They suck in air, as fans do from behind before blasting the air forward. As chinchillas are mammals, their respiratory system is the same as ours. Thats because whatever safety precaution you take, your chinchilla would still breathe in the dust. Rhyolite is a volcanic rock a little like pumice thats very high in silica (typically more than 69%). Its also used for cleaning yellow fur in chinchillas. Cancer is primarily associated with crystalline silica, and no studies have, as of yet, proven a definitive link between amorphous silica and cancer. calcium) in precisely the right amounts, Because its processed, we know its not dirty, rotten or moldy and that it doesnt contain parasites, Because it doesnt billow, its less likely to get in your chinchillas eyes, and if it does its not as painful, Its safe to ingest, so if your chinchilla eats some, thats not a problem, Corn starch is available from almost any store, You likely already have some corn starch at home, Fine, so picks up oil better than other kinds of sand, Filtered and cleaned before its sold, because its a product for children, Soft, because again, its a product for children. If you didnt have a chinchilla and youd never owned a rabbit, youd likely think the same. Here are the most common types used: The finer the dust, the better it cleans. This is a problem because mines have to publish data on the what they dig up, what it is, and its mineral content. You may view this either as a positive or a negative. But that hasnt stopped generation after generation of busy parents and happy children feeding their bunnies vegetables. These little animals are associated with human salmonellosis, and they carry various mycobacteria. Amorphous silica, being round, stands much less chance of doing so; it can therefore be more easily coughed out. The problem isnt the aluminum or the silica; rather, its the inhalation of any fine powder that cant be broken down inside the body. ChillDusts manufacturer, Hess Pumice, has a plethora of helpful product information available on their website, including human safety analysis information. You could even consider dusting if you have a feather duster you can use. By far the most common kind of dust used for bathing chinchillas is blue cloud (often stylized as Blue Cloud). Blue cloud dust is the common name for aluminum silicate dust which is known to damage the lungs. 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. 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. Its great at absorbing water, which is why its also used in soil for potted plants. Can you use treats to make a chinchilla like you? However, this view has become increasingly controversial among scientists. Chinchillas are already a good example of this. These safety guidelines arent ridiculous and excessivetheyre very basic and wont cost you a ton of money. We would recommend sepiolite, corn starch or sand instead. We've published an eBook: Chinchilla Care 101. In cold weather or otherwise dry environments, they may only need to bathe twice a week. 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. Its better to be inconvenienced than to risk the health of you and your pet. The link between amorphous minerals and the same issues is less clear. These little animals are associated with human salmonellosis, and they carry various mycobacteria. But if you absolutely must use blue cloud dust, an air purifier would be an effective defense. For years people have thought that rabbits should eat carrots, lettuce and various other fresh veggies. Our results indicate that amorphous and crystalline silica are both phagocytosed and both toxic to mouse alveolar macrophage (MH-S) cells. 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. We recommend sepiolite over blue cloud dusts, although it may only be available online where you live. Amorphous silica, being round, stands much less chance of doing so; it can therefore be more easily coughed out. 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. Its that same reasoning that applies to Blue Cloud dust. This is a kind of sand sold by pet stores for reptiles to bathe in. The list below breaks them down into simple English, which scientific studies often dont! These filters pick out particles from the air to stop you breathing them in. This doesnt provethat amorphous silica can cause cancer, as studies showing this link definitively havent yet been performed, but its an interesting result nonetheless. This is a kind of dust made from aluminum silicate. While it remains in the lungs, however, it seems that the two kinds of silica do the same damage. Thats great. Another advantage is that corn starch doesnt billow as much as rock dusts do. Amorphous silica has been considered to be a less toxic form, but this view is controversial. And instead of fifteen minute baths, consider half an hour. 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. 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. Practically every owner recommends blue cloud dust, but we believe that blue cloud is dangerous for you and your pet if it isnt used properly. 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 link between crystalline minerals and lung disease has long been clear. Pumice is made of amorphous silica just like blue cloud, but it may contain other things besides if it isnt perfectly pure. The most common is silica, also known as crystalline silica, pure silica or silicon dioxide. While chinchillas arent reptiles, rodents can use this same kind of sand. Bathing dust is very inexpensive, although the cost can add up if you have lots of chinchillas. In contrast, only a small population of cells stained TUNEL-positive after exposure to crystalline silica. What happens is that when the tiny particles are inhaled, they cause inflammation. 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. Damaging the DNA in cells is how substances cause cancer. Thats only possible because weve done lots of scientific research into what nutrients chinchillas need, how their digestive systems work, and so on. It can therefore result in the same sudden flare-ups as crystalline silica, but without the same long-term effects. Malocclusion requires a vet's assistance. But unlike a normal fan, air purifiers have filters attached. The mechanism by which particles are bound and internalized and the reason particles are toxic is unclear. 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. Respirators are masks that have filters in them. 