![]() Feel along your guinea pig’s jawlines and check for sensitive areas to eliminate the presence of spurs.Examine your pet’s incisors (front teeth) and make sure that they are not overgrown or chipped.To prevent such extreme cases, make sure to check your guinea pig’s teeth weekly: In some extreme cases, a vet will have to trim a guinea pig’s teeth. Weekly dental health checks for your guinea pig are essential. Malocclusion has the terrible side effect of preventing guinea pigs from eating properly, which can lead to starvation and malnutrition. Unfortunately, unless the disease is detected early, a permanent cure is extremely difficult.Ī change in the angle at which the teeth grow occurs, so so even with correction, the teeth continue to grow back abnormally. If left unchecked, their front teeth (which grow constantly and without limit) will grow right through their jaw.Ī misalignment of the jaws or teeth is referred to as malocclusion. One of the many difficulties of guinea pig owners when caring for their small animals is keeping their teeth trimmed at a reasonable length. ![]() Thus, guinea pigs will die if they go without food for an extended period. When stress (or anything else) prevents them from digesting food, their gut completely shuts down and digestion completely stops. The other reason is that guinea pigs’ digestive tracts must be constantly moving. Constant chewing allows them to keep their teeth trimmed. The first reason is that guinea pigs’ teeth never stop growing. There are two main reasons why guinea pigs constantly chew hay or something else. Many people have used cardboard boxes from Amazon or other deliveries to make guinea pig toys but these boxes are frequently sprayed with chemicals that can make your little furry friend very sick. You should never give your guinea pigs colored cardboard because the dye can be toxic to your pet guinea pig.Make sure that the cardboard is dry and clean.Before allowing your guinea pig to play with cardboard boxes or paper rolls stuffed with hay, remove all glue and tape residue.Don’t feed your guinea piggie dirty cardboard.To keep your guinea pigs safe, keep the following in mind: Vets and rescue and animal shelter personnel often recommend cardboard as an inexpensive toy and hideaway option for guinea pigs.Ĭardboard is a fun and low-cost way to keep your guinea pig entertained with something new and different every time. Why Do Many Guinea Pig Owners Recommend Cardboard Toys for Guinea Pigs? They are better suited to expecting female guinea pigs and very young piggies. ![]() Grass hay is the most important part of their diet.Īlfalfa and clover are legume hays, which means they have more calcium, protein, and calories, but they are not suitable for adult guinea pigs unless you’re giving them to a pregnant or lactating guinea pig. Guinea pig digestive systems are built for grass (and hay) diets, and guinea pigs love their hay above anything else. If you let your guinea pigs eat much cardboard, their gut bacteria will change, resulting in intestinal obstructions and other health issues. The cardboard will fill your guinea piggies up, but it will not provide them with the nutrients they require for a healthy diet. While cardboard isn’t the worst thing your pets can eat, it’s also not a healthy diet for them.Ĭardboard should never be used in place of hay (or fresh food) for piggies just like commercial food treats should not be used in place of hay. The teeth of a guinea pig grow continuously throughout his life, so chewing is necessary to keep them worn down and prevent dental problems.Ĭhewing cardboard is safe for guinea pigs but swallowing large amounts of it can be fatal. Why do guinea pigs constantly chew something? Guinea pigs are herbivores with digestive systems capable of breaking down the majority of plant materials.Ĭardboard is simply a plant-based material derived from trees. While there is nothing wrong with allowing them to chew on it and even eat some of it, eating too much of it can be fatal. ![]() Many guinea pig owners believe that their guinea pigs can eat cardboard (or any other type of paper).
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