It’s always nice to give your guinea pigs a treat when they’re well-behaved or being especially cute!
Treats also work great for training and taming your guinea pig, particularly when they’re young or you haven’t had them long.
Here are the 15 best treats for guinea pigs to feed when they deserve a reward.
There are also a few healthy options included in this list too!
Table of Contents
Treats for Guinea Pigs Top Picks at a Glance
If you see the value in these products and choose to purchase via my referral links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
- Kaytee Timothy Biscuits Baked Treats
- Vitakraft Guinea Pig Sticks
- Oxbow Simple Rewards All Natural Oven Baked Treats
- Rosewood Fenugreek Crunchies For Small Animals
- Rosewood Nature’s Salad Food For Small Animals
Don’t have time? Here is a quick comparison of our favorites!
Table could not be displayed.15 Best Treats for Guinea Pigs (Review Guide)
Let’s start with my cavies’ favorites and work our way down!
1. Kaytee Timothy Biscuits Baked Treats
These baked treats by Kaytee are made with carrot and Timothy hay, making them high in fiber.
These treats are great for dental health due to their texture and the inclusion of Timothy hay. Timothy hay is great for your guinea pig’s digestive system and teeth [1].
It also tastes pretty good too!
These treats contain zero artificial colors or flavors, which is a plus. These guinea pig snacks would work well during training and bonding sessions, or just as a delicious treat for your pet.
You can also feed these treats to other small animals, such as rabbits and chinchillas.
2. Vitakraft Guinea Pig Sticks
These Vitakraft Guinea Pig Sticks are made with honey and fruit for a taste your guinea pig can’t resist.
There are three flavors to choose from Popcorn, Fruit, and Honey.
The treats are triple-baked, which gives them a crunchy and crispy texture. The natural wood stick inside the treat also provides your guinea pig with even more chewing enjoyment!
These treats also contain vitamins and minerals, and only high-quality ingredients are used [2]. The sticks also come with a clip holder to make attaching them to your guinea pig’s cage easy.
These treats are great boredom busters as it will take your guinea pig some time to eat the entire stick.
These treats can be quite sugary and calorific, so it’s a good idea to only feed them occasionally.
3. Zucchini
Zucchini is a healthy snack for guinea pigs that you can feed daily.
Zucchini is also one of the vegetables recommended to feed your guinea pig each week as part of their diet. This is due to its high vitamin C content. [3]
A lot of guinea pigs love the flavor of zucchini, so it’s a healthy snack to offer to your guinea pig as a substitute for store-bought treats.
As well as being high in vitamin c, zucchini is also high in dietary fiber. This is great for your guinea pig’s skin and digestion!
You should make sure you thoroughly wash zucchini before offering it to your guinea pig. Organic zucchini is also more ideal to eliminate any risk of pesticides.
Chop the zucchini up into small pieces before giving it to your guinea pig. You should feed this vegetable raw as cooking removes vital nutrients.
Guinea pigs typically don’t digest cooked foods very well too.
READ MORE: What Vegetables Can Guinea Pigs Eat?
4. Oxbow Simple Rewards All Natural Oven Baked Treats
These oven-baked treats by Oxbow are available in four varieties: Apple and Banana, Bell Pepper, Carrot and Dill, and Cranberry.
This 4-pack contains all of these flavors so you have lots of treat options to choose from!
The treats are completely natural and no fillers, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives are used in the ingredients! This means these treats are a bit more healthy and better for your guinea pigs.
The packets of these treats have a handy resealable pouch to ensure the treats stay fresher (and tastier!) for longer.
These treats are great for guinea pigs, as well as rabbits, hamsters, and other small pets.
5. Rosewood Fenugreek Crunchies For Small Animals
These treats from Rosewood are completely natural and cereal-free. They also contain no added sugars and are fortified with vitamins, minerals, bioflavonoids, and fiber
If you’re looking for a healthier treat to feed your guinea pig, then these ones could be a great choice.
The treats are made from wild meadows in Germany. They also contain fenugreek seed.
Fenugreek seed is beneficial due to it being a natural appetite stimulant [5]. If your guinea pig is a bit picky with food or has issues with eating, then these treats could help.
Due to the crunchy and hard texture of these treats, they also help wear down your guinea pig’s teeth.
