Links - When Non-Food Items Are Eaten

Diarrhea · Bloat · G.I. Stasis
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Tracis

Post   » Mon May 04, 2009 7:47 pm


LINKS - When Non-Food Items Are Eaten


Many Guinea Lynx members have written about the odd things that their cavies have accidentally ingested.

Some guinea pigs tend to nibble on harder plastic items, such as Pigloos and coroplast. Caring owners have spent much time searching through their guinea pigs' droppings, only to discover that the item was, apparently, completely chewed and digested.

Helpful suggestions for those in this situation include encouraging the guinea pig to eat more hay (fiber) and to drink extra water (syringe-feeding water can be beneficial).

There is always a cause for concern if the item swallowed was large, sharp, or otherwise unusual. Signs of distress warrant a visit to the emergency veterinary clinic.

It is wise to check with an experienced cavy veterinarian if there are questions or any behavorial changes. X-rays can be helpful in some cases.


CLOTH, RIBBON and STRING items
METAL items
  • Pig swallowed staple
    Guinea Lynx members offer advice as an owner tries to determine if one of the herd has eaten a staple while nibbling on paper.
  • Emergency - Cavy swallowed my nosering
    Daisy, a female, eats an aluminum "barbell-style" nosering. The nosering is one piece, post type, and has no sharp edges.
PLASTIC and RUBBER items
  • In a bit of a panic...
    A young male guinea pig eats part of a Craft Foam sheet (plastic).
  • Jasper - Ate tape
    Jasper, a male, eats five 1/2 inch strips of Scotch tape.
  • Linus ate a plastic bag!
    Linus, a young male, eats part of a soft plastic bag.
    This thread also contains an excellent discussion of the rare instance for using mineral oil (liquid paraffin).
  • They ate part of the hay bag
    An owner's guinea pigs were able to reach the plastic bag containing hay, and consume part of the plastic.
  • Guinea pig swallowed syringe stopper/plug!
    Misty, a female, bites off and swallows the syringe stopper while being handfed.
    This thread also contains an excellent discussion of the rare instance for using mineral oil (liquid paraffin).
  • Emergency - Help!
    A guinea pig eats a small rubber band.
See also:

Guinea Lynx Emergency Medical Guide
Become familiar with the signs of an emergency.

Guinea Lynx Medical Reference: Gastric Transit Time
The average time for something eaten to leave a cavy's system is around 20 hours.

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