Skip to main content

PLEASE NOTE:
"Poisonous" does not mean deadly. Some manifestations of toxicity are subtle. The dose, as always, determines if a plant is safe source of nutrients or a toxic hazard.

Frequently (and not so frequently) Asked Questions

Simple keyword search (one or two words only)

 


BRIEF: Are Ficus tree leaves poisonous to baby guinea pigs?


QUESTION:
I bought a guinea pig and it died after 2 weeks. It had been transfered to my grandparents house once but was only outside a minute. Whileat my grandparents house she ate an entire Ficus tree leaf. My mom told me that they were poisonous. I was wondering if they were poisonous to baby guinea pigs. The whole time we had her she was always real quiet, did not eat a lot and was not very active. We now have two more guinea pigs who are just the opposite of that. When she died she looked like she was screaming or gasping for air. Do you think that the leaf killed her or do you think that something else did? One more question. The guinea pigs we now have are both males. They are from the same litter and have never been seperated. Someone told me that if they stay together they will kill each other, is that true???

ANSWER:

Guinea pigs can die suddenly from a variety of diseases, so it did not have to be the ficus. The white latex in ficus sap is darned irritating and can cause a lot of pain and discomfort in the mouth if the leaves are munched on. I would have thought it would take a lot more than one leaf to kill it, though. Other common killers of guinea pigs are antibiotics. Many that are safe for me, you, my sheep and a rat will result in the death of guinea pigs. Sometimes male rodents will chew each other up if housed together. maybe yours won't. Look for sores randomly distributed about their bodies. Sure signs of unacceptable sibling rivalries.