Guinea pigs can eat all parts of a cucumber, including the skin. The tiny seeds are also safe as they are too small and soft to cause a problem for guinea pigs, unlike most other seeds which should never be provided.
Cucumbers are often thought of as a vegetable, but are actually a fruit, or more specifically a type of gourd in the same plant family as squash, pumpkin and zucchini.
While cucumbers are delicious, they aren’t particularly nutritious and are mostly made up of water. They are low in Vitamin C.
Pesticides are a big issue to consider when you’re thinking about providing cucumber to your guinea pigs.
The amount and type of pesticide use on cucumber farms will depend where you live in the world, as regulations can vary quite a lot between countries. Generally cucumbers are often exposed to a high load of pesticides, so choosing organic cucumbers whenever you can is obviously going to be the safest option. Or growing your own! If you can’t get organic or home grown cucumbers, give it a good thorough wash and scrub before serving.
In the USA, up to 86 types of pesticide chemicals have been found on cucumbers. This is alarming and includes some carcinogens (cancer causing) and neurotoxins, among others.
