# *Beaware* finacard cardboard bedding



## missyrain (Feb 14, 2009)

dont no what happend but i opened my new bale up and picked a handful up into the bucket then put it into my girls cage she was sat over the over side of the cage i tiped it all in 
the dust was the worse thing i have ever seen my girl started to sneeze looked like she was being sick i picked her out but i droped her onto the floor the bag was there so i hope she didnt her she self to much 
i droped her from a short hight as she was going wild some sort of fiting 
she was in the cage less than 2 mins and it all happend so fast 
her eyes were bleeding she tried to rip them out the dust was the worse thing it just all came up out of no where
i took her to the bathroom and have cleaned her with some warm water the cage has had a good wash aswell 

i wont be using finacard again

its my fault i feel so bad it never happend before she has some small cuts her her eyes and nose willing be taking her to the vet tomorrow
shes asleep on fleece and looks a bit better


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## celicachi (Sep 16, 2009)

sounds bad, i've never used finacard
hope she does alright


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

Poor little dot, cleaning her out while she's still in there is enough to stress any animal out (what animal are we talking about here, rat, mouse, hamster?).

If she's a rat - dont panic, her eyes are not bleeding, it's porphyrin - which rats will get when they're stressed or under the weather.

I think a combination of dusty bedding (I've used Finacard in the past, and it was dusty but not harmfully so), being cleaned out while she was still in the cage, then being dropped on the floor, has probably given her a bit of stress. I'd keep her quiet and calm, and see how she goes. Obviously if the bedding is that bad, I'd chuck it and pop something else in for her (preferably after taking her out this time!).


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## Minerva (Aug 24, 2008)

LisaLQ said:


> Poor little dot, cleaning her out while she's still in there is enough to stress any animal out (what animal are we talking about here, rat, mouse, hamster?).


Please tell that to my rats, especially my bucks, who love clean out time and chasing the sponge and my hand!! 

Its the only time they actually move fast other than when food is on the way :lol2:


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Minerva said:


> Please tell that to my rats, especially my bucks, who love clean out time and chasing the sponge and my hand!!
> 
> Its the only time they actually move fast other than when food is on the way :lol2:


 

Im glad mine arent the only ones, they love clean out days and try and help, they get really excited but show no signs of stress at all


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## Minerva (Aug 24, 2008)

LOL mine certainly aren't stressed by staying in the cage and sponge chasing or being buried by new susbstrate or climbing all over me, but i am by the time I've finished! It takes 3 times as long as usual haha.

I think...they certainly do actually enjoy it though.


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## RhianB87 (Oct 25, 2009)

My old rats used to help, by respreading all the bedding I put into a nice pile to sweep up!!

Hope your little girl is ok as well.


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## missyrain (Feb 14, 2009)

she is a rat and loves to sit in the cage and waits for me to put the paper in goes mad with paper!! and cardboard boxes the cage is open and i put her out with the others but she goes back in for the paper she always dose it 
i cant see how shes stressed only a little when she cant rip the box up!!
marks on her eyes are still bleeding a bit its like claw marks 
shes on baytri

me dropping her i dont think that did anythink to her she had jumped of sofas and chairs before and wine racks 

i took the finacard bale to the bin men its now gone and wont be coming back!

cage is just got fleece and more fleece and plain white paper 

shes fine in her self still runing around mad her eyes do look sore though i have drops and cream 

her fitting the vet said the dust got into her lungs and found it hard to breath thats why she was fitting and trying to be sick


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## missyrain (Feb 14, 2009)

Minerva said:


> Please tell that to my rats, especially my bucks, who love clean out time and chasing the sponge and my hand!!
> 
> Its the only time they actually move fast other than when food is on the way :lol2:



i wash down with sponges by the time i have done the cage my sponge is riped into bits


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## missyrain (Feb 14, 2009)

Shell195 said:


> Im glad mine arent the only ones, they love clean out days and try and help, they get really excited but show no signs of stress at all



mine like the dust pans and brush they try to sit in it and eat and chase the brush :lol2:


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

What is this obsession they have with sponges - my boys are all the same - as soon as I open the door with a sponge they're there getting in the way trying to run away with the sponge! :lol2:


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

There's a big difference between wiping around with them still in, and tipping dusty bedding over them.

A combination of stress and the dust from the bedding is likely to have given her tonnes of porph. The scratches will be from irritation, and she is unlikely to have actually fitted, more likely had a bout of coughing/sneezing. An actual fit is something neurological, unless you mean fit as in panic.

Lesson learned for the future, avoid dusty bedding, and dont tip it into the cage when your rats are still in there...


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## panther_87k (Feb 4, 2009)

ive not had any problems with finacard, it can be a bit dusty when you get to the bottom of the bag but thats no different to "dust extracted" shavings, they arent dust free. 
Maybe you should contact dilip (finacard owner) to let him know, there may have been a problem with machinery or something, hes always VERY helpful and quite generous for a business man (he donated finacard bales for use at the aph show, as well as lots of sample bags to give away, not to mention he doubled the money raised for the exotic hedgie rescue!)

hope your ratty doesnt suffer any lasting ill effects


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## missyrain (Feb 14, 2009)

shes much better now getting back to her old self


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## missyrain (Feb 14, 2009)

LisaLQ said:


> There's a big difference between wiping around with them still in, and tipping dusty bedding over them.
> 
> A combination of stress and the dust from the bedding is likely to have given her tonnes of porph. The scratches will be from irritation, and she is unlikely to have actually fitted, more likely had a bout of coughing/sneezing. An actual fit is something neurological, unless you mean fit as in panic.
> 
> Lesson learned for the future, avoid dusty bedding, and dont tip it into the cage when your rats are still in there...


i didnt tip the bedding over her she ran into it like she always dose
shes not staying in there any more i have set up another playpen so when i clean her out she wont be able to run back into the cage along with the rest of them 

got your point my lesson has been done for bedding


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## missyrain (Feb 14, 2009)

panther_87k said:


> ive not had any problems with finacard, it can be a bit dusty when you get to the bottom of the bag but thats no different to "dust extracted" shavings, they arent dust free.
> Maybe you should contact dilip (finacard owner) to let him know, there may have been a problem with machinery or something, hes always VERY helpful and quite generous for a business man (he donated finacard bales for use at the aph show, as well as lots of sample bags to give away, not to mention he doubled the money raised for the exotic hedgie rescue!)
> 
> hope your ratty doesnt suffer any lasting ill effects


i was thinking about telling him i never had it happen before the rats have always loved the bedding 
its warm and soft 
it was a one off i guess


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## CollaredLizardGal (May 17, 2010)

I found a good trick with my rats - gave them their own sponge to play with while I clean with another - 
they fight over it and climb on it, in it and under it, pull it to pieces and use it as bedding :gasp:
However I have a stress free cleaning sesh!! lol 
Trying to get the sponge back at the end is always the hardest part! 
Sadly my rats passed away quite a while ago but I still have fond memories of them!


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## missyrain (Feb 14, 2009)

those memories will always be with you
for now and forever ratties have a big place in my heart


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