But you can also get pure silica which has nothing else added to it. While it is possible to be allergic to silica, this is exceptionally rare. Its better to be inconvenienced than to risk the health of you and your pet. The major drawback with real air purifiers is that theyre expensive. Required fields are marked *. We recently added three chinchillas to our home and they reside in our kiddos bedroom. If an infection develops because of this, it can cause serious complications. ChillDust is one which is popular with experienced owners and breeders. On the one hand, that means the starch will still be there between baths, stopping the fur getting greasy. It was long thought that amorphous silica cant be dangerous because of its shape. Not all chinchilla dusts have silica in them. 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. 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. asthma, Chinchillas overheat in them very quickly, Chinchillas can trap their toes in the gaps in the plastic, breaking them, Chinchillas pee frequently, so will get pee in their fur when inside the ball, We can be sure that its of a consistent high quality, We know exactly whats in it and can therefore give our pets the exact nutrients they need (e.g. How could blue cloud dust be dangerous, despite being so popular? But that hasnt stopped generation after generation of busy parents and happy children feeding their bunnies vegetables. Again, we have to reiterate that no kind of sand is as effective at cleaning a chinchillas fur as dust. Considering that you need to dust your chinchilla frequently, and that the residue of the dust remains long after bathing, this is a genuine problem. Because of the frequency of dust baths required, and because the dust is so easy to breathe in and settles around the room, these are real risks. As such, you either have to avoid these dusts or only use them safely. There are two core issues related to the inhalation of silica dusts. Chinchillas bathe in dust. Some of the answer explanations contain links for further reading, which you can click and open in a New Tab. We feed our chinchillas a diet unlike that which they eat in the wild. Fruits are typically high in sucrose, which causes bloating in chinchillas. It kills thousands of people a year, mostly tradesmen who are frequently exposed to silica and silicon-based dusts; it can kill either through direct damage to the lungs, or through facilitating lung cancer. Plus, the dust will settle on every surface in the room. These safety guidelines arent ridiculous and excessivetheyre very basic and wont cost you a ton of money. These masks let in air from above and below, so do nothing to combat tiny particles of dust. Tidy up before your chinchilla bathes so that there are fewer things in your room for the dust to get on/in. But your chinchillas appearance will be changed and it will spread the corn starch around its cage. WebWhat diseases can chinchillas pass to humans? You can use them to get your chinchilla close to you for the first time, or to sit on your hand for the first time. So that could work for you, too. But crucially, as they dont contain silica, they wont cause silicosis. Pretty much all sand is quartz, which is made of silica, but that isnt a problem so long as it doesnt poof up into clouds. New owner, don't know where to start? We would recommend sepiolite, corn starch or sand instead. As the guide details below, silicosis is where the lungs become scarred and lung function is decreased, and it can be fatal. You can also consider bathing your chinchilla in water infrequently. If I can find one, thats my first choice right now, I think. Great site! This will get rid of much of the dust. Aluminum silicate and similar dusts are linked to serious lung damage. 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. Thats because we believe that chinchilla dusts may be dangerous to use. But amorphous silica, being round, is more easily gotten rid of. Whether thats because of outdated advice or because of Bugs Bunny isnt relevant; what matters is that rabbits do far better on a diet of hay than of vegetables. The most common is silica, also known as crystalline silica, pure silica or silicon dioxide. This means the body cant get rid of the dust specks easily. Aluminum silicate is commonly used as a dry and absorbent material, for example in cat litter. The problem would be if its fine enough to inhale. Its great at absorbing water, which is why its also used in soil for potted plants. Hi, my name is Jamie. Lovely. At the same time, they will prevent the dust from entering your lungs. Its that same reasoning that applies to Blue Cloud dust. While no studies have been done on silicosis in chinchillas that specifically relate to aluminum silicate, its possible that it would have the same effect. 