Galvanized wire?

[PocketFaeries]

I was just browsing the Leith Petwerks website, which seems to be quite popular and linked to via many different bunny enthusiast websites.  I noticed that they have a lot of "condos" and housing options that appear to be galvanized wire.  I may very well just be viewing this without knowing more about these items (perhaps they are not what I think they are?), but I would imagine that this is very unhealthy for bunnies and could lead to serious health hazards including urinary tract issues that arise from pee on the wire?

Am I missing something here…or are a lot of rabbit "habitats" actually made from galvanized wire?

[MooBunnay]

I have also heard many people really love their Leith Petwerks cages, I do not see them as a health hazard mainly because the flooring is wood (I believe) or some other solid flooring and not wire. The sides of the cage are made of wire however, and I’m not sure if that itself poses a health risk or not. I have known several rescuers that house bunnies and foster bunnies in the Leith Petwerks cages and have not heard anything negative yet. I think the three floor condo’s are pretty cool! I had actually considered getting one myself, but decided the NIC squares are more fun to play with

[Sarita]

I have about 5 of these for my buns – the wire isn’t galvanized and the flooring is solid. I love mine. The owner is chapter manager for the Indianapolis House Rabbit Society so she does know rabbits. I know the NIC squares are coated but I’m not sure with what.

[osprey]

The colored NIC cubes are coated with a plastic/vinyl covering similar to wire insulation.  The silver ones are just chromed wired.

 

[PocketFaeries]

Hmmmm….MooBunnay, if you’ve got the NIC squares and they are white, black, any color other than plain metal, it means that they are powder coated and are therefore a MUCH safer choice for pretty much ANY pet animal.  I guess the Leith Petwerks (and I’m not specifically just singling them out, either…it seems that a LOT of rabbit specific sites carry these galvanized habitats) are galvanized?

You are quite right that the floor being wood *does* make it slightly safer….but not entirely safe. Most animals…especially males…are fantastic at peeing and marking *sideways* (if you ever seen bunny or cat pee that has slimed a wall and run down it).  The danger is in the chemical reaction of the urine against the galvanized, exposed wire.  It actually releases toxins that can really cause some health problems for a lot of different types of animals.  The most common problem is UTI’s in animals. The problem is, even if you keep it very clean, it still poses a risk.  I was just really surprised to see this material used for bunnies, but it seems to be widely used.

No doubt, I am sure there are bunny caregivers who use these and their bunnies have never had a UTI diagnosed.  I just know it poses an added risk.  Some animals are more sensitive to this than others.

If you’re using the powder coated variety of cage material, you are 100% in the clear, and so are your bunnies!

[PocketFaeries]

Oh, so it’s NOT galvanized….that’s great…thanks, Sarita!   When I got my Finn, they handed him/her to me in a tiny galvanized wire "cage" if you could even call it that, and it was literally less than one foot by one foot. I’m so glad to hear these are not galvanized! 

[Sarita]

I do see that the flooring for the Abode Apartment is galvanized. The flooring for the regular ones are linoleum over wood and there is carpeting to go over the linoleum as well.

Galvanized stuff is widely used – I suppose it holds up better to the pee and stuff – I didn’t realize it was such a health hazard though. Thanks for the info on that.

[PocketFaeries]

Oh, it’s no problem, Sarita…I’m glad I could actually provide something that was helpful to YOU for a change!

The powder coated wire is always safer…and is actually *easier* to clean, but I think that it’s simply cheaper for companies to skip the powder coating and that’s why we see them like that.  A lot of homemade animal cages (I’m not speaking just about rabbits but really, it affects many types of animals) use galvanized.  It’s unfortunate because, like everyone here talks about so often, there are easy alternatives like those NIC blocks people here like to use.

The powder coating is sprayed on thickly and it is not only safer, but to my eyes, it’s prettier/nicer to look at, too!  

My vet and I talked about that bad little wire cage Finn came in, and she said before I even had a chance to complain about it, "oooh…and I bet it was galvanized, too" and I said "yep!"  We both groaned and were happy to give Finn something better to live in!

