Calci sand

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Understanding the dangers of Calci-Sand
What they tell you:
T-Rex Bone Aid Calci-sand: Made of 100% Calcium Carbonate

T-Rex Calci-Sand (being a mineral) is safe in direct contact with heating elements. It conducts heat well and it is suitable for use with heat mats or cables buried under it to a shallow depth. It does not harbor mites and inhibits the growth of molds or fungus.

T-Rex Calci-Sand makes spot cleaning both easy and accurate. Calci-Sand clumps readily to wet waste material, drying it and preventing it from being spread throughout the enclosure.

T-Rex Calci-Sand is now available in nine colors: Chocolate Brown, Red Rock, Natural White, Blue, Green, Cherry Red, Beige, Black ,Glo-in-the-Dark and the newest colors: Black granite and Red Rock Granite. All colors are created with F.D.A. approved natural food colorants.

What they don't tell you:

Did you know that there are actually safe handling practices for humans that need to be implemented when handling this mineral. The reason for this is actually simple too. Calcium carbonate comes with some hazards.




This Entry Was Added On: 06-03-2007


Author: Richard Brooks










Potential Health Effects - Understanding the dangers of Calci-Sand

From the Mallinckrodt Chemicals Material Safety Data Sheet for safe handling:


Inhalation:
Excessive concentrations of a nuisance dust may cause nuisance condition such as coughing, sneezing, and nasal irritation.
Ingestion:
Non-toxic.
Skin Contact:
Not expected to be a health hazard from skin exposure.
Eye Contact:
No information found, but presumed to cause mechanical irritation.
Chronic Exposure:
Excessive oral doses of calcium carbonate may produce alkalosis and hypercalcemia.

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Material Safety Data Sheets are required by companies when a chemical, mineral, solvent, or other product has been proven to cause illness or injury to humans. They are required by law, by all companies, that handle these materials. This is to inform the individual that may be handling this product so they know the consequences of improper handling.

This warning should also be placed on the bags that we can purchase, but they are not. If you want to acquire this information for a product you purchased, you can contact the company and request access to this information.


This Entry Was Added On: 06-03-2007


Author: Richard Brooks


How Should This Medicine Be Used - Understanding the dangers of Calci-Sand

From the U.S National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health:


Calcium carbonate comes as a tablet, chewable tablet, capsule, and liquid to take by mouth. It usually is taken three or four times a day. Follow the directions on your prescription or package label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take calcium carbonate exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. When using this medicine as a dietary supplement, take it with food or following meals.

Chewable tablets should be chewed thoroughly before being swallowed; do not swallow them whole. Drink a full glass of water after taking either the regular or chewable tablets or capsules. Some liquid forms of calcium carbonate must be shaken well before use.


Do not take calcium carbonate as an antacid for more than 2 weeks unless your doctor tells you to.



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We are instructed to avoid using this product for longer than 2 weeks unless being monitored by a doctor. Our reptiles are placed on this stuff for months and years at a time. If it isn't safe for us to use for longer than 2 weeks, what make you believe it is safe for your reptile?


This Entry Was Added On: 06-03-2007


Author: Richard Brooks


Incase of Emergency/Overdose - Understanding the dangers of Calci-Sand

In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.


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Now if the U.S National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health have a warning of what to do in case of an overdose, what makes you believe that your reptile can't overdose on it?

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Calcium carbonate is used in a variety of medications. One of the most common uses for CC is in antacids. This mineral has the ability to neutralize stomach acids. Neutralizing the stomach acids in humans when they don't feel well is great. As a medication serving this purpose it is wonderful. For reptiles, this is downright dangerous.

As your reptile eats stray food items on the sand, insects in the sand, or randomly licks and consumes the sand, it is also "medicating" itself with an antacid. The more it consumes, the more neutralized the acid in the stomach becomes. In high doses, this can easily lead to an impaction. The reptiles ability to digest its food adequately can be impaired or can even be halted when excessive amounts have been ingested.

It can also cause constipation. This in itself can be lethal as the body is required to expel the waste and byproducts from the foods consumed. If these are not expelled, toxicity can easily and readily become a serious issue. Toxic waste, once entered into the blood stream, can be fatal.

In excessive doses, calcium carbonate is also noted as causing hypercalcemia. Hypercalcemia is an excessive amount of calcium in the blood. This can lead to muscle weakness, psychological issues, nerve damage, spinal column curvature, and other serious issues.

The dust produced by calci-sand can be inhaled. As your reptile stirs the dust up and inhales the dust produced and made airborne, they could begin to experience eye and lung irritation.

The dyes used are also noted as "staining" our reptiles. The "staining" can be reversed by simply removing the reptile from the calci-sand and allowing it to shed several times. Each shed will remove any discoloration resulting from the calci-sand.

MORE TO COME AND A REWRITE IS LIKELY.


This Entry Was Added On: 06-03-2007
http://reptileguides.herpcenter.com/understanding-dangers-calci-t143.html?s=ea4041de81187610b9e6bfd52fb0327e&

Calci Sand - Not Digestable, Can Be Fatal Not For Sale


Calci-sand, calcium sand, although often sold in pet shops as 'perfectly safe, if they eat it they can digest it' substrate, is one of the most dangerous substrates you could use. It's responsible for countless deaths every year. When it is ingested it can cause impaction, see below:




www.petzoo.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=131&products_id=467&osCsid=fa72de0dd98c1b50f00df9825e31f8df

im with playing sand with my moorish geckos rather than t-rex forest bed, i changed because the forest bed was holding too much moisture and making the tank humid.

i do have a couple of bags of calci sand but i have never used them with any of my reps after hearing about impaction.

Use it in the garden lol thats all its fit for

lol,
im not the gardening type !!!!