Leek?

[acapae]

Can piggies have leek at all? I looked on the stickied fruit and veg list but couldn't see it mentioned on either the safe lists or the dangerous lists...

 

[Guineapigfeet]

I don't feed mine leek, it's in the onion family so I don't think it'd be great. Probably not toxic though?

 

[sport_billy]

Nope, avoid leek part of onion family.

 

[acapae]

Nope, avoid leek part of onion family.

Could I suggest that it be added to the list of foods to avoid with more explicit labelling then?

The not recommended list has this

Garlic or pungent onions (will not poison pigs, )

Since it explicitly says they aren't poisonous, it implies that onions and garlic just aren't very nutritious/ there are better food available. That's fairly different to something which must not be fed. But also one can't viably assume that if some of a family are unsuitable that all are because e.g. potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and deadly nightshade are all the same family.

 

[sport_billy]

Have you ever ate raw garlic or experienced a hot onion? I think the mere notion of tasting these foods would give you an idea they shouldn't be fed...

I have done some research on leeks for you through google and indeed this forum itself - it would appear some keepers feed only green tops occasionally as treats not the lower part.... But then some people are saying an outright no.

Personally there are lots of foods out there to feed, if in doubt leave it out is my motto....

hope that helps

 

[acapae]

I don't know what a hot onion is, but I enjoy raw garlic. However something being disliked for flavour reasons isn't the same as safety. Safety is what I was asking about I'll see what mine think about the green tops, since I have some in my fridge currently, thanks.

 

[sport_billy]

I don't know what a hot onion is, but I enjoy raw garlic. However something being disliked for flavour reasons isn't the same as safety. Safety is what I was asking about I'll see what mine think about the green tops, since I have some in my fridge currently, thanks.

Excuse my double post above - you cant get the admin... I was trying to amend my post to include the fact there are plenty of posts on the internet saying it shouldn't be fed either....
Personally I would read up various sites and opinions before hand. From a 10 minute google search I read conflicting opinions advice of leeks some people say you can feed the green tops others say no don't feed... So before feeding anything different it pays to research.

 

[sport_billy]

@Wiebke Any ideas on leek tops?

 

[Wiebke]

Generally, feeding any bulb plants (including the onion family) is not recommended for guinea pigs.

A one-off small amount of spring onions or leek greens will not harm them badly, but it should not be part of a regular diet.

 

[sport_billy]

The internet is pretty dead set AGAINST Onion and Garlic..... Many sites list as poisonous so will amend the food list to denote that

This is said a few times about Onion - Onions contain disulphide, which will damage the red blood cells in a guinea pigs blood stream.

 

[sport_billy]

Again as with everything research, research and research anyone can put anything on the internets. You have to cross reference lots of data to make informed choices

 

[Kylie80]

I wouldn't feed them leek just because I'm afraid it would stink their cage out, and possibly the piggies if they ate it.

I find I'm constantly having to research foods as on one website it says that a certain food is safe for them to eat and the next website it will say not to feed it as it's too high in something they cant have too much of. I could literally rip my hair out when it comes to feeding them veg.

 

[Wiebke]

I wouldn't feed them leek just because I'm afraid it would stink their cage out, and possibly the piggies if they ate it.

I find I'm constantly having to research foods as on one website it says that a certain food is safe for them to eat and the next website it will say not to feed it as it's too high in something they cant have too much of. I could literally rip my hair out when it comes to feeding them veg.

That is why our recommendation is to always feed a mix and to feed in moderation; if you want to give a disputed veg, give it every now and then rather occasionally than daily. A certain compromise is necessary to arrive at a sensible mostly hay-based diet. There have been several huge fads and warnings about certain foods and diets since I have joined the forum, most of which have not stood the test of time.
Leek however has never been on anybody's recommended diet. The only place I have ever come across it was as an ingredient in a low grade pellet brand - and that was not exactly a recommendation, considering the other rather unpalatable stuff that went into those pellets!
Recommendations For A Balanced General Guinea Pig Diet

 

[TheCavySlave]

I fed my boys a teeny bit of leek each, ages ago, but won't be feeding again. I think it's probably something that's not deadly in small amounts, but is still not recommended. So hard to be sure, probably best to avoid!