Safe Wood - Paw Talk

Rhapsody · #1 07-18-2007, 02:58 PM

Does any one know which wood (branches) are safe for me to place in their cage and which ones are not safe?

Thank You,

Vanilla_Rat · #2 07-19-2007, 11:07 AM

I am going to tell you,softwoods like pine and cedar are bad.They are toxic for all small animals.

MañasMom · #3 07-19-2007, 11:27 AM

I've read that branches from fruit trees, pear trees, maple trees, ash trees, beech and oak trees are all safe. But I've read on other sites that those branches are all toxic.

I've got a maple tree out back, and used to go out after strong storms to collect a few of the branches. I always gave them a very thorough scrubbing, and then let them dry out. My goos never had any bad experience from these branches, but mostly all they did was strip the bark off them.

I've heard so much conflicting information on which branches are safe. It's kind of frustrating! Now I pretty much stick to chews I get from the store, just to be on the safe side.

Amethystbelle · #4 07-19-2007, 11:46 AM

The safe woods are Apple (must be eating apple), Hazel, Hawthorne and Kiln Dried pine is safe for degus too but it must be kiln dried. All branches must be free from toxins and prefarably picked away from roadsides etc... Its also wise to scrub them down and in the case of smaller branches and leaves to bake them. My guys go mad when i bake apple branches and leaves

Pear is an odd one as its a close relative to the apple and safe for chinnies but some people class it as unsafe for degus. The same goes for Willow and Cholla, although Cholla comes from their natural environment. If you want to see which woods are bad for small animals then it is worthwhile reading up on chin safe woods, the following link has a really good article on chin safe woods which is worth a read.

safewoods

I do feel anything chin safe is probably degu safe too. I personally don't use anything i'm unsure about and tend to stick to woods i think are safe. I do know people who use other woods and have no problems whatsoever especially in the case of willow

Rhapsody · #5 07-19-2007, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanilla_Rat


	I am going to tell you,softwoods like pine and cedar are bad.They are toxic for all small animals.

Yeah - I am aware of that INFO..... and that is why I am asking.

Rhapsody · #6 07-19-2007, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethystbelle


	The safe woods are Apple (must be eating apple), Hazel, Hawthorne and Kiln Dried pine is safe for degus too but it must be kiln dried. safewoods I do feel anything chin safe is probably degu safe too. ....have no problems whatsoever especially in the case of willow

Hmmm - now to try an locate some of the woods you mentioned above..... we have some willows around town but most of their branches are to small for the weight of a Degu.

Guess I might need to check out the local mom & pop pet stores for branches.

Thanks...

MañasMom · #7 07-19-2007, 12:14 PM

One thing I've done, when I can only find small, thin branches is to bind several of them together. If I bind 3 or 4 small branches together, it's usually wide enough for them to balance on, climb up, etc.

That way you might be able to go ahead and use the skinny branches you find!

Amethystbelle · #8 07-19-2007, 12:54 PM

Apple and Hawthorne are best for thickness of branch i've found. Ask family they might have a tree you could borrow a few branches from

Vanilla_Rat · #9 07-19-2007, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhapsody


	Yeah - I am aware of that INFO..... and that is why I am asking.

Cool.I was just saying,because there are still a huge number of people who do not know.

charlieb86 · #10 07-22-2007, 07:22 PM

hi there i have three degus and i give them cherry tree branches and they seem to love chewing it to pieces

Amethystbelle · #11 07-23-2007, 07:21 AM

Cherry wood needs to be dried out thoroughly before giving it to any animal as it contains a form of cyanide which is released when it is ingested by the animal.

shortfat · #12 07-23-2007, 08:33 PM

I'm in heaven already. So apple branches are safe. And by a swift scrubbing you mean a good ol' water and brush bath then dry? Similar to what you would do for bird perches etc?

Please tolerate my ignorance as I learn. I was a little disappointed to learn the life expectacy of my goo once I learned what he/she is. I want it to all be good from here on out.

charlieb86 · #13 07-24-2007, 07:30 AM

i've had my three boys for just over a year now and they love the cherry brances i give them, a silly question (as i'm always trying learning new things for them) how long should i dry the brances out before giving them to them?

Rhapsody · #14 07-25-2007, 12:51 AM

I found some good cherry branches on Ebay that I am going to purchase for them to chew on..... they are made for animals (and) then I am going down town to cut me off some long Willow tree branches for my Degu's to climb on - I will twist a few of them together to ensure they are sturdy.

Amethystbelle · #15 07-25-2007, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shortfat


	I'm in heaven already. So apple branches are safe. And by a swift scrubbing you mean a good ol' water and brush bath then dry? Similar to what you would do for bird perches etc? Please tolerate my ignorance as I learn. I was a little disappointed to learn the life expectacy of my goo once I learned what he/she is. I want it to all be good from here on out.

Apple branches are perfectly safe and a good scrub with boiling hot water and a brush usually does them fine. Some people also like to bake them in a hot oven for an hour or so but thats personal preference

Disappointed, how come? Degus live quite a long time compared to most other rodents