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. ChillDusts manufacturer, Hess Pumice, has a plethora of helpful product information available on their website, including human safety analysis information. If you inhale these dusts frequently, or cant cough them up, they cause inflammation. Thats because whatever safety precaution you take, your chinchilla would still breathe in the dust. These little animals are associated with human salmonellosis, and they carry various mycobacteria. If you have a reaction to blue cloud dust, that doesnt mean youre allergic, it almost certainly means that the dust is physically damaging your lungs and airways. White teeth indicate that it isn't getting enough, while black teeth would be the result of rotting. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Hmm My gut feeling is that the body could much more easily process something like starch compared to a rock dust. Blue cloud dust is the common name for aluminum silicate dust which is known to damage Another advantage is that sand can be reused indefinitely. Silicon is one of the elements of the periodic table. That doesnt happen with sand. Put simply, crystalline minerals form in a different way to amorphous ones. Sepiolite seems safer than silicate dusts. In contrast, only a small population of cells stained TUNEL-positive after exposure to crystalline silica. But experienced owners call these death balls because: Here, experienced owners can see that just because something is popular, and just because a popular brand manufactures and sells something, that doesnt mean its suitable for chinchillas/chinchilla owners. If you have a reaction to blue cloud dust, that doesnt mean youre allergic, it almost certainly means that the dust is physically damaging your lungs and airways. It therefore makes sense to use these instead, even if blue cloud is the most naturalthe most similar to what wild chinchillas use. 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. These filters pick out particles from the air to stop you breathing them in. Blue cloud dust is the common name for aluminum silicate dust which is known to damage the lungs. 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. We pampered our chinnies just like you! While it remains in the lungs, however, it seems that the two kinds of silica do the same damage. Let's say you've had your chinchilla a while now. Hope this follow-up information is helpful! 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. I would say try a hardware store, or there are lots on Amazon (maybe more expensive). Alternatively, get somebody to help. Quote: Inhalation of crystalline silica is known to cause an inflammatory reaction and chronic exposure leads to lung fibrosis and can progress into the disease, silicosis. I really appreciate your articleit is the only one Ive seen that publishes the information in such a logical, organized way. This will largely reduce the amount that you and your chinchilla breathe in. Oh, good tip on the cornstarch. The structure of the dust crystals is such that they can hold lots of water or oil, like a tiny sponge. We recommend childrens play sand, as this sand is: Even generic play sand is typically fine. 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. Gently lift your Chinchilla and place them in the bowl so that they know its bath time. The pathway leading to apoptosis appears to be similar in both cases. Plus silicosis takes years to develop, so even in the absence of current symptoms, your lungs may be being damaged. They're the best by far. Cells that were predominantly affected were macrophages and epithelial cells lining the terminal bronchioles. If this tumor spreads to other parts of the body, its classified as cancer. Or, again, you could give your chinchilla occasional water baths to stop grease building up too much. This one, for example, similarly looked at the effects of amorphous silica. Thats a completely separate issue. Are chinchillas the best pets in the world? This book teaches you everything you need to know for your chinchilla to live a long, healthy, happy lifeand for you to build a strong, loving bond with them. 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. I write about chinchillas as a full-time jobsomething I never thought I'd do. Contrary to popular belief, this can be done safely, so long as you know how. Just make sure its not treated with some kind of chemical before using it. Cigarettes contain harmful substances such as carbon monoxide, nicotine, acetone, acetaldehyde, and ammonia, which are harmful to the human body. Any kind of nice, clean sand that doesnt puff into clouds when your chin rolls in it should be OK. No probably not, but it isnt a toxic As mentioned above, the jagged and sharp nature of crystalline silica allows it to catch and stick onto the walls of the lungs. As I was already familiar with blue cloud dust and all the popular blue cloud brands, I was going to give an honest comparison on which brand I thought was best and be done with it. The most common is silica, also known as crystalline silica, pure silica or silicon dioxide. There will always be owners who swear by it and have never reported a problem, so will continue using it. Silicate dust causes: You may experience