Sycohearted
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Post by Sycohearted on Sept 5, 2015 13:29:21 GMT
I've been buying a good quality brand of sand for the past few months now for my rodents. Only to find it has Calcium in it...What ever it "does" it does not seem to affect them if it has any bad symptoms.
But what's the deal with it? Why is Calcium for sand baths so bad for Hamsters/Rodents? I don't have time to go and buy Children's play sand and bake it for x amount of time so what pet store brand sands are safe?
PS. I live in Murica. I have access to Petsmart and Petco. As well at Pet Super Market.
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Azayles
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Post by Azayles on Sept 5, 2015 13:51:31 GMT
I think the fine calcium particulates can sometimes cause respiratory upset in small animals. But unless the entire cage is covered in it, you're probably going to be ok. I've never understood the deal with having to practically sterilise children's play sand (There I said it! (someone had to!)) Anyone would think they sweep the stuff off the factory floor and bag it up before selling it. I'm reasonably certain that the people that make this stuff for children to play in take some measure to ensure it's cleaned and not full of the sort of shit that's gonna harm the little ones. (This is up there with the rant that people who make their own bedding from paper pulp, only to have to bake it in the oven for hours at a time, somehow think they're saving money) Bottom line, if I was using something for a while to no ill effect, only to later find it contained calcium, or the blood of the damned, or some other potential nasty, I'd probably carry on using it
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Sycohearted
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Post by Sycohearted on Sept 5, 2015 13:58:29 GMT
I think the fine calcium particulates can sometimes cause respiratory upset in small animals. But unless the entire cage is covered in it, you're probably going to be ok. I've never understood the deal with having to practically sterilise children's play sand (There I said it! (someone had to!)) Anyone would think they sweep the stuff off the factory floor and bag it up before selling it. I'm reasonably certain that the people that make this stuff for children to play in take some measure to ensure it's cleaned and not full of the sort of shit that's gonna harm the little ones. (This is up there with the rant that people who make their own bedding from paper pulp, only to have to bake it in the oven for hours at a time, somehow think they're saving money) Bottom line, if I was using something for a while to no ill effect, only to later find it contained calcium, or the blood of the damned, or some other potential nasty, I'd probably carry on using it The RI scare is enough for me to stop using it for damn sure. I may just do the children's sand and not bake it. Like you said...It's for kids, it's not gonna harm an animal that eats it's own shit haha!
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Lizzie
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Dec 6, 2015 22:24:46 GMT
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Post by Lizzie on Sept 5, 2015 16:33:24 GMT
The only thing that I've heard about calcium sand is that some animals will think it tastes good, and sand is obviously not a very healthy thing for them to eat.
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Azayles
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Post by Azayles on Sept 5, 2015 16:36:19 GMT
The only thing that I've heard about calcium sand is that some animals will think it tastes good, and sand is obviously not a very healthy thing for them to eat. Ah! Oh I can see how that'd be a problem! Looks like playsand would definitely be the safe bet then Gritty gerbil poo
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pawlove
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Dec 26, 2015 7:04:11 GMT
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Post by pawlove on Sept 5, 2015 16:36:46 GMT
I thought excessive calcium ingestion can affect kidney/bladder? But it's only a problem if your furries actually ingest the sand. So if they don't lick up the sand, you're clear!
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Azayles
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Post by Azayles on Sept 5, 2015 16:43:36 GMT
Indeed, bladder and kidney stones. Not fun! I think they'd have to injest a lot though. If they eat that much sand, they have bigger problems than too much calcium
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Sycohearted
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Post by Sycohearted on Sept 5, 2015 19:50:17 GMT
I thought excessive calcium ingestion can affect kidney/bladder? But it's only a problem if your furries actually ingest the sand. So if they don't lick up the sand, you're clear! Ah, damnit, no, they do chew on the sand...Alrighty, looks like I'm switching! Thank you so so much!
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Sycohearted
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Post by Sycohearted on Sept 5, 2015 19:51:07 GMT
The only thing that I've heard about calcium sand is that some animals will think it tastes good, and sand is obviously not a very healthy thing for them to eat. Gerbils and Hamster will eat sand to "clean" their teeth so that's not good. Look's like I'm switching sands. Thank you for your comment!
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Azayles
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Post by Azayles on Sept 5, 2015 19:54:59 GMT
Gerbils and Hamster will eat sand to "clean" their teeth so that's not good. Look's like I'm switching sands. Thank you for your comment! Oh wow, I never knew that! That's pretty amazing Seems I'm learning much more than CSS coding today
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