Deworming for grass?

[MWpiggies]

Hello everyone, I wanted to know if I need to deworm Eddie before I can give him grass. A few times a week I pick some grass, wash it, and give it to him for extra vit C. I saw something about if you feed your guinea pig grass, you need to deworm them with ivermectin or they will get sick. I was very worried about him getting sick so I stopped giving him grass until I have your guy's opinion. So, do I need to give him Ivermectin (or another dewormer) if I want him to have lawn time / eat grass? Or can I just continue feeding grass without doing anything besides washing it? Thanks!

p.s The lawn is never fertilized and we don't have dogs/cats coming in our yard.

 

[Siikibam]

Piggies don’t get worms so no need for deworming. You just have to be careful that the grass is not in an area used by dogs and foxes as a toilet.

 

[Betsy]

You have to gradually introduce piggies to grass and not suddenly put them out all day. When I introduce mine to the grass I do 15 mins per day for the firstry 2 days then increase it by 30 mins every day until they are on the lawn all day (takes about 2 - 3 weeks). This is to avoid a bad tum and bloating.

Keeping Piggies Safe during outdoor time
Feeding Grass And Preparing Your Piggies For Lawn Time

 

[Swissgreys]

As long as the grass is clean (and it sounds like yours is from a safe area) it is fine to give to yuor piggies.
They do not need to be wormed.

 

[piggieminder]

It's very rare for guinea pigs to get worms, saying that mine did! The vet has told me regular worming is not necessary. We think mine got them from the hedgehogs that used to visit the garden as they have lawn time every day weather permitting. Her advise was to keep an eye on them and if we think they have worms take them to a vet for diagnosis but as we no longer have visiting hedgehogs it's very unlikely they would get them again.

 

[MWpiggies]

Thank you! Eddie says thank you for helping him get the grass he loves!

 

[Wiebke]

Hello everyone, I wanted to know if I need to deworm Eddie before I can give him grass. A few times a week I pick some grass, wash it, and give it to him for extra vit C. I saw something about if you feed your guinea pig grass, you need to deworm them with ivermectin or they will get sick. I was very worried about him getting sick so I stopped giving him grass until I have your guy's opinion. So, do I need to give him Ivermectin (or another dewormer) if I want him to have lawn time / eat grass? Or can I just continue feeding grass without doing anything besides washing it? Thanks!

p.s The lawn is never fertilized and we don't have dogs/cats coming in our yard.

Hi!

Guinea pigs get worms only very, very rarely (I've seen less than 5 cases on here in over a dozen years); so preventative worming is not necessary.

Please introduce fresh grass slowly as it can cause diarrhea or bloat when it is fed on an unprepared stomach. Start with a handful and then feed more each time before you let them out. Also make sure that the ground is still warm and dry to your bare feet after standing on it - that is in order to prevent avoidable illness from becoming chilled or damped.

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