Bedding
Recommended Bedding
Line the hutch/cage with thick layers of newspaper to soak up urine. Then place lots of hay on top. As well as being a soft bedding, hay is is also an essential part of their diet, so should be given in unlimited amounts. Other absorbent beddings can also be added (e.g., hippofan and fitch).
Soft chopped straw: Soft chopped straw makes a nice bed for guinea pigs to sleep on and forage in. Add lots of meadow hay on top.
Fitch: Marketed for horses, this bedding is made from recycled perforated paper and is very soft and warm. It is extremely absorbent. http://www.fitchrecycling.co.uk/animal-bedding/horse-bedding.html
Finacard: Dust free cardboard bedding. Select the FinaCARD cardboard bedding Maxibale. http://www.finacard-uk.com/
Megazorb, is highly absorbent like wood shavings, but is safe for use with guinea pigs. It is made from wood pulp and is becoming a popular bedding for guinea pigs. It can be bought at a reasonable price from horse suppliers such as, Carltons (Seaton Deleval and Benton), Farmway (Hexham and Alwnick), Pet n Pony (Dragonville, Durham), and Equissentials (Billingham). It has recently become quite dusty so owners are trying the other beddings listed.
Fleece/Vetbed/Towels: Are used more commonly in indoor cages and C&C cages. This keeps guinea pigs dry and is soft on their feet also. You do need to have an area for foraging in (i.e. hay) still if using these materials. They do need to be washed regularly. You can use horse tack wash bags to protect your washing machine (google or amazon “Tack Wash Bag”).
Why not wood shavings or sawdust?
Sawdust is far too dusty for guinea pigs to live on and can make them very poorly. They will constantly be inhaling dust making them prone to breathing difficulties and infections, which ultimately can be fatal. Sawdust can also cause allergies in the household as they are so dusty.
Wood shavings were a popular choice of bedding and are still often recommended and used by pets shops. People will often say to me that they have always used shavings and never had any problems. But there is much research now on the risks of using wood shavings with any rodents or small animals. To demonstrate reasons for this try putting your face close to the top of an open bag of wood shavings and try breathing whilst a close distance from the wood shavings. See how long you can tolerate the strong smell and dust for, this is what guinea pigs have to inhale all the time. Also try rubbing the wood shavings in your bare hands – does it feel nice? Wood shavings remove the oils from your skin, leaving them feeling dry. This is what your guinea pig would be having to sleep and walk on all the time.
The Cambridge Cavy Trust state that wood shavings are not suitable bedding for piggies. Wood shavings can cause:
Peter Gurney, a renowned guinea pig keeper says:
“There are always fine dust particles in sawdust or wood shavings and as guinea pigs are the type of animals that root around with their noses close to the ground, they breathe these particles… Although wood shavings may soak up the animals’ urine they do not give it a chance to evaporate. Therefore, on the grounds of hygiene, they are not good idea. If you really want to use shavings, then use shredded paper instead’ (page 43).
Also in the Guinea Piglopedia (Margaret Elward & Mette Ruelokke) “Wood chips are a bad idea. Most have wood oils that are toxic to guinea pigs. Even lighter woods are bad, as they are rough and hard and can hurt guinea pigs feet. The best bedding is plain black-and-white newspaper. Line the cage with that. Next add a pile of hay (Page 31).
For more information on the research into the health risks associated with wood shavings see the following link: http://www.ratfanclub.org/litters.html
Research demonstrating the risks of using wood shavings:
Scientific research has been carried out on the risks of wood shavings and has found the following:
1. Wood shavings increase the incidents of respiratory problems, including pneumonia, in small rodents
2. Wood shavings have been linked to various forms of cancer in rodents.
3. Wood shavings contain toxins, specifically phenols which are poisonous to small rodents. These phenols are directly linked to respiratory problems in guinea pigs. They irritate the animal’s respiratory systems and affect their internal organs (liver and kidneys). These toxins put rodents at risk of liver disease. Though liver disease is not commonly documented as a common cause of guinea pig deaths (it would usually only be diagnosed through post mortem) it could explain unexplained and sudden guinea pig deaths.
4. Wood shavings also adversely affect humans. Links to research articles:
http://www.afrma.org/rminfo2a.htm
http://www.ratfanclub.org/litters.html
http://www.rabbit.org/journal/1/liver-disease.html
http://csfs.colostate.edu/cowood/library/01_Shavings_And_Sawdust_For_Bedding.pdf
Line the hutch/cage with thick layers of newspaper to soak up urine. Then place lots of hay on top. As well as being a soft bedding, hay is is also an essential part of their diet, so should be given in unlimited amounts. Other absorbent beddings can also be added (e.g., hippofan and fitch).
