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Old 03-30-2019, 06:03 AM   #1
Lucyb
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Join Date: Mar 2019
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Exclamation Is this bathing sand safe, it seems dusty?!

Hi everyone,

I bought some chinchilla sand for my syrian Indy from ebay, the description said it was safe for hamsters but upon arrival it seems to be rather dusty, and have much finer particles amongst the larger more sand-sized particles. I've included some photos, and I'd appreciate it if someone more experienced could take a look before i use it in Indy's cage, just to be on the safe side?

Thanks x
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Old 03-30-2019, 06:15 AM   #2
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Is this bathing sand safe, it seems dusty?!

What brand is it? If it is unbranded I wouldn't use it.
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Old 03-30-2019, 06:20 AM   #3
Lucyb
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Default Re: Is this bathing sand safe, it seems dusty?!

ETA- I thought it was unbranded but I checked the listing and turns out it's Sepiolita brand...?
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Old 03-30-2019, 06:39 AM   #4
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Is this bathing sand safe, it seems dusty?!

Sepiolite is a type of sand so may not be a brand. I would stick to a trusted brand. Tiny Friends sell Chinchilla bathing sand. Some people get childrens play sand from Argos which is sterilized. Even then sand can be iffy! Tiny friends has gone coarser recently, but I think it's fine. I recently switched to a Rodipet bathing sand and find that can be a bit fine and dusty when first poured out. If in doubt get the Tiny Friends one.

Is it for a Syrian or dwarf hamster? Dwarf hamsters need a sand bath. Syrians often aren't that interested in sand baths - I just use it in a litter tray for our syrian.
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Old 03-30-2019, 07:19 AM   #5
Ria P
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Default Re: Is this bathing sand safe, it seems dusty?!

I use the Tiny Friends sand for my Syrian and he likes it. I have considered trying the kiddies playsand because its cheaper but decided against it in the end. Why change a product we are both happy with for the sake of a few quid. Nah, not worth the risk.
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Old 03-30-2019, 08:15 AM   #6
alpacassei
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Default Re: Is this bathing sand safe, it seems dusty?!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ria P View Post
I use the Tiny Friends sand for my Syrian and he likes it. I have considered trying the kiddies playsand because its cheaper but decided against it in the end. Why change a product we are both happy with for the sake of a few quid. Nah, not worth the risk.
Unfortunately the Tiny Friends sand isn’t safe anymore It’s now dustier and clay based and has caused respiratory issues and fatal blockages in a lot of hamsters.

Kids playsand really is better tbh. i use Argos playsand and although it’s more expensive upfront, £5 for 15kg is much better value than £3 for 1kg. It would cost £45 in TF sand to get the same amount that you can get for £5 at argos (or basically any supermarket or toy store now its gwtting warmer).
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Old 03-30-2019, 09:10 AM   #7
Ria P
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Default Re: Is this bathing sand safe, it seems dusty?!

Quote:
Originally Posted by alpacassei View Post
Unfortunately the Tiny Friends sand isn’t safe anymore It’s now dustier and clay based and has caused respiratory issues and fatal blockages in a lot of hamsters.

Kids playsand really is better tbh. i use Argos playsand and although it’s more expensive upfront, £5 for 15kg is much better value than £3 for 1kg. It would cost £45 in TF sand to get the same amount that you can get for £5 at argos (or basically any supermarket or toy store now its gwtting warmer).
Really?!! Can the playsand be used straight from the bag? I looked at Tesco sand the other day and almost bought it then thought it best to stick to what the petshop sells expecting them to be the experts. Have you used the playsand for long?
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Old 03-30-2019, 10:41 AM   #8
alpacassei
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Default Re: Is this bathing sand safe, it seems dusty?!

Playsand needs drying out first but a lot of them are sterilised since they’re for children so you could just dry the sand out in a dish overnight but the quickest way is to dry it in the oven (which also kills any sneaky bacteria that got in the bag).

I’ve been using the Argos playsand for around 6 months now and my hamsters all love it, when you have 6 hamsters buying bathing sand isnt very practical lol. I think there’s a few other members that use play sand as well?
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Old 03-30-2019, 11:50 AM   #9
Isleofhamsters
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Default Re: Is this bathing sand safe, it seems dusty?!

If the sand isn’t sterilised then you should cook it in an oven. This will remove any bacteria/fugues that we’re there. You can also shift the sand through if you want to remove any large chunks.
Hope this helps.
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