Are hay cubes able to replace loose hay?

[Kerri]

Due to severe allergies, loose hay for our two is causing severe problems in our home! The one affected cannot undergo any type of treatment for the allergies. The doctor is recommending that we give up our mini Rex and chinchilla. We have found that the hay cubes sold for horses are a huge improvement over the loose variety of hay. We are wondering if hay cubes can be used to totally replace the hay component of the diet ? If not, does anyone have any ideas for a hay replacement?

[peppypoo]

What kind of hay are you feeding? Hay cubes just aren’t able to provide the benefits that loose hay does…they’re great as playthings and treats but shouldn’t be used to replace loose hay. Many people (myself included) are allergic to the “standard” timothy hay and find that orchard grass hay is a great replacement.

[lindsay715]

Hi Kerri. Before making that switch, you might try to switch to a different type loose hay – orchard grass and oat hay are two options which some people with timothy/alfalfa problem are not allergic to.

[Kerri]

We have tried many many many hays (oat, orchard, brome, meadow, grass, timothy, there’s probably more)

and our immune suppressed person goes to the hospital each time. We don’t know what to do anymore.

[LBJ10]

It sounds strange, but the way a rabbit’s digestive system works benefits greatest from long strands of hay. The super long fibers go through their gut and clear things out with much more ease than short little fibers. It’s weird because you would think it would be the opposite. Hay cubes certainly cannot replace loose hay. I understand the allergy thing though. Are your rabbits eating lots of veggies? I wonder if maybe it would be okay to give them hay cubes some of the time and regular hay the rest of the time.

What about a HEPA filter and sealing the hay in a plastic tub?

[Kerri]

The mini rex is seven years old and the chinchilla is 13. We cannot fathom either of them being adoptable if they were to go. But unless we can overcome the hay issues, we don’t know what to do. We have tried to shake out the dust from the hay before feeding, we have tried to keep the hay sealed away and only take out the bits we feed, we have even removed the fuzzies to a different part of the house, nothing helps!

We would be grateful for any ideas.

[Kerri]

We do feed lots of veggies to the mini rex. His favorites are parsley and cilantro and carrot tops. They both get a little bit of pellets every day. Apple wood sticks and willow, and lots of other organic chew things.

[peppypoo]

I’m so sorry to hear about your problems, it seems like a very frustrating position to be in . Has the doctor definitively told you that hay was the cause of the allergies?

[Monkeybun]

I volunteer at the humane society near me, and can tell you that older buns get adopted all the time We had a boy named Blueberry awhile back that was 8, and he found a new home within days of his arrival. Some people like giving those elderly animals a good home for their remaining years, so it is definitely possible.

Those allergies sound bad i’m not sure even hay cubes would help a ton, even if they were a good replacement for hay. For the health and well being of the person with them, I would suggest rehoming the fuzzies, for their health and the other person’s. I’m sorry

[Sarita]

You know, normally I would say it wouldn’t and would not recommend it, but I really don’t know a replacement – I also would not give up my 8 year old rabbit – I would try it and discuss it with my vet before I would give up my rabbit because it sounds like you are trying and wanting to keep your rabbit and chinchilla.

I think if your senior rabbit eats plenty of veggies too, that will help with fiber.

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