Guinea pig ate a bit of mouldy veg

[Toffee and Oreo]

Hi everyone,

As today is a nice day weather wise, I thought I might put the pigs outside in their hutch for a bit of sun, they had been out there once before this year and I fed their veg in there last time too. I checked the hutch to make sure it was still all okay and it seemed fine, it still had the hidy houses in there set up from last time and I couldn’t see any veg pieces, so I put the pigs out, they were fine happy and popcorning all over the place. I started to clean out there indoor cage and I went back to check on them, and I saw toffee eating what seemed to be like a red pepper piece. It took me a few seconds to realise how mouldy that must be after sitting in the hutch for over month, by the time I had managed to remove it toffee had already eaten a few bites off of it. When I took it out it looked disgusting, I’ll attach a photo, and I feel terrible because I heard that mould can be really toxic to them. It was never my intention for her to eat that as I thought I removed all the veg last time I took them out, but obviously not . It was hiding behind one of the hides as that’s where I saw toffee munching on it.

Will she be okay, because the amount of mould on that red pepper makes me feel sick inside?
Is there anything I can give her to make sure it passes through her system fine, because pigs don’t have the vomit reflex, so it won’t be coming out again?

But oh gosh I’m in a bit of a panic after seeing her eat that.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Try not to worry I don’t think it will have done any harm. Guinea pigs usually know when something isn’t quite right for them and leave them alone. My piggies when out in the garden will often eat old leaves from the apple tree which are decaying and have never suffered from them

Just keep an eye on her for 24 hours

 

[Wiebke]

Hi everyone,

As today is a nice day weather wise, I thought I might put the pigs outside in their hutch for a bit of sun, they had been out there once before this year and I fed their veg in there last time too. I checked the hutch to make sure it was still all okay and it seemed fine, it still had the hidy houses in there set up from last time and I couldn’t see any veg pieces, so I put the pigs out, they were fine happy and popcorning all over the place. I started to clean out there indoor cage and I went back to check on them, and I saw toffee eating what seemed to be like a red pepper piece. It took me a few seconds to realise how mouldy that must be after sitting in the hutch for over month, by the time I had managed to remove it toffee had already eaten a few bites off of it. When I took it out it looked disgusting, I’ll attach a photo, and I feel terrible because I heard that mould can be really toxic to them. It was never my intention for her to eat that as I thought I removed all the veg last time I took them out, but obviously not . It was hiding behind one of the hides as that’s where I saw toffee munching on it.

Will she be okay, because the amount of mould on that red pepper makes me feel sick inside?
Is there anything I can give her to make sure it passes through her system fine, because pigs don’t have the vomit reflex, so it won’t be coming out again?

But oh gosh I’m in a bit of a panic after seeing her eat that.

Hi

I doubt that it will do much harm; she will only have nibbled and may have even spit out some bad tasting bits - guinea pigs have double the amount of taste buds to us humans.

Unfortunately, all you can do is sit it out and keep a closer eye on here for the next 24 hours or so but please do not hover constantly.