Product Review: KMS Hayloft Bluegrass Hay

Our hearts are still aching from the loss of Lola. It just won't be the same reviewing products and answering questions without her, but we'll try our best to continue on. We're sure she'd want us to keep the blog that she worked so hard on going. Just an FYI, this was the last post we were working on before her untimely passing, which is why there's a picture of her in this one.

Readers probably know that when it comes to hay, Oxbow and Small Pet Select tend to be our favorite brands. But did you know that there's another brand of hay out there that tends to be highly-regarded by reputable guinea pig sites? They're called KMS Hayloft (formerly known as Kleenmama), and they're mail-order only. We actually reviewed them before, but it was several years back so we had to remind ourselves what we had said. It looks like it was so different from the store brand hay we were used to at the time that we weren't sure whether we wanted to eat it or not, and held off on reviewing it.

KMS  Hayloft sells two types of hay: Timothy and Bluegrass. They were out of timothy when we had the humans order, and I don't think we've ever tried bluegrass, so we went with that. We actually hadn't heard of bluegrass before (it wasn't listed on our hay post), so we checked their website and found more information about it:

"The beautiful hay we carry called 'bluegrass' is actually a hybrid seed my farmer has developed. It is an orchard/bluegrass seed. For those of you that are used to orchard grass, this will be similar except it has a beautiful blue/green color. After viewing more that 30 farms and countless hays, it just didn't do justice to call my hay 'orchard', so I have chosen to call it 'bluegrass'. It is a wide bladed, leafy variety that is soft and pliable. Nutritionally, it is equivalent to orchard grass."

This is what KMS Hayloft's bluegrass hay looks like.

Keep in mind that guinea pigs need to have a grass hay, but it doesn't necessarily have to be a timothy hay. There are some slight nutritional differences between grass hays, but generally not enough to make much of a difference. (Remember, legume hays, such as alfalfa hay, are a different story, however! These should not be part of an adult guinea pig's diet in most cases.)

Lola seemed to enjoy it! (Poor Lola... We miss her!)

Bluegrass is fragrant and delicious. Our only issue with it is that it doesn't have any seed heads, which is our favorite part! But, if you want to mix some bluegrass with timothy hay, you could then mix things up without missing out on the seed heads.

Some of you may be wondering: How does KMS Hayloft compare with Small Pet Select? Well, let's do a comparison:

• In terms of price, Small Pet Select seems to have higher list prices. For example, at the moment, Small Pet Select has 20 pounds of 2nd cut timothy hay for $44.99 ($2.25 per pound) and 60 pounds for $84.99 ($1.42 per pound), while KMS Hayloft has 40 pounds of 2nd cut timothy hay for $28.00 ($0.70 per pound). So at first glance, it sounds like KMS Hayloft gives you more for less. However, this is only before you factor in shipping! On this order of KMS Hayloft hay, it cost $32 for shipping, roughly as much as the order costs, and bringing the cost up to about $1.50 per pound. However, they were shipping from the west coast to the east cost, so the rate would probably have been cheaper if we lived closer to them. Small Pet Select, on the other hand, usually offers free shipping if you subscribe to their newsletters and find the weekly code in each one. (Even if you don't have a code, they offer free shipping on orders over $40.) If you're a cost-conscious hay buyer, you may want to get a free code for Small Pet Select, determine the shipping cost for KMS Hayloft where you live, and then calculate the price per pound for each to figure out the better deal for you.
• We should also point out that Small Pet Select has a "schedule & save" discount of 15% if you're willing to commit to having hay automatically ordered on a regular basis. If you're willing to do this, you should also take this into account when figuring out the best deal.
• In terms of shipping, they use different companies in case you have a preference; Small Pet Select uses FedEx, while KMS Hayloft uses UPS. A Consumer Reports study found FedEx to be a little better than UPS for what that's worth.  They also ship from different locations; KMS Hayloft ships from Spokane, WA, while Small Pet Select ships from Louisville, KY. How close or far these locations are to you will probably affect the shipping speed as well as the cost. Finally, we should point out that in our most recent orders, Small Pet Select took 1 day to ship the hay from the order date, while KMS Hayloft took 2 days.
• In terms of quality, we have no complaints about either one.

In summary, both Small Pet Select and KMS Hayloft are good options. We'd probably go with Small Pet Select if we're running low and need the hay in a hurry to avoid running out, but otherwise, it's kind of a toss-up.

