On the one hand, that means the starch will still be there between baths, stopping the fur getting greasy. Wild chinchillas are hunted by birds of prey. ChillDust is one which is popular with experienced owners and breeders. So, instead of twice a week, consider every other day. Another advantage is that sand can be reused indefinitely. They suck in air, as fans do from behind before blasting the air forward. Do chinchillas need vitamins and minerals? Another advantage is that corn starch doesnt billow as much as rock dusts do. If these effects continue for many years, whether because the dust is continually inhaled or because it cant be coughed up again, it can cause serious health issues like fibrosis. Put simply, crystalline minerals form in a different way to amorphous ones. What has likely also played a part is the idea that you can be allergic to dust, which is true; but a dust allergy is an allergy to dander, not to mineral dust. Amorphous silica has been considered to be a less toxic form, but this view is controversial. There are lots of different elements that can be crushed into a powder found in rocks and clay. This page has no products for sale and doesnt recommend the same brands that every other guide does. Is dust bath safe? The questions are multiple choice, and each answer is explained. That doesnt happen with sand. Breeders use it to bathe their chinchillas before shows. There will always be owners who swear by it and have never reported a problem, so will continue using it. They cost hundreds of dollars. Pumice dust is dust made from powdered pumice stone. The likely reason that amorphous silica isnt shown to cause cancer is that it doesnt remain in the body as crystalline silica does. We recently added three chinchillas to our home and they reside in our kiddos bedroom. Excellent, thank you! So, check before you buy. Rock dust can break purifiers unless you change the filter frequently. If there is a difference between amorphous and crystalline silica, it will be due to the difficulty with which they can be expressed from the lungs. But pure silica dusts are just as bad, if not worse, than less-processed dusts. Corn starch is, of course, made from corn; its dry and fine, so wicks moisture and oil from fur in the same way as other dusts. During this time, it can get into your chinchillas eyes. We do have a newsletter, and there should be a form you can find at the top of this page. They do go on to say, though, that one study disclosed four cases with silicosis among subjects exposed to apparently non-contaminated amorphous silica. Silicosis is a form of pulmonary fibrosis, which is where the lungs are damaged and scarred, reducing lung function. Malocclusion requires a vet's assistance. Its that same reasoning that applies to Blue Cloud dust. As mentioned above, the jagged and sharp nature of crystalline silica allows it to catch and stick onto the walls of the lungs. If you dont want to use corn starch, you could consider using sand. Webcrocs kadee flat size 9 / essential streetwear pieces / is chinchilla dust harmful to humans. This powder, whatever it is, scratches and scars the lungs. Amorphous silica, being round, stands much less chance of doing so; it can therefore be more easily coughed out. You can also consider bathing your chinchilla in water infrequently. These little animals are associated with human salmonellosis, and they carry various mycobacteria. So its possible that blue cloud will shorten your pets life. It can be found in pet stores or, alternatively, hardware/DIY stores. TUNEL staining is where scientists detect DNA breaks that form during apoptosis (cell death). Its better to be inconvenienced than to risk the health of you and your pet. Ive done more research and thought Id circle back here with some updates on what Ive found, in case its of help to other chinchilla owners. Please dont dismiss what Ive written as the ramblings of somebody whos obsessed with health and safety, because thats just not me! If you take a look at this news report on the original Blue Cloud Chinchilla Dust Mine, youll see that the worker packaging the dust is wearing a respirator dust mask. Our results indicate that amorphous and crystalline silica are both phagocytosed and both toxic to mouse alveolar macrophage (MH-S) cells. They state that: Animal inhalation studies with intentionally manufactured synthetic amorphous silica showed at least partially reversible inflammation, granuloma formation and emphysema, but no progressive fibrosis of the lungs [Ed: which is the core issue that silica dusts cause]. Learn More Best Bath Dust For Recycling You & Me Chinchilla Bath Dust Its a fine, dry powder. This will largely reduce the amount that you and your chinchilla breathe in. Youre therefore constantly breathing it in if you use it. What happens is that when the tiny particles are inhaled, they cause inflammation. Its a kind of magnesium deposit that can be broken down into a fine dust. It also doesnt necessarily mean healthy. Other studies arent as clear. Just had another thought: I wonder if organic, lead-free bentonite clay would be a safer option, and possibly just as effective as blue cloud? Thats especially true if you have asthma, lung damage from smoking, or are otherwise unhealthy. This is a kind of dust made from aluminum silicate. We know better than our chinchillas and can provide for them better than they can provide for themselves. Our pet chinchillas eat hay and processed hay pellets, and were advised never to feed them fruits, vegetables and living grass as hay is a healthier choice. Posted on September 29, 2022 by acrylic ice bucket with stand This material is more commonly used in the U.K. than the U.S. Bathing dust is very inexpensive, although the cost can add up if you have lots of chinchillas. You can spot this irritation if your chinchillas eyes are red and watering. Sepiolite seems safer than silicate dusts. Ideally, you want a room with an extractor fan, like your bathroom. Hope this follow-up information is helpful! ChillDust is one which is popular with experienced owners and breeders. Its no more expensive than blue cloud. Its also a dust that is marketed for chinchilla use and is used extensively in the chinchilla breeding/owning community, with a history of success and chinchilla safety. Aluminum silicate, the only ingredient in blue cloud dust, is a combination of aluminum and silica. During this time, it can get into your chinchillas eyes. As such, we recommend offering your chinchilla longer or slightly more frequent dust baths, and keeping on top of cage cleaning to counteract this fact. It wont billow up when your chinchilla bathes in it, so it cant be breathed in. There are many such deposits across the United States, however, so blue cloud dust is still available. This is a problem because mines have to publish data on the what they dig up, what