Did you come across any validation of these concerns in your research? Cancer is primarily associated with crystalline silica, and no studies have, as of yet, proven a definitive link between amorphous silica and cancer. Ventilation stops the dust from hanging in the air when its in use. Here are the most common types used: The finer the dust, the better it cleans. New owner, don't know where to start? As such, while they are popular, we cannot recommend the various brands of blue cloud dust. Aluminum silicate is commonly used as a dry and absorbent material, for example in cat litter. Chinchillas live in burrows and rock crevices in the wild. You could try offering longer or more frequent baths to combat this issue. Do Chinchillas Need Bedding in Their Cages? Thats because it doesnt trigger allergies like rock dusts, so its perfect for people with asthma or lung disease. Further study is needed to claim that its perfectly safe. The list below breaks them down into simple English, which scientific studies often dont! Excellent, thank you! Blue cloud gets its very name from the fact that it billows up in tiny clouds when your chinchilla rolls around in it. Then afterwards, sweep or vacuum to get rid of as much dust as possible. In contrast, only a small population of cells stained TUNEL-positive after exposure to crystalline silica. Bathing dust is very inexpensive, although the cost can add up if you have lots of chinchillas. This would explain why crystalline silica can cause cancer so easily: its causes both direct damage to DNA and long-term inflammation. You may view this either as a positive or a negative. ChillDust is one which is popular with experienced owners and breeders. Or, again, you could give your chinchilla occasional water baths to stop grease building up too much. If an infection develops because of this, it can cause serious complications. WebTUNAP 915 Human Technology: N-hexane free cleaner for maintenance, repair and assembly work. The pathway leading to apoptosis appears to be similar in both cases. This article will show, The Dangers of Blue Cloud Chinchilla Dust. It wont billow up when your chinchilla bathes in it, so it cant be breathed in. And if you take it again, it will come up with new questions each time! Not all kinds of sand are created equal. Marketing for blue cloud brands state that it doesnt contain lead, arsenic, glass and various other nasties which is good. Is chinchilla dust harmful to humans? When fine dust billows up into the air, it hangs there for a few seconds. They cost hundreds of dollars. If there is a difference between amorphous and crystalline silica, it will be due to the difficulty with which they can be expressed from the lungs. Its only in the face of repeated exposure that silicosis becomes a real possibility. Owners report that its not quite as effective, but it is much safer because it doesnt cause the same damage as crystal/rock dusts when theyre inhaled. Check out our Chinchilla Care 101 eBook, or get what you need from our online store! Amorphous silica has been considered to be a less toxic form, but this view is controversial. How could so many people be wrong? If the study above about amorphous silica is to be believed, then it would have this same effect. If they don't take care of plant roots when they invade the chinchilla's space, their homes would be overrun! If this tumor spreads to other parts of the body, its classified as cancer. In cold weather or otherwise dry environments, they may only need to bathe twice a week. Our pet chinchillas eat hay and processed hay pellets, and were advised never to feed them fruits, vegetables and living grass as hay is a healthier choice. And general silicosis has been demonstrated in other rodents, too. If it makes things easier, consider changing the schedule by which you bathe your pet, e.g. Read the research below, especially the scientific papers linking amorphous silicate dust to serious health issues, and come to your own conclusion. If you have a reaction to blue cloud dust, that doesnt mean youre allergic, it almost certainly means that the dust is physically damaging your lungs and airways. But they also found that the effects of crystalline silica were irreversible, while rats that inhaled amorphous silica arguably made a full recovery. But pure silica dusts are just as bad, if not worse, than less-processed dusts. If you take a look at this news report on the original Blue Cloud Chinchilla Dust Mine, youll see that the worker packaging the dust is wearing a respirator dust mask. Amorphous silica has been considered to be a less toxic form, but this view is controversial. Dust can be reused to an extent, but must eventually be thrown away. But wild chinchillas dont eat hay; they eat living plants and grasses. ChillDust settles faster than other chinchilla-marketed dusts and is only classified as a nuisance dust by OSHA. Silicosis was one of the very first workplace-related health issues, because people working with or around crystalline silica have been experiencing this condition for a hundred years or more now. Its just as bad to breathe this dust in as it is to breathe in as your chinchilla is bathing; repeated, frequent or constant exposure is what you have to avoid. Besides this, there seems to be a link between inflammation and cancer. This doesnt provethat amorphous silica can cause cancer, as studies showing this link definitively havent yet been performed, but its an interesting result nonetheless. No probably not, but it isnt a toxic Practically every single chinchilla owner, even experienced owners and breeders, recommends blue cloud dust. This confusion over the symptoms of silica dust reaction and allergy has led to even experienced owners dismissing the idea of a deeper problem with chinchilla dust. Let's say your chinchilla escapes from its cage. So its possible that blue cloud will shorten your pets life. This one, for example, similarly looked at the effects of amorphous silica. Sepiolite seems safer than silicate dusts. This may be slightly less convenient for you. There are many reports of blue cloud dust triggering allergies. Chinchillas need to bathe in dust: that much is true. Thats a completely separate issue. When this is caused by silica of some kind, the condition is referred to as silicosis, and its serious. These little animals are associated with human salmonellosis, and they carry various mycobacteria. As such, we recommend offering your chinchilla longer or slightly more frequent dust baths, and keeping on top of cage cleaning to counteract this fact. Do chinchillas need vitamins and minerals? Like silica, pumice