# Sunshine Factor/Booster for dry skin?



## panda (May 23, 2011)

i had made a thread about Norma's skin being still somewhat dry and hanhan suggested making a thread to ask people who use booster or sunshine factor about how they use it and what the results have been as we are both curious and i am sure other people would find this thread useful as well. 
i have no idea how i would even use it if i purchased it, i have used every remedy for Norma's itchy dry skin and while it has improved it is not %100 just yet and i am wondering if using one of these would help or not. Some help and information is greatly appreciated.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

Here's an older thread to get you started. 
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=12508

I just recently bought the booster myself & have only used it once. I don't know too much about the dosages & stuff yet. But I bought a 4 ounce bottle, which should probably last a long time.

Sorry I couldn't help more!


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

SF worked like a charm for Snarf. It took a few weeks but the quill loss stopped completely (he lost 45 one day) and the skin flakes stopped almost immediately. 

I am going to switch to Booster, on Rivoli's recommendation, as she pointed out: even more good stuff in the same oil (palm oil).

I gave Snarf's on moist food, about 4-5 drops (I measured with a syringe but can't remember dosage) every M-W-F (every other day basically). 

I am going to give Sumo SF now that he's pooping better - YAY brown rice!!


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

thanks for the the help both of you 

so it seems booster is getting more bang for your buck...
is it possible to put the booster on kibble?

Norma hasnt had a quill loosing issue but i did see one loose quill yesterday in her cage and i dont think she is about to quill, i didnt see any signs of it.

http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/Booster/products/50/
what is the best amount to get as it seems using only a few drops it would last a long time?


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

I purchased a 1oz bottle of Booster and have been giving it to Charley every other day for maintenance for his dry skin (which is chronic for him, poor dear) and that bottle has lasted for almost 5 months; the dose is .06ml per 100g of body weight, and with Charley being 600+ grams he got .40ml from an oral medicine syringe I got from my vet (the same ones are available on Amazon pretty cheap). 

My only caution is do not let it tip over while you're heating it up (the label on the bottle I got suggests bringing it to a boil in a pot of water to bring the oil to a fluid state, it's solid at room temp) because once the water gets in it ruins it (or rather it looks weird and I'm not chancing it).

I don't know if you can put Booster on kibble, but it is pretty tasty to hedgies, or at least Charley likes the taste, so I can syringe it to him directly, but I typically put it in with some baby food and he laps it up ^_^


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

thanks so much for the info.. i had no idea it needed heating. luckily i work in an office where i can get a tiny syringe easily  How often do you give it to Charley for his skin?.. sounds like him and Norma share the same issue.


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

** i went ahead and ordered the smallest bottle of the booster. hoping it can ease Norma's skin for good!
All i need to do now is get a scale so i can know how much to give her.


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

As a supplement, I gave it to Charley every other day, usually in the evening as a treat since I mix it in with baby food and he hoovers it down ^_^

Since Charley has been ill, he has been getting the .40 dose daily.


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

thanks so so much for the help!


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

Alastrina said:


> My only caution is do not let it tip over while you're heating it up (the label on the bottle I got suggests bringing it to a boil in a pot of water to bring the oil to a fluid state, it's solid at room temp) because once the water gets in it ruins it (or rather it looks weird and I'm not chancing it).


So you hold the bottle itself in boiling water? And after you do that once, it stays a liquid?

Thanks for making the thread, panda.


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

Welcome Hanhan! & good questions about the boiling prep... didnt think to ask those myself.


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

Nope, I have to do it every time I want to give it to Charley. The oil is a solid at room temp, heat it to a liquid to syringe it, and then set aside and it will cool and solidify again. It only takes a few minutes to heat up though; I set it to boil while I prep the rest of the baby food and by the time I'm ready, it is too


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

i'm trying to give SF to my guys too. i say 'trying' bc they wouldn't touch the stuff. :roll: 

panda--i really love the new siggy pic! she's such a baby..


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

The booster (& I'm assuming the Sunshine Factor also) is an oil & it hardens when it's cool. But will turn to a liquid once heated. I haven't had mine long, but I just popped the jar into the microwave for a few seconds & it turned just a little bit into liquid. 

I did put that right on the kibbles. All 3 of the hedgies ate it. All I did was to dip the tip of my spoon in the booster &then just mix it around in the kibble. Just the very tip, so there wasnt' much. I think that after you measure it the first time, you will know how much is enough.

