Timothy Hay And Teeth Issues: Nature’s answer to dental health for your pet

We humans have a wonderful invention that we use every day (well, two inventions, actually).  And they are firstly, the humble toothbrush, and secondly, good old toothpaste.  Used twice daily they help keep our gnashers in tiptop condition.  But what about our pets?  They too have dental issues that require our utmost attention, but unlike we humans the answer is not a fancy gadget like a toothbrush, but rather a product of nature – the high fiber / low calorie plant material they find in the wild.

You see, rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas have teeth that constantly grow throughout their lifetime.  This is an evolutionary concept, because in the wild these animals have to constantly munch their way through plenty of tough food to get the nutrition they need and to maintain good digestive health.  And at the exact same time the chewing of all this plant material causes friction and that friction wears down those ever growing teeth.

Now, just because we’ve now domesticated these animals and provide them with all the nutrition they need, it doesn’t mean that their teeth don’t grow.  Because they do – and at a pretty ferocious rate.  And it’s because of this that it’s essential to provide our pets with high quality hay that they can chow down on at will.  This chewing action on the fibrous hay and grinding of the teeth means that their teeth get the workout they need to keep them nicely trimmed down and in good health.

High quality timothy hay (or other grass hays) help keep teeth worn down

As so many pet owners have experienced, using just any old hay won’t always do the trick.  Often times if the hay is poor quality (if it doesn’t smell good, it doesn’t taste good, or simply isn’t appetizing), the animal will refuse to eat it, or will just pick through it eating only the parts they like.  And this can become the perfect recipe for a dental problem and a trip to the vet.  In fact, if you’re rabbit isn’t constantly munching down on a fibrous material like timothy hay they are undoubtedly at a  higher risk for malocclusion.

 This is one of the reasons that top quality timothy hay is important to give to our pets – so important that veterinarians recommend 80% of a rabbit or guinea pigs diet be made up of the stuff.  And if it’s good quality, they will continue to munch on it all day long keeping those teeth worn down and help to avoid an expensive trip to the vet.

So when you’re giving your pet his daily dose of timothy hay, don’t just think of it as food.  Think of it as dentist time as well.  In other words, when you brush your teeth morning and evening, make sure you also ensure that your pet has his toothy workout as well – with a good helping of top quality timothy hay.  Because Mother Nature really does know best…

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