Why Do Guinea Pigs Need Hay? (Explained Here)
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It’s not often you see your guinea pig when it’s not chewing. That’s because munching on hay and veggies is their absolute favorite thing to do. These little foragers were made to eat all day long. But, why do guinea pigs need hay so much?
Guinea pigs need hay to chew and grind their teeth on. They also need hay to help their digestive system run properly. Hay should make up the biggest part of their diet. Guinea pigs need specific types of hay to get the right benefits from it.
If our fur babies need hay to munch on all day long, knowing why and how to give it to them is necessary.
Stay with me to find out why our guinea pigs need hay.
Improves Digestion
A guinea pig’s digestive system is adapted to eat and forage for hay. Hay is full of fiber that guinea pigs need. Fiber helps their digestive system run smoothly. The fiber aids the good bacteria in their tummies to digest other foods easily. Basically, this part of their diet is essential in keeping their poops normal.
The fiber in the hay moves along all the food they eat. It has the right amount of fiber to keep them pooping healthy. It won’t have them running to the potty and it won’t constipate them.
Guinea pigs have a thin walled organ called a cecum which is connected to their small intestine. The small intestine is connected to their colon, where they get rid of waste from. The cecum has good bacteria that help break down food.
The fermenting of hay in their tracts helps feed this good bacteria. They need large amounts of hay since it takes them about 20 hours to digest.
If your guinea pig is eating their hay (and a lot of it), then they’re getting the fiber they need.
Helps Keep Teeth Ground Down
Like I said before, hay is rich in fiber. It’s also important to guinea pigs’ dental health.
The constant grinding and chewing on hay keep their teeth from growing too long. Guinea pigs that don’t have enough hay can grow teeth too long and into their jaws. Ouch.
Their teeth don’t stop growing on their own so hay is very important for their dental care. Overgrown teeth are very painful for our cavies.
Their teeth can curve into their jaws and stop their tongues from moving. This dental disaster can also stop them from eating.
Not eating is a sign of very dangerous health issues. A munching piggie is a healthy piggie.
As a piggie parent, you’re encouraged to get your guinea pig chew toys to help with their dental care and mental health. Ultimately, hay is the best thing that your little friends can have to keep their teeth healthy and at a good length.
Enrichment and Play
These little fuzz spuds need stimulation as much as food. Fortunately, hay gives them both. As your guinea pigs run around and eat all day long, they are entertained.
Piggies also love to burrow in their hay. So, lots of hay in their cages is needed for them to eat and play in.
It’s also adorable to see them tug of war for a particularly delicious strand. You can put some in their feeders, stuff them in cardboard or even socks to watch them pull out their hay to play.
The excitement they show when they hear the plastic of a new bag of hay says enough. Most piggies will throw around their hay, and rearrange piles.
What Kind Of Hay Do You Feed Your Guinea Pigs? (Pet Parents Weigh In)
Guinea pigs need their diet to be about 80% hay. Since most of their diet is hay, we need to make sure they’re eating the best options. Timothy hay, oaten hay, and meadow are the top three picks. Each has different perks, such as a sweeter taste. Generally, all are good choices.
Curious to know what others feed their little fuzz spuds? After all, we know how picky our cavies can be. You’re in luck, my friend.
I surveyed 103 guinea pig owners to find out what hay they used and what worked best for their piggies.
Some highlights I found are:
- Oaten and Orchard hay were the solutions for owners and piggies that seemed to have allergic to Timothy hay. It was a widespread problem with guinea pig parents. It was very rare for a cavy to have this hay allergy, but oaten hay was a great replacement.
- Most guinea pigs like second-cut hay the most. It was softer than the coarser first cut, and pet owners felt the risk of hay poke was lower. (Hay poke is what it sounds like. It’s a poke in the eye from stems or seeds. Sounds awful.)
- Pet owners used alfalfa hay for guinea pigs under six months old. Alfalfa hay was used for pregnant sows too. The extra calcium was good for piggies in these two cases. Other than that, owners avoided it to prevent bladder and kidney stones.
Did you know that hay can cause an allergic reaction in some guinea pigs? Check out this article to find out more: Can Your Guinea Pig Be Allergic to Hay? (What You Need to Know)
Interestingly, pet owners and their cavies preferred oaten hay, about 60% (62 out of 103). They claimed it had less dust than timothy hay and were less allergic to it. Cavies liked it more that timothy hay, perhaps because its a bit sweeter.
Timothy hay was next in popularity, with 26% (26 out of 103) of piggy parents feeding their cavies Timothy hay. Their cavies liked this hay and some even turned their noses up at any other hay. Picky little fur balls, huh?
Only one percent of parents fed their fuzz spuds meadow hay. (9 out of 103) This was either because it was harder to find or because it was a bit more pricey.
Less than one percent, or five out of 103 parents fed their cavies a blend. The most popular blend was timothy and oaten hay. There was one who mixed meadow and oaten hay with a great reception from her group of pigs.
Guinea pigs need to eat their size in hay daily. That’s about 3 ounces minimum a day. Please provide them unlimited amounts of fresh hay to make sure they eat enough.
How Important is Hay For Guinea Pigs?
Hay is very important to guinea pigs. The longest guinea pigs can be without hay is only a day. Any more and they can become lethargic, get really sick, and even die.
Hay keeps our cavies growing teeth at a good length, keeps their tummies healthy, and keeps them entertained.
Without hay to push along the food they eat, your piggies’ digestion could slow down. It could even stop completely, which is dangerous.
Without hay in their diet, they could become constipated and stop eating. Guinea pigs need to eat consistently to stay healthy.
Any loss of appetite is already a red flag that something is seriously wrong.
On the other end, (no pun intended) without hay their veggies and fruits can give them diarrhea. Without the fiber hay provided to help, your poor piggy will have diarrhea or end up with gut stasis.
