I'm allergic to timothy

[nnvjenn]

I brought Kaytee timothy and sure enough I am allergic to the hay. I kind of forgot about my issue with hay. I saw in the store that Kaytee has compacted squares of timothy... but they also have a little alfalfa in them. But I really need some kind of alternative to hay everywhere... I'm trying to ignore my itching, sneezing, and stuffy nose hoping I'll get used to it.

Can the compacted squares of timothy be used instead of the loose leaf hay? I am giving him timothy pellets by Oxbow (in addition to veggies), but I don't want to deprive him of an important staple to his diet. Oh my I hear him singing! it must be veggie time!!
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[Sirene]

Hi there!
Unfortunately the compacted cubes are not an option, as the long strands are needed for the teeth and the digestion, but there are alternatives. My husband and I are both hugely allergic to timothy and I've had great success switching to other kinds of hay. Orchard hay, meadow hay and bluegrass (which is available from Kleenmama's online) are all good types of hay for allergy sufferers to use.

There are also other things you can do to minimize your contact with the hay, such as putting it into paper bags before putting it in the cage, etc. Just do a forum search for allergies or allergic and you'll find lots of info. Good luck!

[crazy4looney2n]

I had to switch to Meadow Hay due to my mom's allergies and so far so good

[pinky]

I am extremely allergic to timothy hay. For some reason, I react a lot more strongly to Kaytee timothy than Oxbow timothy but it bothers me, too. I think it has to do with the amount of seed heads Kaytee timothy contains. I switched to Oxbow orchard grass an have no problems at all.

[nnvjenn]

My husband and I are both hugely allergic to timothy and I've had great success switching to other kinds of hay. Orchard hay, meadow hay and bluegrass (which is available from Kleenmama's online) are all good types of hay for allergy sufferers to use.

That sounds really good, but do the above grasses have the same nutritional value? I'll going to poke around on here for info and try the bag method until I can buy some Kleenmama's hay. Thanks.

[Onetwo]

Yes those hays are very good nutritionally for the piggies..

http://www.guinealynx.info/hay_chart.html

You want grass hays (in green) NOT legume hays (in yellow) for adult piggies. The lower the Ca/P ration the better without going too low (orange not good). Blue and dark green not so good for adult piggies. Too much calcium causes severe health problems for adults (over 6 months old). Hope this all makes sense. If you have Javascrips enabled on your internet you can click the header words of the chart and it will sort it for you. REALLY great job done by lynx.

[babygirlhagen]

I am allergic to pretty much ALL of the hays. I have a candle oil diffuser and put eucalyptus oil in it while cleaning the piggies and use gloves. Also oxbow hay is better, I have mixed hays though as well I have oxbow timothy hay and orchard grass and a botanical blend of a different "cheapish" hay and I put just a small amount of that in just so they are getting some different types. I consider it like us having potatoes its the difference of mashed potatoes one night and baked the next !! They seem to be healthy and happy so Im happy with what I am doing. Good Luck with this. OH Also my piggies used to get INTO a hay mound that I had in a container so therefore then would have a REALLY hard time handling them I was covered in welts and my asthma would start being effected. NOW I have it in one of those hay rolling balls and that DEFINATELY has helped.