Fleece Mums making me come off fleece

[animalmadlover]

Its just about autumn now and winter is on the way. I will have no way of getting the towels and fleece dry. According to my mum its time that I go back to hay and newspaper.
We have no drier. I don't know what to do. I'm on my own and its up to me to figure out how to do this

 

[sallyvh]

The only solution I can recommend would be a laundromat.

Keep dirty fleece in a hamper for a week or two and then make a trip to get it all washed and dried. Or if you have a washer at home you can wash it there then take it to get dried.

 

[lissie]

Instead of newspaper, can you buy wood pellets or other disposable bedding?

Due to drought in California, I've stopped using fleece and switched to wood pellets and care fresh.

 

[bpatters]

Fleece dries very easily and quickly. Could you put pellets underneath? You could easily wash the fleece by hand and dry it on a rack in the house.

 

[animalmadlover]

Using a laundromat is a good idea! I've had a good search in all the online pet stores just now but cannot see wood-pellets

 

[animalmadlover]

Can anyone help me? I live in New Zealand and I cannot find wood-pellets!!! I'm searching now. It seems like the perfect solution!

 

[bpatters]

Try feed stores that supply horse farms. The pellets are widely available in most places for use in horse stalls.

 

[sallyvh]

Hardware stores often sell wood pellets as well.

 

[animalmadlover]

Cool, I'll have a look. Thanks for your help

 

[pigslave1]

Hi! I've tried fleece, but it's just not practical for me and my my pig, so I use pine shavings for litter and I shred my own budding out of used printer-type paper. I found the pine shavings at my local hardware store. $6 for a huge bale that lasts me about 6 months!

 

[animalmadlover]

Wow that's a pretty good deal! I do have a huge bag of shavings left over from my pet mouse (he died a while ago) but I'm not sure that they're suitable for guinea pigs.

 

[AmyBufCo]

Cedar is not recommended and dangerous for all small animals, pine has some phenols which can be dangerous (so it shouldn't be used in an closed cage- can have the bag open for a few days to help get rid of the phenols- the "wood" smell of pine is the phenols), aspen is the best wood to use according to this source (it states it's more expensive and harder to find but I find the same big-bulk bag of it for the same cost of pine at the pet store near me).

https://www.guinealynx.info/bedding.html

 

[PeanutnCookie]

@AmyBufCo Not all pine is dangerous. I use pine bedding. If it is kiln dried bedding, you can use it. Make sure it doesn't smell strongly of pine. Just do not use cedar; most other things are okay. Look for KILN-DRIED on the label of the pine bedding

 

[PeanutnCookie]

@animalmadlover You can get pellets at feed or tractor stores. Most of the time it is listed as pelleted bedding for horse stalls, but there is the occasional brand meant for smaller animals. Some people use pelleted kitty litter. Have you considered that?

 

[animalmadlover]

This is what I have, but ti doesn't say what type of wood it is???

 

[mufasa]

Be very careful about using newspaper as a primary element of your bedding. It gets soaked through very easily and can give your piggies bumblefoot. I currently use it as the base layer in the swimming pool where I keep my piggies, but it's generously topped with Carefresh.

 

[PumpkinJuly]

Use fleece and maybe dry it on a heater? If you have a space heater and can put it on there (and watch it closely) then maybe you won't need to switch?

 

[Fay]

View attachment 73292This is what I have, but ti doesn't say what type of wood it is???

I would be highly suspicious if it doesn't tell you what kind of wood it's made of. I wouldn't personally risk it to be honest.

 

[animalmadlover]

Its all in German, dad managed to read it and said that there was nothing on the type of wood. There's lots of information on how great the product is, but nothing on the type!!!!!!

 

[Fay]

Its all in German, dad managed to read it and said that there was nothing on the type of wood. There's lots of information on how great the product is, but nothing on the type!!!!!!

Is there no other writing on the back or sides? All it says at the front is that it's 'softwood' so to me that is highly suspicious and could mean that it might be cedar, why else try to hide the fact? I would swap to a bedding that specifically tells you what type of wood it is made of because if it's cedar it will be harmful to your pigs. I just wouldn't risk it:

https://www.guinealynx.info/bedding_avoid.html#cedar