Hooray for hay! Why this grass is so important for small pets.
The sweet smell of hay! It smells so good and it has an earthy look to it that makes us feel good feeding it to our pets. But hay is also an essential supplement for small animals. Without hay our small furry friends would be seriously lacking in health. So, go ahead and feed as much hay as they can eat! Here is why it is so good for them!
Hay provides 3 main benefits for health, lets’ take a look at each one.
Digestive
Hay is full of fibre and fibre ensures that your pets digestive tract is in continuous movement. When a small animals GI tract is disrupted for even a short amount of time, serious issues can occur. GI (gastrointestinal) stasis can be a life threatening condition for small pets, such as rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, and more.
Allowing your pet to free feed hay will keep their GI moving and healthy. A good rule to follow is your pet should eat a pile of hay about the same size as their body each day.
Dental
Your small pets dental health relies on chewing! Small animals teeth never stop growing so they need to chew in order to wear the down. Chewing prevents dental disease, tooth elongation, and malocclusion, the improper alignment of top and bottom teeth.
Natural Foraging for Good Mental Benefits
Herbivores, such as rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas naturally and instinctually want and need to graze and forage for most of the day. You can help them to be healthy mentally as well as physically with these fun tips.
Use different types of hay and place them ins different areas of their environment. Use different hay holders as well to encourage them to think more to find and access the hay.
Try a home made hay bin using a paper towel holder stuffed with hay. Not only is it fun to play with, it holds a tasty treat as well! Add your pets favorite special treats into a hay ball and fill their hay bins and boxes with it to encourage them to forage the hay bin for the treats. This will help them to hone their natural foraging instincts and it is fun and rewarding for them.
Omnivore small pets, such as hamsters, gerbils, mice and rats will also benefit form hay in the same way. Keep a hay bin full for them as well to graze and nibble on all day.
Types of Hay
- Timothy hay
- High in fibre, low in protein. Excellent for prevention of GI stasis and a good maintenance hay for pets recovering from GI stasis. Good for adult small pets.
- Alfalfa hay
- High in fibre and protein. Alfalfa should be available for small pets under 1 year of age. Use as a treat for adults.
- Botanical/Orchard/Meadow Hays
- These hays contain a mix of grasses including some timothy and alfalfa and will see an array of botanical flowers included, such as rose, marigold, hibiscus, and chamomile. You can use these types of hay as a full-time supplement for adult small pets with additional timothy added for extra fibre.
All you can eat Buffet!
So remember! Not only is hay delicious for your pet but also nutritious and essential! So let your pet eat all he can!
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