Bedding headache 😖

Patterjack&Piggles

Patterjack&Piggles

New Born Pup
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Pembrokeshire, Wales
Hello all!

Sorry for yet another bedding related post! I'm just at the end of my tether with it! I've tried fleece, which didn't work for me, having three hutches it was proving too much extra to an already full day. They are back on woodshavings/Aubiose with puppy pads underneath, and get cleaned every other or 3rd day depending how messy they are, but oh my gosh! The amount I'm bagging up to dispose of! And I'm being a bit frugal with it too...

My question is, would puppy pads and with a layer of hay be ok for them? They have a generous helping everyday that ends up all over the place anyway, so can I just use that as their substrate?

Sorry for the long post, this is just make me anxious as I can't find something that works for us all!
 
I wouldn't do it, but maybe that's a personal thing. Unlike with beddings like aubiose/carefresh/back2nature/megazorb, hay isn't going to absorb anything, it's all going to end up straight on the puppy pads. The amount of urine builds up very quickly when it has nowhere else to go.
 
Lorcan said:
I wouldn't do it, but maybe that's a personal thing. Unlike with beddings like aubiose/carefresh/back2nature/megazorb, hay isn't going to absorb anything, it's all going to end up straight on the puppy pads. The amount of urine builds up very quickly when it has nowhere else to go.
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I thought this, but I've got in such a tizzy over this, and various other things in life at the moment, I no longer trust my own judgement and seem incapable of coming to any decision 😓
 
I just use wood shavings - if you have a garden, it’s great to put on the compost heap. Compost made from guinea pig faeces and paper/wood - based bedding is wonderful for the plants as well.
As for the hay, I’d maybe use it for one section of the hutch, but maybe it could irritate the guinea pigs skin if they’re sitting on it 24/7? Just that mine hate standing or lying on it!
 
I think it’s just trial and error to find out what works best for you and your piggies.
 
Patterjack&Piggles said:
My question is, would puppy pads and with a layer of hay be ok for them? They have a generous helping everyday that ends up all over the place anyway, so can I just use that as their substrate?
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I have used puppy pads (washable here's the link Inconti-Pet® Puppy Kitten Whelping Washable Reusable Absorbent Training Pad | eBay) with lots of hay on top for around 2 years including in the winter (where I just use more hay) and I and my piggies like it. The hutch gets thoroughly cleaned out once a week and it's all fine. I was using disposable puppy pads first but they weren't that good. The ones I have linked for you are a bit wide for my hutch but I just fit it in so that its flush with the front of the hutch and let it just ride a bit up the back of the hutch. I have 2 full ones in the bottom of the hutch and I have 1 full one and 1 cut to fit at the top where the sleeping bit is. It works fine for me. When the hay gets a bit low I just add more on the top. I have just come back from 2 weeks away and my piggy sitter didn't clean out the hutch and it was still OK.
 
In the rescue we have many foster carers looking after the piggies in different homes. If you put us all together you’d be hard pressed to find two of us with identical way of keeping piggies. We all just do what works for us. And even us old hands try different bedding and floor coverings from time to time.
 
Betsy said:
I tried that and it was fine with my 2 Rainbow piggies for 5 years but with 5 piggies the newspaper turned mushy and I couldn't get enough newspaper.
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Yup! I've tried the newspaper, it's fine for my single pig, but with the pairs it gets wet very quickly, and I can't get enough to regularly replace it (freebie newspapers are like hens teeth here!)
 
Patterjack&Piggles said:
Hello all!

Sorry for yet another bedding related post! I'm just at the end of my tether with it! I've tried fleece, which didn't work for me, having three hutches it was proving too much extra to an already full day. They are back on woodshavings/Aubiose with puppy pads underneath, and get cleaned every other or 3rd day depending how messy they are, but oh my gosh! The amount I'm bagging up to dispose of! And I'm being a bit frugal with it too...

My question is, would puppy pads and with a layer of hay be ok for them? They have a generous helping everyday that ends up all over the place anyway, so can I just use that as their substrate?

Sorry for the long post, this is just make me anxious as I can't find something that works for us all!
Click to expand...
Have you tried vetbed? My pigs love it, it’s so thick and comfy for them and it is recommended by some vets as a good substitute for fleece.
 
I also use vetbed, got a great 3m roll of it on eBay for £22 when I replaced the last lot!

I put towels underneath (two boars) and wash/change it all once a week. My boys love it, the smell, even after a long, hot week, is minimal, and it's easy to spot clean!
 
The vetbed sounds good, but as I found with the fleece, hutches with the weird nooks and crannies doesn't work well with it! I can't complain too much, they were gifted, but I do wonder if this whole guinea pig lark would be a bit easier with cages?!
 
AimeeOx said:
I also use vetbed, got a great 3m roll of it on eBay for £22 when I replaced the last lot!

I put towels underneath (two boars) and wash/change it all once a week. My boys love it, the smell, even after a long, hot week, is minimal, and it's easy to spot clean!
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Same! (but I put puppy pads instead of towels)
 
Patterjack&Piggles said:
The vetbed sounds good, but as I found with the fleece, hutches with the weird nooks and crannies doesn't work well with it! I can't complain too much, they were gifted, but I do wonder if this whole guinea pig lark would be a bit easier with cages?!
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The vet bed is far easier to cut to size than fleece, and it tends not to lose it's shape or go all funny around the edges..!

I have a few random shapes/sizes that I slot into houses etc..!
 
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