Blue Cloud VS Blue Sparkle?

[pinkpiggy1989]

I ca get 10lbs of Blue Cloud for $25 w/ free shipping or 14lbs of Blue Sparkle for $24.95 w/ free shipping. I'm leaning more towards the Blue Sparkle, because with 7 chinchillas I need all the dust I can get! But is the quality as good as Blue Cloud? I don't need my chins to have show quality coats, but I do want something that will clean them and get the job done.

Also if anyone is selling either dust cheaper, please let me know! Shipping would be to 21236.

 

[Tulula]

I use Blue Sparkle and I feel it works very well. My chins do sparkle after using it as does anything in the chin room, but I like it.
Jeanne

 

[bnrchins]

I like using Blue Sparkle. Cloud feels more..grainy and gritty to me. That's the only difference I see in them, besides the price.

 

[Pikaia]

I used Blue Cloud before (petsmart) and then I got a great deal on Blue Sparkle from a forum member who had to put their chin down. I like them both.

 

[AZChins]

I prefer the Blue Cloud over the Blue Sparkle mostly because the sparkle makes my skin itch badly.

Shipping for 10 lbs of dust is $9.37. I may be able to get more dust in a box for that much actually...so it would probably be something like $19 or so for 10 lbs (or a little more.)

 

[mark miller]

Both products work well as dust bath. Blue Sparkle is a little finer and has sparkle crystals in it. Blue cloud is a grey blue color. Blue sparkle is a grey brown color. I use sparkle for my breeders and cloud for all my young animals and show stock. Blue sparkle is about $10 cheaper per 50# bag. It is made and sold in Calvert, Kansas. I haven't got any recently, but I think they sell it for about $10 for a 50# bag. Also, many ECBC and MCBA branches sell it.

 

[seachin]

Personally, I hate Blue Sparkle. Blue Cloud is what most breeders use to my understanding because the Blue Sparkle just does not do the same job...and the "sparkles" can be an issue during showing. But if you are only keeping chins as pets, Blue Sparkle should be fine for you. I have the same number of chins as you, and I use so little that the cost savings with BS would never be worth the lower effectiveness. That being said, make sure if you go BC, you get it through someone on here (like Snickers) and not through Petco/Petsmart...it has a weird smell to the stuff they sell in the jar...

 

[Brittany]

Personally, I hate Blue Sparkle. Blue Cloud is what most breeders use to my understanding because the Blue Sparkle just does not do the same job...and the "sparkles" can be an issue during showing. But if you are only keeping chins as pets, Blue Sparkle should be fine for you. I have the same number of chins as you, and I use so little that the cost savings with BS would never be worth the lower effectiveness. That being said, make sure if you go BC, you get it through someone on here (like Snickers) and not through Petco/Petsmart...it has a weird smell to the stuff they sell in the jar...

I believe the problem with sparkle in the show chins is that the silica in sparkle can damage the fur (no big deal if you're not showing)

 

[starleomach]

If you are not showing either will work fine. If you are showing I prefer the blue cloud. Much like feed though it becomes personal preference

 

[Spoof]

Either will work fine, I prefer the feel of Blue Cloud when petting or handling chins a lot - and I don't end up sparkly. That said, I use PDZ granular to dust my guys.

However if you're looking for an online seller, Ronda sells 16 pounds of Blue Cloud for $23.50 (including shipping).

 

[jags]

Blue Sparkle does not damage the fur or hinder the animals at show. I had Grandshow animals this year that have never even seen Blue Cloud and have only been dusted with Blue Sparkle for their entire lives. Blue cloud is way over priced by the time it gets to this end of the country and the Blue Sparkle will do you just fine.

 

[chinsNdobermans]

I use Sparkle most of the time, and just use Cloud when I am prepping for show (and only on my show chins). It's a cost measure.

 

[Geistkatze]

I like blue sparkle better. I bought the blue cloud because I heard it was ~*omg amazing*~ but both me and the chin loathe it. It's gritty and doesn't work as well, so I end up using a lot more of it. If you're going to buy giant quantities just get the sparkle. I've also had my first asthma flare up in 15 years after buying the cloud.

 

[Essentia]

I'm confused about this Blue Cloud that people are using that is "gritty". Every bit of BC I have ever used feels like cold silk when I run my hands through it...

 

[Snickers]

I always used Blue Cloud but it was never gritty.

 

[ticklechin]

The Blue cloud I have in the 50lb bags from the manufacture is like corn starch, very powdery, I have never ever seen grit.

 

[fanofdmb84]

The Blue Cloud I've used was also very gritty. Big chunks, like sand. The Blue sparkle I got in 50lb bags is velvety and almost fluffy because it was so fine, I couldn't believe the difference.
I was also pretty disappointed in the Cloud after hearing so many people rave about it. Maybe its just certain batches that are worse? Ultimately for me, price was the determining factor. $20 for 50lbs or $12 for 10lbs? I'll take the 50lbs!!

 

[Spoof]

The Blue Cloud I've used was also very gritty. Big chunks, like sand. The Blue sparkle I got in 50lb bags is velvety and almost fluffy because it was so fine, I couldn't believe the difference.

I've never seen gritty/sandy blue cloud either. As far as texture, I've used both types and they do the same job and had identical textures.

I also noticed that the new blue cloud gave me breathing issues which is why I use PDZ - and I can pick it up at the feed store with everything else. I do not have allergies/asthma.

 

[Stackie]

My Blue Cloud only gets gritty after the chins have used it a few times. Once it reaches that point I toss it and replace with new dust.

 

[mishellyshel]

i agree with stack & crysta. my blue cloud at first is like cool silk & then after a few bathes it gets gritty. i love the product. but i am trying the sparkle for the first time because someone graciously offered to pick up a 50lb bag at the show. having multiple chins it is more cost effective, especially since they are all pets.