Herbal bath for sand-bathing rodents

• Posted on 14 June 2022
• By DRD Knaagdierwinkel
• Posted in Care, Chinchilla, degu, Dwarf Hamster, Gerbil, hamster
• 0

Some rodents such as the Gerbil, Chinchilla and Degu have a great need to bathe in sand. Bathing is not only relaxing for the animals, but also cleanses the coat, leaving it healthy and shiny. In these animals, the fur becomes greasy faster than normal, this has to do with the climate in which the animals live. Dry warm areas.

Today there are many different types of bath sand, all of them are made from sepiolite (sepiolite mineral sand), a clay-based raw material. The reason why all chinchilla sands consist of this is the softness of the sand and the dust formation during bathing. The mild substance penetrates through the coat and gently removes dust, dirt and parasites. Normal sand is much too sharp for the delicate skin of the animals and can seriously damage it. The grains of normal sand are many times larger, so they can scratch the skin and damage the coat, especially of the Chinchilla. These animals have very sensitive skin and fur.

Sepiolite is a naturally occurring clay mineral that the wildlife also encounters. Some hamster species such as the Roborovski, the Syrian Hamster and the Wild Grain Wolf mainly live in desert/clay soils. Sand on the surface is soft and fine, which the animals use to bathe in. Sand below the surface is more moist and moldable for these small rodents to make their burrows in.

The sand of Rodipet is a high quality chinchilla sand, but then enriched with delicious herbs, such as: Lavender, Melisse, Mint and Chamomile. The herbs are dried and then mixed with the sand. The combination gives a relaxed and soothing experience to the animals. For us humans it is a very light herbal scent, but of course the animals smell much better than us. This natural addition really enriches the sand. The herbs are very well ground, so certainly no pieces that remain in the coat.

Lavender and chamomile in particular are known for their soothing properties, mint is a bit fresher and more uplifting, melissa is more cheerful.

As mentioned, the following animals really need a sand bath: Gerbil, Chinchilla and Degu. However, Hamsters also like to bathe in sand. As a desert animal, the Roborovski Dwarf Hamster should definitely be offered a sand bath on a regular basis. An additional advantage of offering sand in the summer is that it lowers the humidity in the enclosure, which can be very pleasant for the animals, especially in the summer in a terrarium. A stay with a lower humidity is cooler than a stay with a higher humidity.