Is Aspen Bedding Safe For Guinea Pigs?

Providing guinea pigs with food and shelter is not enough for them to live a happy life. The bedding will also play an important role in making their space feel comfortable and warm. Aspen bedding is a popular choice in the market. But, is aspen bedding safe for guinea pigs?

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In this post, we will provide you with an answer to this question, as well as walk you through the pros and cons of one of the hottest Aspen Bedding products on the market. So, let’s get started!

Your guinea pigs should have safe bedding that will keep them warm and comfortable. This is exactly what Aspen bedding offers. The only downside is that you have to replace it every week, which can be expensive over time.

When choosing good bedding for your guinea pigs, you need to take into account a lot of factors.

Cost, safety, comfort, and efficiency are all important factors. To determine whether aspen is the right bedding for your guinea pig, let us first examine what makes good bedding for guinea pigs.

What Makes Good Bedding For Guinea Pigs?

It can be difficult to decide what bedding is right for your guinea pigs. As with everything else in this world, bedding isn’t perfect either.

Although every bedding has its pros and cons, there are a few universal factors, and any bedding you choose should have these attributes:

Comfort

Comfort is of utmost importance. They should have soft bedding that is comfortable and soft on their feet for a good night’s sleep.

Absorbency

Guinea pigs will pee and poop all around their cage, so absorbency is another factor to consider. You don’t want their pee to remain wet on their feet, as this can lead to health issues like bumblefoot.

Safety

The safety of your guinea pigs is of the utmost importance to you. The materials you use must be pet-safe. Ensure that your guinea pigs do not have access to unsafe bedding, such as pine or cedar shavings.

Temperature

Temperature control is also an important factor, especially if you live in an area where the weather fluctuates. Choose bedding that balances out needs.

Practicality

It is also important that the bedding is economical because many people do not have a lot of money to spend on bedding. Food of high quality is also very important.

Although some guinea pigs may have varying needs, you can follow these general guidelines while choosing bedding for your guinea pigs.

You might have to use fleece or aspen if your guinea pig has an allergy to paper bedding. Keep that in mind when choosing bedding.

Is Aspen Bedding Safe For Guinea Pigs?

Absolutely! Aspen bedding is generally safe. Hardwood shavings are used to make it, which are non-aromatic and considered safe for small pets.

Due to the absence of pine or cedar aromas in the bedding, our guinea pigs are at minimal risk.

However, you should make sure that you find a reputable brand since many cheap brands sell dusty aspen shavings.

Dusty bedding can cause several health issues for your guinea pig such as upper respiratory infection, allergies, etc.

Is Aspen Bedding Safe For Guinea Pigs To Eat?

Even though bedding shavings aren’t the healthiest thing to eat, you may find that your guinea pigs like to chew on them periodically.

Guinea pigs can chew on Aspen without harm. Your guinea pigs are just curious about what the stuff is. They may eventually stop eating it.

What Are The Chances Of Guinea Pigs Getting Allergic To Aspen Bedding?

Your guinea pig may be allergic to bedding made from aspen. Even though not all guinea pigs suffer from allergies, some have shown signs of allergies after switching to aspen bedding. You should first look for allergy symptoms in your guinea pigs before investing in aspen bedding.

What Are The Common Symptoms Of An Aspen Allergy?

  • Wheezing noise
  • Itchy skin
  • A runny nose
  • Labored breathing
  • Coughing & Sneezing
  • Itchy eyes

It is important to consult a vet if you notice any of these symptoms in your guinea pigs so they can confirm the allergy is caused by the bedding itself and not by another health condition.

What Aspen Bedding Would You Recommend?

One of the most popular aspen bedding on the market is the Small Pet Select Aspen Bedding from the Small Pet Select Store. This bedding currently maintains a 4.5-star review on Amazon from a staggering 4,166 reviews.

When It Comes To Guinea Pigs, How Good Is The Small Pet Select Aspen Bedding?

You should use the Small Pet Select Aspen Bedding in your guinea pig’s cage if you want to use wood shaving bedding.

Aspen works well as a replacement for pine and cedar, which aren’t suitable for guinea pigs.

There are some pros and cons to this bedding for your guinea pigs, so we should consider them before buying it. Let’s take a look at both.

Pros

  • The material is odorless.
  • Does not contain artificial colors or chemicals.
  • Keeps the cage odorless and absorbs pee quite well.
  • Inexpensive to purchase in the short run.
  • Available in a variety of sizes.
  • Safe for guinea pigs.

Cons

  • The bedding is often thrown around & out by some guinea pigs.
  • When you have a large C&C cage, it can be costly in the long run.
  • It is not as absorbent as paper bedding or fleece.

Considering both the pros and cons, we can conclude that the pros outweigh the cons.

Your guinea pig might react differently to aspen if it is allergic to it. The Small Pet Select Aspen Bedding bedding is definitely worth a try if it fits into your list of guinea pig supply items.

If it doesn’t fit, you can always change it when you go shopping next time.

How Often To Change The Small Pet Select Aspen Bedding?

Guinea pigs are notorious for creating a lot of mess in their cage, as you may have already discovered.

Your bedding will quickly become soiled because they need to go to the bathroom every few minutes. For a pair of guinea pigs in a standard-sized cage, it is recommended to change your bedding at least every 7-10 days.

Additionally, you may need to ‘spot clean’ the cage daily to ensure it does not accumulate waste.

Conclusion: Is Aspen Bedding Really Safe For Guinea Pigs?

Aspen Bedding is an ideal bedding material for your guinea pigs since aspen is a natural bedding material.

In addition to closely replicating the natural environment, it also does its job perfectly. Your guinea pigs will be comfortable, safe, and odor-free with this bedding.

It does, however, add to your monthly cost since you must purchase the pack repeatedly. If you dislike fleece bedding or want to provide your guinea pigs with natural bedding, you should give aspen bedding a try.

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