Dangerous pet products that should never be used for pets

[Starbuck]

Originally Posted by Mhawk151

I have heard on numerous occasions that cedar bedding is toxic to reptiles. But I recently started thinking about the food items that they ingest on a regular basis almost always lives in cedar bedding. It is not a substrate that I use for my pets but the local pet store does. I've not known any problems with them at all although the mice and rats bury themselves in it and must certainly have it in their fur and skin. Just curious, Hmmmm?

i think the issue with cedar is the oils found in the wood; they can produce contact blisters on the snake, as well as cause respiratory issues. I think lots of commercial mouse and rat breeders actually don't use cedar anymore either, but rather shredded paper, aspen, and wood blends, as it is cheaper (though there may still be some cedar present to help control odor).
I was actually thinking about this the other day as well…
I believe many small animal keepers follow the current dogma that the oils in cedar can actually be harmful to their pets as well, with smaller animals like mice being more at risk than say, a rabbit.