Sawdust...

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Fudge and Rainbow :)

Fudge and Rainbow :)

Adult Guinea Pig
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What's wrong with it?! ;) I've heard so many of you say it's bad! However I have very healthy guinea pigs who are 5 years old and they have lived on sawdust their whole life... no problems what so ever! :{ What's the big fuss about? :o All the people I know who have guinea pigs use sawdust, it's practically the only thing that's sold! :) Sorry if I sound like I don't care about guinea pigs, of course I do! I love my guinea pigs very much and want the best for them. I just don't see why everyone's fussing about sawdust being bad? It can't be bad because i have 2 five year old guinea pigs I have had since I was 9 (I'm 14) and I've NEVER had a problem with it! :{
 
By saw 'dust', I guess you mean wood shavings? Saw 'dust' is very fine and can get up pigs noses and cause, or irritate respiratory problems. Woodshavings are used by many here, including myself. It is worth buying top quality, fully dust extracted shavings though as opposed to cheapy stuff which may still contain dust, and may cause the problems. xx
 
If you buy dust extracted wood shavings (which in my experience, most ones sold for animals are) then it should be fine. And they say pine shavings should be oven baked to remove harmful oils, the ones I buy are, but some don't say it on the bag, but still are.
 
My first guineas I had as a child were on sawdust and both lived to good ages, 6 and 8.
I think the introduction of fleece and vet bedding and the many other alternatives have come about as options mainly for indoor piggies (forgive me if I'm wrong)
My boys were on woodshavings and hay for about a year and a half until I found this forum and looked into the other options. I've since tried fleece and towels which I found much better for them and us. Cleaning out is a quick 5 min job everyday instead of the mammoth clean every 3/4 days. It's a lot less smelly and dryer for them and they get to popcorn like crazy everyday when I climb in to their play area and change the bedding, rather than being stuck in their carry box while I have to sweep out the hutch and dry it off. I've changed to vetbed now in their sleeping areas which is even better. It is easier to wash and get dry and they love it. They still get a big pile of hay to role around in which is on newspaper and scooped up each day. Their play area is an off cut of lino to protect the carpet and gets mopped at least once a week and any accidents wiped up with an old tea towel each day.
Here's a photo of their set up. There's vet bed in the sleeping areas (behind the curtains) We took the doors off so there is an entrance and exit! Less fights that way and they still get a dark space to nap in.

SpikeandStripes054.jpg
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You can just see Spike's bottom sticking out the hay as he's dived in! :(|)
 
Katiepops thank you, that photo is so useful to a GP novice like me. It's made a lot of what I've read on this forum about housing and materials etc make sense.
Anyone else who could post a photo of their set-up it would be much appreciated. I'm looking to get as many ideas as poss that I can copy!
 
Very useful to me too as a total novice. We only got our pigs two weeks ago and switched to fleece a couple of days ago after reading this forum. It is much easier to clean as you say and they seem to love it, it's cheaper too to keep washing fleece than buy woodshavings. We change it every day.
 
Fudge and Rainbow :) said:
What's wrong with it?! ;) I've heard so many of you say it's bad! However I have very healthy guinea pigs who are 5 years old and they have lived on sawdust their whole life... no problems what so ever! :{ What's the big fuss about? :o All the people I know who have guinea pigs use sawdust, it's practically the only thing that's sold! :) Sorry if I sound like I don't care about guinea pigs, of course I do! I love my guinea pigs very much and want the best for them. I just don't see why everyone's fussing about sawdust being bad? It can't be bad because i have 2 five year old guinea pigs I have had since I was 9 (I'm 14) and I've NEVER had a problem with it! :{
Click to expand...

Well my 3 had been on wood shavings since year dot...but Bloss had a problem with her foot, and changed to fleece...but I haven't got on with it at all...have tried a lot and to be honest I think I have decided on another solution. I'm looking at creating a second floor in their cage..putting wood shavings on the ground floor and fleece on the top floor. They do love the fleece and pop corn loads on it but I just don't get on with it and thought they would have best of both worlds. There is fleece on top of one of their houses and they love crashing on that.

So my projects at the moment all pertaining to my little wheekers are:-
- extend their outdoor run, having secured suitable timber from father today, got the drawing done, need to buy suitable mesh and hinges.
- currently growing veggies in the new greenhouse including lots of herbs.
- get new toys.
- order cozies etc.
- finally and most difficult is to work out how to create another floor in the cage....a call to father might help on this one.

Blimey I might need to take some time off work to get all this done!

Sorry if I've gone off subject a little....
 
lil said:
Well my 3 had been on wood shavings since year dot...but Bloss had a problem with her foot, and changed to fleece...but I haven't got on with it at all...have tried a lot and to be honest I think I have decided on another solution. I'm looking at creating a second floor in their cage..putting wood shavings on the ground floor and fleece on the top floor. They do love the fleece and pop corn loads on it but I just don't get on with it and thought they would have best of both worlds. There is fleece on top of one of their houses and they love crashing on that.

So my projects at the moment all pertaining to my little wheekers are:-
- extend their outdoor run, having secured suitable timber from father today, got the drawing done, need to buy suitable mesh and hinges.
- currently growing veggies in the new greenhouse including lots of herbs.
- get new toys.
- order cozies etc.
- finally and most difficult is to work out how to create another floor in the cage....a call to father might help on this one.

Blimey I might need to take some time off work to get all this done!

Sorry if I've gone off subject a little....
Click to expand...

When can I move in :)).
 
Have to say Ive had guineas since I was 6 never had a problem with dust extracted shavings (had one guinea live to 10!) but since reading up more - since joining here Ive swapped to megazorb - tried other beddings but like megazorb the most and the guineas seem to like it. Leo bunny is mainly on paper/hay like the guineas but the loo area does need something so currently using megazorb.

Monty guinea my inside one has tried a lot of beddings I liked the bun o linum but he dribbles a lot so found that sticks to his chin - best seems megazorb, paper based cat litter really smells once damp I find.

Know a lot of people whos guineas have been sensitive to shavings so I avoid them now.
 
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