Few Q's for vet bed users!

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Amanda1801

Amanda1801

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I'm fed up with fleece!

In fact I got so annoyed with it, it all went straight in the bin! :<>

The wiggles now have some nice plush (cow print!) vet bed, as I figure it's just going to be easier.

So..

Q 1) What do you have under your vet bed for absorbancy?

Q 2) How often do you change said underneath-stuff and vet bed?

Q 3) Can you tumble dry vet bed? (mine is the rubber backed stuff, not the almost hessian like backed stuff!)

Q 4) Did I make a good choice switching to vet bed? (I hope so, cos it's so damn expensive!)

Amanda & the pigs
 
Can I ask why you didn't like fleece ? I'm changing to fleece so wondering what the cons were ? Hope you don't mind me asking but how much was your vet bed, does it cover the whole cage ?
 
kimlou5288 said:
Can I ask why you didn't like fleece ? I'm changing to fleece so wondering what the cons were ? Hope you don't mind me asking but how much was your vet bed, does it cover the whole cage ?
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Fleece didnt work for me because I live in a tiny flat and have no garden, so washing and drying it was an issue for me. I just had nowhere to dry the stuff. In my previous flat where I had a garden, and much much more room, it was fine!

I paid £30 for a piece of 4ft x 3ft vet bed from a pet shop, cos it was cow print rolleyes It covers all but 1ft of my cage, I currently have inco pads on this as I'm waiting for some more vet bed to be delivered.

It's much cheaper on ebay and I'm awaiting a delivery in the post!
 
Hello! I've always used vet bed right from the start as i do think it is better than fleece.

I use this bed pad under my vet bed, I got them from amazon as another member on here had recommended them [ame]http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000MES1W8/ref=oss_product[/ame]

I normally change the whole lot every 6-7 days, but I guess it depends on how big your area of cage is to how often it needs to be washed. I'm assuming smaller areas will need to be changed more often!

It always stays bone dry which is why i think it is so good. It's also lovely and thick and the piggies adore it, and it keeps them warmer in the winter. If you feel it where a piggy has been lying it's always toasty! I just shake it out and wash it in my machine, depending on how dirty it is i wash between 40-60 degrees and it's fine. I don't have a tumble drier so not too sure about that!

I think you could use newspaper underneath it too but you'd need to change it every day! Hope this is helpful! :)
 
Amanda1801 said:
Fleece didnt work for me because I live in a tiny flat and have no garden, so washing and drying it was an issue for me. I just had nowhere to dry the stuff. In my previous flat where I had a garden, and much much more room, it was fine!
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Thats the same reason I gave up fleece, I now use flax but would be interested to hear what people have to say about vetbed especially now that autum/ winter is coming.
 
Saysie said:
Thats the same reason I gave up fleece, I now use flax but would be interested to hear what people have to say about vetbed especially now that autum/ winter is coming.
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I think for me, I'm working on the basis that vet bed lasts longer between washes than fleece. I felt like I was permanently changing it!
 
Amanda1801 said:
(mine is the rubber backed stuff, not the almost hessian like backed stuff!)
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Excuse my ignorance but I'm just wondering how well the wee will wick (haha that sounds like a tongue twister!), with the rubber backing? I used to use Vetbed but mine always had the heavy canvas type backing which allowed wee through to towels underneath.

My piggies liked the Vetbed and it did stay dry between changes but I found it a pain to clean as the hay got stuck in the pile and was hard to get out.
 
missy said:
Excuse my ignorance but I'm just wondering how well the wee will wick (haha that sounds like a tongue twister!), with the rubber backing? I used to use Vetbed but mine always had the heavy canvas type backing which allowed wee through to towels underneath.

My piggies liked the Vetbed and it did stay dry between changes but I found it a pain to clean as the hay got stuck in the pile and was hard to get out.
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it's not solid rubber backing, its like rubber strips
 
I've used both fleece and vetbed, and I must say that vetbed is buy far the winner! The fleece was much harder to hoover and wash, and it doesn't shrink as much.

I just use some sheets of newspaper under mine, which seems to work pretty well. I change the paper daily as he's in a fairly small cage, as he drinks retardidly mallethead and spills most of it everywhere, the vetbed I also hoover and change each day. But it would really last a few days with just being hoovered.
I heard that you shouldn't tumble dry VB as it can loose its absorbency, I just hand mine over a chair to dry :)

IMO I'd say you made a good choice, although if you look on Ebay you can probably find it much cheaper ;) I did hehe
 
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I bought vet bed thinking the same as you-fewer washes! But for me, I find I have to wash it just as often as the fleece. I also find getting it clean really hard, the hay is so hard to shake off, I always end up having to run the Dyson over it, and even then some hay still won't shift. It also holds their fur, even after washing by itself in the washing machine at 60 and on the stained option, if I shake it, fur and dust can be seen flying every where in the light-not good for allergy sufferers. I do still use the vet bed sometimes, but only when all my fleece is in the wash...
 
I have used fleece for 3 years and now I'm leaning to vet bed, I too think its great but it depends on your personnal situation ie, cage sizes, drying time etc.

I have all boars, I think vetbed smells less, although I wash mine every 2 to 3 days anyway.
I've got 6 cages.
Pepper has bladder troubles and his cage definatley smells better with vet bed.
Minty & Pepe's cage is too large for vet bed, I would need 4 pieces which would mean 4 washes?
The foster pigs Meego and Ugo has vet bed, and yes so easy to whip out and wash, underneath I have disposable bed pads.

Then theres my 'sideboard' cage, because its an odd size and shape I put vet bed on the upper level and the hay area on the lower level. I bought one piece for £15 and got 2 pieces out of it cut to size with the hole for the ramp, its so easy to change too. There is just newspaper under this.

P1060183.jpg


The sideboard cage looks like a winter wonderland with white vetbed, I have green in some of my c&c cages and Meego and Ugo are on lilac because they are still upstairs on quarantine and it matches the bedroom :))

I like to play around with bedding as much as I like to with cages.
I am also using Lorraines handmade cage liner in one of my cages too, that came this week so its on a test drive. :))

I also have vet bed in my rabbits playhouse.

I dont mind hay on the vet bed, a good old shake and brush does the trick, the only thing I hate is when I give it a good shake and all the pee splats me in the face :)>>>
 
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