Happy Pet Mega Grassy Carrots for guinea pigs?

[Smileylou11]

Hello, I was wondering if anyone could advise whether Nature First/Happy Pet Mega Grassy Carrot 'treats' are suitable for guinea pigs? Here is a link to the product so you can see what I'm talking about: Happy Pet Mega Grassy Carrot 2pc

The ingredients say 'sun-cured twitch-grass hay', and I've not come across twitch-grass hay before. I ordered a treat made out of timothy hay, but the company sent me the wrong item

The packaging says 'for small animals' but I wanted to double check if twitch-grass hay is ok for piggies, I can't find anything about it online.

Thank you!

 

[Claire W]

I wouldn’t bother to be honest. My pigs ignore things like that.

What you can do is stuff empty toilet roll tubes (cut lengthways) cardboard boxes and paper bags (with the handles cut off) with hay of your choice. They provide lots of enrichment and piggies love anything stuffed with hay

 

[Smileylou11]

Thank you, yes I think I've come to the same conclusion, better off giving timothy hay in boxes/tubes which I know they will enjoy

 

[Princess Dustmop]

Common names often refer to multiple different plants, so it's hard to say exactly what this product is made with ...
If you look under the ingredients tab, it says it's made with thatch grass, which would generally be a Hyparrhenia species. However, twitch grass, as per the description, would be an Elymus species or Agropyron species, either of which would also be one of many species known as wheatgrass. I would also wonder whether they mean Panicum virgatum, or switchgrass, which is also sometimes called thatchgrass. All of the above are pretty closely related to various millets.

What does this mean in terms of piggies? It means it's probably not the best hay product for them ... the timothy version that you actually ordered would have been better, and I'd be requesting the company send me the correct one. Several of my girls adored their timothy carrots; they'd have it down (from tied to their cage) within the hour and dismantled and mostly eaten in the next day or two (and there were only two of them working on it ... one was an expert at hay carrot removal and deconstruction). My current piggies haven't had a hay carrot yet, but they love their timothy twists.

It's most likely safe, but I tend to prefer better than that ... I want a preferred piggy product (like timothy or orchard grass) that I know what it is. The wrong one could be donated somewhere. I take unwanted hay-type products and unwanted vegetables (like the pumpkins I got for roasting but were too fibrous and didn't agree with us) to a nearby farm where they will be given to bunnies or goats or tossed in the pig bin, as appropriate. Other unwanted pet items go to the drop box outside the pet shop (like when the store sent us the wrong dog cookie flavor multiple times - the one they sent had an ingredient should couldn't have).

 

[Smileylou11]

Thank you for the info Princess Dustmop! Yes I agree, better to give a preferred piggy product. My pigs have really enjoyed timothy hay 'rings' in the past, which is what I actually ordered. I think there must be a national shortage of them here though, they seem to be out of stock everywhere and I've been given a refund by the company instead. I was wondering what to do with the carrots, I think my local pet shop has a donation box outside so I will drop them off there