one, some, or all of these symptoms. Alternatively, you could use reptile sand. Practically every single chinchilla owner, even experienced owners and breeders, recommends blue cloud dust. Thats because it doesnt trigger allergies like rock dusts, so its perfect for people with asthma or lung disease. My apologies if I missed it while viewing the site on my phone. We recommend sepiolite over blue cloud dusts, although it may only be available online where you live. (ruled out for respiration concerns for humans and chinchillas) playsands (ruled out for human safety concerns) aragonite sand (ruled out for concern over the presence of microorganisms and the difference in natural terrain, which chinchillas from mountainous regions and aragonite sand harvested from the ocean seabed) Montmorillonite clay (was one of my top contenders, actually, following Sweet PDZ, because it could offer similar benefits to chinchillas and humans, but ultimately ruled out because I couldnt find any chinchilla owner using it, so I would want to run this by an exotic vet first. WebChinchillas take dust baths as a way of self-cleaning their coats. Some owners will swear by one brand, other owners by another, but broadly they all do the same thing with roughly the same level of effectiveness. Ive done more digging online and found (for me) sufficiently compelling links to powder aspiration and poisoning in humans that I am inclined to think chinchillas would be at an even greater risk. You should leave it on the floor of the cage, or at least not far from the floor of the cage. The key selling point of using corn starch is that it cleans fur in the exact same way as regular chinchilla dust does. Chinchillas. If you do plan on using corn starch, you can change slightly how you bathe your chinchilla to counteract the drawbacks above. However, blue cloud dust is made from amorphous aluminum silicate rather than the crystalline kind, so the link between it and silicosis is less clear. Its in the exact same way that we recommend against using blue cloud dust. ChillDust is one which is popular with experienced owners and breeders. Then afterwards, sweep or vacuum to get rid of as much dust as possible. Silicate dust causes: You may experience one, some, or all of these symptoms. But chinchillas don't need all the ones that we do; they can make their own vitamin C, for example, unlike us. But they also found that the effects of crystalline silica were irreversible, while rats that inhaled amorphous silica arguably made a full recovery. If you stick to these safety recommendations, you wont breathe in enough dust to make you sick. Blue cloud is commonly marketed as 100% natural, which is true. Further study is needed to claim that its perfectly safe. Thanks again for your responses and follow-up thoughts! Practically every single chinchilla owner, even experienced owners and breeders, recommends blue cloud dust. While it isnt clear what effect aluminum silicate has on chinchillas, we know that silicate dusts can cause silicosis in other rodents, and that the chinchillas respiratory system is just like ours; we therefore recommend steering clear of any dust that could harm your pets health. So, instead of twice a week, consider every other day. Again, though, pure silica can cause pulmonary fibrosis. It kills thousands of people a year, mostly tradesmen who are frequently exposed to silica and silicon-based dusts; it can kill either through direct damage to the lungs, or through facilitating lung cancer. But that doesnt mean its 100% safe. You could try offering longer or more frequent baths to combat this issue. After quite a bit of research, my top picks for chinchilla dust options currently are: ChillDust. . how to unfold a neon vector scooter; replica sailing day smells like It wont billow up when your chinchilla bathes in it, so it cant be breathed in. ChillDust settles faster than other chinchilla-marketed dusts and is only classified as a nuisance dust by OSHA. ChillDusts manufacturer, Hess Pumice, has a plethora of helpful product information available on their website, including human safety analysis information. This effect isnt well understood yet, but it seems that chronic irritation and inflammation are an indispensible participant in the process of cells turning cancerous and spreading. They can still damage the lungs if inhaled frequently, but this is less likely. We compared the uptake and toxicity of amorphous silica to crystalline silica. If you do plan on doing this, dont use a surgical mask or a cheap face mask. This is a problem because mines have to publish data on the what they dig up, what it is, and its mineral content. However, this guide isnt like others that youll find on this topic. Webcrocs kadee flat size 9 / essential streetwear pieces / is chinchilla dust harmful to humans. But the more I read and researched this topic, I felt that there was more to the story than just which brand is best. 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. 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