Timothy Hay Storage & Bedding Questions

**littlebear** · #1 09-09-06, 05:31 pm

[FONT="Trebuchet MS"]Okay well yesterday we wen't to a new guinea pigs vet, who we could tell was very talented with the little guys. Anyhow wen't to this new vet because our current one seemed to be on vacation so they told us about this one. Anyhow one of my pigs has always had a issue with hair loss no matter how much we do and PAY! So we noticed it coming back again and he also had a oil gland or something on his butt which both of them cleared out as okay but it was gone when I checked it and it was bleeding so I thought that they might have been fighting, which I have never seen in my life before so I moved him into a special cage.

Okay so regarding his hair loss she told me and my mom that we should try a new type of bedding, Timothy Hay from oxbow. So we were all for it. But now this brings up the questions how do I store the hay? I have some in a white garbage bag with some wholes in it and I have the rest of the 9 pound bag in a plastic container and I am thinking I am not storing it properly? Some help would be awsome![/FONT]

**fourbwabbys** · #2 09-09-06, 05:57 pm

Hay is not a suitable bedding. It's not absorbant enough. It really sounds like you shouldn't go to this vet anymore. Hair loss is not caused by a bedding, I would treat him for mites.

**littlebear** · #3 09-09-06, 06:01 pm

Weve done everything there is fungal cultures.....and we search for mites, wring worms (sadly common in Hawaii) and nothing so we are going with the aspect of stress now so he is by himself sadly in a store bought cage until I can remodel the current one. But I don't think that she is a bad vet and if you change the hay everyday or so isnt it okay? And does anyone know how to store it?

**fourbwabbys** · #4 09-09-06, 06:03 pm

How did you conclude it wasn't mites? Skin scrapings? There really is no test for mites that's effective. If they show symptoms, it's best to treat with Ivermectin. You would need to change the hay several times a day or he will be sitting in his own pee. To store hay, I put it in a huge cardboard box with holes in it.

**littlebear** · #5 09-09-06, 06:13 pm

Yea we did skin scrapings and just yesterday the vet gave him a Ivermectin shot. And today the other guy is going for one. And thanks for that! I'll go get a box.

**fourbwabbys** · #6 09-09-06, 06:16 pm

Don't forget they need 3-4 treatments of the Ivermectin 7-10 days apart.

**littlebear** · #7 09-09-06, 06:18 pm

Yea there both goining back 2 weeks from now.

**aqh88** · #8 09-09-06, 10:27 pm

Chances are it's mites. Skin scrapings are not reccommended since they are quite inaccurate and painful. I would bet by the next dose of ivermectin the hairloss starts to go away. I also dislike ivermectin shots since like skin scrapings they are quite pianful and don't work any better than oral or topial dosing. Most apply the ivermectin in drops behind the ears and have just as good of results.

Assuming these are males allergies would be the 2nd guess, females often have hormonal problems causing hairloss, but to use hay as a bedding to check for allergies is rather dumb. Guinea pigs can be allergic to hay as well. Usually when checking for allergies you use a paper based bedding with as little dust as possible. For gerbils or hamsters we shred white paper towels or white printer paper and use that as bedding for several weeks to see if they improve. If they don't improve it's not the bedding and may be the hay. Hay molds very easily, is expensive as a bedding, and may need cleaned out more than once daily. Paper is hypoallergenic provided it's not dusty, doesn't mold as easy, and only needs cleaned out approximately every other day. Generally bedding or hay allergies cause respiratory symptoms that mimic URIs and not hairloss. Certain food allergies could cause hairloss but that would likely be the result of feeding a low quality pellet or feed mix and not the hay.

Stress is also a doubtful cause but even if it's possible seperating them rarely lowers stress levels. Being very social animals guinea pigs are usually 10times more stressed when kept apart than put with even another pushy guinea pig. Unless the other pig was constantly attacking and picking on this one seperating them isn't going to lower stress levels.

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