Can Guinea Pigs Eat Rosemary? (7 Cool Facts)

If you keep a guinea pig as a pet, it may get to a point at which you consider feeding it on rosemary herb. But before actually doing so, you will want to know whether it is proper for guinea pigs to eat rosemary. This article has the answer.

Can guinea pigs eat rosemary? Yes, rosemary is one of the herbs that are safe and beneficial for guinea pigs to eat. However, rosemary has lots of calcium which can potentially harm a guinea pig. Therefore guinea pigs should only have rosemary occasionally and in moderate quantities.

There are people who have fed their guinea pigs on rosemary for long, without any issues. On that account, we can conclude that guinea pigs can eat rosemary.

And when you subject rosemary to chemical analysis, you don’t find anything in it that is directly toxic to guinea pigs.

The only thing of concern you note is a high level of calcium. But if guinea pigs only have rosemary in moderate quantities, this shouldn’t be cause for too much concern.

Thus rosemary for guinea pigs is alright. That is unless the guinea pigs have too much of it, in which case the plentiful calcium in it can cause issues.

Incidentally, rosemary often goes together with thyme, both being spice herbs. And if you research on can guinea pigs eat rosemary and thyme, you see that at least the rosemary is alright.

That should be yet another layer of reassurance, if you are considering feeding your cavies on rosemary.

You notice a similar trend if you research on can rabbits and guinea pigs eat rosemary.

But before going much further, we need to first acquaint ourselves with the ‘rosemary’ in question.

What Is Rosemary?

Rosemary is a herb that has thin needle-like leaves, with a fragrant aroma and a pleasantly bitter flavor.

The scientific name for rosemary is Rosmarinus officinalis.

People typically use it as a spice, as well as a medicinal plant.

Is Rosemary Safe For Guinea Pigs?

In moderate quantities, rosemary is safe for guinea pigs. But in excess quantities, rosemary can be somewhat harmful to guinea pigs.

What can potentially make rosemary harmful to guinea pigs is the high level of calcium it contains.

The problem with this calcium is in that it can cause guinea pigs to have urinary tract problems – right up to the kidney.

But if you feed your guinea pigs on rosemary in moderate quantities, there shouldn’t be any issues.

People routinely feed their guinea pigs on rosemary (in moderate quantities) with no major problem.

Is Rosemary Beneficial To Guinea Pigs?

There are many things in rosemary that can be beneficial to guinea pigs. That is as long as the guinea pigs only get to consume the rosemary in moderate quantities.

One benefit that guinea pigs can derive from rosemary is that of vitamins. This is a herb that is rich in vitamin A and C. It also has the likes of vitamin B1, B2, B5 and B6.

Yet another benefit that guinea pigs can derive from rosemary is that of minerals. Those include copper, iron, magnesium and calcium.

Rosemary is also rich in antioxidants, which are essential for guinea pigs’ health.

On account of all these, we can say that rosemary is truly beneficial to guinea pigs.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Rosemary?

So far, our analysis has revealed that rosemary – in moderate amounts – is safe for guinea pigs.

Further, our analysis has revealed that rosemary – in moderate amounts – is beneficial for guinea pigs.

It is also worth mentioning that rosemary is a herb that guinea pigs really enjoy eating.

And considering these facts, it is clear that rosemary is something that guinea pigs can eat.

But when it comes to guinea pigs eating rosemary, the most important keyword is moderation.

Remember, as said earlier, rosemary has what can only be termed as an exceptionally high level of calcium.

If guinea pigs get to absorb such exceptionally high levels of calcium, they can get very sick. They can develop urinary tract problems, and kidney problems – including kidney stones.

Those can cause a lot of anguish to guinea pigs. In the worst cases, they can even kill guinea pigs.

Another thing to note: if guinea pigs haven’t eaten rosemary before, then their introduction to it should be gradual.

A sudden introduction of guinea pigs to rosemary can cause all manner of stomach upsets. But a gradual introduction is alright.

Ultimately, we see that rosemary is something that is edible, safe and beneficial for guinea pigs. That is provided they only consume it in moderate amounts.

Which Parts Of Rosemary Herb Can Guinea Pigs Eat?

The rosemary herb has a stem, leaves and flowers as the main parts.

When it comes to feeding a guinea pig on rosemary, the question that arises is on which of these parts the guinea pig can eat.

Can guinea pigs eat the rosemary stems? And can guinea pigs eat the rosemary leaves? Further, can guinea pigs have eat rosemary flowers? Let’s look at each in turn.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Rosemary Leaves?

Rosemary leaves are edible by guinea pigs. The rosemary leaves (in moderate quantities) are also safe for guinea pigs. And the rosemary leaves are beneficial to guinea pigs.

