Comments on: So What’s Wrong With Alfalfa?

By: rabbitho

rabbitho — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:49:59 +0000

ok not a vet or vet tech but i run a rabbit breeding farm and havwe horses, alfalfs is ok as long a the ratoning is correct, if you overfeed a little the animal may over eat and die but they normaly dont over eat on regular hay. I u do the math alfalfa’s fine

By: Talia Ava

Talia Ava — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:18:19 +0000

Starting with the hays question, all of these hays are fine. Timothy is just most common in urban areas.
Alfalfa is not terrible for pets, it just is kind-of bad. It contains too much calcium for their bodies. It can lead to cysts and ulcers in the poor babies. This is not amazingly likely, but why risk it?
It can also lead to your pet being obese. Hays of other sorts have much less calories. So many can harm your rodent and make it gain weight. Another problem is that the rodents like the alfalfa way more than timothy, so on occasion will stop eating their food pellets. This is not good.
It’s not like the alfalfa will kill them, just it’s better to not do it.

By: Kennedy

Kennedy — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:59:47 +0000

i use alfalfa and its just fine! (for guinea pigs)

By: nintendo wii mod chip

nintendo wii mod chip — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:50:33 +0000

Alfalfa has 2 problems. One, it has a higher level of calcium than timothy hay. This can cause problems in older (over 1 year) animals such as urinary stones. Two, it has more calories and can lead to obesity.

By: Justifie

Justifie — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:29:43 +0000

First of all, let me say “thank you” for being involved with rescue work!
I can only give you my perspective on alfalfa based upon cavy care. I have no experience with other small rodents.
Alfalfa is not a “bad” hay per se. It is rich in protein and calcium, which is terrific for young, pregnant, or nursing cavies since their growing or developing bodies really need the extra nutrients. However, for cavies over one year, it is best to provide Timothy or Orchard hays as the diet staple, since Alfalfa can cause them to become obese and the high calcium content MAY lead to bladder sludge and/or urinary tract stones. That does not mean they should *never* have it–it just means that it should be given in moderation as an occasional treat. They do love it!