Yes! Guinea pigs love eating fresh leafy spinach every day, and this provides them with plenty of a good source of vitamins and minerals.
The short answer is yes. Guinea pigs can eat spinach; however, it is essential to be cautious and only give it to them once or twice a week.
Possible risks?
Just like many animals, guinea pigs will eat as much as you give them, so always be careful not to overfeed them, and while spinach is a healthy vegetable, too much can result in kidney stones due to it containing oxalic acid.
Can guinea pigs eat cooked or frozen spinach?
Spinach comes in both regular and baby leaf sizes. Both of these are an excellent choice for your guinea pig; however, be sure only to feed them fresh spinach as frozen or cooked spinach is not healthy for them. When spinach is cooked down, it loses its vitamins and minerals, which then makes it lose all nutritional value to the guinea pig. Additionally, when the fiber is cooked out of the spinach, this makes it harder for them to digest due to the food being high in carbs. Guinea pigs have sensitive digestive systems, so you must always be careful with what foods you give them.
What are other safe leafy alternatives?
There are several vegetables that guinea pigs love and are healthy for them. To name a few, there are different types of lettuce, such as arugula and romaine, but try to avoid iceberg lettuce because it lacks the necessary nutrients for a guinea pig’s diet. Swiss chard, dandelion leaves, and radicchio are great options, and they can be fed a lot of these without a problem. While these can be quite beneficial for a guinea pig, always be sure to give them a balanced diet of kibble, hay, and vegetables.