Is Carefresh bedding with baking soda safe for guinea pigs?
I read lately lots of comments and bad reviews about Carefresh and their new formula with baking soda in it for better odor control, mostly from bunnies owners. Is this safe for guinea pigs? I search about it and i read that many people sprinkle a little bit of baking soda under their main bedding. We all know that guinea pigs have a sensitive respiratory system and baking soda could damage them, right? Is baking soda safe for guinea pigs?
- Sef
- I dissent.
I've seen mixed opinions on the use of baking soda in such products. My general rule of thumb on paper bedding is, if it leaves a residue/dusty film at the bottom of the cage or haybox, I don't use it. That said, my personal feeling on any so-called 'odor control' bedding is that routine cleaning should keep odors at bay without the need for baking soda or other additives.
- pigjes
- Cavy Comic
Being a chemist, I am against it. Residues will stick to the body and will be ingested during grooming. This is a great article about the influence of it on the body. Pigs can easily be overdosed, so it can even kill them.
http://drsircus.com/medicine/sodium-bic ... ndications
http://drsircus.com/medicine/sodium-bic ... ndications
I read mixed opinions too during my search and i was a bit confused. If baking soda is harmful to piggies why a popular company like carefresh use it in their new formula and destroy their population about quality (not that carefresh was dust free at least no baking soda was on it) . And mostly why people sprinkle soda in their bottom of the cage when you just have to keep up with the cleaning rules and the right bedding. @pigjes thank you for the article i ll be read it.
I read that baking soda was most in a certain products like ''CareFRESH® Advanced Odor Control'' but all their bedding appearing new and impoved. Does anybody know if the formula exist in all their bedding products? Maybe a warning about it must be outhere for all the piggie owners. No mention about the possible harm of the bedding was online as i was searching about it.
What is the difference @lisam? The only concern is if the bedding is ok for piggies so any information about it will be helpful
Well, Carefresh is made from recycled paper, yes? So I imagine that they shred/mash/pulverise/etc the paper into a pulp. If they add the baking soda during that process, it "becomes one" with the bedding, and wouldn't be baking powder dust sprinkled on afterwards.
I have no idea if this is what actually happens. All conjecture on my part.
I have no idea if this is what actually happens. All conjecture on my part.
Of course if you have any doubts or concerns about something you will not use it. But it is wise to know about it..
@Lisam you have a point on that..I ll keep search about it a bit!
@Lisam you have a point on that..I ll keep search about it a bit!