Orchard Grass Hay

Post Reply
itsmollydempsey

Post   » Sat Sep 08, 2018 8:22 pm


I have two male guinea pigs, and they normally eat timothy hay. However, I have heard some good things about mixing hays together or giving a different kind of hay as a treat. I liked the idea of filling toilet paper rolls with a new kind of hay as a treat, so I bought a small bag of Orchard Grass Hay. I started by putting a small handful of the new hay in their cage, and they both ate all of it pretty quickly.

However, since then, one of the boys is breathing really loud. I normally can't hear them breathing at all. He almost sounds like he is congested, and he also is sneezing a little bit. In addition to the change of that hay, I also want to mention that the weather here changed really dramatically today. It's been 90F + and sunny, and today it was 60F and raining. My guinea pigs live inside, but you can still feel the change.

I should also mention that the brand of both the timothy and orchard grass hay is Oxbow.

Is my guinea pig allergic or something to the new hay? Is his sick because of the change in weather? Should I take him to see a vet? (I will probably not be able to get in until the middle to end of next week).

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Sep 08, 2018 11:03 pm


Allergies happen but are rare. Start weighing him daily, make sure he is eating enough. You can save the new hay for later if you want to see if removing it makes a difference. If they live inside (which they should), a large change in temp should not make a big difference. Watch for any other signs of illness and contact a vet if you are worried.

User avatar
RavenShade
Thanks for the Memories

Post   » Thu Sep 13, 2018 9:16 pm


Congested breathing is something I'd talk to a vet about. Is the hay dustier than usual?

Post Reply