No Timothy hay treats

[!Nick2009]

I’m just wanted to know if there are any Guinea pig treats like the Oxbow ones that have NO Timothy hay in them because my dad is allergic. If there are than could you please tell me what they are?

Thank you

 

[Roselina]

Hello!Nick2009 I know you are in the USA so this being a UK based group means we’re limited how to advise.
Hopefully someone on here from USA will come along and advise you.
You could always contact Saskia of the Los Angles guinea pig rescue.
Piggies don’t need treats at all and I tend to give mine forage as a treat ….you can buy that packaged or find your own….. it’s mainly dried but you can look up the plants to give them that you can forage (find) in your garden.
Saskia does a very good You tube on forage - good luck and you must post some pictures of your Guinea pigs.

 

[Princess Dustmop]

Pet shop type treats are unnecessary, so if they're problematic, just stick to veggie treats (a tidbit of carrot, a pea flake, etc.), or just give them a pellet.
You'll have to be careful with treats that don't have timothy in them, as they'll have something else replacing it, such as Oxbow's barley biscuits, which are made with barley flour and alfalfa, which really makes them unsuitable.
That being said, I'm not sure a timothy based treat would trigger allergies unless he's handling them; they're compressed, self-contained, and non-dusty.

 

[Evenfall Rose]

I'm pretty allergic to loose timothy hay but timothy-based pellets and treats don't bother me. I even bought timothy hay cubes the other week and haven't sneezed around them once. Timothy treats are usually so compressed that there's hardly any dust in them to be irritating.

For other treats, I like pea flakes -- they're literally just dried green peas so they're moderately healthy compared to other store-bought treats. Small Pet Select makes really good ones that you can order on their website or from Amazon. Do feed pea flakes in moderation though (2-3 per day is what I usually give) unless you have a senior or underweight piggie as they can be fattening.

If you want a more biscuit-style treat, try looking at shops on Etsy for oat flour-based cookies. They're often just oat flour mixed with vegetables, fruit, and/or dried herbs for flavor and then baked. You can even make them yourself -- just mix the oat flour and your mix-ins with a bit of water until dough-y, cut into little shapes (bottle caps work great as cookie cutters), and bake at a low temperature (I use 350F) for about 20 minutes. (Obviously let them cool before giving to your pigs!) I've seen mixed things about oat flour for guinea pigs, but as an occasional treat in small amounts I think it's fine (and also good for piggies who need to gain weight). And compared to the questionable ingredients in the treats from the pet store I used to feed, I'll give my piggies oat flour cookies any day.

Sprinkling dried herbs and flowers over their hay or just giving them directly makes for a fun and slightly more healthy treat. You can get forage mixes made specially for guinea pigs, or if your piggies have a favorite, just buy the single dried herb in bulk. Calendula, rose petals, chamomile, dandelion leaves, and plantain are some of my girls' favorite forages. If you live near a place with a lot of wild plants (untreated with chemicals of course) then you might be lucky enough to find some fresh grass or plants for them. Just do your research and make sure you can identify every plant you find as something safe for piggies before you give it to them -- if you're unsure, don't risk feeding it.

And of course regular veggies and fruits make great treats for piggies