Impaction Is Walnut Litter Safe or is it too risky?

AnyaAndLyra · Mar 13, 2016

I wasn't sure exactly where to post this but I need to know if walnut cat litter is safe for the piggies.. My two girls weren't litter trained so I'm trying to litter train them now (they're 2 yrs old already) but right now they have carefresh in the litter box but I'll have to change it every day and it's not good at neutralizing the odor,and it'll get to be pretty expensive.

I already use walnut litter for my rabbit and he loved it and it does great! He's never eaten it though (which is good) but Astrid likes to taste the bedding! I don't want her to get hurt.. I can ask the vet on Thursday when I take them for their wellness check (they've never been to the vet before either) but I would prefer more opinions.

Also can they use the grid that came with the litter box (it's one of those corner boxes for ferrets and rabbits) I don't want them to hurt their feet on it so if it'll hurt them I don't want to use it, but if it won't it'll be good to help deter or even make it impossible for them to eat the litter

And should I count this as both pigs thread or just one of them?

peachyteen · Mar 14, 2016

I don't know if the litter is safe. but don't use the wire top, it could give them bumblefoot

pinky · Mar 14, 2016

I wouldn't use it. Can you post a photo of your cage so we can see how big it is? Guinea pigs can't be litter trained. Sometimes they'll find a spot that they prefer to use but since they poop all the time, even when they sleep, there will be dropping in different areas of the cage. Your best bet is to have a large enough cage that the droppings aren't going to be confined to a small area. You can spot clean a couple of times a day to keep it tidy.

bpatters · Mar 14, 2016

Definitely don't use the wire. Your pigs can develop very painful foot problems from it.

Ditto @pinky about litter training pigs.

AnyaAndLyra · Mar 14, 2016

pinky said:
I wouldn't use it. Can you post a photo of your cage so we can see how big it is? Guinea pigs can't be litter trained. Sometimes they'll find a spot that they prefer to use but since they poop all the time, even when they sleep, there will be dropping in different areas of the cage. Your best bet is to have a large enough cage that the droppings aren't going to be confined to a small area. You can spot clean a couple of times a day to keep it tidy.

It's pretty much the same things for rabbits but it's not the poop I'm worried about its more their pee.. I've litter trained my rabbit and hamsters (and cats obviously but one of them used the toilet too) and the piggies have already started taking to it as well.

The picture (if you can see it) was how I set it up when I first got them. It's been changed up a bit since but it's still the same size

Pigglet_pose · Mar 14, 2016

Where there is poop, there is pee nearby. Your pigs will probably never be fully litter trained. It'd also be best if you stick with something you are 100% positive is safe. I'd rather know it's safe than hope.

AnyaAndLyra · Mar 21, 2016

The piggies went to the vet last week and she said everything seemed fine. It was just a wellness check but I asked about Olive sitting in her pee. She did tell me it could be bladder stones etc and offered a urine sample of we wanted it but I declined because she said she probably just hadn't learned to not lay on her pee. I noticed white spots on the fleece when I cleaned the cage though, which is high calcium right? So should I take her back or call the vet or what? She has unlimited hay and I'm switching them to oxbow and I've been feeding red peppers whenever I can but I'm wondering if I should find a new vet as well?

bpatters · Mar 21, 2016

Don't take them back. The next ones you get are just as likely to have the same issue.

Dried white spots mean excess urinary calcium. What exactly do you feed them? What kind of hay? Which pellets, and how many? What veggies, and how many of each?

AnyaAndLyra · Mar 21, 2016

bpatters said:
Don't take them back. The next ones you get are just as likely to have the same issue.

Dried white spots mean excess urinary calcium. What exactly do you feed them? What kind of hay? Which pellets, and how many? What veggies, and how many of each?

When I got them they had small pet select pellets all the time and I'm switching them to oxbow adult food and they each get 1/8 cup both pellets together as 1/8 each pig). For hay they have small pet select natural timothy hay. (All the time)for veggies I've been giving them green leaf lettuce, red peppers and now parsley.. and all of it combined I give them about 2 cups (for both pigs) I was giving them less before but I saw somewhere I that they should be getting 2 cups so I started giving them more and they don't really eat all of it so idk if I should cut back on anything or switch anything

I'm no sure who's urine is white so should I divide the cage so that I can see who's it is or if it's both?

AnyaAndLyra · Mar 21, 2016

I've also been giving them carrots

bpatters · Mar 21, 2016

Your diet sounds ok except for the parsley, which is high in calcium. Small Pet Select pellets have calcium carbonate (limestone) as their calcium source, and like Oxbow, can cause excess urinary calcium. (Oxbow is supposedly taking the limestone out of theirs at some point). Syringing them extra water can help also.

Making them move around is probably the best thing you can do. Think of them like snow globes -- shake them and the solid stuff floats around and can get peed out rather than settling in the bottom of the bladder and coming out all at once.

AnyaAndLyra · Mar 22, 2016

bpatters said:
Your diet sounds ok except for the parsley, which is high in calcium. Small Pet Select pellets have calcium carbonate (limestone) as their calcium source, and like Oxbow, can cause excess urinary calcium. (Oxbow is supposedly taking the limestone out of theirs at some point). Syringing them extra water can help also.

Making them move around is probably the best thing you can do. Think of them like snow globes -- shake them and the solid stuff floats around and can get peed out rather than settling in the bottom of the bladder and coming out all at once.

Okay the doctor suggested parsely as a source of vitamin c so I gave them some but I'll just give it to my rabbit it's safe for him (I'll check first) so it doesn't go bad or be a waste..

That's probably why I didn't notice it before. They had a small pet store cage and so they didn't move around a lot. Then when I got them I gave them a bigger cage and they've been exercising more recently. I also put their veggie bowl in the oposite side of the cage so they have to go down there to get it. (They sleep in the cage)

bpatters · Mar 22, 2016

Bell pepper is an excellent source of vitamin C without all the calcium that parsley has. If they don't like it, see https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/105287-How-to-teach-a-guinea-pig-to-eat-vegetables.

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