it is, and its mineral content. Silicosis is a form of pulmonary fibrosis, which is where the lungs are damaged and scarred, reducing lung function. If I can find one, thats my first choice right now, I think. We feed our pets hay because: The upshot of all this is that chinchillas live longer on an unnatural diet than they do on what they eat in the wild. Other advantages include: Corn starch isnt a kooky home remedy; its already used by many owners. . catanzaro solid wood platform bed; best silicone baby bottles; garnier skinactive facial mist Sweet PDZ is usually used in horse stalls to eliminate and reduce odors. This will largely reduce the amount that you and your chinchilla breathe in. So appreciate knowing Im not alone in my concerns and my journey to find better health options for our entire family! They cost hundreds of dollars. These masks let in air from above and below, so do nothing to combat tiny particles of dust. Not all kinds of sand are created equal. It will then stay there until its dusted away, and when its disturbed, youll breathe even more of it in. If none of your rooms has an extractor fan, pick a room that has large windows. Respirators are masks that have filters in them. As youll know, it goes everywhere, and can settle on your belongings for days afterwards. But not everything we think we know about chinchilla dust is true. But because of safety concerns, we nonetheless have to recommend it. While this is a sign that its fine, so is good for bathing, these clouds make it a task to clean up after your chinchillas bath. To understand why, we can draw a parallel to how other pets are cared for. Your email address will not be published. how to unfold a neon vector scooter; replica sailing day smells like What happens is that when the tiny particles are inhaled, they cause inflammation. I also just came across a forum discussion about using aragonite sand as a substitute. Silicosis is where the lungs are so damaged that these symptoms persist continually, even in the absence of dust. They will take dust baths on their own if given the opportunity, but you can also help them out by providing a dust bath area. Just make sure its not treated with some kind of chemical before using it. Its only in the face of repeated exposure that silicosis becomes a real possibility. Its also a dust that is marketed for chinchilla use and is used extensively in the chinchilla breeding/owning community, with a history of success and chinchilla safety. Sweet PDZ in powder form. Dust can be reused to an extent, but must eventually be thrown away. We pampered our chinnies just like you! If you do plan on doing this, dont use a surgical mask or a cheap face mask. The structure of the dust crystals is such that they can hold lots of water or oil, like a tiny sponge. Natural doesnt necessarily mean good. However, inhalation of pumice doesnt seem to cause as serious issues as silicosis, likely because powdered pumice granules are typically larger than those of blue cloud dust. Once your chinchilla is done bathing, you must do what you can to stop the dust settling. Or, again, you could give your chinchilla occasional water baths to stop grease building up too much. Its not as good as fine dusts for cleaning chinchilla fur, but its better than using nothing, and it will trigger your pets bathing reflex. Macrophages are immune system cells that bind to bad things the body wants to get rid of, but when they try to get rid of both kinds of silica, they go through apoptosisa kind of pre-programmed way for the macrophage cells to die. I really appreciate your articleit is the only one Ive seen that publishes the information in such a logical, organized way. I look forward to new issues! No probably not, but it isnt a toxic Ventilation stops the dust from hanging in the air when its in use. This paper from 2011 aimed to prove that we underestimate the risks of amorphous silica, and that products which contain it should be changed. But that mine has since closed. And on top of that, its cheap, and can be bought in large bulk bags. But wild chinchillas dont eat hay; they eat living plants and grasses. There are many reports of blue cloud dust triggering allergies. White teeth indicate that it isn't getting enough, while black teeth would be the result of rotting. These effects have been shown in many studies, which are linked below. You can also use them to train your chinchilla to do various things, like come when it's called. Thank you for your guidance on these matters! The condition takes years of repeated exposure to reach this stage, so its highly unlikely that your health has been severely affected if youre a new chinchilla owner. Plus, the dust will settle on every surface in the room. These little animals are associated with human salmonellosis, and they carry various mycobacteria. This doesnt provethat amorphous silica can cause cancer, as studies showing this link definitively havent yet been performed, but its an interesting result nonetheless. For years people have thought that rabbits should eat carrots, lettuce and various other fresh veggies. Blue cloud dust is made from something called rhyolite. Damaging the DNA in cells is how substances cause cancer. Avoid using builders sand because this is rougher and has larger grains. WebA bite from a chinchilla can hurt, but a) its incredibly rare for a happy to chinchilla bite, and b) even if your chinchilla does bite you, that bite wont be dangerous, just painful. Its better to be inconvenienced than to risk the health of you and your pet. Sepiolite is a mineral thats also known as meerschaum. And on top of that, its cheap, and can be bought in large bulk bags. But that hasnt stopped generation after generation of busy parents and happy children feeding their bunnies vegetables. There are lots of different kinds of silicon-based dusts that are known to cause problems in the lungs. But if you absolutely must use blue cloud dust, an air purifier would be an effective defense. But they also found that the effects of crystalline silica were irreversible, while rats that inhaled amorphous silica arguably made a full recovery. The pathway leading to apoptosis appears to be similar in both cases. What Do You Need for a New Chinchilla? If you take a look at this news report on the original Blue Cloud Chinchilla Dust Mine, youll see that the worker packaging the dust is wearing a respirator dust mask. Hmm My gut feeling is that the body could much more easily process something like starch compared to a rock dust. This is a reasonable question. As such, weve made some recommendations below that should mitigate some of the risks associated with its use.
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid For Bikini Area,
Decomposers In The Mesopelagic Zone,
Things That Rhyme With Star,
What Happened To The Ashley Nicole Boat,
Shell Energy Login,
Articles I