Bedding and Substrates :)

Gimleyand Meeko · 11-15-2016, 04:30 PM

Hello all,

Sorry I haven't been on for ages! It has been a crazy last few months, I have had a mad time!

So I have had Fitch for the last few months and came back this evening to a damp, smelly bug infested cage, YUK!!! I do regular spot cleans and was going to do a large one tonight. Poor Nutmeg had stored all of her poo in one place and I just found it, sorry Nutmeg! Anyway I had a 20KG bag of Fitch in my room that I use for Nutmeg and ever since I got it my room has been infested by bugs! I found a few in Nutmeg's cage, a few on my wall and floor, one on my dog, and the others in my bed!!!!! YUK!!!!!! This was caused by the Fitch sack being there for too long, I was impressed with Fitch at the beginning but now it has lost my affection due to the events of this evening and the fact that it isn't really absorbent

So I am in desperate need of a new bedding, one that is super absorbent and dust-free, Nutmeg has been on Paper based all her life so will change to a wood based one be bad of good I wander? I don't mind about the price just as long as it is good.

Thanks all,

Gimleyand Meeko

Fluffagrams · 11-16-2016, 04:35 AM

Sorry to hear that you've had a problem.

I'd recommend that you get in touch with Fitch themselves to let them know of the problem. They'll be better placed to advise if there is an issue with it and will be able to look into it better to determine the cause of the damp and the bugs as it may have been caused by an issue with storage rather than the Fitch itself.

Vectis Hamstery · 11-16-2016, 11:43 AM

What species is your hamster? If Nutmeg is a non-robo dwarfy please do consider testing for diabetes

Gimleyand Meeko · 11-16-2016, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fluffagrams

Sorry to hear that you've had a problem.

I'd recommend that you get in touch with Fitch themselves to let them know of the problem. They'll be better placed to advise if there is an issue with it and will be able to look into it better to determine the cause of the damp and the bugs as it may have been caused by an issue with storage rather than the Fitch itself.

Ok will try to contact Fitch and see what has occurred, I am moving bedding anyway as I wanted a change and I wasn't as I said impressed with Fitch too much

Gimleyand Meeko · 11-16-2016, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vectis Hamstery

What species is your hamster? If Nutmeg is a non-robo dwarfy please do consider testing for diabetes

She is a Campbells Russian Dwarf so sadly she is prone to diabetes, why do think she needs to be tested Vectis?

**Cinnamon Bear** · 11-16-2016, 03:45 PM

You can test for high glucose in the urine with Keto-Diastix strips. It has a color chart and wait 30 seconds and match colors. If there is normal reading the strip won't change colors. If it matches a higher color, you have a better idea that she has diabetes.

I ordered another bottle of 50 strips already for my Russian (not to test him continually) You can also observe the hammy (drinks & pees a lot, sweet smell to urine). You need to test at different hours of the day & night as the levels of glucose change through out the day.

If your hammy tests positive for high glucose, it's best to take your hammy to the vet. I don't though because there is no cure.

Try to get the strips that test for glucose and ketones.

Vectis Hamstery · 11-16-2016, 03:45 PM

It was where you mentioned a "damp, smelly bug infested cage". I've found diabetic hamsters have much wetter cages which have a certain smell, and the wet corners are prone to attracting bugs (because of the sugar in the urine).

Gimleyand Meeko · 11-17-2016, 04:09 PM

Just ordered the Diastix, will keep you posted, thank you all for your help. Is ASPEN a good bedding to use?

AmityvilleHams · 11-17-2016, 07:45 PM

Aspen isn't going to be as cozy and safe as paper such as Fitch.It has varying absorbency,where paper is generally very absorbent.Paper won't cause allergic reactions,where with aspen or any wood or even hemp allergic reactions are always possible and therefore add a risk that make supposedly safe substrate potentially harmful(and best avoided).Aspen in general can be very pokey and sharp as well,so it can cause injuries to delicate paws and tiny eyes etc especially horse grade aspen

Fluffagrams · 11-18-2016, 02:35 AM

I've found the wood based substrates that I've used have been more dusty than the paper based ones, you could use something like paper based cat litter (make sure it's not a clay based) or you could try something like Finacard.

I tried it recently with my Chinese Hamsters recently. Jessie wasn't happy that it wasn't quite the same for doing her 'housekeeping' but I wouldn't have said she hated it. James and Victoria managed to make themselves a nice nest with it when I put some in their nest boxes.

Here's the link to their site: Finacard