Can Guinea Pigs Eat Pine Needles? Is It Safe?

Wild guinea pigs mainly eat fruits, grasses, vegetation, and plant roots. However, the pigs don’t eat all the plants since some herbs, like wormwood, are toxic to them.

Can guinea pigs eat pine needles? No, pine needles are not edible for guinea pigs. Pine needles are pointy, so if ingested, they can pierce the digestive tract and cause internal bleeding. Pine needles also contain antioxidants and saponins that can kill a guinea pig’s beneficial gut bacteria.

Now that we’ve shown that pine needles are harmful to guinea pigs, let’s dive in to learn more. We will discuss their health effects and what to do when your pig consumes pine needles.

Can You Feed Pine Needles To Guinea Pigs?

Under no circumstances should guinea pigs eat pine needles. The needles are tough, sharp, and pointy, so a guinea pig finds it difficult to chew. The pointiness also scratches and wounds the digestive tract, causing microtears and minor internal bleeding.

Pine needles have lots of vitamin C, an essential nutrient that guinea pigs cannot produce. However, since pigs’ stomachs have a hard time breaking down pine needles, the vitamin C found in them can’t be extracted for use. Hence, pine needles are nutritionally useless to guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs have highly sensitive respiratory systems, so they quickly become sick when exposed to irritants. The strong smell that pine needles have irritates guinea pigs. Hence, feeding your pig with the plant exposes it to the risk of respiratory ailments.

Since the smell of pine needles can be harmful to your pet guinea pig, placing its cage near any pine needles, such as those found on Christmas trees, will lead to health issues.

Some of the compounds in pine needles, such as saponins and antioxidants, are harmful to pigs. Saponins can kill cells, destroy the linings of blood vessels and wreak havoc on the digestive system. Antioxidants can kill all the bacteria found in the gut causing gastrointestinal issues.

Pine needles are harmful to your guinea pig, keeping your pet away from the plants is prudent.

Health Risks For Guinea Pigs Eating Pine Needles

Pine needles aren’t a healthy food for your pet guinea pig since they cause several issues, including;

1. They make a guinea pig’s intestines permeable

Some of the saponins found in pine needles affect the lining of the small intestines, causing them to absorb some materials and minerals that wouldn’t normally be absorbed. This increased permeability and as a result increases your pet pig’s susceptibility to disease.

2. They kill beneficial gut bacteria

Some of the compounds in pine needles kill the gut’s natural bacteria. Small amounts are reasonable because they keep the gut healthy by maintaining balance, but the amounts in pine needles are significant. High amounts will clear out all the gut bacteria, causing digestive problems.

3. Internal bleeding

Pine needles are pointy and tough to chew, so they bruise and puncture the digestive tract when swallowed. The guinea pig will start bleeding internally if the punctures are near any blood vessels.

Do Guinea Pigs Like Eating Pine Needles?

Guinea pigs sometimes chew on pine needles, especially during the Christmas holidays when the needles are strewn all around the house. However, this does not show that the pigs love the pine needles.

Guinea pigs naturally love to chew random things and explore. Hence, if you find your pet pig attempting to ingest pine needles, it could be exploring the immediate environment. Always remove all of the pine from your pig’s vicinity.

What To Do If Your Guinea Pig Eats Pine Needles

If you notice your pet guinea pig has ingested pine needles, estimate how much it has eaten. If you realize it has already been ingested a lot, call the vet immediately and take the animal for treatment.

However, if it had just started eating the pine needles when you found out, take measures to ensure it doesn’t eat more. Next, carefully take all the pine needles out of the pig’s mouth and inspect it for any bruises. After that, observe the animal for a while to ensure it isn’t affected by the pine needles.

Some signs that your pig consumed pine needles include;

• Problems eating food or drinking water.

 If the pine needles bruise its mouth, your guinea pig may refuse to eat or drink any water due to the pain.

• Changes in the consistency and color of poop.

Your pig’s poop will change if it consumes any pine needles because the antioxidants in pine needles affect the gut. In some instances, a pig will have diarrhea after eating pine needles.

If you notice these symptoms and any drastic weight loss, immediately take the guinea pig to your vet.

Can Baby Guinea Pigs Eat Pine Needles?

No, baby guinea pigs must never be fed any pine needles. Since their organs haven’t matured, the plant is more harmful to them than to adult pigs. For instance, pine needles will bruise a young guinea pig’s mouth more than an adult’s.

Baby guinea pigs’ respiratory organs are still developing, making them more susceptible to irritating smells. Hence, the presence of pine needles in the vicinity of their cages will cause illness.

Related Questions

Here are some answers to common questions about guinea pigs eating pine needles.

Some Parting Wisdom

Guinea pigs should not feed on pine needles, although they are herbivorous. The needles are pointy, sharp, and tough to chew, so when the pig swallows, they bruise its mouth and stomach. Pine needles, both fresh and dry ones, can choke a guinea pig.

Ensure your pig never consumes pine needles since it causes issues like internal bleeding, damaged gut health, and diarrhea. If you discover that your pet has eaten some pine needles, take it to the vet immediately.

References:

• https://specialtyproduce.com/produce/Pine_Needles_10289.php
• https://netvet.co.uk/small-animals/guinea-pigs/respiratory-problems/
• https://carnivoreaurelius.com/saponins/