My pig just ate plastic. :O

[madelineelaine]

I heard izzyboo nibbling something and I went over and saw she was eating the plastic off a lap pad touching her cage. I looked and she had consumed maybe 3 inches off it. I am HORRIFIED. Is she going to be alright? I can't believe she ate it. I tried to pry a piece out of her mouth but she just swallowed it. What can I do to make sure everything is okay?

[PiBee]

Just be sure to monitor her eating and pooping (especially pooping). It's hard to say if she'll be okay, but if anything at all seems off, please take her to a vet just to check!

[bpatters]

You can't do anything now except watch to see if she's eating and pooping ok. If you haven't cleaned the cage recently, do so now so you can tell how many poops she has after the accident.

If she's not eating and pooping in the morning, you need to take her to a vet. Motility drugs may help her if she has a blockage, but other than that, there's not much that can be done.

[madelineelaine]

thanks @bpatters I will clean her cage up right now. She seems to be drinking and eating just fine. I moved anything plastic far away from her cage.

[madelineelaine]

it was a vinyl table cloth that she was chewing. From the dollar store. Coloured plastic and all.

[madelineelaine]

In the event that she hasn't pooped and needs a motility drug, are there any over the counter ones. I believe there is one that is used for infants or something, that can be used for bloat in an emergency. My vet is closed Sunday and we really can't afford to take her in. Both my pigs have been to the vet within the past 3 weeks, which cost well over 300$ and now my male needs a 700$ surgery.

[madelineelaine]

its simethicone. I can get that if she's having difficulty right?

[bpatters]

I don't know of any OTC motility drugs. Simethicone is used for gas and potential bloat, but it doesn't do anything to stimulate the intestines.

And it takes a good vet to know whether a motility drug will help. If you give one and there's a total blockage, it can result in a ruptured intestine. If the vet suspects a blockage, s/he may need to do an ultrasound to determine how bad the blockage is before giving any sort of drug to stimulate movement.

If the pieces she ate were small, she'll likely be ok -- they generally just get mixed up in the food and go right on through. A big piece is more likely to get stuck and cause problems.

What kind of surgery does your male need that costs $700? That seems pretty high to me for any ordinary thing that can be done to a guinea pig.

[madelineelaine]

The piece I saw her steal was the size of my pinkie nail, so not huge.
My male guinea pig needs a hernia repair. It's apparently a very rare surgery and not many vets have done it. The 700$ includes EVERYTHING and a follow up visit.

[MrWhistles]

Whistles has eaten quite a bit of coroplast and he is perfectly fine. Since the switch to fleece bedding he hasn't eaten any.

[madelineelaine]

Okay. I'm just concerned. She's pooped about 25 times in 9 hours. And she's eating and drinking just fine.

[bpatters]

Then quit worrying. It won't help the pig, and she seems to be ok. Just keep watching her for any signs of intestinal blockage. If you don't see any by the end of the day, she's no doubt ok.

[madelineelaine]

Thanks @bpatters I'm just a worryer :$

[ThePigAlchemist]

My pig has gotten plastic bags twice. Both times I sat near the cage all day, freaking out, and it turned out that all was well. I hope that your pig does okay too.