So for everyone who's against cedar and pine bedding, please tell me YOUR reasoning on why.

Question

I'd like to know why YOU as a person wouldn't recommend pine or cedar bedding. After you've told me why, please look at this article. I don't use cedar because the scent is really strong and I wouldn't want my rodents getting headaches from it, but as far as I know, it's PERFECTLY SAFE, and the only reason labs don't use it is because it alters the way medicine that's given to the animal is broken down. So please, I'd like to know why you as a person say pine and cedar bedding are bad. Is it "I heard it on the internet" or "I had a pet die when I was using pine or cedar" or "I read it was bad" or what?

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/1155/Pine.html

Answer 1

I read it was bad in a variety of scientific sources.  Just for the easy ones I'll cite:

Speaking of beddings "The worst are pine, corncobs, cedar shavings and bentonite clays (cat litter products)." Written by R.S. Hines, DVM, PhD

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content...

"Cedar shavings have been associated with causing respiratory difficulty and liver disease in some guinea pigs and thus should not be used." by By Susan Brown, DVM

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content...

Those are both veterinarians who deal with small mammals on a regular basis.  For more in depth reasons I'm just not up to slogging through lit at the moment to find references.  Basically, I'm more inclined to trust people with hands on experience keeping pets alive.

Answer 2

Like you said I know you have heard people say "I had a pet die from cedar" but your going to hear it a lot, I breed/show guinea pigs and I have about 25 of them. I used cedar ONCE and had 2 die in a week. It had something to do with the oils in the cedar when the animal ingested it (@least that was what I was told.) I have not used it since.  

Answer 3

They can give guinea pigs upper respritory disease, and i dont wanna risk that chance

Answer 4

It is a fact that cedar bedding is bad for small animals.  I don't know why they even sell it.  The oils in the cedar are bad for their respiratory system and can make them really sick and kill them.  I have never tried it myself because of what I have heard.  Pine bedding is fine.  I have used it for years and have never had a problem with it.  The best is kiln-dried pine.

Answer 5

The dust and stuff can harm ur rodent do not get it!

Answer 6

My vet told me that even aspen wood chips are not safe for small pets, as it is dusty and can cause respiratory problems.  I had used aspen for a year with my mice and they both deveoped pneumonia.  I'm not sure that is what actually caused their deaths, but it probably didn't help.  Now I buy Carefresh bedding.  

Answer 7

Cedar is toxic. You shouldn't use it because it can kill them ultimately. The phenols in it are used to kill insects. Imagine having to live on it 24/7.  

Kiln dried pine is fine to use.  

Answer 8

My reasoning is because I've educated myself through research. There's no excuse to use an even questionable bedding when there are so many that are confirmed to be safe.

http://www.ratfanclub.org/litters.html

http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/guineapig...

http://www.bio.davidson.edu/Courses/anph...  (This one is excellent)

http://www.trifl.org/cedar.shtml

Answer 9

That article is dated 1998. And some of the references go as far back as 1975. Seems like typical out-dated information to me.

Personally, I came across an article in a health magazine which discussed the hazards factory workers face at factories which deal with raw soft woods. It basically suggest that pine and cedar is even harmful to people over time. And this article was published just last year. I have no proof of it as it was not online, so your word against mine.

But let me ask you this, if there is even the slightest controversy that a product can be harmful to your pets, why in god's name would you use it? Don't you want what is best for your pets? Even if that means spending a couple dollars more on a known safe bedding.

And honestly, I never really thoroughly researched the stuff. I don't really care if it could be safe, I simply prefer to use 100% safe beddings. But from my vague understanding phenols work in a similar way asbestos does, although not nearly as quickly. They build up in the respiratory system, and cause problems relevant to weak lungs and the like. Based on my knowledge, to me this explination makes perfect sense, even if it might not be totally accurate. But I don't know why anyone bothers to try to prove those beddings are safe. They are cheap and commonly available, that is all they are.

Edit: Paper-based beddings are not the only alternative to pine and cedar.

What about aspen shavings? This is what I use for all my rodents. I agree that most paper based beddings are quite dusty, not to mention really expensive in most cases. But I can use aspen even with my rats that have allergic reactions to paper-based products. Iti s exactly like pine and cedar shavings, except there is nocontroversies about its safety whatsoever! Naturally, don't you think this would be the best bedding of choice?

If you don't like aspen, you can also shreded paper. Make sure the ink of the paper is soy-based though. Then it is safe. For some animals, such as rats, you can use fleece blankets, or even old clothing. These need to be changed every couple of days to a week, but can be laundered. So really, if you actually bother to look for safe alternatives, there is NO sane reason to use a product like pine or cedar shavings.

By the way, just why is it that you think cedar is toxic, but pine is perfectly healthy? You do realize that the site you linked us to considerd cedar safe as well, don't you? That is a plain nonsencial article. It's bs.

Answer 10

I read on more than 10 sites not to use it because it causes upper respiratory problems. If you want some of the sites, here they are:

http://www.jackiesguineapiggies.com/bedd...

http://www.guinealynx.info/bedding_avoid...

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/rabbit...

Those are just some of the websites that say do not use cedar or pine shavings. If experts say not to then don't. I use CareFresh instead.