Green paws?!

[searchand_dstry]

*Honestly not sure if this should be posted here or in diet and nutrition.. But here it goes.

I discovered today that my chinchillas front paws are turning a lovely green color. They're little lips are also turning a nice shade of green. At first I freaked out and thought they all had respiratory infections because I remember when Montey was sick he had a yellowish green discharge from his nose & also on his paws front wiping at his nose. Luckily, turns out it's not that. This is only in the lips and front toes/pads.

I recently switched from orchard grass to timothy hay.. both oxbow. I bought a new bag of timothy hay the other day from petsmart and that is the only thing I can think that would turn their paws green like that. I'm not really sure what to do or how to get rid of it. I don't want to use to baby wipes since they can lick it off and I am not really sure if that would harmful or not.. I know it wouldn't taste very well!

Has anyone had this problem? Was it indeed from hay? I trust oxbow & the hay does look normal, but I cannot find any other source that would turn their paws green.. I did buy new toys and put them in last night, but they were mainly lava bites and bark chews. I did put some colorful blocks on but non of those are chews so I doubt it's that!

 

[greychins]

I have heard (someone correct me if I'm wrong) that some hay companies DYE their hay green to make it look more appealing. I'm not sure if Oxbow does, but this is what I've heard.... I suppose that with all dyed things, the dye could come off when it gets wet (like the way clothes sometimes "bleed" the first time they're washed, maybe the hay color bleeds when they chew on it and get saliva on it?)... just a thought....

 

[searchand_dstry]

I have heard (someone correct me if I'm wrong) that some hay companies DYE their hay green to make it look more appealing. I'm not sure if Oxbow does, but this is what I've heard.... I suppose that with all dyed things, the dye could come off when it gets wet (like the way clothes sometimes "bleed" the first time they're washed, maybe the hay color bleeds when they chew on it and get saliva on it?)... just a thought....

I have heard of that, but I thought it was mainly kaytee that did that?

 

[corneliuschins]

Is there anything that is green or blue anywhere in the cage? Like anything that they can get their little paws on? I got a toy a long time ago and I thought that the color was completely through the item, but it wasn't and I woke up to blue faces and feet the next morning. I had no idea that the item was dyed the color, but it was. This was before the whole pet side of chin safe items came out and if I would have known earlier I would have never bought anything with dye on it, but such is life, mistakes happen. That's why I ask if there is anything green at all in their cage..... It's obviously something that they are chewing on which produces saliva and then gets on their lips and feets. I don't know about the dyed hay, but if that's the only green thing in the cage then that's what's doing it. If you still have the bag or the container that the hay came in you can look and see if the ingredients say dye of any kind. I have absolutely no idea on the safety of dye and chins, but am sure someone else on here would be able to let you know if you should be totally worried or not. Have the chins behavior, poops, pees, changed? That would be something to look at to see if the dye is possibly doing anything to them. I hope this is nontoxic, and would hope that an item marketed for chins would be nontoxic, but best to find out from someone who knows. I wish you luck and hope everything is o.k. for them. - Jessica

 

[searchand_dstry]

Is there anything that is green or blue anywhere in the cage? Like anything that they can get their little paws on? I got a toy a long time ago and I thought that the color was completely through the item, but it wasn't and I woke up to blue faces and feet the next morning. I had no idea that the item was dyed the color, but it was. This was before the whole pet side of chin safe items came out and if I would have known earlier I would have never bought anything with dye on it, but such is life, mistakes happen. That's why I ask if there is anything green at all in their cage..... It's obviously something that they are chewing on which produces saliva and then gets on their lips and feets. I don't know about the dyed hay, but if that's the only green thing in the cage then that's what's doing it. If you still have the bag or the container that the hay came in you can look and see if the ingredients say dye of any kind. I have absolutely no idea on the safety of dye and chins, but am sure someone else on here would be able to let you know if you should be totally worried or not. Have the chins behavior, poops, pees, changed? That would be something to look at to see if the dye is possibly doing anything to them. I hope this is nontoxic, and would hope that an item marketed for chins would be nontoxic, but best to find out from someone who knows. I wish you luck and hope everything is o.k. for them. - Jessica

Well they have some green pine chew block & I am assuming they are dyed but they haven't been touched. I suppose it's possible though for them to get saliva on it while chewing on the toys around it though. I'll check them out! Did it take long to get the dye off of your chins?

 

[greychins]

Did it take long to get the dye off of your chins?

We had one chin become orange from a chew, and another become bright ocean blue. hehe We gave tons of dust baths but it just took time to wear off....

 

[Rickman]

You might try a warm, damp washcloth on their paws - water only, and don't rub too hard!

 

[Stackie]

I'll bet they're getting the lovely color on them from one of their toys. Smudge had red paws one morning and I freaked out, but noticed that his Valentine's hanging toy (all red) had been destroyed overnight.

 

[Riven]

Either their toys or their hay. All of the oxbow hay I've seen is un-naturally green. They don't say if they dye their hay or not directly, but they do say that they "add coloring to some products to increase the appeal of it" or something to that extent.

 

[Spoof]

It's probably from the dyed hay. If you watch them eat, they'll chew, then clean/wipe around their cheeks and mouth. Some do it every other time they eat a bite, and paws are white so they show it the best.

I had one turn orange from one of those carrot mineral blocks years ago. They ignored it for 5-6 months, then the female just pulverized it one day and was orange.

I don't use colored toys now, but the two years I did nobody ever rubbed any dye off.

 

[JennyBug]

:thinking:All three of my chins (two of which are mosaics with white feet) eat Oxbow hay, and none of them have ever gotten green snouts or toes. I would look at the block. Is it anywhere near water? Could water have dripped on it and then they walked through the water? Sounds like an odd issue...

 

[searchand_dstry]

Either their toys or their hay. All of the oxbow hay I've seen is un-naturally green. They don't say if they dye their hay or not directly, but they do say that they "add coloring to some products to increase the appeal of it" or something to that extent.

Ick really? That's the last time I buy oxbow :/ I normally buy APD.. I'll have to look & see if it says that on the back of their bag as well.

 

[alli713]

I looked on my bags of Oxbow that I have for the girls, and it didn't say anything about having any color for added appeal. I wasn't aware that Oxbow did this, I had only heard of Kaytee doing it.

 

[searchand_dstry]

I looked on my bags of Oxbow that I have for the girls, and it didn't say anything about having any color for added appeal. I wasn't aware that Oxbow did this, I had only heard of Kaytee doing it.

Same here. Maybe I'll call or e-mail the company & ask. I no longer have the original bag.. so I have no idea what it actually says.

 

[aznmexaggie]

Hmm, all off my chins have eaten Oxbow timothy hay here for a very long time and I've never seen any green on their mouths or paws... and I have 40 chins here! I think it's most likely a toy in the cage that they must have gotten their paws on.

 

[feistychins]

If you have any form of a toy that is green then that is dyed with food coloring (usually) and that is what is turning your chins green. The dye comes off very easily. I assure you it is not the Oxbow hay. I have used Oxbow for 9 years and there are no green paws here.