cedar chips causing liver problems???

So i was talking to a pretty intelligent guy the other day about bedding and i told him i like cedar chips for my pups crate and my dogs house, he told me that its not a good idea because cedar has a lot of oils and those oils can seep through the skin and can cause health problems. He suggested to use Aspen bedding because it doesn't contain oils like cedar, has anyone else heard of something like this

 

that is true as with snakes you have to use aspen for the same reason. but i do not know of it being harmful to dogs, i can not see it being that much of a problem as it is sold as bedding for many animals.

 

I have never heard of that.. I've used cedar chips many times before never had a problem

 

i kinda feel the guy was over-exaggerating a little, but i do see the possibility, however the dog would have to spend damn near most of the day and night on the chips and we all know most dogs dont spend that much time in the dog houses. I don't know, i bought a sack of the aspen bedding to try it out and it seems pretty good, really soft however it doesn't have a smell like cedar (i love the cedar smell, it makes the dogs smell good)

 

Agreed! I've never had a problem either!

 

aspen also does not help with fleas as ceder seems to

 

yea i hear ya, cedar has worked great for me in the past years, i don't think i'll be switching away from cedar, just gave the aspen a try, and wanted to know if anyone had any other info about the issue

 

I remember many years ago I used wheat straw that wa a disaster!!!!!!lolololol

 

This is true. We have many reptiles and a rabbit and we have to use Aspen. Cedar for reptiles and rabbits can cause respriatory problems. Never heard of liver problems. I've always used cedar for my pets and recommend it often to others. Never had a problem. Dogs smell good and no fleas. I even use it in my garden

 

This is what I found on the subject...

Cedar shavings as bedding

Question: Dear Dr. Mike,
You have been so helpful to me; I have a question regarding the use of
cedar shavings in dog houses....Will this use cause health problems in
my dogs as I just read that I could be causing potentially dangerous
health risks in the dogs housed with them?
Please help me clarify the risks or potential health problems and I will
immediately discontinue using them!
Sincerely,
Laurie

Answer: Laurie-

Cedar shavings cause contact allergy in some dogs, due to the oil in the
chips. Dogs with this problem usually have itchiness and sometimes
hairloss. There may be secondary infections if the problem goes on for a
while. I have seen two or three dogs with this problem during the time
I've been in practice.

There is a chance that cedar chips may cause respiratory problems in
sensitive animals but I have only heard of actual cases of this in guinea
pigs.

Wood chips in general can sometimes cause constipation or physical injuries
to the digestive tract in dogs, at least according to clinical reports. We
have seen this in dogs that chew sticks a lot.

A lot of people use cedar chips for bedding and we see very few problems
with them, overall, but there is some potential for causing problems.

Mike Richards, DVM
4/4/2000

http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/dogmaint.html#Cedar shavings as bedding

I have used Cedar shavings as bedding for years and have never had any problems at all

 

Well that answers that.....

 

thanks for the info. guys, looks like there aint much to worry about

 

The biggest problem we've seen is that scabies mites love to inhabit cedar chips.

 

We had a few issues with it irritating the dogs eyes but no skin or digestive issues. We switched to pine chips with no further problems...I'd say why risk it?

 

One of my dogs will scratch out all cedar chips I try to put in her house. When she does use it she eventually starts to break out so I agree with the allergy issue.