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Use of sawdust

bellg

New Kit
Have been using sawdust both in hutches (that have wooden floor) and litter trays (plus Hay) (that are plastic) in their runaround area. However, read recently that sawdust shouldn't be used as it has too much dust in it.

Is that the case? Should sawdust be avoided? Doesn't seem to be much dust in what I'm using.
 
Have been using sawdust both in hutches (that have wooden floor) and litter trays (plus Hay) (that are plastic) in their runaround area. However, read recently that sawdust shouldn't be used as it has too much dust in it.

Is that the case? Should sawdust be avoided? Doesn't seem to be much dust in what I'm using.


Sawdust/wood shavings have been known to exacerbate respiratory and allergy issues in rabbits:

http://buckysbunnies.tripod.com/Pine.html

http://www.rabbit.org/care/shavings.html

http://adamthevet.com/the-great-bedding-debate/


Fitch may be a better choice:

https://www.fitchrecycling.co.uk/an...dding/fitch-pet-bedding-single-bale-20kg.html
 
Have been using sawdust both in hutches (that have wooden floor) and litter trays (plus Hay) (that are plastic) in their runaround area. However, read recently that sawdust shouldn't be used as it has too much dust in it.

Is that the case? Should sawdust be avoided? Doesn't seem to be much dust in what I'm using.

Definitely avoid!

It's very bad unless it's aspen shavings, the stuff they sell in pets at home is toxic tho as its made from pine, which releases phenols? Which are toxic and cause acid burns? Regardless of dust.

Fitch, or a hemp bedding like auboise might work?

In my outdoor hutch I just put hay down though if I'm honest :)

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Thanks all.

OK... so it seems best to use:

- just hay
- shredded paper (with hay)
- shredded cardboard (with hay)
- wood pulp fibre (with hay) ... only for the litter box

this fitch stuff is recycled paper...
20kg Single Bale Fitch Paper Pet Bedding @ £28
https://www.fitchfirst.co.uk/fitch-pet-bedding-single-bale-20kg.html

then there's
FinaCARD Maxibale & 15 Ltrs Papelit Littter @ £23.50
http://finacard.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=47&products_id=126

and
Carefresh Natural Pet Bedding 60 L @ £16.22
https://www.vetuk.co.uk/rabbit-supp...-649_652/carefresh-natural-pet-bedding-p-9810

Any views on which is best of the above in terms of quality and price?
Or any other recommendations?

If you use only Hay for the litter box... It isn't that absorbent so I assume you get a small pool of pee at the base... unless you use a large amount of Hay(?)
 
Thanks all.

OK... so it seems best to use:

- just hay
- shredded paper (with hay)
- shredded cardboard (with hay)
- wood pulp fibre (with hay) ... only for the litter box

this fitch stuff is recycled paper...
20kg Single Bale Fitch Paper Pet Bedding @ £28
https://www.fitchfirst.co.uk/fitch-pet-bedding-single-bale-20kg.html

then there's
FinaCARD Maxibale & 15 Ltrs Papelit Littter @ £23.50
http://finacard.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=47&products_id=126

and
Carefresh Natural Pet Bedding 60 L @ £16.22
https://www.vetuk.co.uk/rabbit-supp...-649_652/carefresh-natural-pet-bedding-p-9810

Any views on which is best of the above in terms of quality and price?
Or any other recommendations?

If you use only Hay for the litter box... It isn't that absorbent so I assume you get a small pool of pee at the base... unless you use a large amount of Hay(?)


I have only ever used a layer of newspaper with a thick layer of soft hay on top for litter boxes :)
 
I have only ever used a layer of newspaper with a thick layer of soft hay on top for litter boxes :)

Unfortunately, I don't have enough newspaper nowadays to do that...
Anyways... I thought that newspaper was just as bad as sawdust/wood chippings(?) In that the ink print if digested isn't good for rabbits (or anything else for that matter)?
 
Unfortunately, I don't have enough newspaper nowadays to do that...
Anyways... I thought that newspaper was just as bad as sawdust/wood chippings(?) In that the ink print if digested isn't good for rabbits (or anything else for that matter)?


As there's a thick layer of hay, my rabbits don't eat the newspaper :)

Also, the inks are pretty much harmless these days, made from soy, but you can't be completely sure of course.
A rabbit would have to actually ingest a fair amount of newspaper, and I guess their guts may well get blocked by the paper before they were poisoned by the ink.

I use the free newspapers.
 
I use back 2 nature paper pellets in litter trays :) very absorbant - also Tesco wood cat litter I use in my hamster cage (but could also be used for bunny litter trays) I like absorbant, odour reducing stuff in trays tbh

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You only need to put some substrate in the litter box and you can lino the rest of the hutch. Put hay on the top of the substrate. Are your bunnies litter trained? I use newspaper too. Ask the neighbours to save theirs. :)
 
Thanks all for the replies again.

I will look into rolls of lino for the hutches although the alternative bedding/s have more appeal to my mind.
They tend to pee and poo in the litter trays I provide... it's not 100% but they are pretty good at that.

On the subject of newspaper ink (and this is up to date by the way.. I'm not living in the past)... it isn't correct that all ink used in UK newspapers are safe... and they aren't all based on soy; some still use use dangerous petroleum-based inks (with a high amount of volatile organic compounds). It depends which newspapers you are using of course.

If you rub the surface of the newspaper and it smudges leaving a black residue on your finger then it is most likely based on petroleum oil... if not... then you are OK.
As an example, my free local papers are all using petroleum oil based ink.
It is not safe to have prolonged contact with such ink... especially for animals that might digest it.
 
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