Plastic cave - toxic fumes?

[kelleym530]

I purchased a new large plastic cave for my bearded dragon to bask on. Now, whenever I open the glass doors, I get a whiff of a very strong plastic smell. Could this be toxic to him?

 

[CooperDragon]

If you're smelling it, it probably isn't good. It may need some time to off gas so I'd leave it out for a bit in an open spot and see if the smell decreases. How hot is the surface of the plastic when it's in the tank?

 

[kelleym530]

Hi, It's around 100 degrees.

 

[CooperDragon]

That shouldn't normally cause any issue at all heat wise. I'd still let it sit in an open area until it doesn't smell anymore. Could be leftover chemical smell from manufacturing.

 

[kelleym530]

We discovered that it is actually his new tank that is putting off the odor. It's one of those stackable kind with the light fixtures on the inside in the ceiling. My husband thinks that it is lined with vinyl coating.

 

[CooperDragon]

Huh, interesting. They are usually designed with heat and UV exposure from lighting in mind. Is it a PVC enclosure?

 

[kelleym530]

I'm not sure what you mean by PVC enclosure. It is wood on the outside and is lined? painted? white on the inside with two sliding glass doors. I got it at a store called Serpentarium in Roseville, CA.

 

[CooperDragon]

PVC is a plastic cage. If it's painted wood, perhaps the paint coat is reacting to the heat of the lamp. If it doesn't dissipate after a little while you may want to contact the store or manufacturer to ensure the coating doesn't release harmful/toxic fumes.

 

[Taterbug]

I would contact the vendor and find out what the lining is made of, there are many materials it could be and we would just be guessing. Not all offgassinng "fumes" are super harmful or toxic but a lot of them aren't good long term.

What sort of ventilation does the cage have?

I'd also check everything over to make sure that it's not heat related. Light fixtures too close to plastics can be bad news.

 

[kelleym530]

There are two four-inch holes in the back wall with vents covering them. I have been leaving the glass door at the cool end open a bit and running a little fan outside for a little bit of air movement inside.