I'm alergic to chin dust, alternatives?

[Ms. Chin]

Most of my family is alergic to the chin dust bath, it makes us all itchey and gives my mom asthma. We try to contain it, he only gets a little bit every now and then and we vaccume the cage after but that only helps so much.

What can we use as an alternative? Is corn starch safe?

 

[tunes]

Send a pm to JAGS on here and ask them what the name of the dirt stuff was they were using for a while. I always get the name wrong and I don't even bother trying to guess at it anymore. You might also try using a different kind of dust. I find that my asthma is a lot less bothersome if I use blue sparkle instead of blue cloud.

 

[AZChins]

Pegs, do you mean Fullers Earth? I've used that, it works okay but not as well as the products like blue cloud or blue sparkle.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

Also there is PDS (I believe that is the name) that is used for horses. You can get it at feed stores. Not as good as blue cloud or blue sparkle but it works and it is not as dusty

 

[Dreamlite]

Have you tried dusting him in a tub and rinsing it after? If he dusts in the cage there is very little you can do to contain it.

 

[D.Who]

I use a 10 gallon terrrarium for bath time, that way it doesn't fly out? (I am also allergic)
and I find that it works alot better, or do bath time right before we go out, then take it in when we get back home, and do a quick vacumn.

 

[tunes]

That might be it Susan, but I thought it had a longer name like ada something or other.

 

[Riven]

Dust doesn't cause asthma, it can make it flair up.

Why not dust him in the shower? When you done let him shake off, pick up chin, pick up the duster, and turn on the shower. Dust is gone, chin is dusted.

While there are some other alternatives, they just don't do what the dust can. It's like taking a bath with a washcloth for the rest of your life instead of a regular bath or shower, works, but not ideal.

 

[mercynursie]

I think what ya'll are trying to find is either a product called PDZ(or we call it sweet PDZ) it's used for freshening and neutralizing ammonia in the horse stalls.The other product is diatomacous(?sp.) earth. It a totally natural product that comes in powder form and is also used in horse stalls,pastures, and some people even use it for flea infestations in their houses since it is all natural.:hmm:

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

yea - PDZ was what I was thinking of.

 

[Riven]

I've heard of people using diatomatious earth (DE) but I don't know that I would, I wouldn't think it's any different than the chin dust really, it's really light weight stuff and it's "sharp" that I think it would be hard on their fur. We use it in our pool because it increases filter pressure and catches more "allergies" ( as my daughter called them when she was young... algae). It bothers my lungs more then blue cloud to use it.

 

[mercynursie]

I have a relatively mild asthma.I let my guys dust during playtime in a covered cat litter box with a plastic flap door that I made for it. If they don't get playtime but need dusting I use a smaller Rubbermaid container with lock on lid that I cut an access hole in and hung strips of fleece over the door to keep the dust in little better.The Rubbermaid one will fit in the FN cages easiliy.

 

[Ms. Chin]

We thought of using diatomacous earth, but then we heard it might scratch his eyes. I guess the particles are really sharp, which is why it kills fleas (which is what ppl usually use it for). so then i was like well maybe corn starch would work?

 

[Riven]

Very nice ideas! I might have to try the stips on my jars here! I really need to get pics of the tree, our tree is half "frosted" on the side the chins are on, lol.

 

[Spoof]

Dust doesn't cause asthma, it can make it flair up.

I have no lung allergies and blue cloud will dang near cause me to pass out, makes my eyes run and arms burn. It also stays in their fur up to 7 days depending on the density so I can fully sympathize with your problem. Shoot, if i get scratched by a chin that has dusted in BC it looks like I tried to murder myself... lol.

I use Sweet PDZ to dust my herd, it does not cause me breathing problems.

You can use also use corn starch, DE and playing field chalk(farm store), Bath Sand (they sell this at most petstores), and baking soda.

 

[Leowyldemi]

i use bath sand because of hubby's allergies, it seems to work well

 

[LouandRoo]

Have you tried the actual bath houses from the pet stores? They seem to keep the dust down when my chins take their baths. You could even make a door flap to cover the hole in the bath house to keep the dust from flying out.