Suprise Vet Bed

[Kylie80]

My partner has suprised me for valentines day and purchased vet bed for the piggies because I stated I only wanted something for the piggies for valentines and definitely NO chocolate lol. Anyway I don't even know what vet bed looks like but can someone tell me if it's very absorbant as Patchy ever since we got her is a soaker pee'er and under her hidey is always wet with pee even though they are on a towel, puppy pads and double fleece and fleece pee pads under the hideys, the pee pads get damp and are changed daily so she isn't sitting on damp pads and a pee pad under it. Makes not much difference though.

 

[JenniferG]

I have used Vet Fleece which is the same thing. I find the piggies are drier and less smelly using it rather than other bedding. I change it every 4 days but it could go longer, and I change the towels or incontinence pad underneath every two days. Clove likes to sleep under the ledge and on top of a fleece snuggle sack rather then inside it, so that sack takes a lot of pee but she's still drier (she's a fluffy piggy so gets wetter than the others).

 

[GPcrazy]

Vet bed is not absorbant, but like fleece, it wicks the moisture straight through and stays dry on top (well, in theory, I haven't actually used it).
So you will definitely need an absorbant layer under the vet bed to soak up the pee, but the top, where the piggy is, should remain dry to the touch.
I'm not sure if you first have to wash vet bed a few times to get it to wick like you do with fleece though, but perhaps someone else could comment on that.

 

[DM030819]

Yeah, Vet Bed is not absorbant at all. The pee goes straight through so you still need to use something underneath it to soak up the pee.

I use it under my pigs hideys.

 

[DM030819]

I would recommend giving it a couple of washes, just because I tend to find it smells quite strong. It usually wicks first time fine.

 

[JenniferG]

I had instructions with mine on how to care for it. I washed it just once to start with. You will need a horse bag (I bought one from ebay) to wash it in to save your washing machine. It's much thicker than regular fleece and it wicks very well. As with fleece, don't use fabric conditioner and was at 60 degrees.

This is what they sell at Zooplus - Vetbed® Original Grey | Great deals at zooplus!

This is Clove modelling some Vet Fleece which is pretty much the same thing. Mine doesn't smell though when new.

 

[Kylie80]

Ok so it arrived today and I only ordered it yesterday, it's huge and thicker than what I thought it would be. So is it like fleece where you have to spot clean and change once a week when you cage clean (or before if Patchy has pee'd everywhere). Sorry about the questions, I could google but I prefer to ask people who may have used it before. I think it's going to be quite heavy when it's wet.

 

[JenniferG]

I prefer to wash mine every 4 days and change what I have underneath it every 2 days. I use a mini dust pan and brush to clear it each day. You need to buy a horse bag to wash it in, as I posted above. I use polar fleece for time when the vet fleece is drying

 

[RavenRed]

I've only used it for about a week and didn't have anything underneath.
It was very wet under it, and the vet fleece was wet, but I assume this is because the pee didn't have anywhere to soak into.
I found it quite difficult to brush off hay and poo as the fibres are quite long.
It is snuggly for the piggies though.

 

[JenniferG]

I does need something absorbent underneath, I use either 4 hand towels or a washable incontinence pad. It is thick enough to use a vacuum cleaner on it.

 

[SarahWonderland]

Hey hey.
So I use VetBed or VetFleece what ever you wish to call it. I personally love it and so do my pigs.
I wash my vetbed once prior to placing in the cage, i change it every 7 days and the towels (cheap from kmart) every 3 days (mostly because I'm picky haha).
I find it very good, it gets rid of the wee really well. I do agree it is hard to get hay, food and poo off of but i also take my boys out twice a day to use a handheld vacuum to get rid of poop (much easier). I find it does start to smell after 7 days this is why i clean it, that and it just made sense to me.
I do wash it in my washing machine without a horse bag, but before hand make sure 100% no poo or hay is on it so that doesn't go through the machine. Though i still do a drum clean after finishing doing "piggy laundry".

 

[flowerfairy]

I use vet bed as mats in the guinea pigs' hidey houses on top of my fleece cage liner (polar fleece, zorb, polar fleece sewn together). Is great.

I also use microfibre mats;

What a totally brilliant valentines gift. Lovely pattern. You could always use it in two halves if it is too bulky for your machine.

 

[Annabellam]

Awwww! Such a great gift for Valentines. Very thoughtful indeed.

 

[piggieminder]

What a lovely present, bet the piggies will appreciate it too.

I use newspaper under mine and puppy pads in wet corners. I find it's less smellie than the fleece liners I use sometimes. I wash it every 4 days in winter but once a week in the summer if the piggies are spending lots of time in the outside run. I only washed mine once before using. I brush hair and hay off in the garden with a very stiff brush. The first few washes it's quite stiff to bend into the machine but it does soften up and get more bendy.

 

[Kylie80]

I does need something absorbent underneath, I use either 4 hand towels or a washable incontinence pad. It is thick enough to use a vacuum cleaner on it.

Do you think those disposable puppy pads will do with a old fleece doubled over underneath. Will need to look into if we can get the incontinence pads over here.

 

[Kylie80]

I use vet bed as mats in the guinea pigs' hidey houses on top of my fleece cage liner (polar fleece, zorb, polar fleece sewn together). Is great.

I also use microfibre mats;

What a totally brilliant valentines gift. Lovely pattern. You could always use it in two halves if it is too bulky for your machine.

It is a lovely pattern. I thought about cutting it in half to fit better but jeez it's thick, might be a job for my partner lol.

 

[JenniferG]

Do you think those disposable puppy pads will do with a old fleece doubled over underneath. Will need to look into if we can get the incontinence pads over here.

I started out with puppy pads but found they didn't absorb much at all. Some people use them though. I prefer towels for when I'm washing/drying the incontinence pad.