Allergic to Aspen Substrate?

I can't use it. Something about it makes my throat tighten, my eyes water, and I start to sneeze.

I thought I was the only one who couldn't be around the stuff.:D
Try cypress if you want to use a wood substrate.

that is the one reason I stopped useing aspen, I had a few bags that were extremely dusty and had to quit useing it because I couldnt handle the amount of dust in the bag.

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Originally Posted by wildlifewarrior

My petco still carries care fresh (or were you talking about the desert snow??)

~mike

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Well its nice to know that im not the only one.....I dont know if i can get another substrate, because the only place near me is Petsmart, and i only saw the corn kind, and the Aspen...i'll see next time i go to the Herp store if i can get a diffrent kind. As long as i dont enhale too much when i pour it in, and same with when i wet it, ill be fine. So i will just be careful....because it is the only thing that i have for now. I dont want to use newspaper because my snake is very active, and i dont want him to turn funny colors. lol.

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Originally Posted by Amy1217

I dont want to use newspaper because my snake is very active, and i dont want him to turn funny colors. lol.

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LOL....Mine is on newspaper and I've never seen a speck of "funny color" on her lovely white belly. ;) I think it's the oils on our skin that make the ink rub off on our hands....a problem that snakes don't have.

oh...i was reading an article, and it said that if you have an active snake it could turn then funny colors- i didnt think about the oils though...

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Originally Posted by Amy1217

Well its nice to know that im not the only one.....I dont know if i can get another substrate, because the only place near me is Petsmart, and i only saw the corn kind, and the Aspen...i'll see next time i go to the Herp store if i can get a diffrent kind. As long as i dont enhale too much when i pour it in, and same with when i wet it, ill be fine. So i will just be careful....because it is the only thing that i have for now. I dont want to use newspaper because my snake is very active, and i dont want him to turn funny colors. lol.

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You should be able to find unprinted newsprint paper. You might even check with your local newspaper printer. Maybe they could supply you with their waste from the end of a run???

Steve

This might be a stupid question to ask, but are you by chance asthmatic?


I have asthma and for some reason "pine" bothers me. When I work in my workshop I have to where a resporator when I cut wood (pine) with a saw. The sawdust triggers an asthma attack every time.

There are many triggers that can cause lung irritations like that. It's definately nothing to fool with.

I would HIGHLY suggest not putting up with the Aspen and switch right away to something else.

Yeah...when i was little they told me i was asthmatic, but for some reason my parents didn't believe me...so i never got an enhaler or anything like that. I really should though...
anyways...what kind of substrate do you use? i want to use the Coconut bark, but it seams like it is a lot more expensive...I was thinking about the newspaper, but i asked my local news paper, and they are not aloud to give it out...idk....they gave me a reason, but i thought it was stupid so i didnt really listen. lol.

Thanks!

It is quite possible that you are allergic to Aspen. I have a friend that used to use pine shavings for his rodents, he is a huge supplier of rodents, and he switched to Aspen. He could not even go into his building because of the reaction that he got from the Aspen. Therefore, he switched back to the pine shavings, and no more problems. I would definitely switch to another type of bedding.