A guinea pig’s diet needs to include hay and a mix of varying fresh vegetables and fresh fruits. Your furry friend needs to consume veggies like leafy greens and fruits like bell peppers to provide them with the necessary vitamins and minerals.
The reality is that not every veggie or fruit is safe for them to eat, though. You may not be sure what fruits guinea pigs can eat, let alone their seeds.
Tomatoes are an option for cavies to consume. They contain vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates, which are suitable for your guinea pig’s health.
Just because it’s good for your furry friend doesn’t mean every part of the tomato can be eaten. So, can guinea pigs eat tomato seeds? That’s exactly what you’ll find out to protect your little fluff ball.
It’s time to dive right in!
Are tomato seeds safe for guinea pigs to eat?
The short answer is yes, tomato seeds are safe for guinea pigs to eat. These seeds are more suited for guinea pigs thanks to their small size and softness. In other words, they’re super easy for your pet to chew.
Including tomato seeds in what you feed your furry friend can contribute to a healthy diet if done correctly. There are some things to remember before you feed your pet, though.
Make sure you feed your cavy raw tomatoes. Guinea pigs can’t have processed food. So, don’t cook your tomato seeds before feeding them to your pet.
These seeds are nutrient-rich, so guinea pig owners can rest assured that their cavies can benefit from eating them. To make things even better, here are a few health benefits you can look forward to when feeding your little creature.
Health benefits
Tomato seeds may be small, but they pack a punch in health benefits. These little beads of deliciousness are a good addition to guinea pig food. Here are some of the health benefits associated with tomato seeds.
Immune booster
Tomato seeds are a great source of vitamin C. This vitamin plays a vital role in the body as it protects cells, helps to keep them healthy, and prevents scurvy.
It defends against deficiencies in the immune system. It’s also involved in cardiovascular health. All of this boosts your little friend’s immunity and keeps them healthy.
Influences blood pressure
You may have noticed that a gel coating covers tomato seeds. This gel stops the seeds from germinating but also has health benefits.
Ingesting the gel-coated seeds improves blood circulation since they are high in potassium. Potassium aids in relaxing the blood vessels, which helps blood flow. The gel also helps to prevent blood clots in the blood vessels.
The improved blood flow positively influences blood pressure. It avoids low or high blood pressure, which is good for the heart of your little friend.
Improves digestion
Tomato seeds are high in dietary fiber. This fiber works to relieve constipation and other issues with the gut. This makes it ideal for helping your guinea pig’s digestive system to run like clockwork.
Regulates cholesterol levels
The dietary fiber in tomato seeds further contributes to your little friend’s health through their cholesterol. It lowers the level of bad cholesterol in their system. Less of this cholesterol leads to a happy and healthy heart.
Risks
Tomato seeds are very good for your cavy’s health but are not risk-free. There are things to consider before feeding your cavy some tomato seeds.
Tomatine
Do not feed your guinea pig tomato seeds from an unripe tomato. Unripe tomatoes are green, not red. The green parts of a tomato contain tomatine.
Tomatine is a glycoalkaloid found in the stems and leaves of the tomato plant. It also resides in the green parts of the unripe tomato fruit. This compound is poisonous to guinea pigs.
Eating the seeds that come from an unripe tomato may place a risk on your little friend’s life due to poisoning. In other words, always serve them a ripe fruit.
Dosage
It is safe for your guinea pig to eat tomato seeds, but this is all within moderation. Feeding your cavy too many can make them ill.
Serve small quantities of seeds to your little creature. Giving them small amounts prevents them from getting digestive problems such as diarrhea.
Cavies should also not be fed tomato seeds daily as this can cause health issues as well. Instead, put some tomato seeds in their food bowl twice a week.
Oxalic acid
Tomatoes contain oxalic acid, which is an organic acid found in fruits and other foods.
You can expose your guinea pig to oxalic acid if you feed them tomato seeds along with the fruit. Your cavy may ingest a significant amount of the acid, which would then bind with calcium to form bladder stones.
Oxalic acid can also cause cheilitis, a condition usually seen in pet guinea pigs that causes mouth sores and scabs around the mouth. You can avoid this condition by only serving your guinea pig small amounts of tomato seeds two times a week at most.
Allergy
Some guinea pigs are allergic to tomatoes. When you feed your little creature a tomato for the first time, be watchful of their reaction.
