Eating onions 🧅

[piggl]

My friends guinea pigs were fed a tiny bit of onion by her mum who didn’t know they couldn’t have it.
She’s not sure if they actually ate any of it but she’s very concerned and she’s wondering if she should take them to the vet, the pet emergency area is open but the vet opens on monday. Her mum says they spit it out but any advice would help xx

 

[Wiebke]

My friends guinea pigs were fed a tiny bit of onion by her mum who didn’t know they couldn’t have it.
She’s not sure if they actually ate any of it but she’s very concerned and she’s wondering if she should take them to the vet, the pet emergency area is open but the vet opens on monday. Her mum says they spit it out but any advice would help xx

Hi!

Onion is not highly poisonous as these things go, it should just not be part of any regular diet.
Anything growing bulbs is a firm no no for guinea pigs; some can be worse than others. Onion would be too sharp in taste for them, anyway.

I would not worry, just not repeat the experience.

Here is our diet guide: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
And here is our list of edible and inedible veg: Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading

Keep in mind that not every edible fruit or veg should be a regular part of any diet nor that everything on the forbidden list is necessarily highly poisonous; a number of things are just not good for being part of a regular diet.

 

[PigglePuggle]

Oh dear! I very much doubt they would want to eat it, but there's not much you can do if they did except keep a close eye on them for 24 hours and if they seem in any discomfort take them to the vets...
Feed them lots of hay in the meantime to soak up any nasty onion residue and get their guts moving anything unpleasant out of there!

 

[piggl]

Hi!

Onion is not highly poisonous as these things go, it should just not be part of any regular diet.
Anything growing bulbs is a firm no no for guinea pigs; some can be worse than others. Onion would be too sharp in taste for them, anyway.

I would not worry, just not repeat the experience.

Here is our diet guide: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
And here is our list of edible and inedible veg: Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading
Keep in mind that not every edible fruit or veg should be a regular part of any diet nor that everything on the forbidden list is necessarily highly poisonous; a number of things are just not good for being part of a regular diet.

Thank you so much for your reply, they were quite worried x

 

[piggl]

Oh dear! I very much doubt they would want to eat it, but there's not much you can do if they did except keep a close eye on them for 24 hours and if they seem in any discomfort take them to the vets...
Feed them lots of hay in the meantime to soak up any nasty onion residue and get their guts moving anything unpleasant out of there!

Thanks for your reply I’ve passed on this message x