Can Guinea Pigs Eat Jasmine Leaves?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Tiz-Pinky-Bambi

New Born Pup
Joined
Mar 23, 2016
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Points
20
Hello! My name is Fiona and I'm a stay at home guinea pig mum. I adore my three guinea pigs Tizzy, Pinky and Bambi and I do pride myself on providing a life over and above welfare standards! At the present time, they enjoy eating their way about my enclosed garden and returning to a clean hutch full of hay on their own will. However, I am concerned about which plants to chase them off. I realise azaleas in particular are detrimental but what about Jasmine leaves and doc leaves for instance? I'd appreciate any feedback, Many thanks, Fiona
 
Hello.

Jasmine flowers are probably fine, note the probably as I cannot be certain. I would not feed the leaves at all. That's a nice list you found @Wiebke
Hi Sarah, thanks for your response. May I ask why you shouldn't feed them jasmine leaves? My guinea pigs love eating my Jasmine plant leaves and have already demolished quite a few over the past three days... should I be concerned? Fiona
 
They are not considered a food by any humans! But the flowers are. So I can be happy with eating the flowers, which won't have any toxins in because piggys are actually better than we are at plant toxins so if we can eat it then they can normally. But jasmine itself is not a plant associated with their part of the world, has been bred for scented flowers and not as food so will not be the same as wild jasmine and I can't be sure it is ok. There is also a cumulative effect for some leaves. Maybe they smell/taste nice - please be aware that piggys will cheerfully eat a lot of different plants and cannot differentiate between the good and bad. Free range piggys have happily eaten foxgloves and died before now. So if I am in any doubt or do not have any evidence that a plant is ok then I always say don't feed it to them as they have no idea what is good to eat.

When I investigated house plants for a possible article for the Guinea Pig Magazine I could basically sum it up in one sentence - Do not let your piggy eat any house plants at all. I would consider jasmine, because it is bred so far away from the original wild plant, to be effectively a cultivated plant and therefore a house plant.

Your piggys may be fine. I just wouldn't take the risk personally as I don't know. I'm sorry if I come across as dictatorial at all, but I wouldn't let them eat any more and watch for any digestive response just to be sure for the next few days.

All the best to your little ones, I love the pigture on your avatar!
 
They are not considered a food by any humans! But the flowers are. So I can be happy with eating the flowers, which won't have any toxins in because piggys are actually better than we are at plant toxins so if we can eat it then they can normally. But jasmine itself is not a plant associated with their part of the world, has been bred for scented flowers and not as food so will not be the same as wild jasmine and I can't be sure it is ok. There is also a cumulative effect for some leaves. Maybe they smell/taste nice - please be aware that piggys will cheerfully eat a lot of different plants and cannot differentiate between the good and bad. Free range piggys have happily eaten foxgloves and died before now. So if I am in any doubt or do not have any evidence that a plant is ok then I always say don't feed it to them as they have no idea what is good to eat.

When I investigated house plants for a possible article for the Guinea Pig Magazine I could basically sum it up in one sentence - Do not let your piggy eat any house plants at all. I would consider jasmine, because it is bred so far away from the original wild plant, to be effectively a cultivated plant and therefore a house plant.

Your piggys may be fine. I just wouldn't take the risk personally as I don't know. I'm sorry if I come across as dictatorial at all, but I wouldn't let them eat any more and watch for any digestive response just to be sure for the next few days.

All the best to your little ones, I love the pigture on your avatar!

Thanks Sarah! Considering that, you are absolutely right! Many thanks for your advice. Ps. The Avatar shows Pinky running across our patio!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top