Choice of litter for health

[michaface]

I have a young female rabbit that I have been dreading getting spayed after my last rabbit passed during anesthesia. I read a post on another rabbit site about how Pine or wood shavings cause liver disease which results in death during anesthesia. I currently use Feline pine so my nerves has gone up a bit. I am a veterinary technician so I am knowledgeable in anesthesia and the risks and will be there when that day comes. Just wanted to hear from other owners if they have heard anything similar. These are pellets not shavings so im not sure if that makes a difference.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

I use wood pellets for litter and have never had an issue. I have been using them for over 5 years now.
I got one rabbit spayed in January after about 6 months of living with me (she as just over a year when she was spayed). She had not problems and had been using wood pellets in the litter box the whole time with me.
I do only use the pellets in the litter box and use fleece in the rest of the cage. The litter boxes also have grates so there is no direct contact with the litter expect for a small litter box that I can't easily cover.
I also let the bag air out for a bit before using them and the bag stays open.

If you are really concerned, the get blood work done. It should tell if there are any issues.

 

[CCWelch]

My rabbits are outdoors and do not use litter, however my friends that do use litter either use the wood pellets for horse stalls or wood pellets for pellet stoves. Cedar shavings may cause problems but I have not heard or read anything about regular pine.

 

[michaface]

Woody horse stall pelets are the same thing just a bigger bag and cheaper.

 

[naturestee]

Most wood pellets are kiln dried, which removes the harmful phenols in addition to making them more absorbent. Do yourself a favor, though, and check out farm stores in your area for cheaper wood pellets marketed for horse stalls. Wood pellets for fuel are fine too, as long as they are kiln dried (most are) and do not have any added chemicals (most do not).

If you read around here, you'll find that spay/neuter is a very common surgery for rabbits with an extremely low mortality rate. The important thing is to find a vet who is experienced with rabbits. That may mean going to a different vet than the one you work for. Because I have volunteered at the local humane society, I have seen rabbits of all ages come through spay/neuter with flying colors. Even though I don't like the shelter's vet, the only problems I know of have been rare issues with a misplaced injection of painkiller that nicked a nerve cord, and that's 2-3 rabbits out of hundreds.

Several of us, including me, also have rabbits that go under anesthesia for dental work every few months, even if they are elderly. The only thing stopping me with one of mine right now is his bone marrow cancer and resulting lack of immune system. But he had been going under anesthesia every few months for years.