I don't know if I'm doing it wrong - but I hope that helps!


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

Just curious, but do any of you think it's possible to overdose a hedgehog on SF or Booster? I obviously wouldn't be trying to do that, lol, but if I have reason to suspect I could possibly give too much, I'm sure my subconscious will be much more vigilant about double and triple checking dosages.


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## Guest (Aug 7, 2011)

hanhan27 said:


> Just curious, but do any of you think it's possible to overdose a hedgehog on SF or Booster? I obviously wouldn't be trying to do that, lol, but if I have reason to suspect I could possibly give too much, I'm sure my subconscious will be much more vigilant about double and triple checking dosages.


My experience is too much of a good thing could be a bad thing this isn't directly hedgehog related for examples but:

Excessive Calcium can effect human kidneys I'd assume the same in any animal and has been known to prevent absorption of other nutrients when too much is being given.

Excessive Vitamin C can cause Diarrhea, Nausea, Vomiting, Heartburn, Abdominal cramps, Headache, Insomnia, and Kidney stones

Not directly hedgehog related but I think you get what I am saying


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## shortnerdy (Jul 3, 2011)

My new super awesome vet when I mentioned it to her knew exactly what I was talking about and had both on site. She recommended the boost and gave me a bottle for Sheldon to help. Too soon to see reults yet but this is what she told me;

Sticl the bottle in very hot water so the contents liquify then syringe up .01 ml and trickle on his kibbles.

So far so good$


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

wow thanks for all the awesome feedback everyone!!


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

oh & thank you fracturedcircle!! my lil piglet! haha i love her little mouth in this one.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

SF is to be stored in the fridge, I think, or it will go rancid - like some other oils. According to the website, lasts for about 18 mos. It is actually a liquid at room temp - in my house, anyway - I take it out when I take out Sumo's crickets, then just syringe some up and drop it on his food.

There'd be no problem putting it on kibble if you are confident it'll get eaten. As PJ said, you get to know how much just by looking, after awhile.



hanhan27 said:


> Just curious, but do any of you think it's possible to overdose a hedgehog on SF or Booster? I obviously wouldn't be trying to do that, lol, but if I have reason to suspect I could possibly give too much, I'm sure my subconscious will be much more vigilant about double and triple checking dosages.


I doubt you could OD on SF....maybe on the Booster cuz of the added minerals...I would be concerned with the amount of fat they'd be getting (oil is pretty much 100% fat, after all) and I know I had to stop using it with Sumo and let his stomach adjust to it slowly cuz it was starting to make his poop a bit soft and mushy.


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

Right on the dot MissC!

http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/rc/booster.pdf

There's the link to the Booster product information straight from the Harrison's website, much easier to read than the label on the bottle, or at least the one I got and after bringing it to a boil a few times the label fell off


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Alastrina said:


> Right on the dot MissC!
> 
> http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/rc/booster.pdf
> 
> There's the link to the Booster product information straight from the Harrison's website, much easier to read than the label on the bottle, or at least the one I got and after bringing it to a boil a few times the label fell off


Don't give me too much credit...I have to admit the only reason I know any of this is because I had to look up the dosage after I threw away the vet's instructions, and then again once a week, every week since.  AND I have to Google "Sunshine Factor" every time cuz I never remember who makes it.


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

So should i wean her onto the booster, maybe start out with once every 3 days or something like that?


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

panda said:


> So should i wean her onto the booster, maybe start out with once every 3 days or something like that?


You should be able to use it every other day - my vet didn't say anything about starting off slow and Snarf had no issues - a lot of HHC folks use it every day right from the start without issue. I would use it once and see how it goes, then try again two days later and see.

I am staying with MWF so I remember to use it and so Sumo gets a break from it in case he's eating it only because it's on his favorite food.


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

haha okay, i like that plan actually so i'll be trying the MWF also i think.


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

oh i forgot to ask also... for those of you who were using it for dry skin... how long do you think it takes for their skin to improve? I could hear poor Norma itching a few times last night & i was glad i had ordered the booster yesterday. i just cant wait to finally get rid of that for her.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Weeks and weeks. :shock: 

The flaking got better right away and stopped after 10-14 days...then the quill loss improved but didn't stop until after a month. Snarf never scratched a lot but as soon as the flaking stopped, he rarely scratched at all.


