Help!!! recently I've noticed my guinea has started to naw at her plastic home which scares me bc it is plastic and cant that make her sick??? It totally
boggles my mind b/c she has wood toys as well as mineral chews for her to chew on...Is this normal or is it something I should worry about??? Im new to the
piggie world and could you as much help as possible on how to control this
0 Kudo
Nibbling/Chewing on plastic pigloo
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 cocopuff |
Nibbling/Chewing on plastic pigloo |
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Posts: 5 10/07/09 08:17 PM |
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PooksiedAnimals |
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Posts: 4114 10/07/09 09:05 PM Moderator |
If she's eating large quantities of her house, you should be worried, but the occasional bite or two shouldn't do any lasting harm. My girls have
recently taken a liking to chewing their house, and I'm more afraid of them hurting their mouth from the rough edges they've created, than any harm
from ingesting the plastic.
Hopefully your pig has hay available all the time? Hay is more important than any wooden chew-toys in keeping their teeth and gut healthy (and making them less likely to be chewing on their pigloo). As for the mineral chews? Get rid of them - they're not helpful. If she is chewing the pigloo a lot, it may be an indication of boredom. What size is her cage? Does she have a same-sex friend? |
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cocopuff |
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Posts: 5 10/08/09 08:01 AM |
Thank you soo much for replying.. Im more at ease, Her cage is a starter cage and im beginning to think it isnt big enough for her.. and no she doesnt have a pal, ive had her for a little over 2 weeks and wasnt sure if a pal was really needed.. is it better for her to have a pale.. i can be gone for up to 6 hrs a day.. BTW why no mineral chews??? hay is in there round the clock i always make sure to leave some in whenever i see shes eaten it all |
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PooksiedAnimals |
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Posts: 4114 10/08/09 11:09 AM Moderator |
If its a starter cage, its guaranteed to be way too small for a single pig. Pigs can get lonely and bored if left by themselves. I work during the day,
which is definitely a reason to have two same-sex pigs.
If you bought her from a pet store, you need to confirm she's indeed a she. And, its possible she's already pregnant (pet stores are notorious for selling pregnant and/or sick guinea pigs). I would look into getting her a wellness check with a cavy-savvy vet before getting her a friend. If you haven't had the chance, check out FAQs - Links to good answers and, perhaps also the I just got a guinea pig. I don't know what to do. HELP! thread. Both have a lot of information about cage setup, getting a pal, and diet. No mineral chews, because their diet doesn't require it. Its just a sales gimmick. |
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cocopuff |
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Posts: 5 10/08/09 02:25 PM |
Thank you soo much for all your information and advice.. She has a cavy savy vet appointment next week bc you are right the pet store could tell me nothing
about her age.. she is definitely a girl though ive sex'd her and read alot of articles on it.. but quick question will the mineral chews hurt her bc she
seems to love them..
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PooksiedAnimals |
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Posts: 4114 10/08/09 03:17 PM Moderator |
Mineral chews are usually salt licks. So - they'd get the same problems as humans if they have too much salt (high blood pressure) or too much of certain
kinds of minerals (too much calcium... stones -- I don't know about the other issues from too much minerals).
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