guinea pig help?

Question

i was looking at bedding for my guinea pig on a pet site and it said not to use cedar bedding but it didn't specify why not...any one have any ideas as to why it's not a good idea?...thanks...daisy

Answer 1

You already have some correct answers on here - guinea pigs are very susceptible to respiratory problems, and cedar bedding as been shown to be slightly "toxic" for them. Of course, your guinea pig may or may not be able to handle it depending on how resilient their respiratory system is in the first place, but I wouldn't recommend you take the chance. Carefresh bedding is an excellent choice, it's what I use for my piggies, and you can get it in different fun colors if you want to get crazy =) And while we're talking about cage components, I'd recommend that any piggie owner check out www.cavycages.com, which has tons of helpful information about how to build your own cheap, roomier cages than the ones you might find in pet stores. Good luck!

Answer 2

Cedar and pine shavings are commonly available pet bedding products - but are they harmful to the very animals for which they are intended?
Cedar and pine became popular for pet bedding material because they are good at controlling odor and have some natural insecticidal properties (they kill or repel bugs, especially cedar). These softwood shavings smell nice due to the volatile compounds (e.g. aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols) that are given off. Unfortunately these compounds have been implicated as a potential health risk, especially with regards to respiratory problems (asthma, inflammation, allergic responses) and changes in the liver.

Many of the studies on wood toxicity have actually been conducted on humans, who are exposed to these woods and their by products in the wood product industry (such as those who work in lumber mills who are exposed to lots of wood dust), and these studies often compare the incidence of disease in workers in the wood product industry compared to other workers or the average population.

Studies of laboratory animals have shown fairly dramatic changes in liver enzymes on animals housed on cedar bedding.

This in turn can effect the metabolism of drugs including anesthetics, but a direct link between these changes and disease or clinical symptoms hasn't been as clear.

There is shavings at walmart that you can buy! I forget what they are called because I have not had a guniea pig for 8 years!

Answer 3

Shredded paper, wood chips, and processed corn cob are preferred bedding materials. Sawdust should be avoided because it tends to collect within the external genitalia of males, forming an impaction. Avoid cedar shavings as the pleasant smelling odor they put off can actually be toxic to the animal

Answer 4

i used cedar bedding with my guinea pig, and she was fine. i think they're probably just trying to make u buy some expensive bedding instead of the cheap cedar.

Answer 5

It can hurt a piggie..I had one who was scratching and sneezing all the time and the vet asked what kind of bedding I was using. I told him cedar and he said change it or gp will die. It was my 1st gp. After that I used Carefresh bedding or aspen and my gp lived 9 years. The other gp's I had lived 7-8 years and I kept on using Carefresh.

Answer 6

The oils in the cedar and pine bedding are very bad for small animals. They can cause liver damage and neurological problems. If you want to use a wood bedding, aspen is the best. We use Carefresh for our small animals.

Answer 7

weve got 3 little guinea pigs and we use cedar and never had a problem with it

Answer 8

I had a guinea pig and that is what I used. Don't listen to the site. Just use what you know!

Answer 9

Ceder is very toxic. The stupid clowns on here that are using it aren't going to have their piggies very long. Mine are all over 6 years old.

Use aspen or care fresh paper bedding. Ceder will cause respiratory infection urinary infections, allergies, and sinus infections.

Answer 10

It's got something in it that is toxic to them, and shortens their life span. My sister's vet told her not to use it for either her guinea pig or her rabbit.