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Help my Baby ate Burlap Material

Amber_dalton

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We made a new hutch for our guinea pigs and used burlap material to cover it. I came home today and noticed that they have been eating the burlap should I be worried?
 

bpatters

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Yes, you should be worried, and yes, you should get the burlap out of there immediately. The danger is that it will wad up in their digestive tracts and cause a blockage.

Clean all the poops out of the cage so that you can tell how much they're pooping after eating the burlap. Watch them carefully, and make sure they're eating and drinking normally. If they're not, then get them to a good exotic vet immediately for an x-ray to see what's in their tummies.
 

pinky

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I agree about not having them outdoors. I don't understand what protection it would offer or purpose it would serve to cover it with burlap. It won't keep them warm, dry or serve as a barrier from predators.
 

Amber_dalton

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Our babies are not outside nor will they ever be outside. Me and my kids built them a little house for their cage because one of our pigs loves to hide so we put burlap to cover the walls so that she can hide better I notied they had been nibbling on the burlap when I got home so I took it out but they both seem fine and are eating normal and acting normal
 

pinky

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Our babies are not outside nor will they ever be outside. Me and my kids built them a little house for their cage because one of our pigs loves to hide so we put burlap to cover the walls so that she can hide better I notied they had been nibbling on the burlap when I got home so I took it out but they both seem fine and are eating normal and acting normal

You should try making a fleece forest in a corner. Mine never chew fleece so it's a safe alternative to the burlap. As long as they didn't consume long pieces of the burlap, there shouldn't be as big a risk to your guinea pig. Stringy things, like string, threads, celery strings can cause intestinal problems.
 
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