Can Guinea Pigs Eat Bok Choy? (Risks & Benefits)

Yes, Guinea pigs can eat bok choy as it is pretty good for their health and contains high vitamin c content. It is safe for them to eat. The food item contains optimum amounts of water, and calcium is essential for your guinea pig. Aside from this, you will also find numerous minerals and vitamins in bok choy that your guinea pig needs.

However, coming from the cabbage family, it might cause gastric issues when taken in the wrong proportion.  

How Often Can You Feed Your Guinea Pigs With Bok Choy?

Bok choy should be given one or two times per week to Guinea pigs. It is so because bok choy is similar to any other gassy cabbage. Hence monthly feeding the bok choy a few times to your guinea pig will prevent it from developing any side effects. And will be a really healthful snack for your pet. 

What Are The Nutrition Values Your Guinea Pig Receives Through Bok Choy? 

Here is the list of the essential nutrients that you will find in 100 grams of bok choy: 

• It contains high water content of up to 95%. 

• The fibre content value and bok choy are 1 gram or higher. 

• It contains a minimal amount of sugar which is up to 1.18 grams. This amount is perfect as high sugar diets are not suitable for your Guinea pig as they can make it overweight. 

• It has a high calcium content of up to 105 mg. Due to this reason, bok choy is given as a snack to Guinea pigs instead of as a food item. High calcium can be toxic to your Guinea pigs. 

• Bok choy has high potassium content upto 252 mg. 

• This snack has sodium content up to 65 mg, known to be not suitable for blood pressure. 

• With 45 mg of vitamin C, bok choy is a perfect meal for Guinea pigs to eat. 

Health Benefits Of Feeding Bok Choy To Guinea Pigs

The bok choy is considered a cruciferous vegetable that is good for your pet’s health as it prevents it from various serious illnesses. Some of the diseases that bok choy provide protection from are cancer (colon, lungs, prostate and other organs as well) and weak immunity. 

Bok choy also has plenty of antioxidants that fight against free radical formation in your Guinea pig’s body. Also, the presence of folate vitamins in bok choy can repair DNA cells, preventing mutation. Also, feeding bok choy to your pregnant guinea pig will help it to birth healthy offspring. 

Possible Risks To Consider While Feeding Bok Choy to Guinea Pigs

Overfeeding bok choy will cause digestive issues in your guinea pig, including bloating, heavy digestion, flatulence and difficulty in passing gas. If your pet is having these problems too frequently, then get alert as it can be fatal for its life. 

Therefore bok choy or any other item from the cabbage family must be fed in small amounts and in moderate frequency only. In addition, bok choy can stimulate thyroid issues in your pet, so if your pet has even a tiny bit of thyroid problems, then avoid giving bok choy to it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

So the simple answer to your question is yes, you can definitely give your guinea pig bok choy as a snack a few times a month. In fact, if you feed the snack in the right proportion and frequency, it will come out to be really healthy for your pet’s body and internal organs. Some of the best benefits you can expect are better eyesight, good heart health, smooth hair and so on. 

However, as mentioned earlier, be careful about the calcium and sodium proportion you are putting into your guinea pig’s diet. 

So, overall bok choy can be one of the best snacks you can give to your tiny and adorable pet if you follow the serving directions properly.