My Guinea Pig eating paper, is it bad?

[i love my piggy]

My guinea pig is always eating paper!!! (newspaper, homework, kleenex etc.) Is this really bad? I always try to stop her but then she gets mad at me! Sometimes she wants paper more than carrots etc. Should I do anything?

[DrNiblik]

I believe Guinea Pigs do that sort of thing by nature. It's something to do with keeping their teeth right, like gerbils and things. You might try getting her one of those bird chew sticks. I don't know if it will work for your piggy as well as it did for my gerbils, but they seemed to enjoy it. In the meantime, I really don't think you have anything to worry about.

[i love my piggy]

Thanks!!!

[Catlady711]

Guinea Pigs need to chew things to keep their teeth wore down so they don't overgrow. The biggest difference with G.P.'s is that they actually eat what they are chewing unlike gerbils who chew and spit out. I used to buy my guinea pigs lizard logs, it's a half log hollowed out with bark on top. Makes a nice hidey hole for them, they can climb and jump on top of them, and the bark lasts about a year or two before it needs replacing giving them plenty of teeth wearing chewing to do.

Just keep things with dyes away from guinea pigs, plain cardboard would be ok, but not dyed things like your quaker oats container with the label on.

Here's a link showing the logs I used to buy my piggies, most larger pet stores should carry one in an extra giant size suitaible for guinea pigs.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...m?pcatid=13993

[Karen]

The only danger is that even un-dyed paper is not nutritious. Don't let her eat much, because she'll be full, but could get sick from malnourishment, because then she won't eat her proper food.

[i love my piggy]

Ok thanks! Yes I try to keep her away from colored inked paper and glossy paper! I let her have a fiew nibbles but I stop her soon after that.

[Catlady711]

The only danger is that even un-dyed paper is not nutritious. Don't let her eat much, because she'll be full, but could get sick from malnourishment, because then she won't eat her proper food.

lol, I had to chuckle at this one thinking of my 3 piggies I had. I don't think any of them knew what 'full' was. They certainly lived up to their names as being pigs! lol I had rather chunky piggies weighing 3-3 1/2 lbs each and they were short haired english pigs not the larger abbyssinians.