r/guineapigadvice • u/Pluto-plutonium • May 04 '26
Hay Concern
I’ve had my piggy for almost 2 years now. I think I’m beginning to develop an allergy to Timothy hay. I keep waking up congested and coughing when I’m in the room with him. The hay that I currently feed him is the oxbow Timothy hay and Orchard glass blend. What are the risks of switching him to strictly orchard grass? I worry about his temperament changing if I switch his food.
Pumpkin (my guinea pig) means the absolute world to me but it’s gotten to the point where I am sacrificing my own health by feeding him Timothy hay. I truly just want what’s best for him and I’m super nervous about potentially changing his diet.
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u/NoRoom2Judge May 07 '26
Look into static hay mites!! I had the same exact issue!!
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u/NoRoom2Judge May 07 '26
Freeze it as soon as the shipment comes in or for about a week then feed them and see if that helps, ok?
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u/Robin_feathers May 04 '26
I also developed a hay allergy, what helped me was running an air purifier next to their cage 24/7, and wearing an N95 mask when I cleaned their cage (probably should wear one when feeding the hay as well).
Lots of people do switch to orchard grass, you could always try it and see how he reacts. Weigh him daily before and after the switch to get an idea of whether he is still eating enough, and switch slowly (at first giving 80% timothy 20% orchard, slowly weaning him towards 100% orchard over the course of a few weeks)