Chinchilla Sand...-Oreo

[Snowz]

Hello everyone,
so I am a little confused if I should try Oreo with Chinchilla Sand again. When she did have a while ago she slept in her pee and poo and she would over clean herself so much because of the sand I think!

On ErinsAnimals on the theme "How to keep hamster cool in the summer" it says sand baths are good, should I try Oreo with the sand again and is it normal for over cleaning?

Thanks!

[Snowz]

I don't want Oreo to be over cleaning herself if that is the reason why.

[Shannonmcn]

Was she losing fur or how was she over cleaning? I've heard of concerns about dry skin but not that it could cause that.

[Snowz]

Shannonmcn- No she wasn't losing fur but it was just so much general cleaning after being in the sand.

[Shannonmcn]

Hmm, Cc washes herself in her sand too, I assumed she was just having her little routine in her sand rather than her nest. Maybe wait for some more input on this one, I never worried about how much I see Cc clean herself as long as her fur is still normal.

[Gimleyand Meeko]

I think what you may need to do is the following:
1) You should get a sand bath for your hamster and use Children's play sand.
2) Consider Litter Training your hamster so Oreo doesn't sleep in poo and wee- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0h9HQB_ofs

Hamsters do clean in sand as that helps them get cleaner and they do have one good wash a day. What type of hamster is Oreo?

If Oreo is a long haired Syrian then I would consider grooming as an option as well. There is a video on ErinsAnimals channel to this as well.

Hope I helped

[cypher]

I'm with Shannon on this one, it does sound like normal behaviour to me, they do groom quite a lot naturally & the sand is a good place to do it!
You could try using two sand baths to see if she'll pee in one & use the other as a bath or to sleep in.

[Pebbles82]

I would stick with the Chinchilla sand rather than Children's play sand - I think it's the only one guaranteed to be safe, but maybe just give her a sand bath once or twice a week when she's out of the cage if you are concerned she is using the sand bath too much, although as Cypher says, it is normal for them to do it regularly.

There are other ways of helping them keep cool other than sand baths, like put a ceramic mug in the fridge and then put it in the cage, or have a ceramic tile in the cage (maybe under the water bottle or somewhere they can sit on it).

Do you have a potty litter tray as well? As Cypher says if you have a potty litter tray and a sand bath she may use one for wees and poos and one for washing. Charlie always used to have a wash while he was sitting in his toilet - the first thing he did was go to use his potty and then sit in the front and have a wash, in the front part of it, like it was his little bathroom area! But I can understand your concern if she is sleeping in it as well.

[Snowz]

She doesn't clean in the sand she cleans constantly once she is out, Thanks for the tips I have done the mug idea.

[cypher]

If she rolls in the sand it will be getting into her fur then as she grooms the sand will help to get her clean, that's kind of the idea really!