I know this was posted somewhere, but I can't find it (even though it's probably staring me in the face).
Now that the weather is gettin colder (averages about 50-55 here in San Diego) and it's time for me to clean out Ralph's dogloo (I do it monthly) I'm wondering if I should put a different substrate in his dogloo. I am currently only using timothy hay. I was thinking of bed a beast and mixing it with something. But what? How deep should I make it? I do have a heat lamp inside for him. Is the bed a beast a fire hazard with the heat lamp? I've never checked the humidity and I never spray inside. He is very healthy and I've had him since he was a 2 month hatchling. He's now 4.
On the door to the dogloo I have a shower curtain liner cut into strips, with it being doubled so it's really two shower curtain liners cut into strips. I also have a rubbermaid box lid in front of the door. A heavy towel lays over the top of the dogloo and over the front of the rubbermaid lid. I also placed a tarp over the dogloo and coming down about 1/2 over the towel. That is in case we get a freak rain (like the other day) or when it's just dense fog like it has been lately. Also just to keep more heat in the dogloo.
I've checked on him at different times of the night just to see where he goes. 95% of the time he is on the cold side of the dogloo. Only in early morning about 4-5am is he under the heat lamp. And that's only a few times I've found him there. He burrows under the timothy hay. Do you think a pig blanket is necessary?
So what do you think I should use for substrate?
Now that the weather is gettin colder (averages about 50-55 here in San Diego) and it's time for me to clean out Ralph's dogloo (I do it monthly) I'm wondering if I should put a different substrate in his dogloo. I am currently only using timothy hay. I was thinking of bed a beast and mixing it with something. But what? How deep should I make it? I do have a heat lamp inside for him. Is the bed a beast a fire hazard with the heat lamp? I've never checked the humidity and I never spray inside. He is very healthy and I've had him since he was a 2 month hatchling. He's now 4.
On the door to the dogloo I have a shower curtain liner cut into strips, with it being doubled so it's really two shower curtain liners cut into strips. I also have a rubbermaid box lid in front of the door. A heavy towel lays over the top of the dogloo and over the front of the rubbermaid lid. I also placed a tarp over the dogloo and coming down about 1/2 over the towel. That is in case we get a freak rain (like the other day) or when it's just dense fog like it has been lately. Also just to keep more heat in the dogloo.
I've checked on him at different times of the night just to see where he goes. 95% of the time he is on the cold side of the dogloo. Only in early morning about 4-5am is he under the heat lamp. And that's only a few times I've found him there. He burrows under the timothy hay. Do you think a pig blanket is necessary?
So what do you think I should use for substrate?