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Sick Ate a piece of synthetic rope?

PimpRonald

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I just bought this hanging tunnel thing for my guinea pigs - not to hang for them, but it has little hanging clips for ferrets or whatnot. It looks something like this
Bird-Medium-Hanging-Hut-Happy-Hut-font-b-Tent-b-font-Plush-Parrot-Toy-Bunk-Bed.jpg
And I woke up this morning to find one of the hanging strings had been chewed off. That's about two inches of thin (about a centimeter thin) synthetic black rope. I can't afford a vet, and worse, I don't know which of my two piggies did it! I heard dandelions have laxative qualities so I fed them both a bunch of dandelions, and they're eating and pooping okay and are acting normally. Is there anything I can do?
 

ClemmyOddieIndy

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It should just pass out naturally, unless it balls up and blocks something off. How much did they eat? If it's just been chewed through they probably didn't get any in their stomach. It they ate small pieces then it should pass, but if they ate a huge chunk of it that could get blocked up.

You need to start saving for a vet visit in the future. It's not "if" it's "when" will your pigs get sick. You should also take them to the vet once a year for a wellness exam so your cavy savvy vet can get to know your guinea pigs. My yearly exams run about $125 for three pigs with tax. Then surgeries and such cost more. My girl with a tumor cost me $1,100 in March.
 

bpatters

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Nothing except keep strings away from them. And fyi, it's dandelion root that is a laxative, not the leaves. I hope those leaves hadn't been treated with anything.

They'll likely be ok, but just keep on watching the poop production, and make sure they're eating.
 

PimpRonald

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It's about two inches long of the string, I'm assuming he (whichever one) ate the whole thing like a piece of hay. The dandelions haven't been treated with anything, should I try to feed them a bit of the roots? Just to get the thing to move along? And how long do you think until it'd pass? I don't know the piggy metabolism rate. I'm also checking their butts such as one might do for impaction, just to see if anything needs to be helped out or whatnot.
 

foggycreekcavy

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I'll have to check, because I thought dandelion leaves were a diuretic, not laxative.

They are most likely fine. It probably wouldn't impact them in the guinea pig sense, but a blockage could always be possible. If they were blocked they would stop eating.

I don't feel that guinea pigs need a wellness exam. Best save your money for an emergency.
 
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