Dog Community

Question for those with small animals...

Posted : 7/20/2006 1:44:29 PM

So, I've had my rabbits for five years now and I just learned something new during my internet browsing. I read that using cedar and pine bedding can be hazardous to their health and cause liver damage because of the oils they produce.

Well, now I just feel horrible, I have been using cedar chips since they were babies! [

] I had absolutely no idea that this could happen or that cedar and pine were just no good for small animals. Why is it still sold?[&:] Shouldn't there be some sort of regulation against this? Maybe I've been living under a rock and I should have known this, but now I do know, but what should I use in place of the cedar chips? I have heard that a more paper based bedding is better. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Here are a couple of pictures of Reme and Thumper (just for your enjoyment [

])

ETA: By the way, Thumper is doing much better. I think he will be fine!

meilani

Posted : 7/20/2006 1:51:01 PM

When I had rabbits, I never used anything other than newspaper to line their cages. Same thing for the rats. I just shredded newspaper and put in a few paper towels/napkins for them to shred. The only rodent I have now is a Southern flying squirrel and I just line his cage with newspaper. He sleeps in a finch nest and he lined that with shredded paper towels and a ton of pecans(they love them). Another thing you can use is aspen shavings. They also have a product called Carefresh pet bedding that's used in lieu of shavings.

micksmom

Posted : 7/20/2006 1:56:56 PM

I learned about the cedar/pine thing when I bought my rats about 6 years ago. Until then I was using pine shavings when I babysat the school's guinea pig (cedar makes me stuffy). Heck, when I was a kid, I used the sawdust from the firewood we cut in my mice tanks. I've tried Care Fresh and the knock off brand sold in WalMart, and didn't care for either one. They both smell like wet cardboard when they get wet. Yesterday's News is OK- it's recycled paper. I used that in the rats cage with some hay over it for awhile (it's a pellet, and I didn;t want the rats to hurt their feet). Eventually, I found aspen shavings for the rats. Anyway, I use SWheat Scoop cat litter in the rabbit's cage, and have been pretty happy with it. Normally I put a thin layer of baking soda down first ( I did that with the other litters I tried for the rabbit, too).

magilacudy

Posted : 7/20/2006 3:09:08 PM

I use straw, but mine are outdoor rabbits. Shavings are not all that great anyway. I use them for the ducks and they are perfect, but don't go over well with small furry animals. My rabbits also always do their business in the same spot, so I always make sure that I use paper and a fine shaving under the pen for the poop tray.

Firestorm

Posted : 7/20/2006 3:53:26 PM

I used hay for my rabbit.

marlania

Posted : 7/20/2006 4:20:34 PM

I use kiln dried pine (dried so the oils and smell are almost gone...you can buy huge bags from feed stores) and fleece for my guinea pigs. I've also tried towels for my pigs, but that turned disgusting FAST! Carefresh just looks like a wet mess to me, and I've never found a huge supply of aspen bedding anywhere.

georgie4682

Posted : 7/20/2006 6:21:37 PM

[

] Thanks everyone. You were a huge help. I'm going out tomorrow to buy something new for their bedding. I just can't believe I didn't know about this whole bedding issue. I just don't get why it is sold if it is so dangerous.

outdoorschik

Posted : 7/20/2006 8:41:50 PM

I LOVE carefresh bedding...
When I had ferrets and guinea pigs I swore by it.
It's soft and doesnt' get disgusting

bluelighting

Posted : 7/20/2006 9:09:11 PM

Cedar is very bad I only used it once on my hamsters and never again did I use it after finding out about cedar. I don't thing pine is just as bad as cedar but I don't like to use it very much now.

For the evil one I use now paper bedding for him and he loves it plus he doesn't kick out that much of it out so less mess for me to clean.

I think alot of the reason why it's still sold that lots of people don't know that it's so bad for your animals and still buy it. We don't sell cedar bedding at our store and alot of people are suprise to learn that cedar bedding is so bad for their animals. Plus many people buy cedar due to the fact they hear how it keeps fleas away.

jennie_c_d

Posted : 7/20/2006 10:57:55 PM

Feline Pine (which is fine), Yesterday's News, or Carefresh is what I always used.

I preferred Feline Pine, but Princess Dusty always had to have Yesterday's News in her litter box, or she'd pee in other places. Like on my bed, or in her food bowl. She was a disturbed little bunny.....

jennie_c_d

Posted : 7/20/2006 10:59:20 PM

Oh! I also really like corn cob litter. Very absorbant stuff.

swamper

Posted : 7/21/2006 9:24:26 PM

For my guinea pig I use kiln-dried pine and wood pellets, it's the most affordable option since his cage is so big and he doesn't use a litter pan. My snake and hamster are on aspen shavings. My friend's rabbit has her floor lined with newspaper and swheat scoop in her litter box. My other friend's rabbit has kiln-dried pine on the floor and yesterday's news in the litter box. Also, rabbits should have flat, not wire floors. Please check out the house rabbit society webpage. [linkhttp://www.rabbit.org/]http://www.rabbit.org/[/link] They have an extensive section on housing, bedding, feeding, and all things rabbit.