What is the best bedding?

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cavlover1018

I might get a guinea pig in about 4 weeks and I am not sure what is the best bedding. I think old carpet because I heard wood shavings are bad but then I thought how do I clean and reuse carpet any suggestions are greatly appreciated thanks
 
There are lots of different choices. Many (including me) will warn you away from woodshavings because they are dusty and contain oils which can seriously irritate the skin and respiratory system.

I use polyester fleece blankets and megazorb. Megazorb is bedding made from paper pulp - a more well known brand for pets is Carefresh (available all over the world, megazorb is a UK thing) but Carefresh is expensive. Fleece is good because poops sit on top and can be easily brushed off. Moisture goes straight through it to newspaper you would put underneath.

Other people use Vetbed which is a deep-piled fleece specifically meant for animals as it wicks away moisture. It is good but is terrible for getting hay stuck to it!

Hay and newspaper is an option but as it doesn't absorb it needs to be cleaned very, very regularly. Remember that all guinea pigs need unlimited hay regardless of what bedding you use.

I definitely would not use carpet - even if you did litter train your piggies it would never be 100% and carpet would be virtually impossible to clean.
 
I used shavings and it irritated my guinea's skin.. So I switched to megazorb, which gave him a respiratory infection.

What next?
 
Try something like fleece or vetbed as mentioned above. I'm curious, though, how did the megazorb "give" him a respiratory infection? It can be a bit dusty at times but obviously you wouldn't put the pigs on it before any dust settled.
 
OoOoOh megazorb sounds dusty never mind using it ;D I'm not gonna try that ?
 
My guineas are sneezing a hell of a lot mroe now they use megazorb.. Suppose each one is different though
 
Well mien arent sneezing using woodshavings so I'm not going to change to megazorb after what ive read and its up to me what i choose to use or not to use even if i havent tried it before
 
I tried megazorb and liked it but to cover the cage etc it was going to be just as costly as the woodshavings and i found it had a horrible smell. So they are still on woodshavings until i can find Auibose bedding near me. I haven't had any problems with woodshavings apart from the fact it sticks to the fleece beds i bought for them, so i can use them until i change my bedding. I would use fleece but with 2 kids, i ahve enough washing to do ;D
 
;D same here i would never use anything that can be washed really cause i dont want to be washing by hands or using our washer what we wash our clothese in and as i have no problems with woodshavings I'm still going to use them as i dont see any problem with them as ive been using it for years and years :)
 
I know it can happen but i have never had any problems with piggies skin or breathing due to woodshavings. Its a personal choice what we use. xx
 
Megazorb is ok. Better than woodshavings. I don't think it's dusty. I use Medi Bed which is a soft chopped straw. It's not majorly absorbant but suits me
 
I use whole newspapers layered on the froor. I shred newsprint because its warm and cosy. The diamond short cut type is too messy and I`m sure not as warm. Unfortuneatly long cut shredders are getting harder to find. Newsprint bedding is cheap, warm and easy to clean (though it must be done twice a week).

Just a word of warning. Don`t use shredded paper from offices. It may have staples in it. Besides, its hard paper too. Newsprint is soft and warmer.

My GP`s also have handfuls of dried grass and hay which they love to knibble on all day. If you pul your own grass make sure it is free from exhaust fumes, pesticides / weedkiller and animal pee.

In the warmer weather when mine are outdoors I use loads of hay instead of newsprint. Pet shop hay is 20 times the price of a farmer/wholesaler suppliers of hay.

My GP`s love to tunnel into the hay and make burrows. I clean the lot out twice a week and there is nothing better than seeing a GP popcorning around new bedding. They know its fresh hay and ready to eat.
 
I have tried woodshaving which I hated as it goes everywhere and and made my 2 itchy, then moved onto vetbed which I couldn't get on with and am now using megazorb which I think is great! So glad i switched it is soft and very very absorbent and my mates have all said you wouldn't no I had pets in my house at all as you can't smell them as megazorb smells slightly sweet. Each to there own tho think you should try a few and see which one suits you. xx
 
i use shredded paper from the office i work at - it is cross cut so it looks more like shavings which is fine - remove the staples etc (generally i use only paper that i have accumilated) - and it is fine - i put it on layers of newspaper so it is warmer and pile on some hay for extra snugglyness - they seem to love it! it is also easy to clean up as you can just roll the newspaper up with it inside and throw it in the recyling!
:P
it is also cheaper than the products that you can buy in the shops.. :smitten:
 
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