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Eye Injuries

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guineapig-al

guineapig-al

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Hi, I'm curious about the sharpness of some of the hay in relation to eye injuries of guinea pigs. I use only Oxbow Western Timothy hay because it has very few sharp strands, mostly very soft with a lot of the flowering things. My question is: wouldn't lower quality hay promote eye injuries?
 
I think it's just bad luck if you have an eye injury caused by hay. I don't like hay that's been stored in plastic bags because it's the wrong way to store it. I always buy full bales of hay from a farm & never had an eye injury in two & a half years of buying like this.
 
It really does depend on the quality of the hay but even the better brands can have a bad harvest and the strands be a totally different quality. I have found this with Oxbow and Alfalfa King.
 
On the one hand, coarser hay is good for their teeth, as it grinds down the back teeth as they eat it, but obviously there's the risk of an eye poke. I garee with Helen that it varies incredibly even within the better brands. I get either Ings hay from Hay for Pets, which is fab stuff and the piggies love it.
 
Thanks. Excellent answers. My thought is that Oxbow is consistently good and they put a pink paper inside the 50lbs box warning of potentially sharp strands. Quality control issues are very important for brand name companies, they wouldn't sell a bad batch. I like the idea of buying from a farm, but lugging the thing home is problematic
 
Dust Free Hay is very soft (you can buy soft or stalky) mine love it and I feel much happier with it than some of the hay I have bought in the past. Oxbow Orchard Grass is also lovely but so expensive I keep it as a treat hay that they have to work for ;-)

I have certainly seen some hay I would not dare try with guineas on the basis that prevention is better than cure. Particularly my lot who tend to do a lot of burrowing and nesting (I do keep telling them they are guineas not rabbits or birds but they dont listen!).
 
Hi, what is orchard grass? I thought only Timothy hay for adult piggies. I understand about the cost of quality hay, it's the staple in their diet, and it can get expensive, but there's no point in saving a little on the hay and then spending a lot on vets, and having an injured animal. It doesn't make sense.
 
guineapig-al said:
Hi, what is orchard grass? I thought only Timothy hay for adult piggies. I understand about the cost of quality hay, it's the staple in their diet, and it can get expensive, but there's no point in saving a little on the hay and then spending a lot on vets, and having an injured animal. It doesn't make sense.
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HIya, its just very soft but green, leafy hay, I am guessing grown in an orchard LOL! It smells almost like tea and they love it. The Dust Free Hay is excellent quality, and if you can buy in bulk then the costs do make sense (I keep it in our garage which my husband calls the UN warehouse LOL!). As you say though, its definitely much cheaper than vet bills and having one guinea with only one eye I am really careful. I do find Timothy Hay sometimes a little stalky so I tend to avoid it but perhaps I have just got a bad batch? FYI This is the orchard grass:
ORCHARD GRASS HAY
Animals love the sweet smell and taste of leafy Oxbow Orchard Grass Hay, and that makes it a good addition to an herbivore’s healthy meal plan. Like other long-strand grass hays, the soft-textured Orchard Grass Hay is high in fiber, low in protein and supports the health of small herbivores by stimulating digestion, preventing obesity and making mealtime more appealing. Mix Orchard Grass Hay with other Oxbow grass hays to create a sweet and nutritious combination.
http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/products/type/detail?object=1597

My guineas highly recommend it!
 
Hi, I was reading that Timothy hay helps reduce UTI in piggies. Does anybody have any thoughts on this? Does orchard grass really smell like tea? Very nice, maybe I should try some!
 
guineapig-al said:
Hi, I was reading that Timothy hay helps reduce UTI in piggies. Does anybody have any thoughts on this? Does orchard grass really smell like tea? Very nice, maybe I should try some!
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Never heard that? I would be very interested to see if it does?
Well I think it does but that may just be me! It does smell delicious! (although not been tempted to chew a leaf just yet )
 
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