My guinea pig swallowed a needle but acts normal. Should I worry?

An immediate check up is required as this ingestion can lead to severe gastrointestinal side effects. Surgery to remove the wire may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Depending on the size of the piece, it could cause an intestinal obstruction. If it was a small piece than it will probably pass through with no problems. Monitor for any abnormal signs and have a vet take a look at her if you notice anything concerning, like lethargy, decreased appetite, or gastrointestinal signs.

It's difficult to know for sure, but it's definitely a concern for causing trauma in the stomach, or intestines. If she ate it within the last three hours, then it's possible that it can be retrieved from the stomach if you take her to the vet. They can take an x-ray and tell if the needle was eaten or not. This would be expected to be somewhat costly at an after hours clinic, but is the best option.The other option is waiting to see if there are any problems. Signs of a puncture is vomiting, not defecating, acting very painful/depressed and a decrease in appetite. If you notice these signs, then Elvie would need to go to the vet immediately for emergency surgery, because this can cause a severe infection.  I hope that helps and all is well with Elvie.

It may be serious but not necessarily. You should take your dog to your vet to take an x-ray to see where the needle is (it could got stuck in esophagus and it this case it should be removed). If the needle is in the stomach you will have to wait 24-48hrs for the needle to be passed. If in any doubts the second x-ray should be taken. If your dog develops signs of vomiting, vomiting blood, abdominal pain, lack of appetite he will need emergency surgery to remove the needle. However, most of the dogs will pass a needle and surgery is not required.

Thanks for reaching out about Snowflake. This would be worrisome as strings like this could result in a linear foreign body, which can be fatal. A emergency veterinary visit is recommended this evening. If she chewed the floss into tiny pieces should be fine, but if not sure, see a veterinarian. Good luck.

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.

Given the small amount, it is likely your guinea pig will be fine. Monitor for lethargy, loose droppings or loss of appetite. See your veterinarian should your guinea pig develop any of these symptoms.