Inhaling chinchilla sand (pumice stone granules)
April 10, 2010 | 10,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Olaf Stephan
Hello, I have had a cage with 2 chinchillas in the living room for 3 years. The chinchillas have a sand bath in their cage for grooming. According to the manufacturer, the sand is made of 100% pumice granules. Since the sand always tends to be a bit dusty and some of it also comes into the room through the bars, I wanted to ask how dangerous it is if we inhale the dust.
Thank you and best regards,
Annika Waechter
Dear Inquirer,
Pumice granulate is a natural mineral earth of volcanic origin and chemically consists of sodium aluminum silicate. When handled properly, toxicity (poisonous effect) is not expected, especially as there are usually no dust particles that could have a toxic effect on the respiratory tract due to their particle size (dust particles must be very small to even reach the deep parts of the respiratory tract such as the bronchi and lungs). So you can safely let the little ones use the dust bath, as they will not be harmed by it.
Best regards,
O. Stephan
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