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Post by amityvillearia on May 27, 2016 7:46:30 GMT
Something we all end up dealing with if we have small pets or are getting small pets is what do we keep them on in terms of bedding also known as substrate.This won't necessarily go into detail on what makes for the "best" choice,but just a few issues I know of when it comes to the usage of wood products for small animal bedding/substrate material.
Firstly,the level of trust you have in a manufacturer does not mean that an individual product will be good or bad.Some companies make awful food products but great bedding options,while others do neither,or the opposite.Manufacturer doesn't always indicate quality,since all companies and batches will be different when it comes to a natural product like wood.
You have another issue when it comes to wood,and that would be the fact that in the experience of others and from what I've found out with research is that any wood which is kiln dried will still smell the same way a wood that isn't kiln dried is.The reason for this is probably something to do with a chemical reaction involved with moisture content reactivating phenols inside the wood on a molecular level.In simple terms,wet bedding reactivates itself and the phenols come back.Due to the nature of small animals,their bedding will always contain some degree of moisture,and due to the chemical reaction that is found wood products especially softwood aren't exactly ideal even when you use kiln dried wood.
Wood is also in general much sharper than paper products,and would obviously be very uncomfortable to walk on and since a purpose of bedding or substrate is to be the layer of material for walking on at least part of the time it has to be comfortable for any animal that comes into contact with it.Wood would need to be very fine and soft to be comfortable,and that means more surface area which also would cause more phenols to get reactivated in theory at least!
Animals of any species may have allergic reactions to various types of bedding or substrate,but commonly allergic reactions occur from usage of wood substrate.I personally know someone whose hamster had an allergic reaction,and these reactions are definitely not uncommon and even occur in humans.
Some people say that availability of wood is better than paper,but really wood is one of the things you do not want to use unless it is an absolute last resort.There are tons of options out there that are nowhere near as risky,and they're available in just about any country!
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