Allergic reactions can result in the mouth and throat swelling up. Immediately give your guinea pig water if you notice them reacting this way when they eat a tomato. Seek out medical assistance from a vet if things worsen.
Are green tomato seeds safe for cavies?
A green tomato may be an unripe tomato. Standard tomatoes are completely green before they get their ruby-red color. This greenness signals that they are unripe.
However, some tomatoes are green and remain that way even when they are ripe. The two varieties are very different, and their seeds can affect your guinea pig differently. Here’s the difference between these types of green tomatoes and their seeds.
Unripe tomatoes
All tomatoes display a green color at some point during their development. This is usually the point at which they are not ready to reproduce yet. They seek to protect themselves at this stage, so unripened tomatoes are poisonous as they contain higher amounts of tomatine.
Tomatine is a poison that is dangerous for human beings and guinea pigs. Ingesting a tomato at this stage of its development could be fatal for your cavy.
At this stage, the entire fruit is toxic, including the seeds. Do not feed your pet any seeds from a tomato at this stage of the fruit’s development. It is best to wait until the tomato is completely ripe and red before you feed your little friend any of it.
Green doctors and other green tomato varieties
Green doctors are one variety of a type of tomato that remains green even when ripe. It’s sweet but still more tart than regular tomatoes.
These tomatoes are safe for consumption, but it’s better to avoid giving your guinea pig seeds from this fruit to stay on the safe side.
Here’s more information about whether guinea pigs can eat green tomatoes.
Are yellow tomato seeds safe for cavies?
As mentioned, tomatoes come in many shapes and sizes. They also come in different colors. You can get green and even yellow tomatoes.
Yellow tomatoes also have a green stage when they are unripe. When they ripen, they don’t turn red like other tomatoes. This doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with them, though — far from it.
Yellow tomatoes are safe to consume, and the seeds of these tomatoes are safe for your cavy to eat. So don’t be afraid to give your little friend some yellow tomato seeds.
Consider giving your pet another yellow fruit to eat. Here you can find out if guinea pigs can eat yellow peppers.
Are cherry tomato seeds safe for cavies?
Cherry tomatoes are a smaller, sweeter kind of tomato. Their small size makes them ideal as a serving size for guinea pigs. It is recommended that guinea pig owners give their pets just one cherry tomato as a serving when they feed them.
The size of cherry tomato seeds makes it safe for your cavy to consume them. Do keep in mind that cherry tomatoes have a higher sugar content.
Feeding your little creature seeds from this fruit can add to its sugar content for the day. Guinea pigs should not have a lot of sugar, so keep serving sizes minimal to be safe.
The final takeaway on whether guinea pigs can eat tomato seeds
Tomato seeds are a safe food to add to your cavy’s diet. Plenty of good health benefits come from consuming them, so your furry friend can enjoy the great treat.
You can rest assured that there’s no need to get rid of them when you feed your guinea pig a tomato. Some guinea pigs don’t enjoy eating tomatoes, so they may not like the seeds. At least let your cavy have a taste of their fruity goodness.
The most important thing to remember is that you should never give them any part of an unripe tomato. Be sure it is ripe before you feed any of it to your pet. Also, be vigilant for any allergic reactions. The risks are there, but you can handle them well.
Finally, don’t be afraid to explore trying different tomato seeds for your little friend. They may like cherry tomato seeds more than yellow tomato seeds. Try it out and let them have fun munching away.
If you’re interested in learning more, discover the best daily veggies for guinea pigs to boost their health through the roof.
Steph Dyson is a travel journalist by trade but a lover of all small pets. She’s been a pet mum to everything from gerbils to guinea pigs, rabbits to hamsters, and fish to dogs of all shapes and sizes. She wants to share her years of experience with small pets and make Small Pet Guides the go-to website for pet owners seeking information and care advice.
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Chyrle Bonk graduated from Oregon State University Veterinary school in 2010. She then joined a rural mixed animal practice as a veterinarian. In 2017, she started writing veterinary content for various animal and pet-related websites and magazines in order to spread knowledge about pet care and diseases as a way to better many pets’ and owners’ lives. She is now a part-time veterinarian, part-time cattle rancher, part-time content writer/editor, and a full-time mom of two. When not working on her veterinary endeavors, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and personal animal menagerie.