Mushrooms?

[tia2370]

My boyfriend just asked about mushroom for the piggies. We're out and about and have limited web access. Could someone explian why they can't have them? I'm pretty sure they can't. Am I correct?

[Cinnabuns Legacy]

Mushrooms, particularly raw ones of certain variates (I can't remember them all but they are ones commonly eaten by people raw and cooked), can contain toxins that can affect people negatively. Thus I wouldn't risk it. As far as I know cavies aren't really designed to eat fungi like mushrooms.

[PinkRufus]

Cavies are grass eaters/grazers. Their diet is more similar to a horse or cow than it is to ours.

[Feylin]

It's not on the list in the care guide. If you want to be adventurous, things with chlorophyl are usually a better bet i've found- mint, cress, dill, ect.

[jedifreac]

Mushrooms are a fungus, not a plant!

[tia2370]

That's kind of what I figured. He wanted to exactly why they couldn't have them. I told him that they weren't listed as safe and he asked why, again. I figured it was because they were a fungus but told him I'd ask you guys. The piggies enjoyed a nice treat of grass today. We're hoping to take them outside some this summer in a modified store cage that we use for travel.

[Lynx]

I can't think of them being all that nutritious. I guess I would rather be safe than sorry. They just don't sound like a very good guinea pig food!

[rshevin]

I honestly can't think of a good reason tia. I agree completely with better safe than sorry, that they have the potential to be toxic, and no real nutrition. When you balance the risk with the lack of benefit that's the only real reason I can come up with. I think those are very GOOD reasons, and I'd never feed them, but I don't have the kind of answer I think he wants.

[Kat]

I've been wondering the same thing, as my parents keep offering me mushrooms to feed the pigs. I can never tell them exactly why they're not for pigs, and would really like to know!

[pigjes]

Mushrooms contain monomethyl hydrazine when they are uncooked and that's very toxic to piggies.

[Cinnabuns Legacy]

Pigjes, yes that's the toxin I was thinking of, thank you (I couldn't for the life of me remember what it was called). I know it's not great for people either, though that doesn't stop some people from eating raw mushrooms anyway.

[pigjes]

Indeed, it's toxic to humans too. It gets destroyed when being cooked or baked, most of it. The residue doesn't harm us. Well, eating raw mushrooms, the reason why some do that .... ; )

[Fifi]

I was wondering if they can pumpkin? I really havent come across anywhere that says they can or cant.

[Kateo]

Pumpkin isn't harmful to guinea pigs - it suggests on the hand feeding page to add cooked pumpkin to critical care if your guinea pig seems disinterested - but like any "treats", it should be fed sparingly.

[Lynx]

You wouldn't give it regularly but once and a while is likely fine (and does seem to be used in canned, unsweetened form for roughage when hand feeding ill pigs mixed with Critical Care.

[Feylin]

I actually like to give mine canned pumpkin as a treat so that they are used to it should they become ill and need Critical Care. It's also useful for mixing in medications if you have a pig who needs a little bit of tricking into taking the meds.

I give them the pumpkin treats from a syringe too, so that they are used to the whole process.

[Lynx]

Oh, that's a good idea, Feylin! Now that I think of it, some people occasionally give Critical Care for the same reason (so they are familiar with the taste).

[pigjes]

I had to hand feed Druppy for 3 weeks before she died and I always mixed a bit of veggies as juice, to add with the CC equivalent we have here, instead of pure water: that sure kept her very eager to eat!!! She didn't lose her appetite and she looked forward to her feedings. She ate more than required because of it.

[Fifi]

So its kinda a treat,is it best cooked? I have a pumpkin in the fridge.

[rshevin]

Raw pumpkin is just fine. Cooked is only preferred when you're going to mix it with critical care.