Fruit Flavored Wood??

[Laluvschins]

Hello there! I was recently in Pet Smart and saw some wood chews for chins that said fruit flavored. Now I know that just because its in a pet store doesnt make it safe by no means, which is pretty sad and annoying, however I was wondering if anyone has seen or heard of this fruit flavored wood and if it is safe for chins? Thanks!!

 

[chinmom2012]

You would have to check what kind of wood it is made out of. If it doesn't say what kind of wood it is, which I've found most things at the petstore don't, I wouldn't buy it. Also you have to wonder how much sugar they put in the flavoring. Chins can't digest sugars well at all. Here is a list of chin safe and toxic woods.
The list is from http://exoticpets.about.com/od/chinchillas/qt/chinchillawoods.htm.

Safe woods:

apple
arbutus
ash
aspen
bamboo
blackberrry
blackcurrant
cholla
cottonwood
crabapple
dogwood
elm
grapevine
hawthorn
hazelnut
kiwi
magnolia
manzanita
mulberry
pear
pecan
pine - kiln-dried white
poplar
quince
rose hip
sycamore
willow (but not white willow)

Toxic Woods

almond
apricot
beech
birch
black locust
black lotus
blackwood
box elder
buckthorn
cashew
cedar
cherry
chesnut
china berry Chinese snake tree chokeberry
citrus woods - orange, lemon, grapefruit, etc.
cypress
ebony
elderberry
eucalyptus
fir
ginkgo
hemlock
holly
honey locust
hydrangea
juniper
kumquat
laurel
mahogany
mango
manufactured/glued woods like plywood or fiberboard
maple
mesquite
myrtle
nectarine
oak
oleander
peach
pine - fresh, pressure treated, red -- kiln dried is thought to be safe
pinecones
pistachio
plum
redwood
sandalwood
sequoia
spruce
teak
walnut
weeping fig
white willow
yew

 

[starrynight0621]

Most pet store woods are pine but it is NOT kiln dried. I would not risk it.

 

[Riven]

Make your own "fruit flavored" with KD pine and koolaid!

 

[Laluvschins]

if it wasnt kilned dried, what would it do?

 

[Riven]

The kiln drying dries out any residual sap and tannins in the wood and helps to prevent molding or anything "scary" from growing in there. Kind of like cleaning and baking the wood for toys and sticks.