Plants poisonous to guinea pigs

Most guinea pigs love fresh food and plants, which should form part of their diet. However, some plants can be harmful if fed, so it is important to know which plants are safe to feed to your guinea pigs and which ones aren’t!

Always do your research, and if in any doubt as to what something is, don’t feed it!

If you are picking wild plants, ensure that you pick them away from verges on the road and look around for signs of wildlife or cats/dogs using the area as a toilet. Always wash fresh food thoroughly before feeding.

Don’t rely on your guinea pig to avoid eating something that is poisonous, as they may not instinctively know.

Poisonous plants can have a variety of effects. Some can cause stomach upset, pain or bloating. Others may cause hypersalivation (excessive salivation), seizures, an increase heart rate, skin reactions, breathing difficulties and even death.

Guinea pigs cannot vomit, so unlike cats and dogs, they cannot be made to be sick if they ingest something that could be harmful.

The following plants are known to be dangerous to small animals. However, the list is not exhaustive, so if something is not known to be 100% safe, then it must not be fed.

Anemone, azalea, bittersweet, bryony, caladium, cyclamen, columbine, dog mercury, figwort, deadly nightshade, woody nightshade, poppies, ragwort, buttercups, daffodils, bluebells, foxglove, hemlock, spurges, kingcup, marsh marigold, monkshood, meadow saffron, mistletoe, St. Johns wort, Leyland cypress, fools parsley, elder, hellebore, tomato plant leaves (the fruit is safe to feed), potatoes, potato plants and rhubarb.

You may choose to allow your guinea pigs free access to your garden. There are some cultivated plants that are also dangerous and may cause illness with your guinea pigs. These include the following: dahlias, lupins, chrysanthemums, delphinium, lily of the valley, tulips, iris, morning glory, antirrhinums, lobelia, fig, Jerusalem cherry, juniper, hyacinth, privet, yew, laburnum, lords and ladies, ivy, philodendron, rhododendron, wisteria, clematis, holly and most evergreen trees.

CALL YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY!

If you know what they have eaten then take a sample of this with you.

Often supportive treatment in the way of fluids to try and flush through the toxin and support the kidneys, as well as gut protectants are what your vet will recommend.

The outcome will depend upon what was eaten, how much of it and when.

When in the garden ensure that they are kept in a secure area, so you know exactly what they are eating. Only offer fresh food that you are 100% able to identify, and ensure you wash it before feeding it.