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Why has my guinea started eating paper?

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popcornapple

popcornapple

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I know there was some discussion about this a few months ago, but I wonder if I could bring this up again?
I have 2 girls, both aged nearly 5. They always have access to guinea pig pellets and lots of clean hay plus fresh veggies at least twice a day.
A couple of weeks ago, Apple (guinea pig!) was off her food and quite unwell. We went to the vet who diagnosed cystitis and gave Baytril for about a week, with instructions to return a week later if she wasn't better, incase it was kidney stones. I also gave her Avipro pro-biotic on her food. Well she recovered within a few days and has been popcorning all over the place, so I'm assuming she's better. However, since she's recovered, I've noticed that she's eating newspaper/cardboard in her run. I've never seen her eat more than the odd bit before, but now she's spending considerable amounts of time tearing up anything she can reach. Cardboard boxes, newspaper, cardboard tubes, you name it, and eating it, but of course she doesn't chew the wood intended for chewing.
Do you think she could be lacking something in her food, or have teeth problems (the vet was unable to get a good look, surprise, surprise). Any ideas would be very helpful:)
 
I have noticed that in my own piggies recovering from illness that they love to chew on roughage, i.e. paper and cardboard for some reason more than at other times. Perhaps to help balance the guts?
 
Thanks for that. I can't understand why it's more tasty or fibrous than hay though!
 
Hi my two males have always chewed up loo rolls and the news paper of the bottom of there cage they love it and it has never done them any harm. This I belive dose there teeth good, It is funny how your piggy has just started doing this lots more though.
 
Neither can I, but in a pinch the devil eats paper (err - flies) as a German saying goes!

She'll hoepfully go off it again soon.
 
Gilbert always chews his cardboard boxes, although I don't think he eats it because when he's done there's a pile of chewed up cardboard...:)) I don't really mind, I personally think it's good for his teeth.

I've got a question, is it okay if they ate plastic? Gilbert's only done it once recently. I gave him the bag of hay that was almost finished and I found him later chewing AND eating the plastic! I took it away immediately, but now I'm wondering if he'll be fine? I definitely won't be letting him near that bag again!:...:...
 
Craving for paper

The pair of my piggies both eat their newspaper, I fail to understand why when they get so much food and treats. I hope it is not bad for them:{
Naughty little squeakers!
They also knawed at the plastic on their house - until I recently seperated them.
 
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guineas eating paper

Hey.
My Guinea Pig smudge has been eating alot of newspaper recently. She had a caesarian about 3 weeks ago though, so i was keeping her on just newspaper and towels. She went mad tearing up paper, i always tryed to stop her but she didnt :/ she hasnt gone off her food though so it can't have done any harm.
Her stitches have healed up now though, so she's back on sawdust so she cant get to the newspaper underneath.
But yeah, my guineas are always nibbling, they just nibble and eat anything! I think its why they're called "pigs"
:D
xx
 
My two healthy little boys adore eating news paper and paper. I put the news paper in the cage for them to play with and before I know it its just a tiny thing. They do play with it too though.

I also put newspaper on the bottom of the cage and then cover in chippings and I notice that they pull the paper up from the sides and nibble on it.
 
Hayzz6 said:
Hey.
My Guinea Pig smudge has been eating alot of newspaper recently. She had a caesarian about 3 weeks ago though, so i was keeping her on just newspaper and towels. She went mad tearing up paper, i always tryed to stop her but she didnt :/ she hasnt gone off her food though so it can't have done any harm.
Her stitches have healed up now though, so she's back on sawdust so she cant get to the newspaper underneath.
But yeah, my guineas are always nibbling, they just nibble and eat anything! I think its why they're called "pigs"
:D
xx
Click to expand...

I do find putting in loo rolls stops them tearing the newspaper up as much just a little tip.
 
Yeah my guinea have a couple of loo rolls and small cardboard boxes to nibble on :)
 
yes mine eat the newspaper I put at the bottom of the cage aswell. I put loo rolls in aswell seems to keep them occupied for 2 mins but i think the finding the newspaper is just a game to them aswell. If i se them trying to eat large bits i do take it off them but I can't see it doing them any harm.
 
The larger of my two pigs eats damn well everything within reach, despite having nuggets, hay and veg pretty much on tap, and a hidey made of wooden logs to boot. Cleopatra eats carboard and paper, tries to eat the towels I put on the floor during roam time, and I've just now caught her taking a chunk out of a plastic door stop. I can't find any of the pieces on the floor so I'm assuming she's eaten them- hence the panicked forum search.

Her teeth look fine to my untrained eye, but I'll be keeping a very close eye on her for the next week or so...
 
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