Goo's might have eaten Wood Pellets..

[Whizz]

I use wood pellets from p@h as my boy's litter along with shredded paper and Carefresh bedding (looks a bit like chewed up plastic).
I have some dry wipes (they are used in hospital macerators, my dad gets them for me as he works in a hospital) on the bottoms, then the wood pellets. The ontop I have shredded paper and Carefresh Bedding.

Sometimes when my boys bury treats or their food, they dig up the wood pellets to the surface. And being wood, they like to pick them up and eat them. Though I usually stop them before they manage to eat some of it.
I was reading on DeguTopia that because how absorbent the wood pellets are, if they are digested they can make degu's ill.

As I'm not there every second of the day, I can't be sure one of the boys has ever digested one.
I'm worried that if they have digested one or two that it could cause some stomach problems for them.
Should I be worried?

PS-
I cleaned the cage out today and put the normal bedding/litter system in. It was only later that I read it on DeguTopia.

I was thinking of switching to Alfalfa pellets as DeguTopia suggests, but I can't find them any where. If you know where to find them, please let me know.

[deguconvert]

I have no idea how to find them, but I definitely would remove the wood pellets. The wooden one absorb a lot of fluid, swell, create a blockage in the gut, and it is often fatal.

[malteser60]

Hi jaywhizz,

As deguconvert said and as you have found out wood pellets are definitely a no no. The best bedding to buy here in the UK for your goos is either Finacard or Megazorb. Finacard is dust-extracted shredded cardboard, and Megazorb is paper-based pulp. Megazorb is commonly used for horse bedding. Well, finacard is as well but horsey people seem to prefer megazorb. Both are safe and do not swell when ingested. Also they are a much much cheaper alternative and come in massive sacks.

Finacard is £13.99 for 17kg (220L) (free postage) - www.finacard-uk.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=22&products_id=93

Megazorb is £6.19 for 85L (+P&P) - www.farmway.co.uk/equine-2/tack-room-stable-24/stable-equipment-40/northern-driers-megazorb-animal-1789.htm?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=ppc&utm_term=1789&utm_campaign=froogle

I have used finacard so far. A sack lasts me approximatelyl 6months. My goos like it and it does seem to keep the smells away (not that goos smell that much). I've just ordered megazorb to see what that is like and whether my goos prefer that so I can't really comment about it yet.

[blossombrooks]

I've found carefresh to be very good. Yeah it's expensive but I can get 5 weeks out of the big bag. It's about
£20 but you can get it cheaper online. I like it cos it's non dusty and seems really absorbent. The googles like it cos they can bury their treasures quite well in it. :-)

[Kins]

I use Finacard and would definitely recommend it! Cheap, doesn't smell even after a few weeks and is cheap and easy to get!

[Whizz]

thanks for the replies. By the way, I meant cardboard not plastic when talking about the carefresh bedding, which I am using now as my main source of bedding.

I cleaned them out today and put no wood pellets in at all. So I'll order one of those you recommended, thanks Malteaser!
I searched all over the internet, pet shops and garden centres looking for Alfalfa pellets but for the love of me I couldn't find anything. I find Alfalfa hay, but no pellets (through research I found out that Alfalfa is horse feed?!).
So I'll use one of those pellets you mentioned, thanks guys.