Hello everyone. I have been reading this group since I got my 2 guinea pigs. I just decided to make an account here because I’m desperate to save my piggy. As weird as it sounds, he’s allergic to hay! Timothy, Orchard, Meadow and whatever mix. It took me awhile to figure out, at first I thought he’s only having issues because of the dust. I use to vacuum clean the hay, there is no dust anymore. Anyway, the doctor agreed with me, he’s allergic to hay. My doctor said to get lucerne hay because he might not be allergic to that. Now I know it should not be feeded to adult g pigs. I have been thinking about green oats, is it a better replacement? But all I can find in my country is not that long fibre so it might not be well for his teeth. I'm looking for your advices, what shall I feed him? He’s also having an enlarged heart that produces liquid while he’s getting contact with something he’s allergic at.
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My guinea pig is allergic to hay
- Thread starter Aliali
- Start date
Since I first thought he’s allergic to dust, I did everything, air cleaner, dehumidification, no perfumes etc. ,fleece as beding. He’s actually diagnosed with asthma and he has breathing crisis( very noisy like he’s barking)and very very itchy that he did scars on his skin. I changed everything in the last months, I tried everything to figure out what is it. I tried also cotton as bedding, i thought it might be fleece but nothing changed. The doctor told me to keep him without hay for a night. I did that and in the morning he was well, jumping around. Once I puted back hay, in two hours he was misserable. I tried all hays , except oat and lucerne.
How long has he been poorly?
What checks has the vet done?
How did the vet conclude its asthma?
Has he been tried on antibiotics to ensure it definitely isn't a URI?
Has he been checked for skin parasites (you say he is itchy)?
Any grass hay is fine, but he cannot have Lucerne as its not a grass hay.
Oat hay is fine to give.
Do you have access to plenty of fresh grass? He can eat that but you would need to be picking it constantly for him to ensure he doesn't run out. You also need to introduce fresh grass to their diet slowly as too much too quickly can cause a stomach upset. Fresh grass also works to keep the teeth worn down the same as hay does.
What checks has the vet done?
How did the vet conclude its asthma?
Has he been tried on antibiotics to ensure it definitely isn't a URI?
Has he been checked for skin parasites (you say he is itchy)?
Any grass hay is fine, but he cannot have Lucerne as its not a grass hay.
Oat hay is fine to give.
Do you have access to plenty of fresh grass? He can eat that but you would need to be picking it constantly for him to ensure he doesn't run out. You also need to introduce fresh grass to their diet slowly as too much too quickly can cause a stomach upset. Fresh grass also works to keep the teeth worn down the same as hay does.
The asthma diagnosys was given after x ray. By two doctors, I wanted a second opinion too. They are both exotic doctors. The URI would kill him, it’s not URI. He is like this since half of a year already. The doctor didn’t provide any treatment because he can’t take antiinflamatory with such a heart, about nebulisation (i’m not sure I write correct in english) he said it can do worse. The doctor insisted very much on trying to keep asthma under control on a natural way, without medicine. About the meds. for allergies, he also told me it lowers his immunity and if he gets an infection he’ll not survive.
I think the doctor told me to get lucerne hay because it’s higher in nutrients and my piggy lost weight, he barely eats vegetables. If I order both lucerne and oats hay, mixing together should be fine for awhile?
It just helps us to know the full background of the issue and what you have been told by the vet to date. We can obviously only base our advice on what you tell us!
This sounds to be a very difficult situation and beyond my knowledge.
He needs the fibre from grass hay and/or grass for his gut and his teeth. ( I appreciate getting fresh grass is difficult with it being winter). Its their main food source and not eating it is why a piggy will lose weight.
Lucerne isn't a grass hay. It should not be fed to Guinea Pigs as a main hay as it is high in calcium and can lead to other health issues such as the formation of bladder stones. I feel given the situation you can only really be guided by your vet. I would try the to oat hay and see how he goes
As he isn't eating hay and is losing weight are you able to syringe feed him a fibre rich recovery feed to stop his weight loss?
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
This sounds to be a very difficult situation and beyond my knowledge.
He needs the fibre from grass hay and/or grass for his gut and his teeth. ( I appreciate getting fresh grass is difficult with it being winter). Its their main food source and not eating it is why a piggy will lose weight.
Lucerne isn't a grass hay. It should not be fed to Guinea Pigs as a main hay as it is high in calcium and can lead to other health issues such as the formation of bladder stones. I feel given the situation you can only really be guided by your vet. I would try the to oat hay and see how he goes
As he isn't eating hay and is losing weight are you able to syringe feed him a fibre rich recovery feed to stop his weight loss?
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Yes, I find it difficult myself too, I was trying to find any other irritant instead of hay, I feard this. I did feed him with a seringe with critical care (again something that I can’t find in my country). I did this for a week but I got him very stressed and the vet told me to stop, he got shots instead. Thank you very much for your answers, in essence I wanted to know if oat can be a replacement of his regular hay since the vet insisted on lucerne. This time I will not listen my vet., I will mix it for a few weeks only, then put him on oat hay.
Siikibam
Forum Donator 2022/23
You can feed oat hay. But you can’t have a guinea pig left without hay for any amount of time. Their guts can come to a standstill if they’re not munching constantly. And you don’t want that or for his teeth to overgrow.
Regarding the itching, have they checked or tested for parasites? A URI is not certain death unless left untreated. What was found on the X-ray to indicate asthma?
Regarding the itching, have they checked or tested for parasites? A URI is not certain death unless left untreated. What was found on the X-ray to indicate asthma?
They need fibre rich food going in constantly so if he isn't eating (enough) hay and you aren't syringe feeding him then he will quickly become very poorly with stasis.
All I can say is that Lucerne isn't a replacement for grass hay. Oat hay is absolutely fine to be alone. If he needs the nutrition for a short period from Lucerne then your vet needs to be the one to tell you that, but it should only be one very small handful given in addition to the oat hay, not a total replacement.
All I can say is that Lucerne isn't a replacement for grass hay. Oat hay is absolutely fine to be alone. If he needs the nutrition for a short period from Lucerne then your vet needs to be the one to tell you that, but it should only be one very small handful given in addition to the oat hay, not a total replacement.
Siikibam, yes, even laboratory tests for parasites, because I insisted, I did doubt the doctor as well but now I consider he’s right. Not sure what they found to put asthma diagnostic but I can attach the x ray if it’s not against the rules of the forum.
And yes, I think for him Uri can be fatal because of his heart, he does have liquid on all his organs.
I’m not letting him without hay, I feeded all the time, apart from the night my vet told me to, so we can be sure it’s hay allergies.
And yes, I think for him Uri can be fatal because of his heart, he does have liquid on all his organs.
I’m not letting him without hay, I feeded all the time, apart from the night my vet told me to, so we can be sure it’s hay allergies.
Yes you can feed this.
Yes it does look short cut - I use green oat but it is used as a forage mix. I simply throw one handful of this green oat into their normal feeding hay as a forage treat - but it doesn’t sound like you are in a position to do much about it as yet. Definitely order some longer stranded oat hay and see how things go.