Soft chopped straw: Soft chopped straw makes a nice bed for guinea pigs to sleep on and forage in. Add lots of meadow hay on top.
Fitch: Marketed for horses, this bedding is made from recycled perforated paper and is very soft and warm. It is extremely absorbent. http://www.fitchrecycling.co.uk/animal-bedding/horse-bedding.html
Finacard: Dust free cardboard bedding. Select the FinaCARD cardboard bedding Maxibale. http://www.finacard-uk.com/
Megazorb, is highly absorbent like wood shavings, but is safe for use with guinea pigs. It is made from wood pulp and is becoming a popular bedding for guinea pigs. It can be bought at a reasonable price from horse suppliers such as, Carltons (Seaton Deleval and Benton), Farmway (Hexham and Alwnick), Pet n Pony (Dragonville, Durham), and Equissentials (Billingham). It has recently become quite dusty so owners are trying the other beddings listed.
Fleece/Vetbed/Towels: Are used more commonly in indoor cages and C&C cages. This keeps guinea pigs dry and is soft on their feet also. You do need to have an area for foraging in (i.e. hay) still if using these materials. They do need to be washed regularly. You can use horse tack wash bags to protect your washing machine (google or amazon “Tack Wash Bag”).
Why not wood shavings or sawdust?
Sawdust is far too dusty for guinea pigs to live on and can make them very poorly. They will constantly be inhaling dust making them prone to breathing difficulties and infections, which ultimately can be fatal. Sawdust can also cause allergies in the household as they are so dusty.
Wood shavings were a popular choice of bedding and are still often recommended and used by pets shops. People will often say to me that they have always used shavings and never had any problems. But there is much research now on the risks of using wood shavings with any rodents or small animals. To demonstrate reasons for this try putting your face close to the top of an open bag of wood shavings and try breathing whilst a close distance from the wood shavings. See how long you can tolerate the strong smell and dust for, this is what guinea pigs have to inhale all the time. Also try rubbing the wood shavings in your bare hands – does it feel nice? Wood shavings remove the oils from your skin, leaving them feeling dry. This is what your guinea pig would be having to sleep and walk on all the time.
The Cambridge Cavy Trust state that wood shavings are not suitable bedding for piggies. Wood shavings can cause:
- Breathing problems
- Skin problems – particularly fungal infections, and itchy and dry skin
- Eye problems
- Ulcerated feet
Peter Gurney, a renowned guinea pig keeper says:
“There are always fine dust particles in sawdust or wood shavings and as guinea pigs are the type of animals that root around with their noses close to the ground, they breathe these particles… Although wood shavings may soak up the animals’ urine they do not give it a chance to evaporate. Therefore, on the grounds of hygiene, they are not good idea. If you really want to use shavings, then use shredded paper instead’ (page 43).
Also in the Guinea Piglopedia (Margaret Elward & Mette Ruelokke) “Wood chips are a bad idea. Most have wood oils that are toxic to guinea pigs. Even lighter woods are bad, as they are rough and hard and can hurt guinea pigs feet. The best bedding is plain black-and-white newspaper. Line the cage with that. Next add a pile of hay (Page 31).
For more information on the research into the health risks associated with wood shavings see the following link: http://www.ratfanclub.org/litters.html
Research demonstrating the risks of using wood shavings:
Scientific research has been carried out on the risks of wood shavings and has found the following:
1. Wood shavings increase the incidents of respiratory problems, including pneumonia, in small rodents
2. Wood shavings have been linked to various forms of cancer in rodents.
3. Wood shavings contain toxins, specifically phenols which are poisonous to small rodents. These phenols are directly linked to respiratory problems in guinea pigs. They irritate the animal’s respiratory systems and affect their internal organs (liver and kidneys). These toxins put rodents at risk of liver disease. Though liver disease is not commonly documented as a common cause of guinea pig deaths (it would usually only be diagnosed through post mortem) it could explain unexplained and sudden guinea pig deaths.
4. Wood shavings also adversely affect humans. Links to research articles:
http://www.afrma.org/rminfo2a.htm
http://www.ratfanclub.org/litters.html
http://www.rabbit.org/journal/1/liver-disease.html
http://csfs.colostate.edu/cowood/library/01_Shavings_And_Sawdust_For_Bedding.pdf
