Dangerous pet products that should never be used for pets

[BarelyBreathing]

Garden mulch- Cypress "mulch" type reptile substrate is fine, however the word "mulch" is a bit misguiding. Often times keepers will see large bags of actual garden cypress mulch available for a much cheaper price at a garden or home improvement store and purchase it without looking at the ingredients. Why is it dangerous? Garden mulch often contains chemicals that are not wanted in your reptile's enclosure. Pesticides and fertilizers are not uncommon. Even organic mulch contains "organic content from inorganic materials" and animal waste.

Analog thermometers and hygrometers- Cheap and popular, this seems to be the standard for checking the environment. Why are they dangerous? Analog meters are known for being very inaccurate, as well as having the tendancy to get "stuck" on a specific reading. Knowing the exact temperatures and humidity levels is essential to keeping reptiles. If your instruments aren't reading properly, it's very possible to over or underheat your reptile, or dry them out or give them too much humidity.