Allergies to rats

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from the hardware store they are actually for a wood stove I haven't really started with the rats yet as I just bought it yesterday but I used it on my rabbit and it's much nicer and cleaner then the yesterday's news
 
Make sure its not from cedar or pine or from any conifer trees (needles). They are very bad for rats respiratory systems. Even if its a mix. If you don't know whats in it I wouldn't use it. One sure fired way to know is if the shavings smell nice (have a scent) they are dangerous.
 
Ok, well just make sure they aren't cedar or pine. They don't have 'additives' persay because the phenols in them are natural. I would make sure to find out what the pellets are before you use them for rats.

Basically Conifers have phenols in the wood, cones, bark etc. It's what makes the scent. These are very dangerous to rats as it damages their lungs. Aspen and other types of wood like that are not dangerous as there are no phenols in the wood.
 
oh no I thought I read somewhere that those were good to use oh boy I'll have to go see but I didn't see anywhere where it said the kind of wood it was. i used it for my rabbit what I meant by it smells good I meant like wood smell not like perfumed or anything
 
I just looked at their website, if you go to their products section and then bedding it says they use the resinous material ofr black spruce and grey pine. Both of which have phenols in it. Spruce is part of the conifer family.

Sorry I wouldn't advise using this for rats. As for rabbits I'm not sure. If you want to try shavings try Aspen. Or you can try something calls Mews Print. It's like YN but has baking soda in it.
 
Moon said:
I'd always heard that the pellets were okay to use because they are kiln dried. Or something.
Click to expand...

Oh I never thought of that, I'm not sure.

Edit to Add:
I just did a quick look up. It seems that kiln drying removes the phenols in cedar and pine. I will look into it more. But if that's true then the bedding is safe to use if it is properly kiln dried.
 
I know Rabbit Rescue does use wood pellets made for pellet stoves, such as one i've got, as litter. I've used it for my rabbits, and have been using it for my rats on occasion lately too. The weather can be etrocious in my neck of the woods this time of the year, and at times it can be days before we can get out to a store...
 
My son (9) was diagnosed with asthma late last year, we've just come from the specialist this morning for allergy testing to determine some of his triggers....

So far only grass and tree pollen, which means......

:happydance: he came up negative for pets :happydance:

I can't tell you how relieved I am. I have been stressing about what I would do if he came up positive for pet dander. I hadn't ever noticed a reaction to the animals, and we've been careful about the litter we use and keeping them out of his room, got an air purifier, protective sheets, but I have been SO worried. We still have blood work to do, but initial results are good.

I think this news calls for a BIG GLASS of wine tonight!
 
LA said:
Moon said:
I'd always heard that the pellets were okay to use because they are kiln dried. Or something.
Click to expand...

Oh I never thought of that, I'm not sure.

Edit to Add:
I just did a quick look up. It seems that kiln drying removes the phenols in cedar and pine. I will look into it more. But if that's true then the bedding is safe to use if it is properly kiln dried.
Click to expand...

I did some research, kiln drying CAN remove phenols as long as the temperature is high enough. The point of kiln drying is to remove the moisture. I was talking with my stepfather who is a miller and knows a lot about this. He said that it's not guaranteed that the company is using a high enough temperature to remove the phenols. It's possible they only use a high enough temperature to remove the moisture which takes a lower temp then removing the phenols.
 
LA said:
LA said:
Moon said:
I'd always heard that the pellets were okay to use because they are kiln dried. Or something.
Click to expand...

Oh I never thought of that, I'm not sure.

Edit to Add:
I just did a quick look up. It seems that kiln drying removes the phenols in cedar and pine. I will look into it more. But if that's true then the bedding is safe to use if it is properly kiln dried.
Click to expand...

I did some research, kiln drying CAN remove phenols as long as the temperature is high enough. The point of kiln drying is to remove the moisture. I was talking with my stepfather who is a miller and knows a lot about this. He said that it's not guaranteed that the company is using a high enough temperature to remove the phenols. It's possible they only use a high enough temperature to remove the moisture which takes a lower temp then removing the phenols.
Click to expand...

I remember reading that a while back which is why I don't recommend kiln dried pine either.
 
I'm allergic to "everything". Dust, mold, pollen, spores, dander, just about any small particulate matter you name it. To add to it, I'm a field biologist and am routinely exposed to my allergens. Fortunately my allergies are also "manageable". Especially in the spring and fall when allergens are at their peak, I need to make sure I take my allergy medicine every day, AND at the right time of day. Cetrizine (Zyrtec) works best for me, with Loratidine (Claritin) working second best. The Cetrizine works best if I take it at night before I go to bed, the Loratidine actually seems to work best if I take it in the morning before I go to work. Using a neti pot to keep my sinuses cleaned out also helps, and showering and changing clothes when I get home from work or finish with clothes also helps (washes the allergens off my skin and hair so I'm not carrying them around with me). Using an air purifier also helps immensely, especially in the rat room.

I also have to be careful what bedding I use on the rats. I avoid all aspen products like the plague, because I am severely allergic to that (this allergy developed over time too). When I was still using aspen, it was to the point where I would just about have an asthma attack every time I cleaned cages. Because of that, cage cleaning was the ONLY thing I did on that day, because once it was done, I had no stamina left (because of the faintness and difficulty breathing) to do anything else. Unfortunately the allergic asthma has never been severe or long-lasting enough for me to be formally diagnosed, so I have no inhalers or other medications to help with it, besides OTC allergy medicine. What I have my rats on right now are towels, which I change every 2-3 days, and litter boxes (currently filled with alfalfa pellets - which was a mistake, I'm switching to something else that I'm NOT allergic to). This set-up has not only cut back on my respiratory allergies, but has actually also helped with my skin allergies. Previously, especially when the rats were on aspen, I would break out into a nasty rash and hives, and itch to the point of bleeding whenever I handled my rats. I suspect the biggest trigger in this instance is the urine and dust particles the rats pick up on their feet and nails. When the nails scratch your skin (even microscopic scratches - like those that occur from the hairs on their tail), it basically imbeds the allergens into your skin, creating a reaction. Since the litter boxes I use have screens over the top, the rats are not sitting in their own fesces and urine, and by cleaning out their towels every other day I'm eliminating dust (no dust on towels) and minimizing the urine and fesces they are walking through when they miss their litter boxes. This cuts back on what they pick up on their feet and consequently transfer to me. I still itch, but there are no more severe break outs, and the itching stops immediately after I'm done handling the rats and rinse off my hands and harms with warm water and soap.
 

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