Bedding: So Phresh

[Krystaleb97]

I just got a new bedding for my guinea pigs. Its called So Phresh and it says it had baking soda in it. It says it is for small animals but i just want to make sure its safe. Has anybody ever used this bedding? Ive heard baking soda is bad to put in their cage so im not sure why this bedding is even in stores. I didnt see the baking soda thing before i bought it unfortunately. Its paper bedding.

[bpatters]

No, it's not safe. There's been a lot of stuff in the news recently, and some companies have pulled their bedding with soda added off the market. I'd take it back and exchange it.

[aqh88]

I could have told you 15 years ago that baking soda bedding would be a problem. Who decided this was a good idea to market....

[kamkam822]

I don't use that kind of bedding but I was just curious why that's so bad for Guinea pigs?

[pinky]

Baking soda (sodium bicarbinate) is very high in sodium which would be dangerous if they eat it. 1259 mg per teaspoon

[CavyMama]

I've seen SoPhresh as cat litter. It's very dusty but I haven't seen it sold as guinea pig bedding. It's granular.

[aqh88]

Respiratory irritation and infections happens in rodents with baking soda added to bedding or bathing dust. Deaths have even occurred in rats. Ingesting it also carries risk. Remember baking soda and vinegar volcanos? It has even been used to induce vomiting in humans because of the similar reaction when it hits stomach acid. Rodents and some other herbivores cannot expel gas or vomit. The stomach valve is one way. It will rupture first or push excessive amounts of gas in to the intestines.

[kamkam822]

Oh wow!! Glad I don't use it

[yubie]

I am just bumping this up in the thread from archive?? so that it can be view again. I did not consider the baking soda in the product that I use, both Carefresh and Petco So Phresh.

[nuoamy]

Carefresh recently changed their formula and added the baking soda, right? They say it is baked in and not in powder form, so therefore safe. Is it baked in in the SoPhresh, or loose? I was thinking of trying it....

[Beatrix187]

Oh no, I have been using carefresh with baking soda, is that one okay...

[Agrimony]

I have always used it with no issues, andwill continue to use it. In my experience it is fine

[jenirose2308]

Has anyone experienced here their guinea pig having problems with it cuz I bought it today not knowing this. The ingredients weren't on the package. I really don't want her to have any problems.

[jaycriae]

It depends how you're using it, I imagine if you're using it as the absorbent layer under some fleece it wouldn't be a problem.

Also, when I was a novice pig owner I used all kinds of random crap i bought at petco, and the only thing I noticed was my pigs sneezing a lot. As long as your pig isn't compromised (doesn't have a URI or any other respiratory or nutritional problems) you should be able to use it one time without any problem, and then buy a different brand, like Carefresh, next time (though when giving veggies I recommend putting down a towel or something so she doesn't eat the baking soda). You could also buy a different brand and mix it, and so dilute it so that there's less of the so phresh, and therefore less baking soda, for a longer time.