Vetbed Vs Fleece?

RingoandOlly

RingoandOlly

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi all,
I'm moving away from disposable bedding but I don't know whether to move the boys onto fleece cage liners from Ziggys Piggies or Vetbed. Is there anyone who has experience of both types of bedding? If not could I have some pros and/or cons of either? What about price and maintenance? This will be for an outdoor hutch.
Thanks! xx
 
I briefly used Vetbed in the small section of my Ferplast 160. It does stay dry on top, but I found it gets wet underneath. Washing it made the pile change too, so it was rippled instead of smooth-looking. The piggies weren't that enamoured of it either, preferring to sleep on their cuddly sheep or in their hay-filled hidey house. I made some fleece liners which have a padded cotton mattress topper sandwiched between fleece layers, and they've been fab. I put newspaper underneath them to soak up any wees, and they stay dry on top, so the bigger section of the cage is fleece lined, while the small section is now a hay tray. I'm not sure either one would be suitable for outside use, though, as they might get damp overnight from the dew.
 
I have used Vet Fleece, which is that same a Vet Bed, I really liked it and it was lovely and thick for the piggies but I find it easier to use polar fleece. I washed the Vet Fleece every 4 days and changed the pads or towels underneath every other day. It is easier to use polar fleece though because I can pick it up and shake off the poos etc, although it needs washing every other day. I could put the Vet Fleece on the floor and vacuum it though. For luxury, Vet Fleece is better, it does cost more but lasts.
 
Vet bed is the best I have ever used, the only draw back I have experienced is the hay l feed to my pigs!
When I get to the bottom of a bale (alfafa king thimathy hay ) there are very small amounts of dust! This dust over time has a tendency to block t the washing machines filter!
But when i was using a standard type of hay with a much higher percentage of dust and more washing machine filter problems

If you are using vet bed then try and feed plenty of hay, try and avoid the dust at the end of the bag !
Otherwise vet bed is so incredibly comfy and I have never experienced problems like bumble foot, and to my mind far superior to any other bedding
 
I love vetbed, I started out using fleece but found it very hard to get the hay and hair off it. I found fleece smelt of wee more, vetbed locks the smell underneath. I use puppy pads with newspaper on top under the vetbed. Change newspaper daily, puppy pads when necessary. I do use fleece pee pads in the heavy wee corners, little squares I made with two layers of cotton toped padded mattress cover sandwiched between fleece. I can change the pee pads daily if necessary. I change the vetbed every 4 days in the winter, this time of year it goes longer as piggys are outside in the run on good days. I take the vetbed outside and shake it over the garden then give it a brush. If it's pouring with rain I hoover it inside. The vetbed is heavier to wash and is of course more expensive initially. Not sure about using fleece or vetbed outside.
You can buy small squares of vetbed on ebay, usually sold as cat beds., might be worth you trying a small bit under a hide and see how you get on. Also try a pee pad rather than a whole cage liner, this would give you an idea of your preference before you spend a small fortune.
 
vet bed is very good in the winter for outside hutches,you will need puppypads or a fleece liner under it,fleece liners i found remained damp when used outside in cold weather.vet bed is dry in 20 mins once washed,whilst still damp from out of the washing machine run a rubber brush over it and the pile comes up like new.vet bed lasts 10 years.:)
 
RingoandOlly said:
Still not sure about the difference between the two...
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Vet Fleece/Bed is a lot thicker than regular fleece. It doesn't need washing as often. It can be vacuumed. It takes up the whole washing machine. It's more luxurious because it's thicker.
 
So everyone prefers vet bed? Can you just put newspaper underneath and how often should it be washed?
 
gizzy said:
Vet bed is the best I have ever used, the only draw back I have experienced is the hay l feed to my pigs!
When I get to the bottom of a bale (alfafa king thimathy hay ) there are very small amounts of dust! This dust over time has a tendency to block t the washing machines filter!
But when i was using a standard type of hay with a much higher percentage of dust and more washing machine filter problems

If you are using vet bed then try and feed plenty of hay, try and avoid the dust at the end of the bag !
Otherwise vet bed is so incredibly comfy and I have never experienced problems like bumble foot, and to my mind far superior to any other bedding
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Mine always shred hay cakes on the vet bed! I brush all the bits of hay off and place the vetbed in a pillowcase, tied at the top. Stops any bits getting in the washing machine :)
 
Thanks everyone! xx
I'm still not sure whether to make the change as I would have to do the washing at the launderette and I'm worried about it staying damp after it rains.
 
Mine are inside so I don't have experience of Vet Fleece/Bed outside. It's not that expensive from Zooplus, you could try it and see, just check it every day.
 
I have used vetbed with my boys for years and would never change. I use newspaper underneath and wash the vetbed up to twice a week. Mine dries in just a few hours over a laundry airer in the house.
 
JenniferG said:
Mine are inside so I don't have experience of Vet Fleece/Bed outside. It's not that expensive from Zooplus, you could try it and see, just check it every day.
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With the fleece blanket from zooplus, wouldn't I have to sew something absorbent between two blankets?
 
I just use the Vet Fleece that I have with something absorbent underneath that I change every other day. I don't do the liner thing that involves sewing. Under my fleece I use a washable incontinence pad, or towels or disposable incontinence pads. As others have posted, you can use newspaper too.
 
JenniferG said:
I just use the Vet Fleece that I have with something absorbent underneath that I change every other day. I don't do the liner thing that involves sewing. Under my fleece I use a washable incontinence pad, or towels or disposable incontinence pads. As others have posted, you can use newspaper too.
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Oh, right. Thank you for all your help with this xx
 
I never got on with vetbed. tried it a few years ago with my house bunny and just found the hay got all stuck in it and also it was really thick and heavy in the washing machine and took ages to dry. I've found fleece much easier.
 
Eileen's Mum said:
I never got on with vetbed. tried it a few years ago with my house bunny and just found the hay got all stuck in it and also it was really thick and heavy in the washing machine and took ages to dry. I've found fleece much easier.
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Now I just don't know what to decide! Oh dear, I'm a bit stuck here! :help:
 
Can vet fleece be cut to size? Can fleece be cut to size? With either material I need to be able to cut it as it is for a hutch and I cannot find the size I need anywhere!
 
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