Tiny Friends bathing sand

Pebbles82 · 07-28-2019, 05:45 AM

I just had an email back from the quality manager at Supreme uk and he has confirmed that their Chinchilla bathing sand is the same - just a different colour due to different colour rock sources. It is still sepiolite sand and still the correct grade of size. They are aware of the negative comments on the internet.

Hopefully this will reassure anyone who has come across comments about it being dangerous. I have used it with no problem (and in fact found the Rodipet sand dustier). It does look dark but is apparently the same stuff as before.

Ria P · 07-28-2019, 07:18 AM

Thank you for looking into it and reassuring people.

I've used that sand since i got my hamster and never had any issues so continued to use it.

alpacassei · 07-28-2019, 10:00 AM

All the horror stories about Tiny Friends sand sre eithin a several month period and only from the US so I’m pretty sure it was a bad batch that got contaminated (perhaps with a clay based potty litter?).

Last I used it, neither me or my hamsters were fond of the new texture so I stopped buying it. Play sand works out much more affordable with 7 hamsters anyway (roughly 30x the amount for only £1-£2 more).

AmityvilleHams · 07-28-2019, 04:38 PM

If they're letting it get contaminated with clay litter, I'm even less likely to take the risk of buying it. It's already overpriced in the US with how you'd have to get it being considered, and even going into having just one Chinese hamster(maybe another dwarf species, time will tell) I can guarantee I won't be buying it.

Like alpacassei said play sand is very cheap for the amount, and even though some people use the argument of having to bake it being more effort I'd rather take that extra effort and time with something I know will be safe, isn't getting contaminated with unsafe clay, and is not so overpriced(also locally purchasable which is great). Even if I was ordering things in direct from the UK I wouldn't buy any.

Pebbles82 · 07-28-2019, 04:48 PM

That's just a guess that it was a bad batch that got contaminated - I think the colour just put people off. I can't see how it could get contaminated with potty litter

AmityvilleHams · 07-28-2019, 06:14 PM

It's very possible that it would be a supplier issue. To keep it simple, the company that supplied the ingredients(sand material) could've easily stored clay close enough for some to get in or if they process clay at all accidents can happen and contamination could've occurred in any possible way. This is all just guessing though, nobody here knows for sure what specifically happened since we don't work at the factory that makes the product nor do we work as any part of their supply chain!

alpacassei · 07-28-2019, 07:14 PM

It’s just my theory since all the complaints mention it causing blockages snd forming hard claylike lumps. It seems most likely it accidentally got contaminated somehow with a clay based product thats made or packaged at the same factory. I imagine sand and granulated clay look very similar to someone who’s new or in a rush

SKB_Hamsters · 07-30-2019, 01:17 AM

Thank you Serendipity for this, I have been using it without an issue since they changes packaging when the sand appeared different in colour - the only differences I noticed was the sand was darker. But can’t help worry when you read worrying reviews.

Pebbles82 · 07-30-2019, 02:08 AM

Yes I haven't had a problem with it either, although the darker colour isn't as nice really - people expect "sand" to look sand coloured! The internet can go a bit bananas sometimes with people jumping on the bandwagon. One person says it's dusty and people start worrying and thinking it's too dusty. It may be that there was a bad batch last year or something, but I have not found it dusty - in fact less dusty than the previous version! With the old version I used to worry about the dust cloud when you poured it out. I haven't had that with this version.

It is described as having the correct grain size. One thing I think may have caused alarm (particularly in the US) is the difference between Chinchilla sand and Chinchilla "Dust". Chinchilla dust has always traditionally been grey. So maybe the darker colour makes people think it's dust and cause alarm?

It may be the company have upgraded its marketing literature about the sand as this description says it is correctly graded sand and not dusty.

https://www.vetuk.co.uk/small-animal...and-1kg-p-5619

I would just go with instinct. It is still sepiolite sand and if the grain size seems ok, I can't see it being an issue.

I'm not a great fan of sand generally and only use it in the potty (syrian) although our robo has it in his sand bath.

I do think it was very silly of them to have the look of the sand change at the same time as the packaging. Change is a big psychological thing.

There was a bad batch of Carefresh in the US a couple of years ago but it's fine now and people still use it.m Some people think sepiolite sand is bad - but many people used the previous version (also sepiolite) for many years without issue. Other people say childrens play sand is too dusty.

Potty litter is also dangerous if eaten but I've never had a problem with that either and doubt a hamster would eat it. Charlie tried but spat it out again.

It would be nice if there was one perfect sand though!

Pebbles82 · 08-12-2019, 03:55 AM

It would appear that the rumour about "clay" comes from another forum and elsewhere, due to the sand being sepiolite and them finding an article saying that sepiolite is clay.

The sand has always been sepiolite sand - even in the old Supreme version. I can only assume there are different forms of sepiolite to make sand from. And the sand does not contain clay but is made from sepiolite rock.