We can therefore conclude that guinea pigs can eat rosemary leaves. But we need to point out that these leaves have a very great deal of calcium.

Therefore a guinea pig should only have a few of the rosemary leaves, once in a while.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Rosemary Stems?

The stems are among the parts of the rosemary plant that guinea pigs can eat.

Chewing on a rosemary stem is something a guinea pig may enjoy greatly.

But you need to beware of the fact that the rosemary stem – like all parts of the rosemary plant – has lots of calcium.

Therefore a guinea pig that chews on too many rosemary stems may become ill. That is due to the excess calcium.

The rosemary stems may not be as easy to ration as the rosemary leaves. This is why some people opt to keep their cavies from rosemary stems.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat The Rosemary Flowers?

Guinea pigs typically show a lot of enjoyment, when it comes to eating the aromatic rosemary flowers.

In moderate amounts, the rosemary flowers can be safe and beneficial for guinea pigs.

The only challenge you may face is that of rationing the flowers: so that the guinea pig doesn’t have too many of them.

If it has too many of the flowers, the guinea pig can develop kidney and urinary tract problems. That is due to the excess calcium in the rosemary flowers.

What Types Of Rosemary Can Guinea Pigs Eat?

Rosemary comes in many forms. It can be fresh rosemary, dried rosemary, cooked rosemary… and so on.

This leads to questions like, can guinea pigs eat fresh rosemary? Can guinea pigs eat dried rosemary? And can guinea pigs eat cooked rosemary?

Let’s look at each in turn.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Fresh Rosemary?

Yes, guinea pigs can eat fresh rosemary.

In fact, fresh rosemary is the best form of rosemary to feed guinea pigs on.

If you have to feed your guinea pigs on rosemary, it should ideally be fresh rosemary.

The most important thing is to ensure that the said ‘fresh’ rosemary doesn’t have mold on it.

It is also essential to wash the fresh rosemary properly, before having your guinea pig eat it. You don’t really want your guinea pig getting sick from pesticides and other things of that ilk.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Cooked Rosemary?

Cooked rosemary is not very ideal for guinea pigs.

Ideally, guinea pigs shouldn’t have cooked rosemary. In fact, guinea pigs shouldn’t have cooked foodstuffs of any type.

Their digestive systems are ill-equipped to handle cooked foods. Therefore you shouldn’t give your cavies cooked rosemary.

Can Guinea Pigs Eat Dried Rosemary?

Dried rosemary is not proper for guinea pigs.

The drying process tends to concentrate the chemical components in the rosemary. Consequently, it can be rather hard to figure out how much is too much rosemary for guinea pigs when it is in dried form.

It is best to keep your guinea pigs from dried rosemary.

How Much Rosemary Can Guinea Pigs Eat?

Most experts recommend feeding guinea pigs on rosemary in moderation.

In this context, ‘in moderation’ means just a few leaves: ideally less than 10 (or equivalent).

Remember, what may look like a little rosemary for you may be way too much for a guinea pig. Consider the guinea pig’s size, relative to yours…

Thus a pinch of rosemary is typically enough for a guinea pig. It is better to err on the side of giving your guinea pig too little rosemary. That is better than to err on the side of giving the guinea pig too much rosemary.

Too much rosemary is capable of inducing urinary tract complications in guinea pigs – including even kidney stones.

How Often Can Guinea Pigs Have Rosemary?

In a discussion on feeding guinea pigs on rosemary, the ‘how often’ question inevitably comes up.

So, indeed, how often can guinea pigs have rosemary? For instance, can guinea pigs eat rosemary daily?

The answer is that guinea pigs should only eat rosemary occasionally. They certainly shouldn’t eat it daily. At most, guinea pigs should eat rosemary twice per week. Once per week may be even better.

Final Verdict – Can Guinea Pigs Eat Rosemary

Rosemary is edible by guinea pigs. It is in fact something they usually enjoy eating.

In moderate quantities, rosemary is safe for guinea pigs.

And in moderate amounts, rosemary is nutritionally beneficial for guinea pigs.

Therefore guinea pigs can eat rosemary: but only in moderate quantities.

If guinea pigs eat rosemary in excess amounts, it can cause them problems. This is because there is simply too high a level of calcium in the rosemary herb and its extracts.

Such manifestly excess calcium can harm guinea pigs, by causing them urinary tract and kidney problems.

Kidney stones and even potentially fatal renal failures can arise as a result of guinea pigs eating too much rosemary.

A pinch of rosemary (with less than 10 leaves or equivalent) ought to be adequate for a guinea pig.

And guinea pigs should only have rosemary once, at most twice, per week.

As a pet lover, make sure to learn about pet more and give your pet guinea pig a good and comfortable life!

Rajkumar Ravichandran

Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️