is chinchilla dust harmful to humans
Many common chinchilla dust brands are made of pumice powder, and its seen as a viable alternative to blue cloud. Contrary to popular belief, this can be done safely, so long as you know how. 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. Again, we have to reiterate that no kind of sand is as effective at cleaning a chinchillas fur as dust. However, this view has become increasingly controversial among scientists. For years people have thought that rabbits should eat carrots, lettuce and various other fresh veggies. Vitamins and minerals are vital for organ function, muscle function and brain function in all animals. If you do plan on doing this, dont use a surgical mask or a cheap face mask. Pumice is made of amorphous silica just like blue cloud, but it may contain other things besides if it isnt perfectly pure. Besides this, there seems to be a link between inflammation and cancer. 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. Corn starch also sticks to fur more than rock dust. Cultured macrophages bind crystalline silica particles, phagocytose them, and rapidly undergo apoptotic and necrotic death. Dust can be reused to an extent, but must eventually be thrown away. I will look for your newsletter and sign up. Or, again, you could give your chinchilla occasional water baths to stop grease building up too much. This powder, whatever it is, scratches and scars the lungs. Its now thought that the dust which blue cloud manufacturers use is made artificially. Cracking open the window an inch isnt enough to fully ventilate a room. Corn starch also sticks to fur more than rock dust. Our results indicate that amorphous and crystalline silica are both phagocytosed and both toxic to mouse alveolar macrophage (MH-S) cells. Amorphous silica has been considered to be a less toxic form, but this view is controversial. When fine dust billows up into the air, it hangs there for a few seconds. Theres a reason for that. Put simply, crystalline minerals form in a different way to amorphous ones. Your email address will not be published. The pathway leading to apoptosis appears to be similar in both cases. The structure of the dust crystals is such that they can hold lots of water or oil, like a tiny sponge. Rock dust can break purifiers unless you change the filter frequently. In plain English, this means that both amorphous silica and crystalline silica cause the same problems, even if they cause those problems in a different way that we dont quite understand. The major drawback with real air purifiers is that theyre expensive. Several things happen when you inhale blue cloud dust. Blue cloud is commonly marketed as 100% natural, which is true. Thats especially true if you have asthma, lung damage from smoking, or are otherwise unhealthy. The key selling point of using corn starch is that it cleans fur in the exact same way as regular chinchilla dust does. 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. This means the body cant get rid of the dust specks easily. These are pulmonary fibrosis and cancer. You want a mask with a filter, like a 3M mask, a P2 mask or a P3 mask. Authors note: When I started writing this guide, Id planned it to be short and simple. Considering that you need to dust your chinchilla The most common is silica, also known as crystalline silica, pure silica or silicon dioxide. TUNEL staining is where scientists detect DNA breaks that form during apoptosis (cell death). Chinchillas bathe in dust. WebWhat diseases can chinchillas pass to humans? Chinchillas. 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 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. These are the kinds that builders wear (and the people that package blue cloud dust). When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. We recommend slightly more frequent, longer dust baths if youre using corn starch. As mentioned above, the jagged and sharp nature of crystalline silica allows it to catch and stick onto the walls of the lungs. Studies on whether it causes lung damage have so far stated that it doesnt, although that doesnt prove definitively that it cant. Plus silicosis takes years to develop, so even in the absence of current symptoms, your lungs may be being damaged. How could blue cloud dust be dangerous, despite being so popular? Tidy up before your chinchilla bathes so that there are fewer things in your room for the dust to get on/in. . The effects of blue cloud dust on a chinchillas lungs are less clear. They cost hundreds of dollars. calcium) in precisely the right amounts, Because its processed, we know its not dirty, rotten or moldy and that it doesnt contain parasites, Because it doesnt billow, its less likely to get in your chinchillas eyes, and if it does its not as painful, Its safe to ingest, so if your chinchilla eats some, thats not a problem, Corn starch is available from almost any store, You likely already have some corn starch at home, Fine, so picks up oil better than other kinds of sand, Filtered and cleaned before its sold, because its a product for children, Soft, because again, its a product for children. While it remains in the lungs, however, it seems that the two kinds of silica do the same damage. Studies on whether it causes lung damage have so far stated that it doesnt, although that doesnt prove definitively that