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watercress

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Watercress?

It is very important to feed your guinea pig correctly if you want to provide her long and healthy life. The most important is that your guinea pig has large amounts of fresh hay and water all night and day.

Other foods should be used only as supplements to your guinea pig’s diet. Although most guinea pigs enjoy watercress, others are not interested in this plant. If your guinea pig loves watercress, you might be wondering whether this food is safe for your pet or not. Continue reading and you will find out more about watercress.

Also, in this article you will find out is watercress safe for your guinea pig or you should not give her such food. You can also head over our guinea pig and runner beans resource.

More About Watercress

Watercress is a cress that grows in running water and it is an edible plant. It is an aquatic plant that grows rapidly. Its pungent leaves are usually used in salads, but also for preparing soups and other dishes.

Watercress is very low in calories, so it is recommended for weight loss. Due to its high vitamin and mineral content, watercress is very beneficial for people’s health. Now we will see is watercress also good for guinea pigs.

Is Watercress Safe For Guinea Pig?

If your guinea pig has eaten a certain amount of watercress, you may be worried about that, but don’t panic. Studies have shown that watercress is safe for guinea pigs. This plant is not on the list of foods that are poisonous for guinea pigs. Watercress is rich in vitamin C and it can be a great supplement to your guinea pig’s diet. You can feed your guinea pig watercress, but be careful with the amount.

It is important not to give large amounts of watercress to your guinea pig, because it can cause some side effects. The most common side effects of eating too much watercress are vomiting, bloating, diarrhea or some other gastrointestinal problems. To avoid them, feed your guinea pig watercress moderately. Use watercress only as an occasional treat for your guinea pig, not as a regular part of the diet. But, you should also know that there are guinea pigs which don’t care for watercress at all. In this case you should not insist on feeding them watercress.

Choose some other treat for your guinea pig. When introducing watercress or some other new food in your guinea pig’s diet, do it slowly. Give your pet a small amount of watercress to notice her reaction within 24 hours. If there are no side effects you can safely use watercress as an occasional treat for your guinea pig. Also read on guinea pigs and cucumber.

Summary

In this article you have seen that watercress is completely safe for guinea pigs, but not all guinea pigs are interested in this food. When you are feeding your guinea pig watercress give her only a small amount, in order to avoid any side effects.

Have in mind that you are the only responsible for your guinea pig’s health.