Although it's probably not available in the states, over here in the UK I've used Beech wood shavings ever since my first gerbil, and I've never had any problems with it. It's also ultra cheap (�5 / $7 ish) for a large 10Kg bag.
Tony P > -----Original Message----- > From: Gerbil Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf > Of dana grace > Sent: 19 December 2001 05:16 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: Pine? > > > Both pine and cedar can cause problems. If they are not already allergic, > gerbils can develop allergies later on, just like people. Using aspen or > Carefresh is preferable, although I have heard that some gerbils can also > become allergic to aspen, and Carefresh is expensive. Then of course there > are those who like to use soil and sand to simulate a gerbil's natural > environment, which involves some extra effort and is hard to clean. Some > people are also into corncob, although this can get moldy. So there is no > perfect choice, but since pine and cedar tend to have a high incidence of > respiratory problems, it's probably better to switch. I use aspen > right now, > but if I see those signs of nose irritation, I will move to > Carefresh. If you > have either of these options available near you, I recommend > phasing out the > pine (gradually by mixing it with the new material, if you think that will > help ease their stress) just to be on the safe side. My gerbils a > long time > ago got sick on cedar and I don't want my new ones to go through > that. It was > not fun. > > Dana :) > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Move your email to a better address. > Over 1,000 domains to choose from! FREE! PRIVATE! > http://www.MailSpace.com > --- > Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.309 / Virus Database: 170 - Release Date: 17/12/2001 >
