RescuedGuineas
Junior Guinea Pig
Hello all,
I've been reading up on whether or not it's safe to feed bamboo leaves to guinea pigs... but I'm still not sure of the definitive answer. Can anyone help?
As it's now too cold to put the girls out on the lawn for fresh grass, and the grass has stopped growing, I started to google for new ideas for green treats in addition to their veggies. (I'm growing grass indoors in pots, but don't have enough to feed them every day).
I found a suggestion that as bamboo is a type of grass, it should be OK, and also found a few examples of people feeding the leaves to their guineas and chinchillas:
http://mycavykingdom.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/pandas-might-eat-bamboo-but-cavies-do.html
I have bamboo in my garden which has smooth, broad leaves (no jagged edges etc) and it stays green throughout the winter. I cut some leaves and very nervously offered them to my girls.
They loved it!
I've watched them like a hawk for a couple of days, and can't detect any negative effects. It would be great to have something else to offer them, but I don't want to give them much more until I'm confident that I'm not doing them any harm. (I've not given them the shoots / canes in case they splinter - it's literally just the green leaves on the thin stems at the ends of the plant).
Some of the references I've found are here (including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals which lists it as "non-toxic" but doesn't specify guinea pigs):
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/bamboo
"Bamboo - Additional Common Names: Golden Bamboo, Fishpole Bamboo
Scientific Name: Phyllostachys aurea
Family: Gramineae
Toxicity: Non-Toxic to Dogs, Non-Toxic to Cats, Non-Toxic to Horses"
http://abyssinianguineapigtips.com/ultimate-guinea-pig-food-list/
"Guinea pigs can eat bamboo shoots. They are high in Vitamin C. Bamboo doesn’t have a high nutritional level, but it does offer lots of fiber. They can also eat bamboo leaves"
Australian Cavy Sanctuary: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=424591344249613&id=107965959257085
"Did you know that guinea pigs can eat Bamboo leaves/shoots? Bamboo nutritional level is low which is one reason why Panda's eat so much of it! But it is high in fiber. It has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries. The grass is about 50%+ water and is low in calories. Bamboo shoots are rich in vitamin C and certain other vitamins."
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/25693-Bamboo
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/73782-Can-I-feed-my-guinea-pigs-bamboo-leaves
https://www.furryfacts.com/can-chinchillas-eat-bamboo/
Can anyone point me to some reliable references?
Bamboo leaves would make a great high-fibre, high-vitamin C boredom breaker if I can be confident that it's safe...
Thank you!
I've been reading up on whether or not it's safe to feed bamboo leaves to guinea pigs... but I'm still not sure of the definitive answer. Can anyone help?
As it's now too cold to put the girls out on the lawn for fresh grass, and the grass has stopped growing, I started to google for new ideas for green treats in addition to their veggies. (I'm growing grass indoors in pots, but don't have enough to feed them every day).
I found a suggestion that as bamboo is a type of grass, it should be OK, and also found a few examples of people feeding the leaves to their guineas and chinchillas:
I have bamboo in my garden which has smooth, broad leaves (no jagged edges etc) and it stays green throughout the winter. I cut some leaves and very nervously offered them to my girls.
They loved it!
I've watched them like a hawk for a couple of days, and can't detect any negative effects. It would be great to have something else to offer them, but I don't want to give them much more until I'm confident that I'm not doing them any harm. (I've not given them the shoots / canes in case they splinter - it's literally just the green leaves on the thin stems at the ends of the plant).
Some of the references I've found are here (including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals which lists it as "non-toxic" but doesn't specify guinea pigs):
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/bamboo
"Bamboo - Additional Common Names: Golden Bamboo, Fishpole Bamboo
Scientific Name: Phyllostachys aurea
Family: Gramineae
Toxicity: Non-Toxic to Dogs, Non-Toxic to Cats, Non-Toxic to Horses"
http://abyssinianguineapigtips.com/ultimate-guinea-pig-food-list/
"Guinea pigs can eat bamboo shoots. They are high in Vitamin C. Bamboo doesn’t have a high nutritional level, but it does offer lots of fiber. They can also eat bamboo leaves"
Australian Cavy Sanctuary: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=424591344249613&id=107965959257085
"Did you know that guinea pigs can eat Bamboo leaves/shoots? Bamboo nutritional level is low which is one reason why Panda's eat so much of it! But it is high in fiber. It has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries. The grass is about 50%+ water and is low in calories. Bamboo shoots are rich in vitamin C and certain other vitamins."
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/25693-Bamboo
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/73782-Can-I-feed-my-guinea-pigs-bamboo-leaves
https://www.furryfacts.com/can-chinchillas-eat-bamboo/
Can anyone point me to some reliable references?
Bamboo leaves would make a great high-fibre, high-vitamin C boredom breaker if I can be confident that it's safe...
Thank you!
Not a lot, but since it stays green through winter and is meant to grow quickly... *glares at slow-growing bamboo*