Any way to DIY Sand Bath?

[Oreo]

Hi
My syrian hamster Oreo and I live in Chennai, India. There arent many pet stores here that sell anything beyond the neccessary hamster supplies like food, cage, bottle and ball. Even toys are a rarity. And nobody here, not even the biggest pet store in the city is aware of Chinchilla Bath sand! :confused:

I did try looking for play sand but the hardware store guy looked at me like I was an alien or something!

I am looking for aquarium sand as well, but the ones I have seen so far are really powdery and seem to have no friction! I am worried if it will do more harm than good!

Any other alternative?

Is it safe to let my Hammie burrow in some organic soil otherwise?

[Stockannette]

Are you able to place an online order and have it shipped to you? I ordered some from amazon once.

[SprinkleHamster]

I found this website that reccommend childrens sandbox sand and they give baking directions to ensure that the sand is bacteria free Syrian Hamster - care and keep of hamsters (http://keepinghamsters.weebly.com/syrian-hamster.html) They are not the first website that suggested using a non pet specific sand, they too recommended baking it for a certain period of time.

[HollyHamster]

You don't need any fancy aquarium sand or anything. Children's play sand is just fine. Just put it in a nice flattish plastic Tupperware container or something like that and you've got a nifty DIY hamster sand box perfect for a Syrian!

[DaisyTheNibbler]

Hi
My syrian hamster Oreo and I live in Chennai, India. There arent many pet stores here that sell anything beyond the neccessary hamster supplies like food, cage, bottle and ball. Even toys are a rarity. And nobody here, not even the biggest pet store in the city is aware of Chinchilla Bath sand! :confused:

I did try looking for play sand but the hardware store guy looked at me like I was an alien or something!

I am looking for aquarium sand as well, but the ones I have seen so far are really powdery and seem to have no friction! I am worried if it will do more harm than good!

Any other alternative?

Is it safe to let my Hammie burrow in some organic soil otherwise?

Hi Oreo, I am a relatively new Hamster owner and am looking for bathing sand for my baby. I am from Bangalore and haven't been able to find any play sand here as well. Did you find any helpful alternative to give your hamster a sand bath? TIA :) :)

[kelza]

Where I am I can only find play sand at toys stores that sell sandboxes for kids, and then only in the summer months.

Some reptile sands can be used as an alternative, but only if they are calcium free and dye free. Most dyes can stain the hamsters fur when it gets wet and may not be safe for them to ingest as they clean. Extra calcium is not safe or needed for hamsters and can lead to health issues.