I find this topic very interesting. Is there information on there that says why a person can't feed the hay blocks. What I mean is not just our thoughts one way or the other, but information, like a guinea pig health site, a Vets site, ect. I understand what some are saying about their teeth, truely I do, (and please don't take this as an argument, I'm not intending it to be that way) But it's the Guinea Pigs front teeth that continue to grow and must be clipped if the Guinea Pig doesn't keep them chewed down. A friend of mine many many years ago back in 1980 had rescued a Guinea Pig back when I lived in Detroit area and that Pigs front teeth needed to be clipped by the Vet, I went with her and watched this done. The Vet back then explained about a Guinea Pigs teeth, the need to chew, wood blocks, hay cubes, veggies (raw) fresh outside grass (untreated of course) to keep the piggies teeth worn down. Back then fresh hay in that Detroit metro area truely wasn't sold for Guinea Pigs. (Not that we found anyway, nor was it mentioned by the Vet.)
As I said earlier for many many years (mid 2000, about 2004) I never fed loose hay. Yet none of my piggies ever had to have their teeth clipped, nor did any of them every become overgrown. Over 30 piggies later and None of my piggies dieing before the age of 8 years old, some of them even made it to 10...this is really stumping me at how some think the cubes are so bad.
I believe it's not just the loose hay that keeps their teeth worn down, although I will agree they do love it. I believe a Guinea Pig needs all kinds of chews, toys, wood blocks, chew sticks, branches (that are safe) for proper dental health.
I would just hate to see a person not be able to give these adorable little furballs a Great Home, because he/she thought if they didn't feed loose hay, (due to a sever allergie to loose hay) that they would be a bad Guinea Pig Parent. I myself have 37 allergies, some of which kick off Asthma Attacks. Hay being my biggest allergie....that is why I'm so careful with it, also why when on the Semi my girls only get very little loose hay a day....I seem to value my life.
Again, I'm not trying to start an arguement, but after 20 plus years of not feeding loose hay and feeding the blocks and never having a teeth problem, I don't want to discourage a prospective Guinea Pig Parent out of adopting, we have far too many Piggies in Rescues that need good forever homes, to let a "Loose Hay" issue stop them from getting a Piggie, not when I know from experience blocks work, along with chews ect.