On this basis, guinea pigs can eat figs but only on a once a week basis due to its sugar content.

So having looked at fresh figs……..

Can guinea pigs eat dried figs?

The difference between fresh figs and dried figs is that dried figs have had the sugar drained out of them and are much better for guinea pigs than fresh figs.

So they are much better for guinea pigs and can be eaten more regularly such as 3-4 times a week.

In my experience, figs are a bit hit and miss with guinea pigs. Some love them, some hate them.

Mine weren’t too fussed with them so I don’t tend to feed them to them that often. But yours may be different. 🙂