• PLEASE NOTE - the TEAS facebook page has been hacked, take extreme care when visiting the page, for further information visit here

what type of bedding?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jun 7, 2006
Messages
1,231
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Glasgow
I have 2 boars that are housed separately one in a zoozone and the other in a C&C cage until we get another zoozone. I would like both of them to live together as they both get on fine. Anyway it is costing too much buying woodchip every week and I was wondering if there's anything else I can use for bedding like a blanket or somethin. My older guinea pig Misty keeps getting sores on his mouth and we aren't sure if its from the wood chip (he's been to the vet and been give antibiotics twice) so if there's anything else I can use I would appreciate it if someone could help.
 
Welcome to the forum :)

Do you use hay at all? You really should if you don't. It helps them digest their food better and gives them a much softer and warmer bedding. Wood chips seem too hard and unsafe for piggies. They splinter easily too. So I would not recommend them.

In my hutches and cages, I use newspaper at the bottom with a sprinkling of woodshavings to soak up their pee, hay and then shredded paper.

You can use hay alone or with something else. Blankets can be good on the bottom, but they would get dirty quick.

Have you tried vetbed, shredded paper or megazorb? There is a few people on here that have them. Also look at the reviews that have been made.

The sores on Misty's mouth - either cause by the wood chips or food, what food do you give them?

xx Kelly xx
 
Thanks
It's a mix from the pet shop
But know the guy that owns the petshop he owns a few guinea pigs and uses the same food tho so I don't really think it could be the food

His mouth was fine when we first got him but I got him from another pet shop and they gave us there own mix. It seemed to start after that.
We've also tried not giving him apple but it hasn't done anything
 
Might well be the wood chip then.

What other fresh veg/fruit do they get?


xx Kelly xx
 
Melon, cucumber, carrot, basil, parsley, spring green and other thing like that
 
Ah. I've heard that sometimes melon can make piggies' mouths sore. Maybe holding back on it a bit? I've never given my lot melon.

Any ideas to what other bedding you are going to try them with?
 
Not sure
Do you need to put anything on top of the vetbed?
His mouth was like that before he got melon
We only started giving them melon when it was getting really hot

Would it be ok to use some spare bits of carpet until we get somethin more permanent
 
Oh ok, more to do with the woodchips then I guess.

The vetbed... You put your hay on top for the piggies. I've never used vetbed myself. Have you had a look at the members' reviewd? I'm sure they will say more on it.
 
As Kelly has said Hay or chopped straw and paper is probably the easiest bedding. Things like Russell Rabbit bedding is good for only a couple of pigs.

I don't use wood shavings as I have pigs with allergies and I am concerned about what it does to their skin and breathing but I know that a lot of people do use them.

Personally I use a hemp horse bedding called Aubiose - I love it!
 
Thanks
I'm going to start using some hay and paper from now on I think
 
I just bought a 15kg bag of Megazorb so hopefully that will last for a while. 8)
 
i have always used paper and hay from a farmer for my gang and thats been for years and I have never changed and doubt i would change, i once had a pig who kept getting mouth sores and it was because he was biting the bars of the run, a thing called genetian violets worked, looked awlful for a while but it took the sore away permently
 
I have a layer of newspaper, then woodshavings, and then some straw.

Newspaper because then its so easy to just roll it up and dump it, woodshavings because its so soft and absorbs alot, and straw because then the woodshavings dont fly everywhere as soon as they start popcorning, and also because my piggies like to burrow underneath it ;)

hay only goes on my hayrack really, they love to cuddle in it but after seeing them poo on it and still continuing to eat it - uah, gross.
 
All mine are on vet bed.They have newspaper underneath the vet bed and hay above. I have 19 piggies.
Carol C
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top