[Gpdd] MISCELLANEOUS: Pine Bedding/Rachel

[Bella Reich]

Hi Rachel...here is my experience (accumulated over 14 years of owning 4 
different pigs) with bedding.  For the first 2 pigs, I used cedar shavings.  
The pigs seemed to do just fine with it and it smelled pleasant enough.  The 
first pig lived for only 2 years but the second pig lived for 7 1/2 years. 
At one point early on in the life of pig #3 (Peter), I had him at the vets 
and we were discussing various things.  He owned and loved several guinea 
pigs at the time and just about jumped down my throat when I told what kind 
of bedding I used.  He said cedar was a bad, bad choice and since pigs are 
so prone to respiratory problems anyway, the cedar odor just created an 
environment for them that was just asking for trouble.  He strongly 
suggested using SHREDDED aspen pine bedding only.  It's not perfect but far 
better.

I have used the shredded aspen pine ever since.  I tried Care Fresh at 
different times with my first 3 pigs and they all hated it. I hated it too.  
When it got wet, it looked and felt like soggy grey cardboard.  And it was 
very expensive...much too expensive for my budget.  Plus, when I would first 
put the pigs back down in it...they didn't want to move or step in it.  I 
don't think they cared for it at all.

Everyone does things a little different...I see that some contributors to 
this digest use towels, some use Care Fresh, etc.  I don't know what kind of 
pine you are using, but if you are not using the shredded aspen pine, it is 
something to look into.  I change Vito's bedding on Wednesday & Sundays.  If 
I didn't work full time and take of a large home by myself, I would change 
the bedding at least one more day a week but that's the best I can do.

Bella...slave to the beautiful Vito Lee!