Last updated on January 22nd, 2023 at 07:30 pm
Guinea pigs can eat different foods and liquids in their diet, but you must be wondering if they can eat a few drops of yogurt?
The answer is no, and guinea pigs should not eat yogurt drops; they harm them. Yogurt drops are not poisonous to them, but the ingredients such as calories, sugar, and fat are not suitable for the health of guinea pigs. If they eat drops of yogurt, they can only get diabetes, obesity, and other problems with their health.
In today’s article, we will find out why yogurt drops are not suitable for your guinea pigs and what problems can arise when our pets consume them.
1. Yogurt drops make guinea pigs fat
Since yogurt drops contain a large amount of sugar, they can cause guinea pigs to gain weight.
Being overweight is not suitable for guinea pigs at all, and can cause health problems, joint problems, and pain. This food, as well as other types of food rich in sugar, should not be given to guinea pigs.
They should consume hay, commercial pellets, vegetables, and fruits, which will introduce healthy nutrients that will improve their health and extend their life span.
2. Guinea pigs can develop difficult cases of GI stasis
If guinea pigs eat yogurt drops they can get severe cases of GI stasis, but this can still happen if they eat too many yogurt drops for a long period.
However, if something like this happens, multiple visits to the vet and the consumption of medication are necessary to normalize the condition of your guinea pig.
GI stasis is a life-threatening condition resulting from an imbalance of gut bacteria in guinea pigs. In doing so, the muscles in their stomach and intestines contract and the food remains in its place, that is, it is not processed.
Even after recovering from such an unpleasant situation, it takes time for guinea pigs to get back to normal and adjust to a healthy diet.
3. Guinea pigs are lactose intolerant
Guinea pigs are lactose intolerant, so they do not have an enzyme known as lactase, which allows lactose to be digested in the digestive system.
In general, guinea pigs should avoid any dairy products such as:
- cheese
- milk
- plain yogurt
When guinea pigs eat yogurt drops, they can only cause health problems. Gas, diarrhea, flatulence, and pain in the stomach will occur.
Diarrhea occurs in guinea pigs because their digestive system is sensitive and their digestion can deteriorate very quickly.
Bloating, although it seems naive, and you may think that it is not something terrible, can still cause significant problems with digestion, and even the death of your furry pet.
Flatulence can also be caused by other reasons such as not having sufficient amounts of hay, and hay is the primary food of your pets.
Because the hay allows the intake of fibers that help for better digestion and the health of their teeth. Too many cruciferous vegetables like cabbage can also cause bloating.
Cold food or water, just like with us humans, can also cause problems with the stomachs of guinea pigs.
4. Lack of nutrients in yogurt drops
Yogurt drops contain specific vitamins and minerals, but overall they are bad food for guinea pigs because sugar, fat, and calories still predominate in their composition and can do more harm than good for guinea pigs.
Yogurt drops lack the essential ingredients for guinea pigs like vitamin C and fiber. Vitamin C is the most essential vitamin for the health of guinea pigs, which they cannot produce by themselves, so they have to get it through food.
A lack of vitamin C causes scurvy, a dangerous disease that can result in the death of guinea pigs. Symptoms of scurvy are nosebleeds, swollen gums, joint pain, and other unwanted symptoms.
The fibers that are not in the yogurt drops are also one of the most important ingredients because they contribute to your guinea pig having much better digestion of food, as well as improving the work of the entire digestive system.
Vegetables and fruits are great foods for getting nutrients like vitamin C, fiber, and other nutrients needed for their health.
5. Eating yogurt drops causes aversion to other foods
Eating yogurt drops is very risky for guinea pigs, as it can cause side effects such as refusal to eat other food.
If the guinea pigs eat yogurt drops they will get used to this kind of food, and they will not want to eat other types of food, which is too bad for their health.
Yogurt drops can only cause guinea pigs not to want to eat hay, vegetables, and fruits, immediately resulting in a lack of the basic nutrients they need.
Our advice is to avoid giving them drops of yogurt, however, the problems that may arise are too big and risky for the health of your furry friends.
6. Urinary problems
Because yogurt drops contain calcium, which in larger quantities, like all dairy products, can be very harmful to guinea pigs.
If calcium accumulates in the body of guinea pigs, it will cause kidney and bladder stones, traces of blood in the urine, and infections.
