I am not sure if anyone has covered this, but I couldn’t find anything on it. Are unscented puppy pads safe for snakes? I would imagine they are the same as disposable cage liners, right? Except they are cheaper and you can get more in one package. Of course staying away from the scented ones because I am sure that would be bad for them.
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I can’t think of any reason why unscented puppy pads would be a problem. They should work just fine for most herps, I’d imagine. The only exception I can think of would be an individual who might tear off a bite and swallow it. Maybe there’s an enterprising lizard out there who’d try that. Probably comes down to the individual. (It was an issue when we tried to use luppy pads in a travel crate for our rabbit. )
Good idea!
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I have never heard of anyone using them but I think that they would work just fine.
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I don’t see an issue in using them for snakes.
For any type of lizard that may claw them up and potentially be able to ingest the pad material or gel inside, gotta be a no from me.
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Here is my take: I think it’s a great idea. However, I would not would not use them for the top layer because I have seen the cottony top layer separate from the plastic. Imho I don’t think I I would want my snake directly in contact with it. However, I would use it as a base layer with newspaper on the top…… but that’s just me…. 
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At first I was like, “No, those are totally unsafe, don’t use them!”…then I realised that I was thinking of chinchillas 
(where the concern is that they could chew on and ingest some of the pad). Since chewing/ingesting is likely to be a non-issue for most if not all snakes, I should think they’d be fine.
I also wonder if incontinence pads for humans (we call them “chucks” at my work, though I don’t know if that’s a common term or just regional slang) would also work, and could potentially be less expensive. They seem to be basically the same product as puppy pads and come in a variety of sizes. I know you can buy them in bulk from places like Costco.
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I believe it was Rico that I got the idea from, but when I kept GTPs and ETBs, I put a large puppy pad on the floor of the Habitat Systems cage and I’d pour a couple cups of water on top of it and add additional water as it dried for humidity. Of course this would only be advised in a seamless cage or one that was sealed very well!
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I am experimenting with them as we speak. I put a layer of pads underneath the newspaper in my BRB’s enclosure. He is notorious for tipping over his water tub so we will see……
Thanks for the idea!
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I ordered a pack of hartz brand unscented puppy pads, I will be using them as the only bedding and I will let everyone know how it goes. Hopefully it will help with the mess Polaris usually makes.
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Stealing this idea as well 
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A lot of Chondro breeders use them. Considering the price and well known sensitivity of those snakes I can’t imagine they cause any issues or that portion of the hobby would have abandoned them long ago.
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Honestly the creativity behind the puppy pad as substitute for paper towels (or extra protection) thing versus having an animal sit in a puddle of it’s own urine until you find out it peed, reminds me of the creativity behind using orbeez as a substitute for water in reptile soaks because it makes the animal feel more secure and almost totally eliminates the risk of drowning.
We need more creativity like this. Silly hacks and tricks that are actually pretty neat! We should make a thread of just hacks for reptiles. Doesn’t matter what reptile doesn’t matter the nature of the hack. I would love to hear what we have all learned!
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@caryl @lumpy @ballornothing @auriea @jawramik @armiyana
Update! My BRB, Nod, over turned his water tub again and the clean up was a breeze! I did not have the sopping mess I had before! The pads really helped! I am SO HAPPY!!!
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I bought a huge package of hospital bed pads (same thing, different marketing) a few months ago then got spooked out of using them for fear of ingestion. Now I feel like I need to try them out!
Can’t wait to see more updates 
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Look into unprinted newspaper too. It’s much safer if ingested as it doesn’t expand, and is quite inexpensive and easy to cut to size/shape, especially from a roll. (The other sheet form usually comes folded which isnt ideal)
Garret from Reach Out Reptiles mentioned a freak thing involving paper towels expanding and impacting a snake after it somehow injected some. Freaked me out forever of course lol, as those things do.
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I don’t think a snake would be able to ingest a puppy pad. And given the reports we have heard about them so far, especially from @ballornothing about chondro breeders, I am pretty sure they are safe.
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and @ashleyraeanne I put a layer or two of newspaper on top. So my guys are not lying on top of the pads themselves. But if you have a water bowl tipper or a heavy peeing snake, the pads are wonderful!
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Not that I think they could eat the whole thing, but I do worry a little about a tooth catching on the fabric layer. I will probably put a sheet of packing paper on top (it’s what I currently use anyway.)
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I use them in my GTP vivs with no problems at all
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Not that they are terrible idea to use, but like recommended, maybe have a top layer on them. I do know someone that used them for a while until their snake injested the whole puppy pad. I personally would have never thought that possible until I heard from first hand experience. That was with a Retic, so depending on the species they probably wouldn’t be able to injest them. But they can be fully injested.
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