A few of these items have come to my attention from other monkey moms and a vet that has monkey patients. I didn't know whether to add them in the "Monkey Proofing your Home" section or under "First Aid". Because of their seriousness, I thought they deserved a section all their own. I'll be adding to the list as things are brought to my attention. I wish I had a flashing red light so everyone could be aware of them.
Sometimes the smallest thing can be a serious health hazard to our monkey babies. Please pass these on to any monkey moms you know.
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- Strings and thread: Loose threads on wash cloths and clothing, diaper covers, blankets and toys. Any and all threads that can be picked at and eaten. Recently a precious monkey was lost because she would sit and "groom" her blanket and the curtain by her window. No one could have noticed her picking away, here and there, one small thread at a time. She was taken to the vet and they determined it was most likely an upset tummy and she was sent home with a a mild anti-diarrhea medication. Three days later she was rushed into surgery, with a large blockage in her intestine that showed up only after a contrast die x-ray. This blockage was nothing but threads she had eaten, one at a time, over a period of perhaps months. The blockage caused decreased blood flow to her intestine resulting in tissue decay. This darling little girl passed away because of something as seemingly harmless as thread. Check everything your monkey comes in contact with for this hazard. Trim all loose threads and finish edges that may be starting to fray. If you have a doubt, just toss the item...period! As careful as I would like to think I am, I found a favorite stuffed toy with loose threads in the seam that had been picked at. I guess we can never be too vigilant.
- Fuzzy Blanket Danger: Baby marmosets, tamarins and squirrel monkeys are so tiny with fingers as small in diameter as a toothpick. A baby marmy (she is doing fine now) lost one of her little fingers because a fiber from a soft and fuzzy blanket got wound around her finger and cut off the blood supply. It happened in a matter of hours. Avoid fuzzy blankets. As cuddly and inviting as they may seem, they pose a hazard to a baby monkey. Smooth cotton blankets and cotton flannel are a safer choice. The vet also told me to remind all mommies to check little fingers and toes with every feeding for just that sort of thing.
- Pet Hair Danger: Ditto with the pet hair. If you have long haired cats or dogs and your monkey likes to play on them, check fingers and toes for hair that may have become wound around. Same for your hair. We all know how much our little monkeys like to sit and play on our heads and groom our hair. Check to make sure nothing is tangled into little fingers and toes.
- Toxin Alert:Apple seeds contain amygdalin, a cyanide and sugar compound that degrades into hydrogen cyanide (HCN) when metabolized and should never be fed to monkeys! Peach, cherry, and apricot pits contain amygdalin to a lesser deree but should also be avoided. I had someone ask me in all seriousness, how they can be bad for the monkeys when in nature they would simply consume all the fruit and not know to discard the seeds. Well, here is the scoop on that... Monkeys are not indigenous anywhere that you will find either apples, peaches, cherries, or apricots! So, simply put, unless we give it to them, they wouldn't have access.
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