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. Some of the answer explanations contain links for further reading, which you can click and open in a New Tab. Like silica, pumice shouldnt be inhaled as it damages the lungs when you breathe it in. If you inhale these dusts frequently, or cant cough them up, they cause inflammation. In very hot, humid weather or climates, chinchillas often need access to their dust baths closer to 4 times per week. You can use a shallow dish or tray filled with chinchilla dust, or you can buy a special dust bath container made for chinchillas. You may also have to frequently change the filter in the purifier, especially because its filtering rock dust rather than something organic. As such, weve made some recommendations below that should mitigate some of the risks associated with its use. This is a reasonable question. Web : buerkle honda service coupons what to wear to cover shoulders at wedding - - - Its in the exact same way that we recommend against using blue cloud dust. Vegetables cause the exact same issues in rabbits as in chinchillas (bloat, high sugar levels, excess water, etc.) These filters filter out particulate dust, while some even claim to filter out smoke, germs and molds. There are lots of different kinds of silicon-based dusts that are known to cause problems in the lungs. Wild chinchillas do it, so your pet chinchilla should do it too. This should be worrying for a chinchilla owner, especially if you frequently give your pets dust baths. This article will show, The Dangers of Blue Cloud Chinchilla Dust. Think you know everything there is to know about chinchillas? If the study above about amorphous silica is to be believed, then it would have this same effect. WebWhat diseases can chinchillas pass to humans? But not everything we think we know about chinchilla dust is true. Read the research below, especially the scientific papers linking amorphous silicate dust to serious health issues, and come to your own conclusion. Authors note: When I started writing this guide, Id planned it to be short and simple. If you do plan on doing this, dont use a surgical mask or a cheap face mask. Why take risk to use unknown dust that may cause health hazard to yourself and your chins. It could therefore damage the purifier if it isnt built to handle that kind of dust. But even so, we dont recommend using blue cloud. Thats only possible because weve done lots of scientific research into what nutrients chinchillas need, how their digestive systems work, and so on. How to Make Homemade BBQ Sauce: Tips for Canning Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe, Executive Coaching: Job Description & Salary, Five Characteristics of a Successful Event Planner, Motivating Salespeople: What Really Works, Persistent coughing that continues after the dust dissipates, Tightness and dryness of the skin (because the dust dries the air, and dries out the skin on contact), Shortness of breath and/or rapid breathing, Worsening of symptoms from related respiratory issues, e.g. If they don't take care of plant roots when they invade the chinchilla's space, their homes would be overrun! ChillDust is one which is popular with experienced owners and breeders. This will get rid of much of the dust. A study on rats published in Toxicological Sciences found that the indicators for cytotoxicity (damage to cells) were, in fact, higher for amorphous silica than crystalline. If this tumor spreads to other parts of the body, its classified as cancer. This means that sand has a slight cleaning effect, but isnt as good as dusts. Check out our Chinchilla Care 101 eBook, or get what you need from our online store! We will be avoiding blue cloud dust going forward. They cost hundreds of dollars. Theres a reason for that. Cracking open the window an inch isnt enough to fully ventilate a room. It doesnt clean fur quite as well. Webinfo@firstgrade.sch.ng; turing magsafe tripod mount Facebook asics kids contend 6 toddler size Twitter scotty 240 striker rod holder Youtube acrylic card holders wall mounted It may cause silicosis if breathed in frequently over a long period. VEGA X EXPLOIT FEATURES To use the Vega X Exploit lua executor, you may need to disable your anti-virus. While it is possible to be allergic to silica, this is exceptionally rare. Natural doesnt necessarily mean good. Ive been doing some more reading on this topic and was reading some people expressed concern that starchesbecause they are so finecould be easily breathed in by the chinchillas and cause respiratory issues. 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. All of the most popular brands of chinchilla dust are blue cloud, or at least have blue cloud among their range. Sepiolite dust. This is more common in the U.K. than the U.S., and is made from a mineral called meerschaum. Chinchillas bathe in dust. This air purifier can quickly purify the air and reduce the harm Another example is the idea of the exercise ball. And on top of that, its cheap, and can be bought in large bulk bags. Studies like this one have shown a causative link between aluminum silicate dust and pulmonary fibrosis, which is where the lungs are damaged by tiny scars from inhaled dust. On the one hand, that means the starch will still be there between baths, stopping the fur getting greasy. Silicosis is where the lungs are so damaged that these symptoms persist continually, even in the absence of dust. This paper from 2011 aimed to prove that we underestimate the risks of amorphous silica, and that products which contain it should be changed. Synthetic amorphous silica, referred to as SAS, has been implicated in fibrosis. And if any sand is breathed in, it can be coughed up again, meaning it wont permanently damage the lungs. 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. As the guide details below, silicosis is where the lungs become scarred and lung function is decreased, and it can be fatal. Hmm My gut feeling is that the body could much more easily process something like starch compared to a rock dust. Its now thought that the dust which blue cloud manufacturers use is made artificially. This material is more commonly used in the U.K. than the U.S. If I can find one, thats my first choice right now, I think. Several things happen when you inhale blue cloud dust. But the more I read and researched this topic, I felt that there was more to the story than just which brand is best. In plain English, this means that both amorphous silica and crystalline silica cause the same problems, even if they cause those problems in a different way that we dont quite understand. Crucially, many people report that theyre allergic to the dust but not other far more common allergens like hay, which really do cause allergic reaction. 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