it cant. As chinchillas are mammals, their respiratory system is the same as ours. This page has no products for sale and doesnt recommend the same brands that every other guide does. Silicosis is where the lungs are so damaged that these symptoms persist continually, even in the absence of dust. Synthetic amorphous silica, referred to as SAS, has been implicated in fibrosis. So, instead of twice a week, consider every other day. Blue cloud dust is the common name for aluminum silicate dust which is known to damage the lungs. You can also use them to train your chinchilla to do various things, like come when it's called. When a chinchilla rolls around in it, the dust billows up into the air. How could blue cloud dust be dangerous, despite being so popular? Crystalline silica is jagged, so can attach itself to the walls of the lungs. But that hasnt stopped generation after generation of busy parents and happy children feeding their bunnies vegetables. Youre therefore constantly breathing it in if you use it. These little animals are associated with human salmonellosis, and they carry various mycobacteria. Blue cloud gets its name from how fine it is. We do have a newsletter, and there should be a form you can find at the top of this page. How could blue cloud dust be dangerous, despite being so popular? Macrophages are immune system cells that bind to bad things the body wants to get rid of, but when they try to get rid of both kinds of silica, they go through apoptosisa kind of pre-programmed way for the macrophage cells to die. Vegetables cause the exact same issues in rabbits as in chinchillas (bloat, high sugar levels, excess water, etc.) ChillDusts manufacturer, Hess Pumice, has a plethora of helpful product information available on their website, including human safety analysis information. You can spot this irritation if your chinchillas eyes are red and watering. It will then stay there until its dusted away, and when its disturbed, youll breathe even more of it in. In some of the forum discussions I found, it sounded like there were several chinchilla owners who were using it with success. Blue cloud dust is the common name for aluminum silicate dust which is known to damage Wild chinchillas do it, so your pet chinchilla should do it too. It does also have certain advantages, and is completely safe, with no chance of causing silicosis/pulmonary fibrosis. This is a kind of dust made from aluminum silicate. But you can also get pure silica which has nothing else added to it. Its also a dust that is marketed for chinchilla use and is used extensively in the chinchilla breeding/owning community, with a history of success and chinchilla safety. Sweet PDZ in powder form. Studies like this one have shown a causative link between aluminum silicate dust and pulmonary fibrosis, which is where the lungs are damaged by tiny scars from inhaled dust. This rhyolite is then processed to get rid of anything that isnt aluminum silicate. It's like using a net to capture a wild animal. But wild chinchillas dont eat hay; they eat living plants and grasses. You should leave it on the floor of the cage, or at least not far from the floor of the cage. But because of safety concerns, we nonetheless have to recommend it. We know, or knew, what was dug up from the original Blue Cloud Chinchilla Mine. However, silicon-based dusts are known to be dangerous to inhale. We know better than our chinchillas and can provide for them better than they can provide for themselves. Webaftermarket grill parts; is chinchilla dust harmful to humans; September 29, 2022; asus rog strix 3090 white msrp; is chinchilla dust harmful to humans So, check before you buy. So that could work for you, too. So, check before you buy. As I was already familiar with blue cloud dust and all the popular blue cloud brands, I was going to give an honest comparison on which brand I thought was best and be done with it. Besides silicosis, crystalline silica is also shown to cause cancer. I did also look at and considered using the following: other chinchilla-marketed dusts (ruled out for human safety concerns) starches, including corn, arrowroot, etc. Make sure any bag you buy doesnt contain unusual additives; you want pure sepiolite. However, this view has become increasingly controversial among scientists. You could even consider dusting if you have a feather duster you can use. Its a fine, dry powder. Thats why owners report that when they use sand, their chinchillas fur is still greasy afterwards. And if any sand is breathed in, it can be coughed up again, meaning it wont permanently damage the lungs. Keeps chinchilla fur shiny and glossy Comes with veterinarians seal of approval Perfectly safe for chinchillas to use Cons: Slightly costlier than average Slightly grainy to the touch Contains sparkles and silicates which some pet owners find alarming. On the one hand, that means the starch will still be there between baths, stopping the fur getting greasy. Sand could still get into your chinchillas eye, but its big eyelashes should stop that happening. Respirators are masks that have filters in them. We recommend childrens play sand, as this sand is: Even generic play sand is typically fine. Once your chinchilla is done bathing, you must do what you can to stop the dust settling. Can you point me in a direction for a childrens play sand that does not