These treats by Rosewood are also suitable for other small animals, but they’re most beneficial for guinea pigs and rabbits.
6. Dandelions
Dandelions are a tasty and healthy treat to feed your guinea pig a couple of times a week. The leaves and flowers of this weed are safe for your guinea pig to consume.
These weeds are fairly high in vitamin C, which makes them a nutritious little snack for your pet.
Dandelions are a free treat for guinea pigs as these weeds grow just about anywhere for you to harvest.
Make sure you steer clear of polluted areas, such as roadsides, when picking dandelions. You can’t be sure the dandelions growing there haven’t been sprayed with chemicals that could harm your guinea pig.
When you are picking dandelions for your guinea pig, make sure you know the place you’re harvesting them from hasn’t used pesticides or any other chemicals.
Make sure you wash dandelions well before serving them to your guinea pigs.
7. Rosewood Nature’s Salad Food For Small Animals
These treats from Rosewood are a great and tasty addition to your guinea pig’s normal food.
They’re natural, cereal-free, and contain no added sugars. This makes them a fairly healthy snack to offer to your guinea pig.
These treats are made from wild meadows in Germany. They contain vitamins, minerals, bioflavonoids, and fiber!
Twenty-one ingredients are used in these treats, including peppermint, dandelion, marigold, and nettle, which your guinea pig will find difficult to resist!
These treats can be fed daily and are suitable for all small animals, but they are most beneficial to guinea pigs, rabbits, and chinchillas.
8. William Craft Timothy Hay Sticks For Guinea Pigs
These Timothy hay sticks from William Craft are made with powdered organic and pesticide-free Timothy grass, which your guinea pig is sure to love. The sticks are baked at a high temperature to set their shape and sterilize them.
These sticks are great for your guinea pig’s teeth due to their hard texture. Timothy grass is full of fiber too, which means they’re pretty nutritious and good for digestive health!
Zero preservatives are used in these treats, which is a bonus! These sticks also have a fairly long shelf-life too, so there’s no worry of them going bad quickly.
These guinea pig hay sticks can also be used for rabbits, chinchillas, squirrels, hamsters, and other small animals.
9. Kale
Kale is a delicious and healthy leafy green to feed your guinea pig. It is high in vitamin C and fiber, making it a very nutritious and nourishing snack to offer your guinea pig.
Kale can be fed to your guinea pig every day, so it’s ideal for taming and bonding with your guinea pig.
All types of kale are safe for guinea pigs, including curly kale. There is very little difference in nutritional value between each type of kale, so any variety is healthy for your pet.
Make sure you wash kale thoroughly before serving it to your guinea pig. You should opt for organic kale if you can to eliminate any risk of pesticides.
Kale should be given raw to your guinea pigs as cooking removes vital nutrients [4].
10. Oxbow Organic Barley Biscuit Baked Treats For Small Animals
These oven-baked treats from Owbow are made from organic hay, fruits, and vegetables. This makes them fairly nutritious and healthy snacks to feed your guinea pig.
The ingredients used are organic and wholesome. The treats are baked to make them a lot less fatty and healthier for your pet.
The crunchy texture of these treats makes them ideal for your guinea pig’s teeth to help wear them down. These treats are suitable for rabbits, hamsters, and other small animals too!
11. Kaytee Mixed Berry Flavor Yoghurt Chips
It would be hard to find a guinea pig who doesn’t love yogurt drops! These yogurt chips by Kaytee are sure to go down a treat with your guinea pig.
It is important to note that these treats are artificially flavored and aren’t very nutritious, so they aren’t the healthiest treat to feed your guinea pig.
With this in mind, these treats should be fed very sparingly. They would be ideal for when your guinea pig has been especially well-behaved or on special occasions.
12. Cucumber
Cucumber is a good vegetable to feed your guinea pig around twice a week. Cucumbers do not contain a lot of nutritional value, but they do contain over 95% water!
This makes cucumbers a great food to feed your guinea pig on hot days or if you’re worried they’re not drinking enough water.
As well as being very cooling and refreshing, most guinea pigs love the taste of cucumbers!
All parts of cucumber are safe for your guinea pig to eat, including the seeds. Cut the cucumber into small pieces before feeding it to your guinea pig.
You should also make sure you wash the cucumber thoroughly before giving it to your guinea pig!