[BinkyBunny]

I haven’t heard about the galvanized being a health hazard for rabbits either as it is actually supposed to protect from rust and metal decay due to urine and water. I will also research this as this really does concern me since many rabbit rescues and shelters use these. Do you have any articles or links to share regarding this so we can be better informed?

[PocketFaeries]

Hi, BinkyBunny!  I will try to find some information on galvanized wire that is rabbit specific if I can, though that was sort of my question to begin with because admittedly, I’m not familiar with rabbit health protocols nearly like I am with other animals!   I will also talk with my vet in the next few weeks and see if she has any information in print or anecdotal form to share.

My question may have risen out of ignorance…perhaps galvanized is okay for bunnies? I just saw what LOOKED like galvanized wire to me, and not just the Petwerks site but all over the net in my bunny crazed searching, LOL.  It raised an eyebrow…and a health question…for me because I know that with many other animals it is a definite no-no.

I do know that in general, galvanized wire causes issues for all types of birds because they can chew…and therefore, ingest…the amounts of zinc that are in the galvanized coating.  The same is also true for ferrets, and sugar gliders, both with chewing and ingesting potentially toxic levels of zinc, and in the dangers of chemical reactions between the zinc and the urine and having it rubbing on their bottoms and ingested as well (in grooming, things can get ingested even if they aren’t directly "eaten" or "chewed" of course).  I am especially interested in finding info that caters specifically to bunnies and rabbits now, because I’m wondering if there is a Ph balance difference in their urine that might either make the galvanized wire MORE dangerous…or LESS dangerous…for rabbits?

Certainly, some amounts of zinc are beneficial as dietary fortification. From what I understand (and I’m just an imperfect, little ol’ me soul), the amount of zinc exposure due to this type of wire is too much.

I don’t mean to bring up a major health concern this way…yikes…I sort of figured that it would be the same concerns and awareness for galvanized wire and rabbits as with many other animals…so I apologize if I’ve stirred any pots here!

I was able to find this on Leith Petworks, which outlines "sore hocks" as a danger to rabbits with wire cage BOTTOMS.  I have yet to find mention of the fact that sides could be a concern…but shouldn’t they be? Maybe not? My educated guess (which is still JUST a guess) would be that if ferrets and birds have problems due to chewing, what if a rabbit chews and licks….wouldn’t that also be dangerous…side, top, bottom, middle, anywhere? PLEASE DO speak up if you know otherwise…this began as a legitmate question because I really do want to know!    I’ll keep looking into this…gosh…I feel like stepping up and raising my hand and saying, "it was me…I started it!" LOL Sooooo sorry!!!!  I am *always* concerned about being well informed on the animals I take responsibility for, and rabbits are an area where I have got a lot to learn in terms of species specific care standards!  I had a rabbit many years ago just out of college and did NOT know nearly what I know now.  The internet is a great blessing!!!  BinkyBunny Forums are a great blessing!

http://www.leithpetwerks.com/indexpage.cfm?category=1

 

[MooBunnay]

Hmm – I have to admit I didn’t even know what galvanized meant before this posting! But I’m glad that my interest in designing bunny cages got the healthier “siding” for my bunny huts. Now that you mention it though, my little boy bunny Kramer DOES gnaw on the side of the cage quite often. It makes me laugh because I can almost hear him thinking “now, if I just gnaw at this long enough I’m SURE I can make a back door.” Of course, the whole time, his bonded mate Juli just looks at him like he’s bonkers. I hope it is at least tolerable for bunnies because I do know quite a few rescues and shelters that have to use that type of cage because room is so scarce, and there isn’t exactly the volunteer base to design NIC condos for everyone….

[Scarlet_Rose]

Wow Pocketfaeries thanks for the info! Now I’m curious too and hey don’t worry about having "started" anything.  This is a great discussion! I’m going to have to do some research myself.  Hmm, as for the pH of bunny urine…

I found the pH of the stomach: 1-2 and one tantalizing place where I could find it was and HRS link that no longer works! So close….

 

[Author]

Messages