Oxbow Western Timothy Hay

Hay is the diet, not the bedding

For rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas, unlimited grass hay should be the great majority of what they eat, every day, for life. Pellets are a supplement to it. Getting that the wrong way round is behind two of the most common and most serious problems in these species.

Teeth. These animals have continuously growing teeth, incisors and molars both. Hours a day grinding abrasive long-strand hay is what wears them at the rate they grow. Without enough of it, molars develop sharp spurs that cut the cheek and tongue. Dental disease is painful, common, largely preventable by diet, and treating it means repeated anaesthetics.

Gut. Rabbit and guinea pig digestion needs a constant flow of long-strand fibre. When it stops, gut motility slows, and in rabbits gastrointestinal stasis is an emergency — a rabbit that has not eaten or passed droppings for twelve hours needs a vet now.

Why Western timothy rather than alfalfa

Timothy is a grass hay: high fibre, moderate protein, low calcium. That combination is what an adult needs.

Alfalfa is a legume hay, much higher in calcium, protein and calories. It suits growing youngsters and pregnant or nursing animals and is the wrong staple for a healthy adult — excess dietary calcium is associated with urinary sludge and bladder stones, which are painful and sometimes surgical.

If your adult rabbit or guinea pig is on alfalfa-based pellets, that is worth reviewing with your vet.

First, second and third cut

Hay is cut more than once a season and the cuts are genuinely different, which is worth knowing when the packaging mentions it.

A fussy animal often accepts a mix of second and third cut where it rejected first cut alone.

Judging quality, because hay is an agricultural product

Batches vary by cut, weather and storage, and that is true of every brand. What to look for:

Dust-extraction matters if anyone in the house has a hay allergy, and more so for the animal: shake hay out away from the cage and let it settle before putting it in. A rabbit or guinea pig that is sneezing, has nasal or eye discharge, or is breathing noisily needs a vet — respiratory infection in these species progresses fast.

Storage

Hay must be stored dry and ventilated. Use a cardboard box, a fabric sack, or the original bag left open. Never seal fresh hay in airtight plastic, which traps moisture and grows mould, and keep it off damp concrete.

Guinea pigs need vitamin C separately

Guinea pigs cannot synthesise vitamin C and must get it daily from the diet. Hay does not supply it. Fresh vegetables such as bell pepper, plus fortified guinea pig pellets or a stabilised supplement, cover it. Avoid vitamin drops in the water bottle — they degrade quickly and often put the animal off drinking.

Who should look elsewhere

Growing, pregnant or nursing animals need alfalfa for that stage. If someone in the house reacts to timothy, orchard grass is often better tolerated. And an animal that suddenly refuses hay it previously ate is showing you a veterinary sign — dental pain is a common cause — not a reason to switch brands.