Gut stasis happens when there’s a blockage or lack of movement in their intestines. This is extremely dangerous and can be fatal if not treated immediately.
Gut stasis can happen when they don’t have enough hay in their diet or if they eat something they’re not supposed to.
The fermenting of hay in their tracts helps feed good bacteria in their cecum. They need unlimited amounts of hay to help them digest (which takes about 20 hours).
Healthy piggies always have a good appetite. If you notice that your cavies aren’t eating or pooping as they should, you definitely need to try and figure out what’s wrong. A vet visit might be necessary.
Can Guinea Pigs Survive With Only Hay?
No, your guinea pigs can’t survive with only hay. While hay has lots of benefits for our fuzz spuds, it lacks vitamin C. Like us, guinea pigs can’t synthesize it.
This is why they need fruits and veggies. Guinea pigs need to get vitamin C from eating foods that have it or risk getting scurvy. Scurvy is a terrible disease that makes our piggies sick.
A portion of their daily diet, about 20%, needs to be fruits, veggies, and a small amount of pellets. To keep scurvy away, piggies need about 10-50 mg/kg daily.
Vitamin C is important in making collagen and other enzymes. This acts like a kind of glue that keeps cells and tissues together.
Without it, our piggies get painful joints, easy bruising, and rough coats.
These painful symptoms can make them unwilling to move. They lose weight and can eventually die.
As important as hay is for their health, it’s very necessary to keep their diet balanced with veggies and fruits too. Plus, the added flavors keep our piggies happy and stimulated.
Giving your cavies a ⅛ slice of bell pepper daily is a great way to make sure that they’re getting an appropriate amount of Vitamin C daily.
What Can Replace Hay For Guinea Pigs?
Fresh grass is a great choice to replace hay temporarily. It’s important to pick the right type of grass, watch them, and introduce it slowly. Grass works because its similar in nutrition to hay.
You can even let your guinea pig forage grass like they do in the wild. Just make sure it’s free from fertilizers and pesticides.
Just like hay, your guinea pigs will need a lot of grass. Luckily, its easy to grow. You don’t even need soil, it can be grown from seed trays using water.
The grasses you can use are fescue, wheatgrass, bluegrass, and timothy. Piggies like freshly grown grass and can graze and forage it in your backyard.
Just make sure it’s a clean, chemical free zone, and a separate area from other pets, like dogs.
Provide only fresh grass. Grass clippings can ferment quickly and make your guinea pig really sick.
Introduce your piggie slowly to the different types I listed above and see what they like best. As always, watch your fuzz spuds to make sure they’re digesting the grass without any issues.
Here’s some posts about guinea pigs and hay that should be helpful to you: 7 Simple Ways to Get Guinea Pigs to Eat More Hay and How to Avoid Hay Poke in Guinea Pigs (3 Important Tips)
Should Guinea Pigs Have Hay In Their Bed?
Yes, guinea pigs should have hay in their bed. Hay provides a soft place to lay. It also keeps them entertained while resting. Naturally, guinea pigs burrow. Keeping hay in their bedding encourages this instinct.
These little prey animals are also master power nappers. They can sleep during the day for about 20 seconds to 10 minutes long. They sleep only around six hours.
With so little sleep and those quick naps, they spend the rest of the time chewing something.
Having hay in their beds makes this easier on them. No need to get up, if the snack is right there. Spoiled much?
Check out more of these posts on what guinea pigs can eat: Can Guinea Pigs Eat Grass from Outside? (Find Out Now) and Are Bananas Safe for Guinea Pigs to Eat? (Find Out Now)
Do Guinea Pigs Need A Hay Rack?
No, guinea pigs don’t really need a hay rack. With all this talk about supplying unlimited amounts of hay, I bet you’re wondering if some is getting wasted.
They pee and poop in their hay, and they can also pick through and eat only their favorite pieces.
Hay racks can be dangerous for our fuzz spuds. There are occasions when they’ve hurt themselves trying to squeeze through to pull out more hay.
There’s also been cases where they’ve even died because they got stuck in the rack. Pretty awful to think about, isn’t it?
Now matter how many guinea pigs you keep, you need to make sure that you can take care of them. Check out How to Save Money Taking Care of Your Guinea Pigs (Budget Friendly Tips) for ways to look after your fur babies WITHOUT having to pawn your jewelry or skimping on what’s best for them.
There may be some hay feeders on the market that might be safer than others, but you can just stick to a sock or a empty toilet roll.
If you do happen to find a hay feeder that you like, make sure it has gaps big enough so your pig can’t have any body part stuck in it. It should be safe enough for to eat hay easily and without problems.
Other options are hay bags, cardboard boxes, or just a plain bag. Our little piggies will enjoy working to get hay out of either of these. We just need to make sure it’s fun and safe too.
To keep your cavies safe, make sure that their enclosure is piggie-proofed, which means no small spaces or anything they could get stuck in. Make sure that their toys, whether they’re stuffed animals, apple sticks, or otherwise, are actually meant to be toys. Do your research before you give anything to your fur balls. That way, they’ll stay healthy and happy for years to come.
Final Thoughts About Guinea Pigs and Hay
Now we know why guinea pigs need hay and how it keeps them thriving. We do all we can to see our fuzz spuds happy and healthy.
That popcorning we see when we open a bag of fresh hay is adorable, especially now that we know all the good it does for them.
Hay keeps their tummies running smoothly and their pearly whites ground down.
You may go through bags of hay like crazy.
Trust me, I know.
But it’s all worth it if it also keeps them out of the vet’s office for sick visits AND keeps your little friends healthy and happy.
I hope you see your pig throwing that hay around and chewing happily in their beds and burrows. Thanks for reading!