[Gpdd] CARE - toys/cardboard tubes

Andrew a1.mills at portset.net
Mon Mar 20 14:12:02 EST 2006


Hello, I don't actually use cardboard tubes for my guinea pigs, I use large plastic ones instead.  However, I do use them for some of my smaller animals to play in/chew, e.g. my rats and mice.  However, I did experience a problem when I gave them to my syrian hamsters.  Two hamsters appeared to experience allergic reactions of some kind when they chewed them.  The first time it happened, I thought the hamster had a cold or something as he started breathing heavily and then started gasping.  Within a few days he recovered and I thought no more of it.  A few weeks after I gave him a tube to play in and the symptoms started again.  That's when I realised that it might be the tubes causing it and removed it again.  Within a few days he was back to normal and the symptoms never returned.  I had given my previous hamsters tubes and none had experienced these problems so I thought he was just a one off allergy sufferer.  However, a few months later I had another hamster who experie!
 nced similar symptoms.  Again, once the tube was removed, he was fine.  I therefore no longer let my syrian hamsters have cardboard tubes, just in case.  I don't know whether guinea pigs would experience any problems with the tubes but, I would imagine that if it is possible for hamsters to react badly to them, it is possible they might.  I've never had any problems with my other animals having them to play with, it was only the hamsters that had the reactions.  It therefore may be something that is specific to hamsters only.  If you do try giving your guinea pigs tubes to play with, just keep a very close watch on them and make sure they're not experiencing any problems with them.  




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