Skip to content
Menu
  • Home
  • Dog Care
  • Cat Care
  • Guinea Pig Care
  • Rabbit Care
  • Small Rodent Care
  • Support An Animal Charity
  • Aquarium
  • Hutches
  • Cages
  • Carriers
  • Kennels

Pet Care Forum

Give Your Pets The Love They Deserve

Are Salt Wheels Safe For Guinea Pigs?

  • facebook
  • pinterest

One question that I am often asked is are salt wheels safe for guinea pigs to use? When you search the internet, you will find a host of answers, some will say yes, it is safe to give guinea pigs a salt wheel, while others say it is not. Why the mixed responses? Well, a lot of people that answer this type of question are not experts, nor are they using common sense. When it comes to the health of your guinea pig, you need to look at it from a human angle first, and then the guinea pig angle. So what does that mean?

baby guinea pig pet photo
Photo by ilovebutter

When it comes to salt wheels for guinea pig, people buy them because they are in the small animal section of the pet shop, and are usually in pretty packaging. So if a pet shop is selling them, they must be safe then? No. They sell items to make a profit from the customer. Although the staff may care about your pet, the company accounts department couldn’t care less, as the only interest for them is profit.

So, look at the question are salt wheels safe for guinea pigs from this angle. You have a 1 year old guinea pig, and a 1 year old baby. You love them both, so you give them a salt wheel each to eat. Does this sound right to you? Of course not, who in the right mind would give a baby a big chunk of salt to eat? That would just be stupid wouldn’t it? So why would you want to give the same thing to a mammal that is many times smaller than a baby?

We all know the health risks associated with salt these days, it increases blood pressure, and that in turn can lead to stroke and heart disease. Now guinea pigs do not live as long as humans, but constant high blood pressure can still cause health issues. Although data is in short supply, salt wheels are likely to increase the risk of a heart attack in a guinea pig. Another problem caused by salt wheels is that it is impossible for the owner to know how much each guinea pig is consuming on a daily basis. If they are consuming a lot, and the weather is hot, then it will contribute towards dehydration, which can cause organ failure.

So if you haven’t figured it out yet, the answer to the question; are salt wheels safe for guinea pigs is no. Do not buy them, they are of no nutritional value. The only salt that they need is included in the fruit, veg and pellets you feed them. If you love your guinea pig, then avoid salt wheels like the plague. Also avoid mineral wheels, although they are a different color, they are mostly made of salt.


Post navigation

Can A Guinea Pig Eat Too Much Food?
Is Newspaper Safe For Guinea Pigs To Eat?

Recent Posts

  • Want To Know More About Dogs? Read This
  • Suggestions For How To Keep Your Cat Happy
  • How To Stop Your Dog From Chewing On Household Items
  • What Every Dog Owner Needs To Know
  • Should You Make Your Cat Homemade Food?

Pages

  • Contact
  • Copyright
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • Terms
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.