Pine - Good or bad?

[huli]

Hi everyone I'm new to this forum and a new rabbit owner! I haven't had rabbits since I was a child so I'm a little rusty.

Does anyone know if pine is bad for rabbits? I've read that pine shavings are bad for their respitory system. My dad has made a sleeping box for Mazzy (my rabbit) and its out of pine. Its enclosed with an archway for her to get in and out and a lid that comes for easy access. She absolutely loves it but wanted to make sure that pine was ok for her.

 

[KerinTravis]

Hi

A lot of people prefer to just use newspaper and fresh hay as bedding for their rabbits. Another option is wooden cat litter pellets as they are very absorbable. I've noticed you're in Australia, so I'm not sure what's readily available that you can use. We have a product here called Megazorb, which is great, it's basically wood pulp. There's also straw or Carefresh- which is a paper based product.

I know that people have expressed concern over wood shavings/sawdust, and not necessarily because it's pine, but because it could be dusty. There are plenty of alternatives though!

 

[babylee]

Hi Huli,

I have done a bit of reseach on this and there are arguments both for and against using pine shaving for litter trays for rabbits. Some say they can cause respiratory problems and others say they are fine.

I personally used de-dusted pine shavings which I buy from my local grain store.

Cheers,
Abby

 

[cute_fuzzies]

From my understanding, it depends on where the pine comes from. Most of the literature about pine shavings is based on American pine - however, apparently European pine is less harmful (has a lower phenol content) and there hasn't been much study on it. Being in Australia, i'm not sure what sort of pine you'd have?

 

[huli]

Thanks for your responses. I haven't been using wood shavings of any description - I prefer to stick to just good old hay - plus Mazzy (my rabbit) just loves eating it! I just wanted to check that it was the shavings that were the problem not pine itself because the box that she sleeps in is made of pine and is fully enclosed with a little archway. I'm not sure which type of pine - I will have to ask my stepdad as he made it. I thought pine was considered bad because of the fumes/scents that emit from it???? But this was just me assuming :?

 

[KerinTravis]

I'm sure that the box would be fine, just so long as he doesn't start eating it too much!!!