Is pine shaving safe?

[Cherrygreen]

I saw on YouTube/online saying that pine shaving isn’t safe and then other post said it should be fine. I was wondering what are your opinion on this. What are some of the best bedding/litter for bunny. I just brought a huge 40lb pine shaving.

[JackRabbit]

Toss the pine shavings. Not safe. Aspen shavings are safe but messy. Many people use pine pelleted litter (kiln dried) or paper type litter. Whether you choose to go with a pelleted litter or paper type litter, check out the litter screens in the Binky Bunny store (there’s a great video on the page too) — they’ll save you a ton of money on litter!

[DanaNM]

Ditto JackRabbit, pine shavings are not safe for buns. Pine pellets, on the other hand, are! You can usually find them very cheaply sold as horse stall bedding or wood stove pellets (about $9 for 40 lb where I live).

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Lilikoi The Bunny]

I agree with DanaNM pine shavings aren’t safe neither is cat litter. What is safe is carefresh, aspen shavings, horsestall bedding, and paper from a shredder, however, paper shreddings doesn’t do a good job at being a good litter if you know what I’m saying. 

[LBJ10]

Pine (and cedar) shavings aren’t immediately toxic, so that may be where some of the misinformation is coming from. The problem with pine shavings (and why they aren’t safe) is the phenols that they contain. Phenols accumulate in the body when bunnies are exposed to them for long periods of time (e.g. having pine shavings for litter). Phenols mess with the liver enzymes, essentially causing them to be overproduced. But bunnies don’t simply drop dead from this. It is more of an issue if they suddenly need surgery because it causes problems with anesthesia. It also interferes with some other medications like opiods. This is why pine shavings are considered to be unsafe. There are some suspicion of there being a link to cancer as well, but so far there isn’t enough evidence.

Paper-based litters such as CareFresh and Yesterdays News are popular. Pine pellets like Feline Pine or horse stall pellets are safe because they are kiln dried and do not contain phenols. Some people also use wood stove pellets, which are cheap. However, where I live, they are not available year round.

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