shouldnt be inhaled as it damages the lungs when you breathe it in. These safety guidelines arent ridiculous and excessivetheyre very basic and wont cost you a ton of money. What happens is that when the tiny particles are inhaled, they cause inflammation. Its no more expensive than blue cloud. The dust bath routine is not only a self-cleaning behavior, they also love it. Corn starch (or corn flour in the U.K.) makes a reasonable alternative to rock-based dusts. Corn starch also sticks to fur more than rock dust. But they also found that the effects of crystalline silica were irreversible, while rats that inhaled amorphous silica arguably made a full recovery. Below, you can find our chinchilla quiz, new posts for further reading, and a signup for our Chinchilla Newsletter! Ideally, you want a room with an extractor fan, like your bathroom. It was long thought that amorphous silica cant be dangerous because of its shape. Thats because we believe that chinchilla dusts may be dangerous to use. This is a reasonable question. 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. Many common chinchilla dust brands are made of pumice powder, and its seen as a viable alternative to blue cloud. 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. Another advantage is that sand can be reused indefinitely. Ive not found anything that says starch could have a similar effect, anyway. This is a problem because mines have to publish data on the what they dig up, what it is, and its mineral content. Another advantage is that corn starch doesnt billow as much as rock dusts do. The condition takes years of repeated exposure to reach this stage, so its highly unlikely that your health has been severely affected if youre a new chinchilla owner. The mechanism by which particles are bound and internalized and the reason particles are toxic is unclear. (I'm the one on the left). Ive done more digging online and found (for me) sufficiently compelling links to powder aspiration and poisoning in humans that I am inclined to think chinchillas would be at an even greater risk. If you stick to these safety recommendations, you wont breathe in enough dust to make you sick. 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 you have a reaction to blue cloud dust, that doesnt mean youre allergic, it almost certainly means that the dust is physically damaging your lungs and airways. catanzaro solid wood platform bed; best silicone baby bottles; garnier skinactive facial mist Chinchillas are already a good example of this. If I can find one, thats my first choice right now, I think. But amorphous silica, being round, is more easily gotten rid of. You may view this either as a positive or a negative. Then, when youre done dusting, open the windows to allow a through draft in. This will largely reduce the amount that you and your chinchilla breathe in. On a microscopic level, crystalline silica is more jagged and rough than amorphous silica, which is round. When a chinchilla rolls around in it, the dust billows up into the air. If you didnt have a chinchilla and youd never owned a rabbit, youd likely think the same. Lets begin with what we know. While chinchillas arent reptiles, rodents can use this same kind of sand. But even so, we dont recommend using blue cloud. I would say try a hardware store, or there are lots on Amazon (maybe more expensive). But that hasnt stopped generation after generation of busy parents and happy children feeding their bunnies vegetables. Gently lift your Chinchilla and place them in the bowl so that they know its bath time. Cultured macrophages bind crystalline silica particles, phagocytose them, and rapidly undergo apoptotic and necrotic death. They can still damage the lungs if inhaled frequently, but this is less likely. As such, weve made some recommendations below that should mitigate some of the risks associated with its use. We feed our pets hay because: The upshot of all this is that chinchillas live longer on an unnatural diet than they do on what they eat in the wild. Its now thought that the dust which blue cloud manufacturers use is made artificially. The problem isnt the aluminum or the silica; rather, its the inhalation of any fine powder that cant be broken down inside the body. Its great at absorbing water, which is why its also used in soil for potted plants. But the more I read and researched this topic, I felt that there was more to the story than just which brand is best. When a chinchilla rolls around in it, the dust billows up into the air. As mentioned above, the jagged and sharp nature of crystalline silica allows it to catch and stick onto the walls of the lungs. Blue cloud dust is made from something called rhyolite. And general silicosis has been demonstrated in other rodents, too. Because of the frequency of dust baths required, and because the dust is so easy to breathe in and settles around the room, these are real risks. The link between amorphous aluminum silicate (blue cloud) and cancer is less clear. This effect was shown by scientists working with mouse cells, which means the same likely applies to our cells. Lovely. Wild chinchillas are hunted by birds of prey. As such, almost every owner recommends blue cloud dust from one of various brands. 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. Chinchillas need dust baths to keep their fur clean and healthy. . Cultured macrophages bind crystalline silica particles, phagocytose them, and rapidly undergo apoptotic and necrotic death. The key difference you need to understand is that between crystalline and amorphous aluminum silicate dusts. Thats exactly what blue cloud does. Let's say you've had your chinchilla a while now. Practically every owner recommends blue cloud dust, but we believe that blue cloud is dangerous for you and your pet if it isn't used properly. The link between amorphous aluminum silicate (blue cloud) and cancer is less clear. I really appreciate your articleit is the only one Ive seen that publishes the information in such a logical, organized way. This same effect has been demonstrated in other studies, although some argue the link specifically between aluminum silicate and silicosis isnt clear. WebIt may be an effective alternative to the chinchilla-marketed dusts that may be a harmful or a nuisance dust for humans. Fruits are typically high in sucrose, which causes bloating in chinchillas. This is a kind of sand sold by pet stores for reptiles to bathe in. 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. If you take it again, it can cause cancer so easily: its causes both direct damage to and. 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