My guinea pig ate popcorn and is acting strange. Is it serious?

Monitor Popcorn closely over the next day or two for any signs of decreased activity, limping or swelling anywhere on his body, any reduction in appetite, drinking, urination or defecation. If you notice any of these signs, you should take Popcorn to the veterinarian immediately. If Popcorn is behaving normally then there should be no cause for concern.

Certain plants, usually those that are flowering, can be toxic to guinea pigs and other rodents. There is no definitive toxicity associated with orchids in guinea pigs to my knowledge, but to get a absolute answer to your question I would recommend contacting the pet poison helpline. Toxins for animals such as dogs, cats, and horses are well known and highly documented where as animals such as guinea pigs are a little bit more of a mystery. This is why I am inclined to recommend you contact someone who deals with toxins all day, every day. However, should you choose to take a wait and see approach, my belief is that things will probably be fine apart from some possible gastrointestinal upset. Obviously if this turns into severe diarrhea, I would recommend immediate veterinary care before dehydration occurs. Hope this helps and that Popcorn ends up OK!

Hi there! Guinea pigs really like their veggies and pellets, so your guy may be starting to want those more often instead of hay. However, Guinea pigs really need to be eating hay as the main staple of their diet. This makes sure their gastrointestinal tract is always active and working. Try to continue to offer your pig hay and very small amounts of the other stuff. He also needs to have a vitamin C supplement in the diet. If your pig isn't eating much though in general, my biggest concern is always checking the teeth (which should be done a couple of times a year anyway by a veterinarian who is skilled at treating Guinea pigs), and also making sure the pig isn't bloated. Guinea pigs can also colic and have issues with the gastrointestinal tract not moving at an appropriate pace. I would monitor your pig for another 12 hours and if he is not improving, I'd take him in to see his veterinarian to insure nothing serious is going on.

You need to monitor her for the next few hours. She probably will be fine but make sure she does not become lethargic, bloated or starts producing loose stools. If you see any of these symptoms, you should get in touch with your local vets.

Oh dear! Fortunately, I would not expect this to cause any serious problems - neither popcorn nor caramel are considered toxic to dogs. She may have some vomiting or diarrhea for the next day or so, but otherwise no major problems would be expected. It's theoretically possible that she could develop pancreatitis or some other more serious GI illness as a result of eating something she isn't used to, but most dogs in this situation don't become seriously ill. If she is sick for more than 24 hours, or if she stops eating or begins acting very lethargic, it would be best to take her to the vet for an exam as these would be more concerning signs - she may need symptomatic treatment and/or IV fluids and supportive care.

As long as she is a eating, drinking and acting normally I wouldn’t be too concerned. Also, make sure she is pooping daily and not becoming constipated. If she goes without pooping or her behavior changes, then I would have your vet take a look at her to make sure she isn’t constipated. I hope this helps!

I am sorry to hear about your guinea pig. It sounds like she definitely needs veterinary attention. There could be many different causes for her symptoms, ranging from infections, GI stasis, and dental issues. I would get her to the vet as soon as possible. In the meantime you can soak some guinea pig pelleted food in water and blenderize it, then use an eye dropper or syringe without a needle to try to feed Caramel to provide some calories.