Chin coughing/choking/gagging on rose hip?

[kiltbunny]

I gave Izzy her first ever whole rose hip tonight whil she was out for play. She grabbed it and ate with gusto. About halfway through it, she made almost a choking/gagging motion. I know there are seeds and fiber or some sort, so I was worried she had inhaled something! She did this motion a few more times but kept eating. I tried to take it away from her, but she had none of that and retreated with it. She finished the hip and came back to me to beg off more treats. I gave her a few food pellets and some hay and she ate these until she figured out they weren't treats. I kept looking her over as much as I could, but she seemed fine. When she went back to her cage and I locked her up for the night, she seemed fine gnawing on toys. I thought I was going to have a heart attack seeing my princess making gestures like that. Is this normal? I'm afraid to give her another whole one.

 

[Stackie]

That's usually the sort of reaction they give when they get to the fibers inside the whole rose hips. Honestly I have had them on me and they feel like little shards of glass, so I can't imagine it's a very comfortable feeling having it in their mouths. I started using crushed rose hips for that reason.

 

[AZChins]

She probably ate it too fast. They can gag on anything you give them. I've had the same problem when a chin REALLY REALLY likes something or is very interested in it. I give out whole rosehips quite a bit and there's never any problems, but my chins are pretty used to them at this point and don't try to eat the rosehips so quickly.

 

[Sandi]

I did exactly what Stacie did and started only purchasing crushed rosehips for those same reasons.

 

[mishellyshel]

me too.

 

[Laurie]

I like to give whole dried rose hips as I like the feeling of handing out treats. With 9 chins I don't have time to hold my hand out for them to eat the crushed out of my palm, not to mention to the fact Bobo runs down her own daughter to get at treats. What I do instead for a couple of them who don't like the whole because of the insides, I bite them and dump the insides then give the whole outer shell. Mick St. John and Solange don't care for them unless I bite them and empty them first.

 

[AZChins]

Laurie, I guess that's a solution! Never thought to do that. Have you ever tried to cut the end with a sharp knife? Or does biting work better?

I give them out whole and listen as the little seeds tink-tink-tink as they are hitting the cage bars.

 

[Essentia]

If I have a chin come through that doesn't like the insides I do the same thing as Laurie. I normally just hand out whole rosehips though and them dump it themselves. The take a bite, turn it over in their hands and then eat the rest. Smart little buggers.

Just as an FYI, I have never seen any of the chins here do that motion, though I know it is somewhat common if they ingest the fibers.

 

[kiltbunny]

I think since this was her first time with one she just didn't know? She was definitely thrilled with it and enjoyed it because even with all the gag-motions she didn't stop and was still looking for more after she was done. It took her maybe 5 minutes to eat the whole thing... thats after spending quite some time rolling it around in her hands, a few test nibbles and then running around the room with it in her mouth like she really scored something!