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Damping Down Hay

ThePhillips

ThePhillips

New Kit
I've adopted a bun, potential partner for Iddy - Russ the girl (being spayed next week) who suffers with dust allergy with her hay. Totally unrelated, different rescue centres and not living together with my bunnies I have a Guinea Pig with the same problem. I need a convenient way of giving them both hay that doesn't irritate their delicate little noses :D

I've seen on here other posters talking about damping down hay, but how do you do that without it actually going damp and mouldy? I could try and source a fresh bale, but I haven't even started approaching farms or stables... The same pet shop where I get my hay do a dried grass that both bunnies and piggies wallop down but as I understand it its not long fibre enough to sustain the gut movement, the bunnies specifically would still need hay wouldn't they?

Just after tips really. The stuff I buy now is from the local independant pet shop, is labelled dust extracted, but it clearly isn't. I take it out of the bag and shake it, even I start sneezing. I bought a bag of PaH Timothy but that's not a million times better for dust. Many thanks in advance!
 
I have just bought these hay block thins from the horse tack shop- one of them is specifically targeting for horses and rabbits, and the other doesn't mention rabbits but is fine for them (checked oil content etc) one is pure Timothy hay and the other is dandelion, hawthorn and rose hip hay. They are a kilo of compressed hay in a small block- no dust and my girls seem to enjoy them! Perhaps an alternative to baled hay? Another thing I was thinking....hey regular good quality hay, and a vacuum storage bag, add hay in and vacuum pack it? Do it a couple of times to get most of the dust?
 
ThePhillips said:
I've adopted a bun, potential partner for Iddy - Russ the girl (being spayed next week) who suffers with dust allergy with her hay. Totally unrelated, different rescue centres and not living together with my bunnies I have a Guinea Pig with the same problem. I need a convenient way of giving them both hay that doesn't irritate their delicate little noses :D

I've seen on here other posters talking about damping down hay, but how do you do that without it actually going damp and mouldy? I could try and source a fresh bale, but I haven't even started approaching farms or stables... The same pet shop where I get my hay do a dried grass that both bunnies and piggies wallop down but as I understand it its not long fibre enough to sustain the gut movement, the bunnies specifically would still need hay wouldn't they?

Just after tips really. The stuff I buy now is from the local independant pet shop, is labelled dust extracted, but it clearly isn't. I take it out of the bag and shake it, even I start sneezing. I bought a bag of PaH Timothy but that's not a million times better for dust. Many thanks in advance!
Click to expand...


You might get some tips and hints from this thread:

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?462987-Nature-s-Own-Hay-Ings-Timothy-Hay

I tend to treat the allergy rather than damp down the hay. Try to buy hay that's as dust free as possible - ask for samples. A very kind member on here sent me a big box of hay from timothy hay.co.uk and it was brilliant!

Over the warmer months you could up the amount of grass, or mix it in with the hay. I have been known to sieve hay and readigrass :D
 
I had a couple like this. For one, buying 'dust free hay' from the Dust Free Hay Company was sufficient enough to minimise all his symptoms and bring him off some of the stronger meds (he is now only on Piriton and nebulised once a day).

I had another who couldn't tolerate that hay and we used to grow and cut him grass twice daily. It was hard to keep up with, but worth it, because his airways just closed.

Like you, I would never dampen down hay as I would be far too worried that it would be mouldy and I probably wouldn't be able to replace it fast enough.
 
I believe the way to dampen hay is to only do it a handful or so at a time.

So you'd have to refresh it multiple times thought out the day and also store it dry.

It may be easier to ensure constant access to grass if possible, and try to source less dusty hay. As others have said - Timothy hay seem to be incredible at keeping dust levels to a minimum.

Sadly, the packaged dust free hay, was likely nearly completely dust free at packaging. But during transport fibers had been broken and cause dust to form in the package.

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
 
Fantastic guys, we have a really great Equine supplies shop in the village so i'll ask in there and investigate the Timothy Hay. As she goes in for spaying friday next week I want to make sure shes comfortable... and not irritated. :0)

Love this forum x
 
I forgot to add - I use Dean's Meadow hay. It's fairly loose packed and fairly dust free because all the dust falls to the bottom of the bag.

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
 
When she goes in for spaying, make sure they know she has a dust allergy, as they may need to take measures to ensure she is not exposed to dust (for example, if she is in a room with other rabbits, then they will also have hay- a little may be fine, but it may not, and if they have a lot, that may or not be fine too). I know it's on her records, but if you tell them when you sign her in, then you know those looking after her know.
 
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