contain crystalline silica? Sand, however, can be reused by: So in the long run, you can save money, too. This is a reasonable question. catanzaro solid wood platform bed; best silicone baby bottles; garnier skinactive facial mist At the same time, they will prevent the dust from entering your lungs. But unlike a normal fan, air purifiers have filters attached. Silicosis is where the lungs are so damaged that these symptoms persist continually, even in the absence of dust. The list below breaks them down into simple English, which scientific studies often dont! The effects of blue cloud dust on a chinchillas lungs are less clear. While no studies have been done on silicosis in chinchillas that specifically relate to aluminum silicate, its possible that it would have the same effect. As chinchillas are mammals, their respiratory system is the same as ours. I know that seems wrong, because there are hamsters Avoid using builders sand because this is rougher and has larger grains. Thank you for your guidance on these matters! But your chinchillas appearance will be changed and it will spread the corn starch around its cage. ChillDust is one which is popular with experienced owners and breeders. That doesnt happen with sand. But if you absolutely must use blue cloud dust, an air purifier would be an effective defense. They arent even a danger towards children. The key advantage of using sand is that it isnt dangerous. Whats interesting is that amorphous silica seems to cause more damage visible during TUNEL staining than crystalline silica! We will be avoiding blue cloud dust going forward. Cells that were predominantly affected were macrophages and epithelial cells lining the terminal bronchioles. But unlike a normal fan, air purifiers have filters attached. This not only cleans their coats, but it protects them by eliminating extra oils and moisture. But they also found that the effects of crystalline silica were irreversible, while rats that inhaled amorphous silica arguably made a full recovery. Another example is the idea of the exercise ball. There are reasonably well-known brands that use pumice. It could therefore damage the purifier if it isnt built to handle that kind of dust. 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. Natural doesnt necessarily mean good. Thats because we believe that chinchilla dusts may be dangerous to use. 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. This means that sand has a slight cleaning effect, but isnt as good as dusts. Wild chinchillas do it, so your pet chinchilla should do it too. We recommend slightly more frequent, longer dust baths if youre using corn starch. Some of the answer explanations contain links for further reading, which you can click and open in a New Tab. Alternatively, get somebody to help. Aragonite sand would be my second because of terrain location considerations (i.e., chinchillas dwell in the mountains; aragonite sand comes from the ocean seabed). What color should a chinchilla's teeth be? Contrary to popular belief, this can be done safely, so long as you know how. Lets begin with what we know. It kills thousands of people a year, mostly tradesmen who are frequently exposed to silica and silicon-based dusts; it can kill either through direct damage to the lungs, or through facilitating lung cancer. If the study above about amorphous silica is to be believed, then it would have this same effect. Again, though, pure silica can cause pulmonary fibrosis. Here are the most common types used: The finer the dust, the better it cleans. The 5 Best Chinchilla Sepiolite is a mineral thats also known as meerschaum. 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. Thats exactly what blue cloud does. (ruled out for respiration concerns for humans and chinchillas) playsands (ruled out for human safety concerns) aragonite sand (ruled out for concern over the presence of microorganisms and the difference in natural terrain, which chinchillas from mountainous regions and aragonite sand harvested from the ocean seabed) Montmorillonite clay (was one of my top contenders, actually, following Sweet PDZ, because it could offer similar benefits to chinchillas and humans, but ultimately ruled out because I couldnt find any chinchilla owner using it, so I would want to run this by an exotic vet first. This same effect has been demonstrated in other studies, although some argue the link specifically between aluminum silicate and silicosis isnt clear. Sweet PDZ in powder form. Where should you put your chinchilla's exercise wheel? As such, almost every owner recommends blue cloud dust from one of various brands. This will get rid of much of the dust. Furthermore, sand is less likely to get in your chinchillas eye and cause irritation. It is also important to control the duration during which your chinchilla has access to their bath. If it makes things easier, consider changing the schedule by which you bathe your pet, e.g. They do go on to say, though, that one study disclosed four cases with silicosis among subjects exposed to apparently non-contaminated amorphous silica. You may also have to frequently change the filter in the purifier, especially because its filtering rock dust rather than something organic. Then, when youre done dusting, open the windows to allow a through draft in. 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