We'll give KMS Hayloft Bluegrass Hay 4.5/5 stars!

Goodbye, Lola

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of Lola's passing this morning. After losing weight for several months, battling an eye injury, combating several UTIs, and passing a bladder stone, she has made the trip over the rainbow bridge. Due to a combination of weight loss and passing the stone, she developed sepsis very quickly, leading to a very sad vet visit this morning.

While we are heartbroken over her loss, we try to remember the good times we had with her. From when she was first brought home and introduced to Annie (who bit her ear and left her with a lifelong reminder), she had been the fiesty one of the bunch. When the water bottle broke and stopped up, Lola was the one to save us by shrieking until the humans realized what was wrong. Lola was always down for a snuggle or pet, was very good about not peeing on the humans when being held, and was an adventurous eater who loved trying new foods, treats, and products.

This has been a rough weekend for Lola, having had to be brought into the vet several times. During one last happy moment two nights ago, Lola was being especially affectionate with the humans, nuzzling and licking them for almost an hour. She seemed grateful that she could have one last good time with her piggie and human family.

We appreciate all your support and condolences. Knowing that Lola shared her life not only with us and the humans, but with the tens of thousands of readers who log on to Cavy Savvy each month brings us some measure of comfort.

If you have enjoyed reading about Lola on this blog, please let us know in the comments. It would mean a lot.

Ask A Guinea Pig: How Do Guinea Pigs Get UTIs?

It's time for another installment of Ask A Guinea Pig! Today, Christina asks: "Did the vet say how guinea pigs can get a UTI?"

Answer: When the humans brought me in and the vet diagnosed me with a UTI, the conversation was more focused on treatment options going forward. However, you raise a good question, so we will do our best to answer it!

We should point out that there are actually a few similar, related urinary tract conditions that are relatively common problems for guinea pigs:

A Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is when the urinary tract gets infected, most commonly by E. Coli, but sometimes from other viruses and fungi. For guinea pigs, the reason this usually happens is a combination of our short legs and contact with wet bedding and droppings.

Bladder stones are hard accumulations of calcium carbonate (90%+ of the time) or calcium oxalate that form in the bladder. Stones can be especially dangerous in male piggies because they can block the flow of urine more easily than they do for females. The cause of bladder stones is not well-understood, but factors that contribute to bladder stones include:

• Bad diet - A good diet of grass hay, fresh vegetables, and reasonable servings of low-calcium pellets are important. Too much calcium and oxalates may lead to stones.
• Insufficient water - Drinking plenty of water can dilute the urine and prevent stone formation.
• Obesity
• Genetics

Bladder sludge refers to gritty, calcium particles that form in the bladder. The sludge can form into stones if left untreated. Think of bladder sludge as the early stages of bladder stones; both are caused by the same factors. Bladder sludge and smaller stones may be able to be passed through the urinary tract.

Sometimes stones and sludge are found alongside infections, and sometimes not. Stones and sludge might lead to a UTI, but we've never heard anyone suggest that UTIs can lead to stone or sludge.

Guinea Pigs and Blood in Urine

Hi folks, Lola here. I've been having a rough couple of weeks. The humans noticed that I've been more lethargic than usual, so they took me to the vet this week. Turns out, I've lost quite a bit of weight over the last few months. During the exam, I peed on the vet's table (sorry, vet!), and the vet tested it for infection since it was tinged with blood. I have a UTI, and the vet wanted to do an X-ray just to be sure that I didn't have a bladder stone.

First, they sedated me, and then I went in the X-ray machine. The good news is I don't have a bladder stone, but the vet did notice some sandy sludge in my bladder, which mean I have to take some antibiotics to clear the infection. Also, I have to return in two weeks to be sedated again, so they can flush the painful sandy stuff out of my bladder.

On top of that, the X-rays showed I'm gassy, probably from swallowing air during the stressful car trip to the vet. Now I'm on 4 medications: Meloxicam to reduce inflammation, two oral liquid antibiotics, and an oral anti-gas liquid. Since I've been eating less, I also have to take Critical Care, which isn't bad tasting, but which I don't like eating since I'm so uncomfortable all the time.

I did get some pretty cool X-ray photos out of the experience though. Check them out:

The dark oval is the air I've swallowed.

