Pine Any opinions on kiln dried pine?

[Crazy piggies]

So I just wanted to hear about others opinions we’re on kiln dried pine

I’ve personally never had any issues in the past 2 years of using it, but wanted to know if anyone else uses it, ty!

 

[Rosiethecutepig]

�� I hate to tell you this but pine is NOT GOOD for guinea pigs...

 

[Crazy piggies]

Hmm I’ve heard of many people on this forum using it and said It was safe and many who say it is not safe for now my parents won’t pay the extra for aspen or paper bedding and don’t want dirty fleece in the washing machine, but ty for your reply

ive also read that pine has dangerous oils but by kiln drying it at thousands of degrees and it removes these oils, my pine has no scent to it and it is actually has less scent than most aspen beddings I’ve tried in the past

 

[bpatters]

It depends.

First, it's not dried at thousands of degrees -- you'd have nothing left but ashes. It's either air dried or oven dried, but the purpose is to remove the moisture, not the oils. Some kiln dried products are OK, but another bag of the same brand may not be. They're not even testing for whether the oils are removed.

Second, if your pine really has no odor, it's probably OK. But the effects of the phenols (the stuff in pine that smells like pine) don't show up right away. It can take two or three years for the pig to develop the respiratory and liver problems that they cause.

So if you're old enough to have a guinea pig, can't you earn enough money to pay the difference between pine and aspen? Aspen isn't all that much more expensive.

 

[GuineaPigQueen1]

Crazy piggies, have you tried CareFresh? My parents don't want poop or hay in our washing machine, so I can agree. What I do is get a dust broom with study bristles and brush the poop and hay off. I won't buy one of those bags that contain the poop and hay because they once moved my heavy washing machine over so I wasted 30 dollars on it. I am in the same boat about parents going for a different option that isn't good, like cages. If I were you I would some research on websites that aren't sponsoring or selling products that are bedding because they will convince you that their option is the best. Then present it to your parents and they still say no I would find a way to make money to buy bedding. I would buy fleece bedding to save money for you and try different methods to get the poop and hay off.

 

[Crazy piggies]

Oops sorry I had meant hundreds �� in my area aspen is double the price of pine or even more

i tried fleece and I really don’t like it I had too change the fleece daily and it still smelt bad, plus my parents don’t like the fleece in their washing machine

my parents used to buy care fresh but got sick of paying 60+ dollars a month the pine costs less than $20 a month

 

[Smileandnod]

Oops sorry I had meant hundreds �� in my area aspen is double the price of pine or even more

i tried fleece and I really don’t like it I had too change the fleece daily and it still smelt bad, plus my parents don’t like the fleece in their washing machine

my parents used to buy care fresh but got sick of paying 60+ dollars a month the pine costs less than $20 a month

That's unfortunate.

Perhaps look online such as chewy.com where aspen is actually cheaper than pine because of the size of the packages. I just looked and you can get a 15lb bag for $13.

Also, if you brush and vacuum the fleece beforehand there is no poop or hay in the washer. But if they are still opposed, perhaps look for a laundromat you can take your pig stuff to. As far as daily care & cleaning...well that is just part of having any pet. It also allows you to spot illness early on before it becomes a major issue.

My biggest concern is that you and your parents are concerned about $60 a month. What about when you will have to take them to the vet? You should probably think about that now and get a fund so that you aren't struggling to pay vet fees or there is a hesitation to take a sick pig for vet care due to the cost factor.

 

[Crazy piggies]

We do bring them too vets if needed, we took one for a really bad ear infection once, and if possible we treat them ourselves

it’s more just a monthly expense they won’t pay for I don’t have a good job I work at home I’m a dog groomer just starting out, so I can’t afford them yet but I will in a year or two, also my parents won’t let me spend much on them because they think it’s a “waste” of my money.

and it’s not just poop,hay, and hair. the fleece has pee in it so that part is also gross

 

[Smileandnod]

Just remember, proper cage care is a fundamental part of keeping your guinea pigs healthy.

Saving a little bit of money or cutting corners now will only lead to expensive vet bills and heartache in the long run.

A pet's proper care is never a "waste" of money...it is called being responsible. As a parent myself, I am always confused about this response from other parents that I read about from young owners on this forum and it concerns me. If the care of a pet cannot be maintained due to time constraints or financial situation, then it seems to me the responsible thing to do would be to say no to getting the pet in the first place. It seems unfair and unkind to both the child and the pet to do anything else.

I am glad you are asking questions and learning proper guinea pig care on the forum.

 

[ItsaZoo]

A heavy duty washer at a laundromat would take care of the fleece washing. I have a commercial Speed Queen and I do several loads a week. I have two sets of washable incontinence bed pads, several sheets of fleece for the floor, and then lots of wee pads and soft polishing towels for the cage corners. So I can change out the cage every few days before I have to wash everything.

I brush the fleece off with a whisk broom, then shake it outside really well before I wash it.

 

[GuineaPigQueen1]

That is what I do too. I have this vacuum that I got to vacuum the piggies area ( My parents wanted there vacuum back) and I used it to clean my cage and liner. ( I am still using a Living World XL I know I made a mistake working on it) Maybe you can research about bedding and ask people what they use.

 

[Crazy piggies]

That is what I do too. I have this vacuum that I got to vacuum the piggies area ( My parents wanted there vacuum back) and I used it to clean my cage and liner. ( I am still using a Living World XL I know I made a mistake working on it) Maybe you can research about bedding and ask people what they use.

I also started out with the xl living world cage and I had THREE pigs in it it was really crowded, I now have two pigs in a 5 by 2 C&C cage

and I agree with smileandnod, but at least they are in much better conditions then when I got them

 

[Crazy piggies]

They came from abusive cruel homes...

I understand it’s just apart or taking care of your Guinea Pigs, but I can’t full clean fleece every day, plus spot poops daily. The fleece was soaked in only a day from urine and, and I was scared the ammonia was dangerous for their Lungs, and knew I definitely didn’t like my room smelling like that either.

bedding only has to be full changed every 5-8 days and spot cleaned 4-6 times, so I’m only cleaning bedding 4-5 times a week, and it still smells way better than fleece which I was cleaning 10-14 times a week, plus my parents don’t want fleece in their washer, and I don’t have a car so I can’t bring fleece to be washed and my parents are not going too drive twice a week to wash guinea pig fleece, when I get a car I will just buy aspen/ paper bedding myself

 

[foggycreekcavy]

We use pine shavings in my rescue occasionally. We’ve always used shavings over a thin layer of wood pellets. Mostly we use White Shavings from Gem, but use pine too if we can’t find the White Shavings. Since my rescue is more of a sanctuary now, some of these guinea pigs have been here for most of their lives and are seniors, and haven’t suffered any ill effects from the shavings.

 

[Crazy piggies]

We use pine shavings in my rescue occasionally. We’ve always used shavings over a thin layer of wood pellets. Mostly we use White Shavings from Gem, but use pine too if we can’t find the White Shavings. Since my rescue is more of a sanctuary now, some of these guinea pigs have been here for most of their lives and are seniors, and haven’t suffered any ill effects from the shavings.

i usually do the same thing because the pellets absorb a lot and keep the guinea pigs dry