HH: Pine & Cedar

`Pine/Cedar argument`

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Did you know that both cedar AND pine bedding can be harmful to your pet's health? Every small animal owner should be aware of the following facts.

Cedar Pine

From the Rabbit Health Newsletter, November 1991:

Pine Shavings, As Well As Cedar, Causes Liver Disease in Small Animals

"Most veterinarians have been aware of the problems associated with cedar shavings for years now, but it does not appear to be common knowledge that pine shavings are equally dangerous to our companion animals."

Quoted from the U.S.Dept. of Health and Human Services,
National Institute of Health pamphlet No. 86-23 titled, Guide
for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals:
"Aromatic hydrocarbons from cedar and pine bedding materials
can induce the biosynthesis of heparic microsomal enzymes
(Vesell, 1967; Vesell et al., 1976; Cunliffe-
Beamer et al., 1981)."
"In the late 1980's, not knowing of these studies, the House
Rabbit Society of California discovered that rabbits who had pine
shavings in their litter boxes were coming down with liver disease..."

Bottom line, if pine and cedar are too dangerous for laboratory animals that researchers are planning to kill anyway, then they are certainly too dangerous for our pets.

Please take this news to your local pet store and ask them to stop carrying pine and cedar, and start carrying other forms of bedding instead. There are a lot of other people's rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, rats, hedgehogs, ferrets, etc. that we could help save besides our own hamsters.

> Do you know if all hamsters die if you are using cedar or pine? If so what
> are the signs that my hamster is allergic to the pine or cedar?

No, not all hamsters will die, but it is highly possble that they will become irritated. In some cases, (expessially with pine), the wood chips are sharp and can cut your hamsters feet, leading to extreme discomfort or infection.

Some signs of allergies in your hamsters are these: Your hamster sneezes or coughs a lot when using pine/cedar bedding Your hamster shoves the bedding away from its nesting place Your hamster doesn't leave its nest often.

If your hamster shows any of these signs, I suggest you stop using the current bedding and try another. If it helps, then stick with the bedding. If it doesn't help, and the symtoms are serious, take your hamster to a vet immediately.

I suggest Aspen bedding or used newspaper (as long as it is not really inky).

> I just bought my hamster, Stuart, two days ago. He likes to sleep
> outside its shelter, lying on this back. He may be hot, so I turn on the air-
> conditioner (with low fan) which is not directly towards his cage. His cage
> is located in some distance above the air-conditioner. I have the air-
> conditioner on coz I try to have ventilation going on for him (He's kept in a
> glass container). Today, he starts sneezing and having runny nose, but still
> he sleeps outside his shelter lying against the glass. Is he hot? What can I
> do? Thanks for your help.
This seems to be an allergenic problem. Your hamster may be trying to distance itself from it's bedding, which it does not approve of. The sneezing and runny nose can also be the cause of excess dust in the bedding. Pine and Cedar bedding does this. I would suggest switching to grey Carefresh bedding, and if that isn't possible, only use newspaper. This should solve your problem.

If you don't change your hamsters bedding, the result could be a resltess, irritated hamster. Also, much more severe, the hamster could suffer respiratory infections and inflammations, leading to difficulty breathing and constant pain. Your hamster could also get cuts on it's feet and legs from the sharp bedding, which could lead to Bumblefoot. On of our rats had to get it's legs amputated from Bumblefoot, and it died shortly after that.