# Wood shavings safe???



## Luv My Bunnies (Jun 8, 2012)

Reading up on info...and I'm now wondering if wood shavings are safe?.... My bunnies have a 4level wood home with ramps and chicken cage door with a wood frame that my husband built each one of them the levels are wood covered in the grass like rug...looks like fake grass.at the bottoms of their homes they have a pan letterbox and fill the bottom of it in wood shavings and change it every other day.they mostly always run down there,go potty,then go back up....so long story but I'm wondering if the shavings I put in there is safe????can anyone help.thx:wink:big wink:


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## Blue eyes (Jun 9, 2012)

I've always read that cedar and pine shavings are not good because they can cause respiratory problems and liver disease.

Have you tried using wood pellets in the litter box? That seems to work well for me and they're cheap.


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## Luv My Bunnies (Jun 9, 2012)

I have not....I'll give it a try though i've already lost my 10yr old bunny bout a nth ago&i want all my others to be safe....I dnt wanna lose any more.it was hard enough with him.thx


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## Nelsons_Mom (Jun 9, 2012)

The wood pellets that she is talking about are the kind that you use for a pellet stove. They're usually 5-7 dollars for a 40lb bag. However, make sure they say HARDWOOD, as soft woods like pine and cedar are toxic, and also make sure they don't have any lighter fluid in them already (it would advertise if it did, which makes it easy to tell). 

I used to use them in my rat litter boxes before my new girl decided she was too cool for the litter box. Now I use aspen shavings (Aspen is a hardwood and safe to use). You have to change them at least twice a week because when they break down, it turns to dust which might cause some sneezy bunnies!


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## Pet_Bunny (Jun 9, 2012)

The 40 lb. wood pellets I get are fine with me. And I have used it for the last 8 years.
The brand called Firemaster (Product of Canada) is listed as Wood Pellets and Pet Bedding is 100% softwood, no additives, no chemicals, and clean burning.
It does have a pine smell, but if it is too strong for your taste, you can leave it out (to air out), and the odour will dissipate. 
Because they are kiln dried and pressed into pellets, the oils and creosote are eliminated.


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## Luv My Bunnies (Jun 9, 2012)

O.... So the Aspen is safe???can I get that at petco? Or where would I buy that at? Hearing different things,like pellets...then not pine&ceder...then pine pellets ok ...so I'm a bit confussedjust wana gt the best for them.I'm using the wood shavings right now that I got told was fine from the feed store...it has a horse on the bag.


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## melbaby80 (Jun 9, 2012)

http://www.rabbit.org/care/shavings.html

Hope that helps. I use the wood pellets too for litter. Its the same as feline pine, only cheaper. I bought a 40lb bag at my local feed store for $5.00. Can not beat that. 

Aspen shavings are said to be safe, its pine and cedar that are the ones which cause serious problems.

Hope that helps!


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## Blue eyes (Jun 9, 2012)

While I recommended the wood pellets, I have not always used them. Before that I used Yesterdays News unscented litter. It actually looks just like the wood pellets. It's just made from recycled paper (hence it's name). 

That also works very well if you just want to avoid the wood controversy. Yesterdays News (unscented only!) costs a bit more. That is why I switched to the wood pellets.

Either way, I prefer the pelleted-types of litter because they are not so loose and fluffy and messy. The shavings seem to track everywhere.


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## Pet_Bunny (Jun 9, 2012)

Luv My Bunnies wrote:


> O.... So the Aspen is safe?
> ...then pine pellets ok ...



Aspen is a hardwood so it is safe.

Imagine Pellets and Shavings as two different things. Wood Pellets are small cylindrical chopped up tubes. Wood Shavings are flaky flat pieces like Corn Flakes.

Wood pellets made with softwood is fine. This is what I use. I have not seen any hardwood wood pellets (but it is possible they are available). 

Wood shavings with Cedar is definitely a no.
I would stay away from Pine Wood Shavings too. (But some people use them).
Aspen wood shaving is fine.

As Blue Eyes said, there are other products such as Yesterdays News and other types of litter that can be used. However this topic is about wood, and I use wood pellets.


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## melbaby80 (Jun 9, 2012)

*Blue eyes wrote: *


> While I recommended the wood pellets, I have not always used them. Before that I used Yesterdays News unscented litter. It actually looks just like the wood pellets. It's just made from recycled paper (hence it's name).
> 
> That also works very well if you just want to avoid the wood controversy. Yesterdays News (unscented only!) costs a bit more. That is why I switched to the wood pellets.
> 
> Either way, I prefer the pelleted-types of litter because they are not so loose and fluffy and messy. The shavings seem to track everywhere.


