|
Post by moonlightgoddess on Jan 24, 2009 5:28:11 GMT -8
I would think cigarette smoke would be just as harmful... shoot it's not good for us lol
|
|
|
Post by Sunny&Sandy on Aug 12, 2009 18:18:03 GMT -8
Are plug-in air fresheners OK? I've always had one near the gerbs but now I'm thinking twice about it!?
|
|
|
Post by jess1990 on Aug 28, 2009 3:35:44 GMT -8
i don't spray any deodorant/sprays in my room at all, i don't even like having the window open in case of drafts and incense...no way, it's strong enough when i'm in the room, i feel like i can't beathe nevermind putting it in my room with my gerbs.
|
|
|
Post by kelskillz on Sept 4, 2009 10:48:52 GMT -8
Ive burned incense around my gerbil for the last two years and havnt had any issues, of course i keep it across the room from him, and i don't go crazy with the stuff. Also, differnt incense gives off different amounts of smoke. i use smaller sticks with a fan and Vinny is fine.
|
|
sai
Member
Posts: 79
|
Post by sai on Feb 21, 2010 17:16:29 GMT -8
In the past I wanted to try out Aromatherapy (though not by candles/burning but an electric vaporizer) but the fact that cats have trouble with some oils (as this thread mentions) concerned me so I did some research. Apparently cats are kind of special when compared to other animals: "Cats are known to be deficient in their ability to eliminate compounds through hepatic glucuronidation (they lack enzyme glucuronyl tranferases). Glucuronidation is an important detoxification mechanism present in most animals except cats. " from LavenderCat.com. Whereas it seems gerbils are actually one of the animals currently in use in medical testing when trying to prove the efficiency of essential oils compared to placebo or medications. So I guess the medical field so far doesn't think they can't process the oils. Whether there is some long-term thing not yet known though I don't know, I haven't found anything published. Since others might be interested so far the 2 most published tests seem to be: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17289317Here the efficiency for Lavender oil to reduce nervousness is tested on gerbils by having them do a special maze test and monitoring their behaviour. The study showed a positive reduction in stress levels. www.bepress.com/jcim/vol5/iss1/13/This test isn't so pleasant for the gerbils sadly In this they test the effects of Neroli oil for reducing anxiety compared to the medication drug Xanax by having the gerbils swim which as wel all know is a big no-no for gerbils. Both the oil and drug were shown to reduce the levels of stress/anxiety. Incense though I don't know how much those differ to aromatherapy essential oils so I wouldn't be able to comment about that, since I don't like to burn anything. And for the typical over-the-counter chemically compounded 'aromatherapy' fragrances / sprays I don't like the chemical hairspray smell to those anyway. I now use essential oils. However I don't burn anything (both because of a dislike for the 'smoky' tint and the fire hazard aspect) and those who are worried about the smoke aspect of burning oils may want to try an electric vaporizer that simply heats up a plate instead. I have one that also doubles as an ionizer to clean the air too. Plus I don't top it up more than once on an entire day. Since a few drops go a long way, if you're not noticing the smell then try to step out of the room for a bit and re-enter. So far I haven't noticed any adverse effects on the gerbils. Just thought people may want to know a little more about this. All the best.
|
|
|
Post by aal on May 8, 2010 21:29:41 GMT -8
Urm, just a foot away from my tank, there's a incense thingy. It's not the burning type. Just a few sticks put inside a jar of perfumed liquid. My gerbils don't seem to be reacting to the smell at all.
|
|
|
Post by Powerpuffgerbils on May 9, 2010 12:02:50 GMT -8
It may be that incense is burned and very aromatic, and the smoke could easily get into the tank.
|
|
|
Post by sydneygrey on Sept 6, 2011 14:21:12 GMT -8
Remember also that there are many different types of incense. Some might be ok to use around gerbils, and some won't. Some of it is very harsh stuff (frankincense is pretty strong, for example) and some of it is milder. It would help to know exactly what type of incense caused the symptoms in the original post. It's probably a particular type of incense that cause the bad reactions in the gerbils.
|
|
|
Post by smudgekins000 on Sept 6, 2011 16:41:38 GMT -8
Thats very odd...beacuse i've burned insence sticks, candles and had spray airfreshener in my room with the lil gerbils, and i've never had a problem... They don't seem atall bothered by the smell, my tank is almost 2 meters away from my desk, so i dont know if the smell can get that far or not but they haven't seemed bothered in the past. Though i think i will keep an eye on them, in future if myself or my sister burn any incence . xoxox [glow=red,2,300]As weird as it sounds, my mom heard in a magazine/ news article that air wicks/ febreeze sticks, etc. can slowly give you cancer, because you're breathing in the chemical. I ran out of spray to clean my gerbil cages, so I have to use dish washing soap for now, which i know isn't good, but i need to get to the store and buy more cage spray. Those plug-in sprays are what i'm talking about, if you're confused- and any smoke is not good- when you make bacon a toxin is released, so make sure you have the air fan on above the stove when making bacon. [/glow]
|
|
|
Post by prodigyangel on Oct 28, 2011 8:56:10 GMT -8
I'm very glad I found this before Samhain. In my religion it's common to use incense to purify the air. Since I hold small ceremonies in my room (only private space I have in my home) I will have to modify my practises for my little guys. I won't take that chance and I'll save my incense for when I am living on my own again and have more than one room to myself.
As for scented oils etc. I use a Salted Caramel scented plug in from Bath and Body Works. At first it was too strong even for me...So I kept the window and door open and only left it plugged in for a short while. Now that it's "seasoned" it's very pleasant...You can hardly tell it's there actually. Yuuki and Nozomu don't seem bothered at all by it. Even when it was strong....It was more me having the problem with it. Their cages are as far away from it as one can be in my tiny room though.
|
|
|
Post by summer07 on Nov 4, 2011 13:54:06 GMT -8
That's interesting...I often burn incense (oil) in my house and my gerbils have never had a noticeable reaction to it. Maybe certain types of incense cause those reactions, or maybe your gerbils are allergic to incense. However, I don't think that there is enough evidence to suggest that all gerbils react negatively to incense.
|
|
|
Post by krashkitty on Dec 29, 2011 0:53:13 GMT -8
Thanx for the info! definitely good to be aware of!
|
|
|
Post by gandolf on Sept 28, 2014 4:48:46 GMT -8
I'm really sorry to bump this, but are scented candles as bad?
Thanks and sorry!!
|
|
rhianna
Member
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
Posts: 891
|
Post by rhianna on Sept 29, 2014 8:42:46 GMT -8
I'm really sorry to bump this, but are scented candles as bad? Thanks and sorry!! I personally think they're fine depending on the scent. I often burn candles that smell like vanilla, sugar cookie, pumpkin pie, creamsicle, etc. They're very gentle scents and none of my pets have ever had any problems with them. I wouldn't burn anything with a strong perfume scent, or anything like spice, citrus, cinnamon, clean linen, etc. They're more strong and unnatural scents that would irritate animals more. I have a very sensitive sense of smell so anything that gives me a headache is not allowed in the same room as my pets. Also, make sure the room is well ventilated, regardless. Open your windows or if it's too cold then open your door into the house and maybe have a fan or two going. Never burn the candle right next to your pet's cage, as that's just completely unnecessary.
|
|
alleyj
Member
Ever tried WARE Willow Branch balls? Gerbil crack!
Posts: 73
|
Post by alleyj on Sept 30, 2014 16:51:17 GMT -8
Holy crap! I light candles all the time and no one's ever had a problem... it is across the room but I always had it in the back of my head to keep an eye on them. I wonder how incense is different.
|
|