Hamster toys made from pine

[staceycanada]

If pine shavings and sticks are unsafe for hamsters why would so many hamster toys be made from pine? (other than it cheap wood)

Also how safe are these toys knowing that our pets are chewing and ingesting the wood?

[Artisans_uk]

If pine shavings and sticks are unsafe for hamsters why would so many hamster toys be made from pine? (other than it cheap wood)

Also how safe are these toys knowing that our pets are chewing and ingesting the wood?

Stacey, please be careful about saying again that pine wood shavings are unsafe, when it was explained to you in another post, that along as they are marked as being "kiln dried" and are unscented then they are safe.

Pine used for toys, shelves etc should also be kiln dried and if there is any doubt if ordering custom made items from small craft makers, then ask the question so that you know that the pine has been dried properly.

Pine used in industry is dried in kilns, it has to be dried properly so that the resins do not ruin the items at a later date.

I hope this helps.

Arti.

[mouseandstrawberry]

Also most pine shavings are full of dust and cause respiritory infections.

[maebh06]

Pine shavings can be full of dust, but you can get dust-extracted shavings.
Here in the UK, although i'm assuming you're from Canada, i've heard that everything has to be kiln-dried, but i'm not sure how it is where you are (and i've only heard that- don't quote me on it!)
But if you're worried, you could possibly contact the companies or just stick to plastic or different material chews, although i've never really heard of pine wood hamster toys being unsafe.

[racinghamster]

Pine shavings may not be the best substrate but using pine shavings is safe. The trick to using ANY wood shavings is preparation. Remove the plastic bag, or remove a good amount of the shavings you want to use over the next few months and get an open topped storage bin. Put the shavings in this and give them a good mash up with your hands and shake them around. Use a kitchen sieve of necessary. I use to sieve shavings in the past but now I just take the bin outside and give them a good mulching! This allows the release of any fine dust and also allows the shavings to air out.

The best shavings in the UK are Snowflake brand. Pets At Home own brand are also good, but dusty, so require more attention. I have my bin sat near me with some shavings in it ready to use that I prepared weeks ago. I rotate the shavings every few days with my hands. I spot clean, so I use only a few handfuls at a time anyway, replacing any old stuff I remove from the cage.

As for using pine shelving or toys, I`ve used pine wood used as skirting boards and pieces of pine from shelves bought from DIY shops! Never had problems. x

[WinnieTheHam]

What does Kiln drying the pine do to it? Pine contains acids which irritate the respiratory system and the skin. Surely drying it cant get rid of it?

[maebh06]

Actually that's quite a good point! I've just heard that kiln-drying makes the pine safe, but I don't actually know either. Time for some research :)

[maebh06]

So kiln-drying basically reduces the moisture content of the wood to make sure it is 'construction grade' but I think the kiln-drying process dries off most of the resin as well. There was another thread on this topic, so if you want a look at that here it is: http://www.hamstercentral.com/community/hamster-chat/53303-pine-wood-toys.html

[WinnieTheHam]

Okay i've had a quick search and i really wouldn't risk using pine at all, even if it is kiln dried. Pine and cedar, which both can be used for shavings contain acids which are very harmful to hamsters. An Acid is a liquid which adds to the moisture in wood. Kiln drying pine for example doesn't completely get rid of the moisture in it. Apparently kiln drying wood gets rid of all the moisture is a myth. So say the wood had 12% moisture it'd be reduced to around 8%. Thus resulting in still having acid residue in the wood.

So if Pine or cedar shavings come in contact with other moisture such as Urine, water or saliva, that acid will be exposed. It may be slightly diluted, but i definitely wouldn't risk a hamsters health.

[maebh06]

Sounds like you found better websites than I did! That wikipedia article was extremely confusing...

[staceycanada]

This was my reasoning. I couldn't see how drying in a kiln would remove acids and resins.

As far as removing moisture it may do that temporarily because as soon as you expose it to the air moisture is reintroduced.

My husband works in construction and works with kiln dried wood and says the sap (resin) leaks out of the wood when he sees it or buys it in the lumber yard.

We were trying to have a natural styled enclosure so wood products (not plastic). I will have to get some willow and fruit tree wood and make my own toys and platforms.

[WinnieTheHam]

Yeah exactly, moisture returns to wood after it's been dried. I don't trust buying pine things for my hamsters at all. Even if people say it's okay to use. I just wouldn't take the risk.

[Hekomi]

There is some evidence that shows US pine is not suitable even with kiln drying. Some say UK pine is, but I'm not 100% certain, I don't live in the UK. I also don't use pine, we use boxo, as the wood based shavings tend to set off allergies in both us and the hamsters (Java).

These are two sources I have seen before on kiln drying pine, but to be honest, I have not completely read them:
Abietic acid technical, ~75% (GC) | Sigma-Aldrich (http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/fluka/00010?lang=en&region=CA)
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr57.pdf

I don't have opinions either way, and if those in the UK feel that kiln dried pine is safe, they are the ones who know what is up. I just know that the wood shavings I have been around in Canada smell strongly of their source tree, and since they make me sneeze, I do not want to use them around the hamsters. Java also reacted strongly to aspen sheddings, though flax seemed alright with her.

Just 2cents.

Also pine based toys are fine, as the overall ratio to the phenols is much less. I believe. I can't remember the specific science behind it. :)

[WinnieTheHam]

I heard somewhere that toys are okay to use too if they're pine, but personally i just don't trust it. I've used Pine shavings before (i live in the UK) And they make me sneeze, they also made Winston sneeze a lot so i took them out straight away. Some brands in the UK smell strong of it too.

[BrainGirl]

It really depends on the source trees. Different species and even different members of the same species can have wildly varied levels of VOCs. Kiln drying helps to drive off quite a lot of the volatile oils which are the cause of so many problems and as a result, modern drying kilns have to take measures to remove those from the exhaust since they are considered hazardous to human health. It helps, but it's not perfect.