Radishes and Guinea Pigs: Safe, Nutritious, and How to Serve

Guinea pigs are one of the most loved of all pocket pets. As cute as they are, it is easy to want to give them all the delicious human foods we enjoy, like radishes! Nonetheless, numerous human foods aren’t safe for your guinea pig to eat. So, can guinea pigs eat radishes?

Dr. Jess will answer all the details of this question below:

What is a Guinea Pig?

A guinea pig is a type of pocket pet that resides in the cavie family of animals.

They are small animals that grow to a maximum of approximately 10-11 inches long, and can weigh up to 2.5 pounds as a healthy adult.

In captivity and with proper care it is quite common to see these pets live up to 8-10 years of age.

One of their main anatomical (body) “quirks” is that they are constantly needing to chew in order to file their teeth down, as their teeth are constantly erupting (growing longer and longer).

They are quite playful animals and love to socialize with the ones that they know and love.

They make great pets for responsible pet owners, and those living in small dwellings wanting a loveable pet that comes in a small package.

What Do Guinea Pigs Typically Eat?

These little buddies eat an assortment of things to keep them healthy and happy.

• High-quality guinea pig food and Timothy hay should be the main staples of their diet.
• Up to about 10% of their diet can be made up of an assortment of vegetables and fruits, with fruits and vegetables over 12-24 hours old being discarded as soon as possible.
• They require 30 – 50 mg of vitamin C daily from their diet, either in their guinea pig food, a vitamin supplement, or from fruits and vegetables that are high in vitamin C. I’ll get to this more here in a sec…
• Guinea pigs do best with diets low in fats and sugars.
• Clean, fresh, filtered, chlorine-free water. ‘Fresh water‘ means that is is changed daily. ‘Changed daily‘ means that new water is placed into a CLEAN water dispenser!

Let’s Talk Radishes:

Radishes are a type of root vegetable that are pulled from the ground when harvested for food.

Radishes come in many different colors, shapes, and sizes.

Here in the United States, the popular radish is about the size of a golf ball, is round, and typically red. Other radishes take on a white/cream color or can be purple or black-looking as well.

Some radishes give off a light sweet taste, while others have a more unami or earthy-peppery flavor profile to them.

Radish Nutrition:

Radish have many well-known health benefits associated with them. But let’s start with their nutritional profile. According to Wikipedia a radish contains:

Good Source of Vitamin C:

Radishes have a nice amount of vitamin C in them – a vitamin that helps with the protection of important body systems that keep the body running and functioning appropriately.

Low in Calories:

Too many calories can lead to weight gain – that’s a well known fact. So if you have an overweight bunny, this treat may be a good option for you!

Contains Antioxidants:

Radishes are rich in antioxidants and minerals like calcium and potassium.

Put that all together and radish can help lower things like blood pressure – therefore decreasing some of the risks that predispose to heart disease and high blood pressure

Helps Digestive Function:

Contains fiber to help aid in digestion.

As hindgut fermenters, rabbits need a large amount of fiber in their diets to keep their gastrointestinal tract healthy and moving and digesting food appropriately.

May Lower Blood Sugar Levels

Radishes contain glucosinolate and isothiocyanate, chemicals that may help regulate blood sugar levels. This will come in handy if you have a diabetic pet!