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calcium sand
- Thread starter shell
- Start date
No, sand is not a good substrate for Corns. It's very drying to the skin which will make them uncomfortable. I know they say it's digestable but I wouldn't want my snake to eat any of it. Good choices for substrate are newspaper/papertowels, Aspen, ReptiBark and some like cage carpet. IMHO, sand would not be a good choice
please dont use it!!
newspaper or paper towels are the best substrates for hatchlings,its easy to replace when soiled and your hatchlig will be easy to find after a while (i usualy wait 3months at least)use beach chips or any other recommended substrate.
i looked into using calci-sand for my bearded dragon and the
advice i got was dont bother it is not proven to prevent impaction.
newspaper or paper towels are the best substrates for hatchlings,its easy to replace when soiled and your hatchlig will be easy to find after a while (i usualy wait 3months at least)use beach chips or any other recommended substrate.
i looked into using calci-sand for my bearded dragon and the
advice i got was dont bother it is not proven to prevent impaction.
my vet says YES on calci sand, but the pros say NO
I'm worried now. I took my vet's reccomendation and got calci-sand a few weeks ago (she's a reptile expert). She uses it for her bearded dragon, and said it should be fine for my four corns (all of whom are a couple years old). Who should I believe, the vet who says yes or the corn-pros on this site who say no???? Any ideas?
I'm worried now. I took my vet's reccomendation and got calci-sand a few weeks ago (she's a reptile expert).
She uses it for her bearded dragon, and said it should be fine for my four corns (all of whom are a couple years old). Who should I believe, the vet who says yes or the corn-pros on this site who say no???? Any ideas?
bmm
New member
Your vet is WRONG. Plain and simple, WRONG.
There have even been reports of this so called "digestable" cali-sand killing lizards housed on it. It's not as safe as some people claim. Just because the package says "disgestable" it doesn't have to be true. There is no agency to govern what pet product manafactures put on their labels. And I highly doubt even the company who makes cali-sand has even done ONE study to make sure its 100% digestable (which it is not or else people would not have lost geckos to impaction from it)
Another issue aside from impaction is that cornsnakes don't come from the desert, and they don't live on sand. Period. It can be irratating to scales, (think of those tiny cracks) and certainly get into the mouth. I wouldn't keep your corn on sand, and I would also get a better vet.
Up to date, reliable reptile vets would never suggest keeping a corn on sand. Your vet though might be GREAT with one type of reptile, but for snakes you really need to search out a special vet because even reptile vets might know more about lizards than snakes. My local reptile vets are great with lizards and other reptiles but no good with snakes.
bmm
There have even been reports of this so called "digestable" cali-sand killing lizards housed on it. It's not as safe as some people claim. Just because the package says "disgestable" it doesn't have to be true. There is no agency to govern what pet product manafactures put on their labels. And I highly doubt even the company who makes cali-sand has even done ONE study to make sure its 100% digestable (which it is not or else people would not have lost geckos to impaction from it)
Another issue aside from impaction is that cornsnakes don't come from the desert, and they don't live on sand. Period. It can be irratating to scales, (think of those tiny cracks) and certainly get into the mouth. I wouldn't keep your corn on sand, and I would also get a better vet.
Up to date, reliable reptile vets would never suggest keeping a corn on sand. Your vet though might be GREAT with one type of reptile, but for snakes you really need to search out a special vet because even reptile vets might know more about lizards than snakes. My local reptile vets are great with lizards and other reptiles but no good with snakes.
bmm
bc_reptiles
Breeders and Outfitters
Another thing I don't like about it...
is that you can't get rid of the smell after they go on it. You can spot clean, but the cage still smells like poo.
I used it on my leopard geckos for a while. I just couldn't get rid of the smell without changing out all the sand??? I put them back on newspaper and the smell was gone.
And also, it's to expensive!
Brian Miller
BC Reptiles
is that you can't get rid of the smell after they go on it. You can spot clean, but the cage still smells like poo.
I used it on my leopard geckos for a while. I just couldn't get rid of the smell without changing out all the sand??? I put them back on newspaper and the smell was gone.
And also, it's to expensive!
Brian Miller
BC Reptiles
bmm
New member
Yeah the sand definitly stinks after awhile I have heard.
I am not an expert, but things between private hobbyists and vets can be vary different. Usually even reptile vets aren't well schooled in snakes, and their care is very different. But the good thing is there are a lot of vets out there who are outstanding with snakes. You just gotta sort through em! Another thing that I have personally noticed is that even vets great with snakes or reptiles are great with their health issues, but most don't know much about husbandry although both things go hand in hand.
But anyways, no one regulates the pet trade from a product standpoint like the FDA does for food and such. There is no one out there to test these products in a lab controlled situation and give results. Unless the companies (which the good ones do) do the research themselves, or someone takes the task upon themself wanting to verify the product. Most things like cali-sand, reptile shed aid spray, vitamin sprays, etc do nothing at all and most animals are better off without them.
There is a lot of information out there, and some of the best comes from people on forums like this with years of first hand experience with your specific reptile. You have to know how to pick and choose whats right and wrong, especially at pet stores and mics. personal websites, even at the vets. Its hard but in the long run you normally get enough hard facts, data and info from someone to make their advice worthwhile and correct.
bmm
I am not an expert, but things between private hobbyists and vets can be vary different. Usually even reptile vets aren't well schooled in snakes, and their care is very different. But the good thing is there are a lot of vets out there who are outstanding with snakes. You just gotta sort through em!
Another thing that I have personally noticed is that even vets great with snakes or reptiles are great with their health issues, but most don't know much about husbandry although both things go hand in hand. But anyways, no one regulates the pet trade from a product standpoint like the FDA does for food and such. There is no one out there to test these products in a lab controlled situation and give results. Unless the companies (which the good ones do) do the research themselves, or someone takes the task upon themself wanting to verify the product. Most things like cali-sand, reptile shed aid spray, vitamin sprays, etc do nothing at all and most animals are better off without them.
There is a lot of information out there, and some of the best comes from people on forums like this with years of first hand experience with your specific reptile. You have to know how to pick and choose whats right and wrong, especially at pet stores and mics. personal websites, even at the vets. Its hard but in the long run you normally get enough hard facts, data and info from someone to make their advice worthwhile and correct.
bmm