13. Vitakraft Rabbit Slims
These treats by Vitakraft are suitable for guinea pigs, rabbits, and other small animals. They’re made with fresh grains and carrots to create a flavor your pet is sure to love!
Only the best ingredients are used in these treats. They’re also easy for your guinea pig to digest and ideal for dental health due to their crunchy texture!
These treats are oven-baked and fortified with vitamins to make them a little healthier!
14. Kaytee Natural Timothy Blend Cubes For Rabbits And Small Animals
These treats from Kaytee are made from sun-cured Timothy hay, as well as sun-cured Alfalfa hay. This creates an appetizing taste for your guinea pig.
These treats are low in protein and use calcium to support your guinea pig’s urinary health. Due to the high fiber content, these treats are also great for your guinea pig’s digestive system.
As well as being ideal for your guinea pig’s urinary and digestive health, these treats are also excellent for your guinea pig’s teeth!
The hard and crunchy texture of the treats helps wear down your guinea pig’s teeth to prevent them from becoming too long.
These treats are also suitable for rabbits, chinchillas, and other small animals.
15. Broccoli
Broccoli is an excellent vegetable to feed your guinea pig. It’s healthy, nutritious, and extremely tasty (at least to your guinea pig!).
Broccoli is high in vitamin C, vitamin, A, and vitamin B5. It’s also pretty high in calcium and iron too, so it’s a food you can feed your guinea pig daily (about a tablespoon’s worth!).
Before feeding your guinea pig broccoli, make sure you wash it thoroughly. Organic broccoli is better too!
The head and stems of broccoli are safe for your guinea pig to consume, so you don’t have to waste any part of this vegetable.
It’s best if you feed broccoli raw to your guinea pig as cooking it removes vital nutrients.
References
- 1. Guinea Lynx :: Teeth [Internet]. Guinealynx.info. 2021 [cited 2021 Dec 6]. Available from: https://www.guinealynx.info/teeth.html
- 2. National Research Council (US) Subcommittee on Laboratory Animal Nutrition. Nutrient Requirements of the Guinea Pig [Internet]. Nih.gov. National Academies Press (US); 2013 [cited 2021 Dec 6]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK231932/
- 3. Jess D. How To Feed Zucchini To Guinea Pigs [Internet]. Vet Explains Pets. 2020 [cited 2021 Dec 6]. Available from: https://vetexplainspets.com/can-guinea-pigs-eat-zucchini/
- 4. McGrane K. Can You Eat Raw Kale, and Should You? [Internet]. Healthline. Healthline Media; 2019 [cited 2021 Dec 6]. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/can-you-eat-raw-kale#nutrition
- 5. Mathern JR, Raatz SK, Thomas W, Slavin JL. Effect of Fenugreek Fiber on Satiety, Blood Glucose and Insulin Response and Energy Intake in Obese Subjects. Phytotherapy Research [Internet]. 2009 [cited 2021 Dec 6];23:1543–8. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19353539/
FAQs
How often should I give my guinea pig treats?
Treats should be fed to your guinea pig in moderation as they can be sugary or caloric.
How often should I feed vegetables to my guinea pig?
Your guinea pig should be offered around a cup of vegetables (per pet) each day. Vegetables are a vital part of your guinea pig’s diet, so make sure you offer a huge variety of them!
Can guinea pigs eat fruits?
Yes. However, fruits have high sugar content, so they shouldn’t be given to your guinea pigs as often as vegetables/leafy greens.
What treats for guinea pigs do they love most? Let us know in the comments below!
Alina Hartley is a small-town girl with a ginormous love of bearded dragons. It all started with Winchester, a baby bearded who was abandoned at the shelter by his former owners because of a birth defect that caused one front leg to be shorter than the other. Alina originally went to the shelter looking for a guinea pig, but one look at Winchester and it was love at first sight. From that day on, Alina has dedicated her life to learning everything she can about bearded dragons. She loves helping new beardie parents start their incredible journey with these magnificent reptiles.
Follow her on:
LINKEDIN
TWITTER.
Read her latest articles HERE
Learn more about her HERE.
It is crazy how many pet foods have junk in them. I steer away from treats that have sugars and dyes in them. We like a lot of these for our piggies, like the dried herbs (and the piggies love them!).