Kind of hard to see, but the white line there is my bladder. Ouch,

The red arrow shows my tiny bladder.
The white color is due to the sandy sludge.

Not a fun time. 0/5 won't recommend getting a bladder infection.

Product Review: Oxbow Simple Rewards Baked Treats with Carrot and Dill

As we've mentioned before, Oxbow has introduced several new five new types of Simple Rewards treats. We're big fans of Simple Rewards, so reviewing a new flavor was a no-brainer for us! This time, we're reviewing the Carrot and Dill kind. Long-time readers probably already know we love carrots, and we think dill is pretty good, too. We got a good feeling about this one!

Look at what the human's new program can do! You can see each of us eating the treat in the same picture!

The humans decided to feed up separately on a pillow to discourage fighting over the treats. And I have to admit they do have a point. Sure, I love my cage-mates Lola and Buffy, but when treats are involved, things can get a little crazy and it's every piggy for themselves!

These treats were just as good as we expected them to be! They get 5/5 stars!

(By the way, just a friendly reminder that treats like this should make up no more than 5% of our diet. If we keep begging for more, we encourage you to switch to some sort of vegetable or hay.)

How Long Do Guinea Pigs Live on Average?

Hello, Cavy Savvy readers! Today I feel I should talk with you about a topic that's not the most pleasant thing to think about, but is important nonetheless: aging.

This was me from April 2010 was I was just a baby! How cute was I? (See more of my baby pics here.)

Maybe some of you have been with us since we started this started this blog back in March 2011, and you'll need to start thinking about this as well.

As we have previously mentioned, guinea pigs live about 5-7 years on average, and the oldest known guinea pig lived 14 years, 10.5 months.

We have read that the breed of guinea pig can affect life span. For example, skinny pigs tend to live 4.5 years on average, but may reach 5-7 with proper care and a little luck. Some have speculated that because the more exotic breeds are bred for specific characteristics, a side effect of this are various genetic problems that can shorten the average life span of that breed in comparison to the American Shorthair. Others have disputed this claim. We would like to see some solid research on this before we know what to believe.

Other factors that may influence guinea pig life span besides breed include:

• Proper diet (see our list of Foods Guinea Pigs Can Eat)
• Detecting and treating health conditions early on (see our post on Signs of Illness in Guinea Pigs)
• Proper care
• Cage size
• Amount of exercise
• Sex (males live slightly longer on average, according to one source)
• Genetic predispositions

(Take some of these things with a grain of salt, by the way. We don't know how reliable all these sources are.)

Guinea pigs may be considered older when they are 5 years old. There are several things you should know about caring for older guinea pigs, including:

• Older guinea pigs tend to be mellower, and more appreciative of human attention.
• Be attentive to how your guinea pig normally behaves so you can detect potential problems as quickly as possible. This goes for guinea pigs of any age, but is especially true of older piggies since they can't recover from illness and injury as well as younger piggies. Make sure you read over the signs of guinea pig illness, and pay particular attention to changes in weight, appetite, and thirst.
• Eye problems such as cataracts are common in older piggies. Cataracts result in gradual changes to the appearance of the eyes. If there are sudden changes to the eyes, this could be a more serious problem that requires veterinary attention.
• Older guinea may have stiffer joints, and find it more difficult to walk on loose bedding. Switching to fleece may help with this. Consider whether any changes to your cage setup could make your older piggy's life easier, such as switching from a 2-level cage to a 1-level cage. You may also want to talk to your vet about anti-pain or anti-inflammatory medication if your piggy seems to be in pain (you can tell if your pig is in pain if their fur is puffing up).
• Make sure you monitor our foot pads for signs of irritation, which, if unchecked, can develop into a serious condition called pododermatitis (AKA Bumblefoot). To prevent this, make sure you keep our cage clean, encourage physical activity, and avoid wire floors and rough bedding. Consider moisturizer if the skin seems particularly dry, and antibiotic ointment for minor problems, but consult your vet before treating your pig.
• For older guinea pigs, consider wellness visits every 6 months rather than every year.

With proper care, your older piggy may still have lots of good years left with you.

Guinea Pigs Celebrate Fourth of July!

Happy fourth of July, readers! Here at Cavy Savvy, we like to be included in the celebration by doing what we do best: eating!

Happy birthday, America!

Time to eat tomatoes, corn and blueberries to celebrate!

We hope your piggies have a happy and healthy Fourth of July!