Can I use play sand instead of chinchilla sand?

[LilyandDaisy]

Can I use children's play sand for my gerbils to bathe in instead of chinchilla sand? Chinchilla sand is very expensive. I have tried polenta but they just eat it.

[tuftsnfluff]

Hey there!

I wouldn't use play sand as it isn't sterilized and all sorts of things could be in it -- microbial parasites and bacterias - that people can handle but maybe not so much them.

In fact, there's been issues lately with kids having problems and getting sick in play sand.

Also, play sand isn't like desert sand or chinchilla sand, and I don't think has the same effect on cleaning their coats.

My recommendation is to get original colored reptile sand.   

It comes in bigger bags, will last longer, and reptiles are way more sensitive to things than gerbils are, so its packaged sterile.

You can cut it with Chinchilla sand for better results.

I usually mix some of my chinchilla sand with reptile sand and it goes a long way, but please, don't use children's play sand.

Happy Gerbil-ing!

[LilyandDaisy]

Mar 12, 2019 5:58:01 GMT -8 tuftsnfluff said:

Hey there!

I wouldn't use play sand as it isn't sterilized and all sorts of things could be in it -- microbial parasites and bacterias - that people can handle but maybe not so much them.

In fact, there's been issues lately with kids having problems and getting sick in play sand.

Also, play sand isn't like desert sand or chinchilla sand, and I don't think has the same effect on cleaning their coats.

My recommendation is to get original colored reptile sand.   

It comes in bigger bags, will last longer, and reptiles are way more sensitive to things than gerbils are, so its packaged sterile.

You can cut it with Chinchilla sand for better results.

I usually mix some of my chinchilla sand with reptile sand and it goes a long way, but please, don't use children's play sand.

Happy Gerbil-ing!

Thanks for your reply. I will look into reptile sand.