Why is my guinea pig eating wood?

Question
My guinea pig is eating the wooden block that we got at the pet store for guinea pigs why is she eating it, she eats then chews then swallows it. Help, we have taken it out, she has been sick from it. Now she is chewing on her plastic igloo.
HELP ME>>>

Answer
Hi kecia,

It is in a guinea pigs nature to gnaw object around them and it is entirely normal. Gnawing keeps the incisors (front teeth) worn down to prevent them overgrowing and well as preventing boredom.

From your message, I can see a number of other reasons she may be chewing on her toys.

Loneliness is a common cause. Guinea pigs really need at least one other friend to live with, or at least live near to. The world is a very scary place for guinea pigs on their own even if they get a lot of human company. Look into adopting a second guinea pig from a rescue or shelter - a neutered boar or a sow are your options.

What size is the cage? Too small a cage can have a similar effect on guinea pigs as living in a very small house can affect us. It can make us very fed up, irritable and even depressed, and we can't move around too freely. The same with our guinea pigs. www.cavycages.com is the guinea pig cage site I highly recommend viewing - I know of US and UK suppliers of the materials needed and I can inform you more of C&C cages if you wish (I have a large C&C cage for my own four cavies, experience of building, moving house with C&Cs etc.).

Does your guinea pig get unlimited amounts of grass hay? Grass hay includes timothy, meadow, orchard-grass, bluegrass and oat hay among others. If you provide her with unlimited amounts (more than she will eat) of any one or any mixture of these hays then that is good. If she doesn't then you really need to get a bale of any type of grass hay from a farm or elsewhere, make sure it isn't too brown (you need at least some green strands otherwise it isn't very nutritious) and put an unlimited amount in her cage each morning, removing all the soiled/wet hay.

What sort of fresh fruits and veggies do you offer? A variety of at least 3 different veggies each day will keep your guinea happy and help provide a good balanced diet. I can advise you further on the ideal guinea pig diet if you wish; just send me a message and I will put a list together for you.

Does your guinea pig have toys? Guineas love to play, so a nice variety of toys is a good idea to prevent boredom. I have a full list of toys on my website - copy and paste the link into your address bar in your browser to see the list and some pictures of toys.
http://caviesunited.bravehost.com/toys.htm

Just remember that it is natural for guinea pigs to gnaw. You are right to be wary of her eating wood and plastic and you have done the right thing by removing the wood, if it made her sick.

Let me know if there is anything else you want to know. I will be glad to help.

Best Wishes,

- Laura