We all know the fact the consumption of spinach is good for our health. In fact, we always try to include these green vegetables to our everyday meal. If you are the owner of a small guinea pig, you are much expected to share your foodstuff with the pet to grow more intimacy or to have fun. Obviously, just as you most of the dog owners are likely to do so. But, many of them are not aware of the fact that all the vegetables are not highly beneficial for the pet’s body. Now, let us talk about whether the spinach is veggie, intended for the pets.
You know that there are some kinds of doubts about the consumption of raw or cooked spinach by the guinea pigs. Is this tasty veggie suitable for the furry cavy or should you keep the pet away from spinach?
The spinach is one of the common leafy vegetables that may offer a considerable quantity of health benefits to our body. However, can your cavy also take pleasure in it? In fact, your sweet cavy may be able to enjoy in the food and it may be quite effective food for them, only if the vegetable is provided in right amount. In other words, moderation appears to be a major factor. You can also read about kale and guinea pigs.
How Spinach Can be Helpful for your Pig?
Now, you may have a look at the general benefits that are given by the spinach leaves. The leaves have an enough level of vitamins, for example, the vitamin B, A, K or C. They also consist of beta-carotene as well as several fibers that possess the capability of improving the intestinal zone or supporting the defecation procedure. It is applicable for the guinea pigs and also the humans. For the guinea pigs, the vitamins K and C work in a diverse way; they may perform well in improving the physical condition of bones.
When the guinea pig is anemic, you have to feed the pet with some spinach leaves now and again. Such magnificent leafy vegetable has lots of iron. When the body lacks this constituent and is experiencing the unpleasant condition, you may offer spinach leaves. Introduce folate to the diet. You may help your pet to get natural cure with the good blood circulation.
Spinach is such a vegetable that contains much amount of source of zeaxanthin and lutein, two elements, which are best for the level of vision of a guinea pig. They also give an antioxidant result that may give safety to retina against detrimental procedures, which will come about in due course and develop your guinea pigs’ capability to view.
Harmful Sides of the Spinach
Obviously, just as any other issue, you can find lots of controversies regarding spinach also. It seems that some pet owners think that spinach may hamper the calcium absorption capacity of the cavy.
However, one of the things, which must be stated in this context, is that the leaves of spinach have truly very high amount of the oxalic acid. If this acid enters your pet’s body in high amount, it may be found to be damaging and deadly to the kidneys of little guinea pigs. But only when the guinea pigs have not consumed much quantity of spinach leaves, there may not be any hazard for eating it.
Read our article on guinea pigs and tomatoes.
How to Offer Spinach to the Pig?
While you have the plan to offer your guinea pig some leaves from spinach plant, you can get here a number of ideas about how to get the delicious food ready for the small furry animal. For your guinea pig, you must not cook the spinach leaves. You may give it simply in raw condition along with some other beneficial veggies to make a salad.
However, if you have some other pets like dog, then you may try to cook the spinach. For instance, you can steam the leaves or stir fry them or also make juice from it. In any of the process, you may serve the spinach to the pets. But, remember that the spinach has not lost its nutritional content during the process of boiling.
Another thing that you have to do for all the animals is that you should chop the leaves finely. This may help them in the easy digestion. Remember that there are some animals, which cannot eat raw spinach leaves; while on the other hand some others are able to eat so.
It is an unfortunate fact that most of the leaves of spinach are contaminated with the spray of pesticides. However, it is not only the spinach but the other vegetables also have such pesticides. Thus, you have the task of thoroughly wash the leaves in advance before you have given it to the guinea pigs or some other animals. Obviously, you should not allow your pet to suffer from any kind of disease due to the presence of these pesticides.
Thus, in general, spinach may be the recommended vegetable for your furry guinea pig. But, the point, which you should remember, is that the major food of guinea pig is hay. The human foods, like lettuce, turnip greens or spinach only act as the supplement. Besides, you must watch that there is clean water in the cage of that pig. Moreover, you must take your guinea pig to the vet, as the expert can give recommendations on your pets’ diet.
