Behavior My guinea pigs wont chew on their toys!

[May09]

I have gotten Theodore and Wilbur chew toys but they wont touch them! Any idea of how to get them to play with their toys? I am kinda worried of them getting bored because they are still scared of me picking them up and I feel really bad scaring them but I would feel better if they actually did something other than sleep drink and eat their pellets! Help?!

 

[CavyMama]

For the most part guinea pigs ignore chew toys and simply aren't interested in them. Hamsters, rats, these are the critters that will chew on chew toys. What they need is unlimited hay to wear down their molars and keep their digestion moving.

To be honest, I would return the chew toys. They won't be getting much use.

 

[May09]

For the most part guinea pigs ignore chew toys and simply aren't interested in them. Hamsters, rats, these are the critters that will chew on chew toys. What they need is unlimited hay to wear down their molars and keep their digestion moving.

To be honest, I would return the chew toys. They won't be getting much use.

How sad! I didn't know that guinea pigs don't chew them or I wouldn't have wasted money on them! About the hay situation I just took my piggies to the vet and they may be allergic to their hay so they are not getting any right now but will their pellets help their teeth?

 

[Starthecavy123]

My boys won't touch toys either although my first pig liked those bell balls for cats. My new boys do like those willow balls but other than that they have no interest in chew toys.

There are different types of hays the pellets won't help their teeth. Guinea pigs need an unlimited hay source. If they are alergic to Timothy try orchard grass. Although I've never heard of a guinea pig being alergic to hay. How do you know are? If the vet told you that he doesn't sound like a exotic vet. Regular cat and dog vets aren't equipped or trained to treat guinea pigs.

 

[CavyMama]

About the hay situation I just took my piggies to the vet and they may be allergic to their hay so they are not getting any right now but will their pellets help their teeth?

It's not likely that they are allergic to their hay. Some hay is dustier than others so if they were sneezing, it's more likely because of the dust. There are plenty of different kinds of hay available but no, pellets cannot take the place of hay. Long strand hay is the most important part of their diet. Pellets are the very least important.

Without hay, they can develop malocclusion which is the misalignment of their molars. They can overgrow and trap their tongue which won't allow them to eat which can eventually lead to their death. Hay also keeps their digestion moving. Without it, they can develop major problems which can make them very ill.

So yes, hay is very necessary and pellets won't cut it. Adult pigs should only be getting 1/8 cup pellets daily. Hay should be unlimited.

 

[MrsGuineaPig]

Maybe you're guinea pigs are sneezing from too much hay dust? Guinea pigs aren't usually allergic to hay and should have an unlimited supply.

 

[bpatters]

Pigs need a long strand grass hay all the time -- timothy is just one of them. Others are orchard grass, meadow grass, bluegrass, and brome.

 

[May09]

okay so what would you guys recommend for hay? should I hold off the hay for a week or would that be too risky?

 

[MrsGuineaPig]

Never hold off on hay! Buy some orchard grass! I meant to put aren't instead of Aretha, sorry.

 

[Starthecavy123]

If you were feeding them Timothy I would try orchard grass. Or any of the other hay types @bpatters listed.

 

[farmersdaughter]

My girls like the Nat Geo wreath chew for PetSmart. The little one, not the big one that smells funny.

 

[Flowering]

You still need chew toys or they will chew the bars or plastic hidey houses. Try a wood hidey or something similar.

 

[CavyMama]

You still need chew toys or they will chew the bars or plastic hidey houses. Try a wood hidey or something similar.

No, you really don't need chew toys. It won't prevent them from chewing the bars or igloos. They chew the bars out of boredom or because the know food is coming. Chew toys are mostly ignored.

 

[Princess_Piggie]

When I first got my girls and they weren't chewing on any of their wooden toys I went right in to panic mode, "Their teeth are going to overgrow!" yada yada yada, and I rang the pet store right away, and even they said that chew toys have nothing to do with dental care. The fact is it's not how hard something is that wears the teeth down, it's the silica in hay. You could give them a stone to chew and even if they were at it all day, it'd still be the hay keeping the teeth down.

The best entertainment for a pig is another pig, and a large cage to run laps and popcorn in. Anything else that they play with is a bonus, not a necessity.

 

[Flowering]

No, you really don't need chew toys. It won't prevent them from chewing the bars or igloos. They chew the bars out of boredom or because the know food is coming. Chew toys are mostly ignored.

Wow I never new that. My chew toys get chewed quite a lot but I didn't realise they were just toys and nothing to do with teeth ooops silly me.

 

[TheDNDWizard]

Wow! I didn't know that most pigs ignore chew toys! Mine love them! They must be weird piggies

 

[RockieGuineaPig]

My pigs ignore their wooden chew that I put in their cage, but they love the wicker tunnel and occasionally they'd nibble at the tissue roll! I sometimes put in a cardboard hidey house and they will nibble on the edges.

 

[WheekingPiggies]

Some pigs are chewers, while some just aren't. To add to what everyone else said, I like to provide cage accessories that can serve as chew toys, but will also be used if the pigs don't chew them. Some examples are: twig tunnel, twigloos, wooden houses, wooden bendable bridges, and tunnels made out of oatmeal tubes. I find my girls chew these big accessories a lot more than they would a little chew toy. They also like things with different materials, such as raffia or cornhusk, as opposed to wood.

 

[May09]

okay thank you I will go and buy them some new hay today!

 

[May09]

I got some new hay for them today! they wont stop eating it! haha I keep having to refill it but Wilbur has gotten a horrible cough the sneezing seemed to calm down a lot though