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Post by fuzzmom on Feb 11, 2007 18:00:08 GMT
Hi! I've read degus need dust baths. What type of dust should I get, I've read everything from chinchilla dust to jsut plain sand, and what is the best container to use that won't get dumped, I imagine they really have a b last when they bathe? I'm getting 2 degus tomorrow and totally new to them, so I want to get as much stuff beforehand as possible. Thank you.
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Post by girlrazor on Feb 11, 2007 18:52:24 GMT
I use a metal bowl...As for sand I use chinchilla dust, but other types of sand can be used:
Bird-sand and/or chinchilla-sand is most suitable for using in a sand bath, but you can also use sand that will be used in sandboxes, from sand dunes. The only problem with bird sand is that many brands contain aniseed which you will have to filter out so that your 'goos don't eat them. If it contains shells this can be a good calcium supplement.
Chinchilla-sand is made from grind clay, and is available in different texture, from fine to robust. This is also recommended. This sand has only two disadvantages: it will rise in clouds and make a lot of dust, and it is relatively expensive. A good solution to these problems is to mix chinchilla-sand with bird-sand.
I wouldn't use sand from sand dunes or play sand as you can't really tell if it's been polluted or not, but some people have had good experience with it.
Whatever sand you use, clean it regularly or otherwise only leave it in for 20min-30min intervals as otherwise they might start to use it as a toilet.
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laurieb
Burrowing Degu
Love My Goos!
Posts: 175
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Post by laurieb on Feb 11, 2007 19:25:34 GMT
I use play sand. I used to use chinchilla sand, but it got horribly expensive.
I like the fact that they use it as a toilet! It makes daily cleaning MUCH easier!
I give them fresh sand every morning, they do their dusting thing(yes they LOVE it!), then they use it for their toilet until the next morning when I simply empty the old sand, rinse the metal containers, and give them fresh sand to bathe again.
I like having them litter trained. I only need to clean their entire home once a week or so!
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laurieb
Burrowing Degu
Love My Goos!
Posts: 175
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Post by laurieb on Feb 11, 2007 19:35:03 GMT
P.S. Congratulations on getting your degus! You're going to love them!
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Post by ra on Feb 12, 2007 16:01:03 GMT
I use Chinchilla dust and change it weekly or as needed. My girls like to dig and hide things in their dust jar so I leave it in their cage all the time. Yes, I do waste a good bit and go through a lot of dust but they are happy and healthy - that's what really matters to me. I use a medium sized heavy glass jar canister like you would keep sugar, flour or coffee in on your counter. I had a nice Chinchilla dust house but it was plastic and eventually the girls chewed holes in the corners and edges. Regardless of the container I still have dust issues because once the Degu Girls get all dusted up they run up and down the ramps and jump off of shelves create dust clouds at they go!! Oh well! I learned to keep a cover on my laptop and printer. My husband just shakes his head at the continuous thin layer of fine grey dust that lands on everything in the room.
If you do use a metal container do not use aluminum nor a galvanized metal both are reactive to Degu urine.
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Post by fuzzmom on Feb 17, 2007 8:26:36 GMT
Hi again. Thanks for the dust bath advice...so far I got chinchilla dust, but wow, it's expensive1 And I wound up with 4 fuzzes, not 2 like I originally thought. My friend's other home fell through. Where do you get Good Clean play sand, that might be a more cost effective alternative with 4 degus, 4 spiny mice, 2 dogs, 3 cats, 2 guinea pigs, and a fluctuating number of domestic pet rats, which I breed for pets. A;lso, help socializing these guys, youngest is 2 months, everyone else is a year or 2 old and no one has been handled much. Had one escape already when I wnt to feed, yikes! Also, is it possible to overbathe them, I mean, will too much bathing dry them out? Cool, I didn't know you could litter train them. I was just able to find the sand, and i'm thinking about a really big stainles steel bowl I use for my Labrador, that might work for 2 at a time to bathe in as tey are in separate kennels. I love them already and can't wait to socialize them and make them part of my family. Cool little fuzzes that make adorable noises. Thanks!
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Post by fuzzmom on Feb 25, 2007 4:58:01 GMT
Hi again. The degus are so cool! The other day I heard 2 of them making little tweeting noises, like birds or crickets. Thought it was the neatest thing. I checked for babies but of course there weren't any, feel a little silly, lol, but it wasn't a sound I had heard them make before. It's very soft and you only hait if you're right next to them. They also make a single syllable chirp you can hear throughout the house...neat! Where can I get metal bath containers and bulk sand? Thanks.
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gooey
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 174
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Post by gooey on Feb 25, 2007 5:53:51 GMT
i have a metal bowl that i bought in the bird section of the pet store. it has a bracket that attaches to the cage and the bowl sits in it. i put a little sand in it and they use it for a toilet. i love it--no more peepee down the side of the tank! then i have a glass jar, sorta shaped like a fishbowl that they use for their dust baths. i have found that they don't like to roll in the dust everyday, they just like it every 3 or 4 days just fine. i put the bowl in when they get their bath, they roll around for a few minutes, then they kick all the dust out of the jar and roll around in the tank and then when they are done making a major mess, i usually clean the tank. works for them and me too!
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tigerlily
Burrowing Degu
Octodon degus
Posts: 172
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Post by tigerlily on Mar 17, 2007 16:51:00 GMT
A little tip for this bath thing: after every dust baths you can strain the sand and you don't have to throw it away every time. When the sand is used for a week or something and getting dirtyer just throw it away.
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