# A WARNING ABOUT ASPEN SHAVINGS!!



## DasIgelPoggie (Oct 21, 2010)

Hey guys, I know I am pretty inactive here, but I felt that it was very important that I share this with others in case anyone else had this issue! I recently brought home a rescue that I've been caring for very meticulously for the past little while-- we've gotten his weight up, he's happier and healthier than he was when he first arrived, and I've been very pleased with his progress. He had originally been on aspen shavings, and hadn't seemed to have any problems with it, but I switched him to fleece liners anyway because that's what I prefer. Then recently, we had a long drive to make to my parents' house-- they were going to be watching him for me until his new adopter was able to pick him up, kind of a mid-way point. My mother is very experienced with hedgehogs, and I felt comfortable with the care he would be receiving. Anyways, for this trip, I decided to purchase a small pack of aspen shavings, thinking because he wouldn't have access to his potty box, it would be easier to just put him on the shavings for a bit and just throw the shavings out when we arrived there. It was the same brand that a friend of mine had used for her hedgehog, who lived to be seven years old-- it seemed to be the safest bet. When I put him in the carrier, he was fine. Three hours later, when I got him out, he was COVERED in sores. His poor little hiney was so swollen and uncomfortable! Everywhere he had had contact with the aspen shavings, he had broken out in violent hives-- including his nose. He was having difficulty breathing through the swelling. We immediately bathed him to get the oils off and called my exotics vet (I worked for him in the past, so he always takes my calls). He told us to give him a couple drops of children's benadryl and bring him in. Luckily, he is doing much better, although his little face is taking a while to heal up (his hiney's all better though!), but I can't even express the guilt I felt! When I got back to my house, I scoured the packaging for reasons why this may have happened-- on the front, it said "100% aspen shavings, hypo-allergenic"... but that couldn't be right. Then I read all the fine print... and found, on the bottom, under a flap in the plastic seam (I had to rip the package in the corner to read it) that it said, "This product may have been processed on equipment that processes cedar, pine, and other varieties of wood." SERIOUSLY??? AND THEY NEGLECTED TO MENTION THAT UNDER THE "hypo-allergenic!" CLAIM?? I was piping mad. I have since returned that bag to PetCo and ripped the manager of the store a new one (I know it's not his fault, but I was FUMING). I showed them pictures of my poor little buddy and demanded that I be directed to the person who could discuss covering his vet bills with me (you can't claim hypo-allergenic on a package that does not contain a hypo-allergenic product). We're in the midst of figuring this thing out now, but just as a warning... if you're still using aspen shavings, switch to fleece NOW, you never know when the company you're buying from is telling the truth or changing something up, and it's better safe than sorry. If I had changed his cage to this stuff and then left him to go to bed for the night, I think we would have had a MUCH different ending-- a much sadder one. Read ALL of the fine print on ANYTHING you expose your hedgie to, and keep a very close eye on your hedgie every time you introduce something new-- even just opening a new bag of the same brand of food or bedding that you've used in the past. A little extra attention to those details could save your hedgehog's life.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Thanks for posting this. Over the years, there have been many cases of shavings allergies and most of them have been from aspen. Perhaps it was because of the way it's been processed or perhaps it was just the aspen but good to hear your results. Poor little guy. 

Would you please copy this into the Product Review section on Aspen. viewtopic.php?f=51&t=14923


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## DasIgelPoggie (Oct 21, 2010)

I most definitely will! I will never be using any kind of wood around my hedgies again-- as hesitant as I already was, it just cements my dislike.


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## tinypixiexoxo (Sep 20, 2011)

Thank you for posting this.

I am also active on a hamster forum, and it would benefit a lot of members there if I could share this information. Hamsters are also sensitive to oils in certain woods, and many think that aspen is safe. The label is of KEY importance. I think this could save some lives. Thanks for sharing.


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## calisphere (Oct 29, 2011)

Like tinypixiexoxo, I was wondering if I could share your story on another forum? I frequent a rat forum as well as a corn snake forum and think it is something that should be mentioned (though hundreds of people keep thousands of snakes on aspen without problems). May I copy your story, with due credit of course?


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## ShutUpAndSmile (Mar 7, 2011)

calisphere said:


> Like tinypixiexoxo, I was wondering if I could share your story on another forum? I frequent a rat forum as well as a corn snake forum and think it is something that should be mentioned (though hundreds of people keep thousands of snakes on aspen without problems). May I copy your story, with due credit of course?


I was going to ask the same about the ball python forum i visit and Iherp.com :3


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## Quinn (Apr 24, 2011)

Thanks for sharing. Even a product that most think is safe needs to be checked. You just never know and I feel really bad for your little guy.


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## KathyTNY (Jan 21, 2011)

Thanks for sharing! I have always been a fleece person, but I just had to read about this so I could stay informed when talking about pogs with others.

Kathy


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

I know it has pine oils on it, because I'm highly allergic to anything with pine and I break out. =\

(Side note: If you want to hire me for a shavings tester for pine oil, my rate is $30/test.  )


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## DasIgelPoggie (Oct 21, 2010)

Haha Christemo, I'll have to hire you to come double check everything in my hedgie room then!!

Yes, feel free to copy and share this story, the more little critters it can help the better, I would hate for others to have to go through this same ordeal-- poor little guy just barely healed up all the way today, the poor baby! I asked his new family to wait until I felt he was all better before they come and adopt him, they get to pick him up this weekend! They're very excited! So luckily, all's well that ends well.


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## tinypixiexoxo (Sep 20, 2011)

DasIgelPoggie said:


> Haha Christemo, I'll have to hire you to come double check everything in my hedgie room then!!
> 
> Yes, feel free to copy and share this story, the more little critters it can help the better, I would hate for others to have to go through this same ordeal-- poor little guy just barely healed up all the way today, the poor baby! I asked his new family to wait until I felt he was all better before they come and adopt him, they get to pick him up this weekend! They're very excited! So luckily, all's well that ends well.


thank you. some of the threads on the hamster forum I'm on are quite outdated. So I've been asked to update some threads with only the most pertinent and up-to-date information. One of such threads is one called "Why can't we use Pine or Cedar shavings?" for hamsters. I will surely copy and paste your story so that anyone who reads it will hear what little label you read and what horrifying effects the shavings had on your pet.

Can't thank you enough!


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## calisphere (Oct 29, 2011)

Someone on the rat forum I visit was wondering what brand of Aspen it was, if you don't mind sharing?


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## ShutUpAndSmile (Mar 7, 2011)

calisphere said:


> Someone on the rat forum I visit was wondering what brand of Aspen it was, if you don't mind sharing?


A step ahead of me again. xD I logged on today just to ask that. lolz


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