Softwood Sawdust

[phoebe]

About 4 days ago I got my first gerbils. I have been keeping them on something called Softwood Sawdust (the same as my mice) and I dont know if this means Pine. Does anyone know I'm starting to get worried. Thanks
Phoebe x

[reallybes]

Hi hello Phoebe, welcome to the board! I don't know if that's pine but consider switching to one of these recommended types of bedding: Aspen, Carefresh, Corncob, Hemp. I wouldn't trust anything else that has no "type" label on it

[phoebe]

Thanks Bes, I am going to my biggest local pet shop so I will check there. Oh and by the way the Fun Pics on Members pics are really sweet.Thanks,
Phoebe x

[maxthegerbil]

Hi phoebe. Nice to see you here! That`s good advice from bes about changing your litter type. The reason I wanted to reply aswell, was that you said that you also keep your mice on this sawdust? I just wanted to add (incase you did`nt know or were not aware) that mice carry a bacteria in their respiratory tract and airways called mycoplasma pulmonis. Now they are born with this, as are pet rats, which when kept on any type of sawdust/shavings, this in turn can aggravate the linings of the upper respiratory tract and cause mice and rats to sneeze and produce porphyrin staining from their harderian gland behind the eye and from their nose. It can cause congestion in the nasal passages and lungs, which is why I wanted to warn you against using any sawdust/shavings products for your mice aswell.

I use european spruce/fir shavings for my four gerbils, but I air the shavings off for as long as possible before using them. I tip the bag into a plastic container and rotate the shavings from one container to the other on a daily basis to allow the shavings to `breathe`. I hope this helps you in your quest for alternative litter. Shavings for the gerbils are fine, as long as they are NOT cedar or pine! If your not sure, or can`t find out their scource, try something else. I like the sound of corncob and hemp, but I`ve yet to find a stockist in my area, which is Central Scotland! Recycled cardboard squares are great for mice, but I don`t know if you can get such a thing in your area? If you are in the UK, have a look at this link:
www.hillmeadow.co.uk
You can click on their site map to find out who your nearest stockist might be. Good luck!

[phoebe]

Thanks Max for your info, it came in very handy. I went to the pet shop yesterday and have changed both my gerbils and my mice to Cafrefresh and have ordered some sawdust (the safe type) from the site you gave me. They all seem alot happier and more active.Oh and by the way what is Aspen? Thanks again,
Phoebe x