wrong bedding??

Question
i have two Dward Hamsters, one i had for 1 year and the other one for two years, till now I have always used pine bedding. I recently learned that pine and cedar can cause some skin problems on your hamster so i just want to know if its safe for me to keep using the same bedding or should i swith to alpen or carefresh? (I just want the best for my hamsters)

Answer
Hi Denisa!  Thanks for the question.

I use Carefresh with my dwarves, and I recommend anyone adopting one of my babies to do the same, because of the reasons you just listed, and also because the ammonia in the hamster urine, when mixed with the resins in the pine or cedar bedding, produce toxins called "phenols" which wreak havok on their respiratory systems.  (You would notice problems ocurring from this less in a barred cage and more in an a tank-style cage, where there is no air circulation.)

If you really feel the need to use wood shavings, Aspen is the first choice as it does not contain the same irritating resins that pine does.. and never ever use Cedar!  But, at least in my area, Carefresh is less expensive than Aspen, and you use less of it because it fluffs up so nicely (the package you buy is compressed) and absorbs odors so well.

I hope this helps, and feel free to ask me any other questions you may have!