Different Types of Wood Shavings for Bedding

Wood shavings, sometimes labeled as wood chips, are small slivers of wood that you can put into an animal's cage as bedding. Wood shavings are offered from a variety of different wood types. Some animals, such as snakes, require specific types of wood shavings to prevent allergic or fatal reactions.

  1. Aspen

    • Aspen is a white hardwood that is sold in shavings as animal bedding. Aspen wood, like all hardwoods, does not contain phenols, which are aromatic hydrocarbons that have been linked to allergic and fatal reactions experienced by some animals. Aspen can be purchased at pet specialty shops and is marketed as a multipurpose substrate for caged animals.

    Pine

    • Pine is an inexpensive white softwood, and shavings from this wood can be used as bedding for a variety of different animals. Pine shavings contain phenols, which are responsible for the pine odor these shavings have. Phenols are toxic to some types of animals. In addition, pine shavings often have a thin layer of dust, which is the result of the softwood being processed into shavings. This dust may irritate the respiratory track of small animals and make it difficult to breathe. Pine shavings should only be used in cages with open ventilation.

    Cedar

    • Cedar is a light-colored softwood sold as both shavings and mulch by pet stores. Cedar, like pine, contain phenols, and animals exposed to it may have a fatal toxic reaction. Cedar contains more phenols than pine, and is considered to be the more dangerous option of the two different wood shavings. Cedar shavings should only be used in cages that have adequate ventilation systems.

    Cypress

    • Cypress is a hardwood that contains no phenols and is not dangerous when used as animal bedding. Cypress is often sold as a mulch, but can be found online as shavings. Cypress retains moisture better than aspen shavings, making it an ideal bedding for reptiles that require high humidity.