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Shavings ok, just for a week?

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happycath

happycath

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Hello all,
I keep my piggies on fleece and always have done, but I'm going away on holiday for a week soon and the boarding place (who I have used before and I trust) use shavings for bedding.
Will my piggies be ok on the shavings for a week or will it upset them or cause them any health problems? I know that many people on here use shavings and have no problems, I'm just worried whether the change in bedding would cause a problem as they aren't used to it?
I don't think asking the lady to use fleece is an option, the amount of time we are away would involve 2-3 cage changes and I cant expect her to wash all the fleece etc!
Should I use shavings in a small area of the cage in advance so they aren't stressed by the sudden change?
Thanks
x
 
I would imagine they should be fine i have always used shavings and my boys are fine, it sounds like a good idea by putting some shaving one end of the cage just so they get used to it.
 
i was going to put my girls in boarding and i was the same as you using fleece and the boarding place used shavings, if you are worried and you can get hold of some megazorb/carefresh they might be willing to use that instead of the shavings? which is the agreement i came to with the boarding place i was going to use until i decided i was going to take them to my mums with me - a good place will be flexible to some degree
 
I'm afraid to confess that my guinea pigs live on shavings :( And have done for 6 years without any problems. They will be fine. Fleece seems very hard to clean.
 
Pipxxxx said:
I'm afraid to confess that my guinea pigs live on shavings :( And have done for 6 years without any problems. They will be fine. Fleece seems very hard to clean.
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I use it to, i think i would have to change fleece every half an hour the way mine poop and pee lol
 
truthfully if they wont house the piggies the way you like when you are paying them then they aren't the best place,i would be looking for a place that will look after them as close to what you do at home to make sure there is minimal disruption to your piggies xxxxxx
 
I agree with the megazorb idea, you're paying them so they should accomodate you. I wouldn't be happy about having my pigs on shavings however long.
 
I also agree with the megazorb idea - esp as you would be providing it. You never know you could influence the boarding place to use something more guinea pig friendly and safe.
 
I would also go with the Megazorb idea if you can, or at worst if shavings absolutely have to be used, then ask them to cover them with a thick layer of hay so they have minimal contact with it, even if you have to provide the extra hay for them.

I think it's a bit unlikely that many places would accept them on fleece if they are not used to it as it is a nightmare to launder!
 
Shavings won't hurt your guinea pig at all unless there is already something wrong with their feet. I recommend soft wood shavings.
 
Pipxxxx said:
Shavings won't hurt your guinea pig at all unless there is already something wrong with their feet. I recommend soft wood shavings.
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I would recommend that you take a peek at this page: http://www.ratfanclub.org/litters.html

There is increasing evidence against using shavings as a bedding. Try scooping up some shavings and rubbing them between your hands for just a few minutes. The oils are very drying and can be a high irritant for small creatures. It's also worth considering that the smell, which is very pleasant for us, is extremely strong for animals with highly developed sense of smell. Plus for short legged animals whose noses and bodies are so close to the shavings, it must be like you wriggling on a floor of shavings with your belly touching them and your nose constantly to them. Not too pleasant I should think :)

Edited to add - many rescues will not rehome to people who use shavings now.
 
My guineapigs are in perfect health, and our shavings that we use are incredibly soft. So they don't hurt them one bit. My guinea pigs have been living on them for 6 years.
 
I didn't mean to suggest that yours are in poor health... the shavings themselves are doubtlessly lovely and soft, it's the oil in them which presents the problem. It's the same oil used in toilet cleaner due to to its extraordinary aromatic strength.
 
If they were dangerous, why have my guinea pigs lived on them for nearly 7 years now? ?/
 
Ok I better be off before everyone pins me down and shoots me
 
Nobody is looking to "pin you down and shoot you". In the hope of avoiding the age old debate of shavings, I do not wish to cause an argument, there are many threads on this forum debating woodshavings, I'd rather not take over this thread with another :)


To the OP - have you managed to have another chat with the boarding place you are looking at about what to do?
 
if you are desperate for them to be kept on fleece you could always hire a petsitter to come to your home to deal with your piggies, if you have more than two this may even be a more cost effective way of providing for them whilst you are away, but i would not expect them to do your washing for you. the boarding place may also do this for you if you ask nicely and don't mind coming home to a bad of dirty bedding? maybe fingers crossed
 
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Pipxxxx said:
Shavings won't hurt your guinea pig at all unless there is already something wrong with their feet. I recommend soft wood shavings.
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Well thats not strictly true, if they are unused to shavings they could have respiratory problems or allergic reactions, i think the megazorb idea is the best way to go... i personally have my guinea pigs on shavings at the moment (due to the fact i live with my nana and it is her preference) but as soon as i move house and I'm the one in charge of the washing etc, i will be building a larger C+C cage and switching to fleece and towelling... Bonnie(kingboris) is right, if you are paying them for a service it is thier duty to provide you with a care as close as possible to your existing regime. The customer is always right after all!
 
^^ Everyone says that rolleyes

My guinea pigs have lived with them so I'm happy :)
 
Thanks for all your responses everyone - oops, I didn't mean to re-ignite the age old shavings arguement :( my concern is whether the change would cause an issue, respiratory problems for example.
I think perhaps the megazorb idea is the way forward as it would be convenient for the boarding place AND would set my mind at rest. The petsitting idea is also a good one - when I'm away for a weekend my sister often pops in each night to feed/fuss the pigs, but i'm going on holiday with her so that won't work :)) She is a zookeeper so I trust her 100% too, she knows what is best for them.
But as sister-pet-sitting isn't an option this time I think I'd rather have my piggies in a home where I know there will be activity all day to keep them company. The boarding place is very friendly, I'm sure the lady won't mind the suggestion of megazorb at all, but I wouldn't want to burden her with the amount of dirty fleeces and towels m boys get through. She has looked after my boys before when they were young and sadly Rufus had a nasty scab/sore from bad mites - she was absolutely fine with still takng him and doing his special treatement :)
 
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