Potty pads instead of bedding?

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Brenny

Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2020
Messages
21
I am thinking to remove the potty pan (currently filled with recycled paper bedding) completely with fleece potty pads (the rest of the cage floor will be lined with tiles). Is that recommended?
 
You can try that, fleece isn't as absorbant as bedding so you will likely have to wash it daily to avoid pee smell if the chin uses it. Paper bedding is not safe so I would remove that regardless of what you decide to do, the only safe bedding is aspen shavings or kiln dried pine shavings.
 
You can try that, fleece isn't as absorbant as bedding so you will likely have to wash it daily to avoid pee smell if the chin uses it. Paper bedding is not safe so I would remove that regardless of what you decide to do, the only safe bedding is aspen shavings or kiln dried pine shavings.

Dear Amethyst,

I noticed when I put a fleece pad in my chin's cage along with his potty pan, he seems to just randomly pee everywhere on the fleece pad and around his cage and no long pee in his pee pan. After I remove the fleece pad, he is back to only peeing in his pee pan. I read some suggestions that kiln-dried pine and aspen shavings may cause respirational problems due to dust. So I was thinking maybe I should just switch his pee pan entirely with a smaller fleece pee pad (more sustainable and seems healthier).

However, I do want to try the kiln-dried pine shaving before I switch to completely using fleece pads. Is there a way to check if a chin is allergic to wood dust? And how to tell if a wood shaving is kiln-dried? I got a sample of wood shaving from a pet supply seller which mentioned the shavings as "heat-treated" and almost dust-free (Wood fibre 'Excellent' - Plospan). I am little cautious in trying it as it didn't state "kiln-dried". However, I am not sure if "kiln-dried" is a USA only term and not commonly used elsewhere in the world. Does heat-treatment equal to kiln-dried processing?

Many thanks.
 
Shavings can cause issues in most animals that actually live on and in the shavings, like hamsters, rats, gerbil, hedgehogs, etc since they spend most if not all their life with their noses literally in the shavings since they nest and burrow into it. On the other hand I doubt your chin lives in the litter pan, so the odds it would cause any issues is slim unless your chin is allergic. If the chin is allergic you will notice things like sneezing, itchy skin, and watery eyes. There are also many owners and breeders that have been using kiln dried and aspen shavings for decades without any issue.

The aspen I use for my litter pan is pretty much dust free, the chins create more wood dust from chewing on things in their cage then is in the shavings. I don't know if heat treated is the same as kiln dried, but since there is only really two ways to dry pine wood, heated in a kiln or air dried (like for firewood), I would think so. Kiln dried pine is dried in a large kiln that is heated over time to fully dry out the wood as well as to evaporate the oils and melt the sap so it drips out. Since that shavings you linked is marketed for horses I would think it's been properly dried, my only worry is what kind of wood it is (unless I missed it it's not listed), the only safe shavings are pine or aspen.
 
Shavings can cause issues in most animals that actually live on and in the shavings, like hamsters, rats, gerbil, hedgehogs, etc since they spend most if not all their life with their noses literally in the shavings since they nest and burrow into it. On the other hand I doubt your chin lives in the litter pan, so the odds it would cause any issues is slim unless your chin is allergic. If the chin is allergic you will notice things like sneezing, itchy skin, and watery eyes. There are also many owners and breeders that have been using kiln dried and aspen shavings for decades without any issue.

The aspen I use for my litter pan is pretty much dust free, the chins create more wood dust from chewing on things in their cage then is in the shavings. I don't know if heat treated is the same as kiln dried, but since there is only really two ways to dry pine wood, heated in a kiln or air dried (like for firewood), I would think so. Kiln dried pine is dried in a large kiln that is heated over time to fully dry out the wood as well as to evaporate the oils and melt the sap so it drips out. Since that shavings you linked is marketed for horses I would think it's been properly dried, my only worry is what kind of wood it is (unless I missed it it's not listed), the only safe shavings are pine or aspen.
Dear Amethyst,

Thank you very much for your advice. The wood listed in this link is pine (as the seller himself uses it for his rabbits). I think it should be safe for a chin then. 😄
 
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