Is it o.k to use newspaper under the sawdust for a GP?

[mummyloveslucy]

I'm not sure weather the ink could be carsonagenic? If so, what else could I use? It's a wooden hutch but it's kept indoors.
We want everything set up for our home visit as he's from a rescue.

[AdventuresWithVoles]

FRiends use barley straw on newspaper, seemingly safely.
Some sawdust isn't so good, but tbh I have used it in a pinch with no apparent ill effects.
Why not get something like Megazorb? It's not that much more expensive.

[germyrabbit]

i have been using it for my rabbits for 20 years!

[Aerobreaking]

I've used it for guinea pigs and rabbits since I was a child

(Hoping noone comes on to say it's dangerous )

[germyrabbit]

radio active newspapers

[mummyloveslucy]

It's Natures own soft wood shavings. I.didn't.know.about.the.other.kind.

My.space.bar.has.given.up,hence.the.full.stops...

[mummyloveslucy]

Oh,O.k,it's.just.me.being.me.then..

[mummyloveslucy]

Thanks everyone! I'll go and get it set.up.now..

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I use sawdust under hay for my 2 GPs.
Just make sure you remove any staples from your paper.

At the moment mine are resting their posteriors on back copies of The Telegraph from by DB.
And London Metro purloined from the Central Line Underground. (Usually has a few pictures of Boris Johnson for them to "enhance" )

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Not sawdust .

Newspaper -

[guineapiglet]

I have to say that we never used sawdust at for ours - usually layers of newspaper and lots of hay - we inherited some sawdust which I did try to use once or twice, but I remember it used to make them (and me!) sneeze all the time and it stuck to them when it got wet. There are some amazing guinepig set ups on youtube ( yes, how sad am I) with caged lined by all kinds of fleece etc - almost like nappy type fabric, seems very expensive! Pick massive handfulls of grass and let it dry out ( when the sun shines, if that ever happens again) and make your own hay which they like to laze around on as well.... good luck with your rescue, make sure he has some place to hide away, and igloo or such like as he will be very scared :)

[AdventuresWithVoles]

wood shavings & sawdust are different substances. Sawdust is quite powdery & might therefore be more irritating.

Wood shavings are somewhat better, less chance of extraneous irritating dust.
I have been quite happy with wood shavings in the past, but would buy Megazorb today if I had the choice.

I'm sure they'll be fine on shavings, btw :).

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Shavings can be drying so that's why they're not adviced. And some are sharp, they can have irritants in the wood. GPs are right in there at nose level, unlike bunnies.

I did read that horse owners don't put equines with dry hooves on shavings for this reason.

I've used Megazorb in our outdoor pighouse, but at the moment I'm using cardboard, newspaper and hay. Sometimes I put shredded paper at the back (lovely fine cut shredder bought just for the guineas)

Mine pee absolute rivers so I change the bed daily. In winter they have a really deep hay bed which can go 3 days with daily spot cleaning.

[KRITIQ]

I've used newspapers at the bottom of the cage for about 14 years now with no problems. I stopped using sawdust though when the Cambridge Cavy Trust suggested it could pose respiratory problems for some pigs and some of the chemicals used for treating the wood could also cause skin sensitivities in pigs or humans!

I tend to use a vetbed at one end of the cage (where their bedroom is) and just loose meadow hay over the newspaper at the other end. Yes, it's pretty messy, but I just brush most of the hay off the vetbed fleece, then put it into a pillow case tied up for washing. In the tumble dryer, most of the hay and bits come off in the filger.