They are all foreign objects that various species of exotic pets commonly ingest. These are just a few items that we see exotic animals inappropriately consume. Even everyday objects found in our homes, like carpeting, towels, and plastic bags can be easily ingested by exotic species. These objects can cause life-threatening gastrointestinal obstructions that often require surgery to resolve.
So what can exotic pet owners do? While no one can guarantee that his or her pet will always be safe from ingesting foreign objects, there are certainly some precautions pet owners can take:
Pet-proof your animal’s enclosure. Scour the areas your pets frequent, and be sure to pick up any small, loose objects or dangling materials like string, ribbon, or wires that call out to pets to be chewed on.Never let your bird, small mammal (rabbit, ferret, rodent, or other species), or even your reptile, out of its cage unsupervised, even for a minute. That’s all it takes to gulp down or bite off a bit of foreign material.Be sure your pet’s cage or other enclosure locks securely and is escape-proof. Exotic pets are very clever and manage to get out of even seemingly secure places.Never leave tempting human food items or any kind of medication out within the reach of your exotic pets. Even if you think they won’t eat it, they might. It’s not worth the risk.Don’t assume that all pet “toys” are safe; many of these toys are made from potentially toxic materials (like lead) or have pieces that can be bitten or broken off, swallowed, or ingested. Carefully inspect any toys you leave in your pet’s cage, and consider whether there is anything in or on them that your pet might consume inappropriately.Pay attention to your pet’s bedding. Several types of bedding that are labeled as “safe,” such as corn cob or walnut shells, are actually consumed by many exotic pets and ultimately can lead to gastrointestinal obstruction. Bedding made from paper or recycled paper products is digestible if consumed and is therefore safe.Learn to recognize potential signs of foreign object ingestion in your pet’s particular species. For example, rabbits cannot physically vomit. Therefore, if you own a rabbit, you would not rely on vomiting as an indicator of whether your pet has ingested foreign material. And while ferrets can vomit, they often will not, showing only signs of diarrhea, even when they have swallowed something they shouldn’t have.Have a plan: talk to your vet before you have an actual emergency situation, so that if your exotic pet consumes foreign material and starts to act sick, you will know what to do and where to go even if it’s the middle of the night.
While we may not be able to prevent every exotic pet from inappropriately consuming all foreign materials, awareness of this problem and vigilance to prevent it can certainly save many animals lives.
Photo credit: ookaboo.com, toykeeper.net
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