7. Yogurt drops are bad for their teeth
Yes, yogurt drops are not good for their teeth at all, they can only cause pain and problems.
And as we know, teeth are too important for guinea pigs to eat properly, any problem with teeth will negatively affect their health.
The teeth of guinea pigs must always be in excellent health; otherwise, if they cannot bite the food properly, problems with digestion and the entire digestive system will immediately arise.
The teeth of guinea pigs, in addition to vitamin C and fiber, are simply something that must always be given great attention, there is no room for mistakes in their maintenance to always be in a healthy state.
What to do if guinea pigs eat yogurt drops?
If the guinea pigs still manage to eat drops of yogurt, there is no need to worry, nothing terrible will happen to them.
However, it would be best not to repeat this scenario in the future.
In such situations, give him more water so that his digestive system can more easily handle the yogurt drops’ ingredients and process them more easily in the stomach.
Also as a consequence, diarrhea or flatulence may occur, but within a day the condition should return to normal, otherwise take your pet to the vet.
Can guinea pigs die from eating yogurt drops?
Yes, guinea pigs can die from eating too many yogurt drops.
Yogurt drops and the sugar in their composition is the main reason for the danger of fatal consequences for your furry pet.
If they eat only once, nothing terrible, but if they eat regularly and in larger quantities, the excessive amount of sugar in the blood can cause death in guinea pigs.
What is the recommended safe amount of yogurt drops for guinea pigs?
There are no safe amount of yogurt drops for guinea pigs.
This food is too sweet and should be avoided to give to guinea pigs, there is no reason to risk their health.
Is yogurt drops a type of candy?
Yes, that’s right, yogurt drops are a kind of candy, “jelly beans” or “gumdrops.”
Therefore, we recommend that candy and any sweet food with excessive amounts of sugar should never be given to guinea pigs.
Alternative food instead of yogurt drops
Yogurt drops are harmful to guinea pigs, but that should not disappoint you because they can consume countless alternative foods and get the nutrients they need.
Vegetables, fruits, and hay are an excellent alternative to their eating menu.
Our selection of foods to eat for guinea pigs is as follows:
- clover
- blueberries
- carrot tops
- strawberries
- escarole
- parsley
- cilantro
- an apple
- watermelon
These are just a small part of a reminder that guinea pigs have great choices for their diet, so we can always offer them much better and healthier food instead of yogurt drops.
read more: Do Guinea Pigs Sleep? How, When and Habits
What foods are harmful to guinea pigs?
Since guinea pigs are herbivores, the main part of their diet will always be hay, pellets enriched with vitamin C, vegetables, and certain amounts of fruit.
Of course, the main drink will never be yogurt drops, this place is reserved for clean and fresh water.
Speaking of foods our furry friends should avoid, here’s our pick of foods you should cut off their menu:
- mushrooms
- beans – they are too difficult to digest in their digestive system and the same for us humans.
- chocolate – sugar and calories are bad for guinea pigs.
- iceberg salad – contains lactucarium, a harmful ingredient that can only cause problems with the health of guinea pigs.
- chips – processed food that lacks the nutrients that guinea pigs need.
- juices – because they contain sugar and other sweeteners that can cause diabetes and weight gain in our furry friends.
Only food filled with vitamin C, fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and other nutrients is a good option in their diet.
read more: Why Do Guinea Pigs Shake? Do You Need To Worry
Conclusion
Guinea pigs should not eat yogurt drops because they contain a lot of sugar, calories, and fats that harm their health. Certain nutrients in yogurt drops are not reason enough to feed your guinea pigs yogurt drops.
If the guinea pigs eat drops of yogurt, they will endanger their digestive system and the digestion of food, they will get diabetes and an increase in weight will lead to the appearance of other diseases.
Guinea pigs need to consume food rich in vitamin C, fiber, and other minerals and vitamins to be healthy and live longer.
Since guinea pigs are herbivores, hay, pellets with vitamin C, fresh vegetables, and occasional amounts of fruit are the best food choices.
Chips, onions, chocolate, iceberg lettuce, beans, yogurt drops, and sweetened drinks are harmful foods for your pets that should always be avoided on their menu.
Water is the best and healthiest drink for your furry friends, while yogurt drops should never be part of their diet.
read more: Can Guinea Pigs Wear Diapers? All You Need To Know