Did you like yesterdays news? I used it too but I felt it did not get rid of the urine smell like the wood pellets do. Personally I love the smell of wood and sawdust and that's exactly what the pine pellets smell like to me even when wet. Love that the wood pellets remove that urine smell.


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## Blue eyes (Jun 10, 2012)

*melbaby80 wrote: *


> Did you like yesterdays news? I used it too but I felt it did not get rid of the urine smell like the wood pellets do. Personally I love the smell of wood and sawdust and that's exactly what the pine pellets smell like to me even when wet. Love that the wood pellets remove that urine smell.




Actually, I thought it did just fine absorbing the urine smell. I put it in rather thick, though - maybe 2" deep. 

I didn't originally expect the wood pellets to do as well as Yesterdays News but was a bit surprisedwhen it did.Now that I'm thinking about it, I've been using quite a bit less of the wood pellets. I don't put in nearly as much and it still absorbs the odor. 

I'm really pleased with the pellets -- for odor absorbing AND for price!

(I have to get my wood pellets from a feed store (they use them for horse stalls?) because wood pellet stoves are rather a rarity here in HOT Phoenix so hardware stores don't carry them. They cost about $8 for 40 lbs - still cheaper than Yesterday News.)


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## melbaby80 (Jun 10, 2012)

Ah so very true! Here in Washington they sell the wood pellets in the feed store year round, but hardware stores don't.


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## Luv My Bunnies (Jun 12, 2012)

Thx


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## Nelsons_Mom (Jun 12, 2012)

Though I am obviously in the minority here, I would avoid using pine or cedar in any form. How it is cut or compressed (to my knowledge) does not affect how the oils in it react with the ammonia in urine that make it toxic.

The Hardwood Stove Pellets (which are just like the pine wood pellets described, but make with hardwoods) are safe.

Also, you can get pelleted aspen, which is probably the safest way to go. c:


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## jamestown478 (Jun 12, 2012)

would these pellets be ok?

http://www.menards.com/main/heating-cooling/fuel/40-lb-premium-wood-pellets/p-1463989-c-6855.htm


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## Watermelons (Jun 12, 2012)

*Nelsons_Mom wrote: *


> Though I am obviously in the minority here, I would avoid using pine or cedar in any form. How it is cut or compressed (to my knowledge) does not affect how the oils in it react with the ammonia in urine that make it toxic.
> 
> The Hardwood Stove Pellets (which are just like the pine wood pellets described, but make with hardwoods) are safe.
> 
> Also, you can get pelleted aspen, which is probably the safest way to go. c:


Agreed

I used Aspen shavings for years. You can buy it for about $10 for a 4cu.ft. bale at petco/petsmart.

Hardwood only. If its an evergreen tree, I would stay far far away.

And if they cant tell you what kind of tree the product is from, I would stay even farther away.


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## jamestown478 (Jun 12, 2012)

or how about these?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Pennington-Fuel-Pellets/16795274


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## Watermelons (Jun 12, 2012)

Those are Oak, Oak is a leafy tree, Oak is safe  

Just make sure they haven't been sprayed with anything given that their a wood fuel pellet.


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## Snowballbun (Jun 16, 2012)

I got premium hardwood pellet fuel but it says not for human or animal consumption. Rt now she uses yesterdays news so do u think this kind is safe ? I. Don't think its treated . If the rabbit eats a little would it still be okay


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## LuluBellaBunny (Sep 17, 2012)

Hi Blue Eyes, since you mentioned Phoenix, I am having that pellet-finding problem... 

I am trying to find the wood pellets in East Valley (I am in Chandler), any leads? Or even where you get them on your side of town? Thank you!

Jen, & Lulu


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## Sammiesmama (Sep 18, 2012)

Anyone know if the wood fuel pellets from tractor supply are safe to use? http://www.tractorsupply.com/wood-fuel-pellets-40-lb--3195163#product_tabs


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## Nancy McClelland (Sep 18, 2012)

We use PetsPick KILN DRIED Pine from WalMart. The kiln drying removes the phenols from pine making it safe for small animals, while cedar in any form is toxic and why it is used to line hope chest and doesn't smell as bad a moth balls. Been using Pine for more than ten years and have had several of ours go past the ten year mark. Coal passed away in May at 13 1/2 and she'd been around pine bedding her whole life.


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