Help! Bedding Troubles - 2008/03/30 22:28So i ust found out that my local petco no longer sells super shavings, which is my usual bedding of choice. I've tried others, like LM animal farms and premier pet, but they just werent as soft nor good quality. So, when my local petco stopped selling super shavings, I decided to buy a HUGE bag of premier pet pine, because it was softer than the smaller bags and I had read on the website it was kiln dried.
However, while i was changing magellan's bedding today, I took out the new bedding and noticed two things: one, it seemed rather exceptionally moist and two, it smelled so ridiculously super piney. I got scared and have been trying for the last several hours to leave out the bedding aerate it, and i een put my heater over it in an attempt to dry it out myself...it still smelled super piney, and when i tried to put magellan in it, he started strangely convulsing, sneezing, and roling into a ball...this was the first time i paid attention to his reaction to bedding so mybe he is always like that, but it just looked so awful i had to take him out. So, i put back the old, super dirty bedding with some paper towels and shirts, and i decided to scrap changing the bedding tonight. I have no idea if this batch somehow wasnt kiln dried enough or what, and i was wondering, is there anyway to tell? if there isnt, i dont want to risk it...just beware of premier pet and all brand name shavings i guess, and if you get a chance, open up the package and sniff it and feel it before buying it...
any advice? anything i can do to dry it myself?
thanks, --sweta
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CThogs
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Posts: 1559
Re:Help! Bedding Troubles - 2008/03/31 06:07I would return the whole bag and get something else. Explain the problem to them.
I have never used the pine from premier pet, but I have used the aspen and never had a problem. Petco also sells carefresh and probably yesterdays news which are both recycled paper.Ann Connecticut Hedgehogs
It's weird that it was moist. I used to get pine and/or aspen bedding for my guinea pigs... tried a number of different brands and they never came moist. I wonder if maybe it got wet - maybe during shipping or at the store - then the moisture caused a problem... like some sort of mold or other nastiness.
Glad you noticed and got your hedgie out of there immediately!
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hokubahedgie
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Posts: 110
Re:Help! Bedding Troubles - 2008/03/31 07:46i really dont like carefresh or yesterday's news, and neither does magellan....i think i'm going to just order super shavings online at petco.com, pay the ridiculous shipping, but at least magellan will be happy ^^
it really is quite strange, and premier pet has never been like this before for me. Should i call up the company and let them know this might have been a bad batch or something?
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LORI611
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Posts: 240
Re:Help! Bedding Troubles - 2008/03/31 11:51hokubahedgie wrote: Should i call up the company and let them know this might have been a bad batch or something?
YES!!!LORI, SOUTHINGTON, CT Mom of: Chloe(dog), Mr.Toad(frog) and Hazel the hedgie!!
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dzmeadows
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Posts: 976
Re:Help! Bedding Troubles - 2008/04/01 14:06If you have a Kmart nearby, might check and see if they carry the "Pets Pick Pine" That is what I use, and it is quite reasonably priced. While you are there, wanna pick me up a huge bale? I need to clean cages, but can't go get any at the moment because I have a sick/whiney kid. :-P Becca
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HappyHedgie8
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Posts: 271
Re:Help! Bedding Troubles - 2008/04/01 15:31LORI611 wrote: hokubahedgie wrote: Should i call up the company and let them know this might have been a bad batch or something?
YES!!!
I agree, but don't expect a responce... When I had a hamster (2 actually) they both died over the course of 3 days and my vet said it was because of the bedding I was using... I called the company and they were so rude!!
Definetly give it a try though, maybe you will get somebody nicer! ...**Mommy of Tweetle the hedgehog!** ~Felicia :]
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omelette
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Posts: 429
Re:Help! Bedding Troubles - 2008/04/01 22:08Regardless of whether or not you decide to call the company, please take the bedding back to Petco. Let them know that you got a bad batch and ask for a refund. It could contain mold, so don't even try and use it. You can ask them and see if they can special order it for you. Or ask if there is a nearby Petco that sells it. I've never used pine bedding before. I usually stick to aspen shavings. I buy the Kaytee brand one at Petsmart because it's cheaper. I've never had a problem with it being moist, or having a strong odor. If you decide to buy from Petco.com, they do have a program called "Bottomless Bowl" which allows you to receive a product continuously. It's kinda convenient especially with things like bedding. Petco also sometimes has free shipping on products that total over $50.Lisa My Heart Belongs to: Teddy, Sugar, Sapphie, Fudge, Archie, Chuckie - The Yorkies Wendy (Siamese Mix), Echo (Tabby) - Cats Omelette - Hedgehog Basil - Guinea Pig
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mschwindt
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Posts: 96
Re:Help! Bedding Troubles - 2008/04/04 02:56Wow this situation is why I decided to go with liners from the begining. I was worried that the smells, mites, or oils would make my hedgie sick. I empathise with that because of a mothball incident a few years ago. My cousin and I had a moth problem and bought some mothballs to fix it. The apartment was so small that my cousin and I started getting headaches and nausea immediately. We rounded up all the mothbals and put them in a ziplock bag. We got sicker. So we changed the trash and took all mothballs to the dumpster. I made us really sick for a few days. The thought of putting my helpless hedgie through the same experience without a human voice to scream for fresh air. . . I just couldn't do it. Liners it is. Laundry I will do. I just don't have to worry about that for her.
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Meeko24
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Posts: 11
Re:Help! Bedding Troubles - 2008/04/17 14:05I wanted to let you know that super shavings are in Petcos assortment again. I'm a manager at one in CT and we are carrying it again because it was all on clearance at one point. Ask if they can special order because we can do that. Hope this might help!Jhenna *~My Babies~* Sadie-GSD Meeko- Hedgie Felix,Saber,Honey- Ferrets Stewie- Rat
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