Hay triggering IC flare up.

[Toots33]

We have been feeding our guineas pigs the same hay from a local farm for over 12 months. Unfortunately, the last bale we got was full of thistles and sticks so we’ve had to change the hay we feed them.

I have two guinea pigs with IC that was well managed when they were having the old hay. Unfortunately, changing the hay seems to have triggered an IC flare up in both of my pigs. I now have a house full of hay as we’ve tried three different types and each one has caused problems.

I really need to find a hay that doesn’t cause their symptoms to flare up but I don’t know how to work this out without buying different types of hay. Has anyone else had the same experience and can offer any advice?

 

[Adelle]

Stick to a plain Timothy hay, just try different brands and different cuts and textures to keep them interested. More grass like hays such as meadow or orchard and forage hays such as ones with dandelion and dried flowers can cause flare ups in my ic girl too.

I recommend alfalfa king Timothy hay and
Timothy hay.co.uk Timothy hay. My girl can have some meadow hays and oat hays but we are very limited.

Hope this helps

 

[Toots33]

Stick to a plain Timothy hay, just try different brands and different cuts and textures to keep them interested. More grass like hays such as meadow or orchard and forage hays such as ones with dandelion and dried flowers can cause flare ups in my ic girl too.

I recommend alfalfa king Timothy hay and
Timothy hay.co.uk Timothy hay. My girl can have some meadow hays and oat hays but we are very limited.

Hope this helps

Thank you, that’s really helpful. It’s such a frustrating thing to manage. We must spend hours trying to work out triggers and never really seem to get anywhere. They also have different triggers which makes things even more interesting

 

[DMS260820]

Stick to a plain Timothy hay, just try different brands and different cuts and textures to keep them interested. More grass like hays such as meadow or orchard and forage hays such as ones with dandelion and dried flowers can cause flare ups in my ic girl too.

I recommend alfalfa king Timothy hay and
Timothy hay.co.uk Timothy hay. My girl can have some meadow hays and oat hays but we are very limited.

Hope this helps

Alfalfa king timothy is brilliant, dont be put off by the £9 price. Its sooo tightly packed, it works out as a bargain

 

[Freela]

I can't recommend a UK brand, but having had a bladder pig, it was straight timothy hay only. Other things were just too high in calcium.

 

[Toots33]

Alfalfa king timothy is brilliant, dont be put off by the £9 price. Its sooo tightly packed, it works out as a bargain

Thanks, we’ve ordered some Timothy hay from a couple of different places so I’ll see how I get on. We’ve become well know at the local rescue centre as we keep donating all the hay that our pigs can’t eat .

 

[DMS260820]

Thanks, we’ve ordered some Timothy hay from a couple of different places so I’ll see how I get on. We’ve become well know at the local rescue centre as we keep donating all the hay that our pigs can’t eat .

Good on you for recycling the hay in the best way.