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

MissC, did you do MWF for Snarf as well? Milly's skin looks really good, but she is still losing quills. It started to taper off, and then yesterday she lost at least 6 during play time alone. 

And holy WOW do they charge a lot for shipping & handling! lol. Is it one of those things where it comes in a 1ftx1ft box and it's like a treasure hunt trying to find the stuff in the box & packaging? :lol:

I do have one more question - It says on the information sheet thing that Alastrina posted that you can also mix Booster with 1lb of the animal's food... Does that mean that you'd want to refrigerate the food if you do that? I highly doubt that this is the route I'll go, but I'm just curious because I agree that the B/SF probably be refrigerated. If it's on 1lb of the food, you'd think it would make the food go bad pretty fast? :|

I, too, appreciate all the awesome feedback 


panda said:


> i just cant wait to finally get rid of that for her.


I feel the SAME way about Milly's quill loss. I will be SO proud of myself if I can help her with that! :lol:


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Yes, Snarf was MWF, as well. I started with every other day, then would forget one day, making the little calendar I had hanging on the fridge useless, so I went to MWF.  

I have never ordered it on-line but your description of packaging sounds about right. :lol: 

And, yes, I would think you'd have to refrigerate the 1 lb of food or the oil would go bad.


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

they do charge a ton for shipping, kind of ridiculous. :roll: 
Norma hasnt had quill loss like that, although i did find one two days ago in her cage. i'm pretty worried :? but trying not to worry too much since it was just one.


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

Panda, I am *pretty* certain I read somewhere on here that losing a quill or two here and there is normal. I'm not even going to bother trying to find it because typing in "quill loss" gives you like 4 trillion pages of search finds, but... maybe you could ask Nancy if she thinks it's normal? Just to calm your nerves, lol.

*Fingers crossed that SF and Booster help our little ones*

We will have to keep each other updated as to their progress.  

P.S. Is your first name Jess? I feel kind of silly calling you Panda when we talk fairly regularly on here :lol:


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

yep, i'm Jess..  & we will definitely have to keep each other updated.
I tried to search and had the same issue with millions of quill posts :roll: 
I plan on just keeping a close eye on the quills but she seems to be doing well other than itching here and there from the dry skin.
i went scale hunting today and the ones at walmart were garbage, i plan on trying target and a few other local places tomorrow.


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

*Scales*

I'm considering this one for myself, I need to get a new one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012N1NAA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Amazon has a ton of options, and it's easy to find enough goodies for our quilly kids to get the free shipping on orders over $25


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

i like that one a lot actually... *asks hubby for permission... *orders.


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

panda said:


> i like that one a lot actually... *asks hubby for permission... *orders.


 :lol: Sometimes I think that having a scale is a bad thing... Milly only ate like 40 kibbles last night, compared to her normal 70 or so... and she lost 9g. :roll: Needless to say I freaked out... then realized she lost the 9g BECAUSE of eating less. :lol:


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

well i suppose we have to look at it like we look at our own weight, our weight fluctuates more than once through the course of one day.. which is why many people choose to weigh themselves in the morning before eating :lol: 
i am excited in a way because i will be using it for not just Norma but also for my beardies to measure their growth, Orion is still young and growing to full size whereas Loki was malnourished before we rescued him, so it will be interesting to watch their growth in between vet visits. When we first got Loki we had to take him to the vet a couple times. in between the first and last vet visit which were 4 weeks apart he had gained 20 grams.. the first vet visit was 4 weeks after bringing him home so I am willing to guess he may have gained up to 40 grams since bringing him home... so to be able to measure the weight and growth of all three of them on my own before their next check up will be interesting.


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

I got my scale in the mail today 
Norma currently weighs 351g, recorded in my planner.. being only a little over 5 months old i wonder how much bigger she will get.
I plan on recording my lizards tomorrow, i weighed them but out of excitement for my new gadget i forgot to write it down :roll:
the only part that will be tricky from here.. i hope :roll: ... will be getting the dosage right.. the instructions say .02-.06ml/100g ... so i'll have to decide where within that range to go?


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

MissC said:


> SF is to be stored in the fridge, I think, or it will go rancid - like some other oils. According to the website, lasts for about 18 mos.


MissC, if you see this, could you link me to where it says that? My Booster arrived this morning (almost a 2 week wait after I paid $11 for S/H :roll: Not happy.) and the expiration date is NOVEMBER 2011! I tried to find where it says 18 months, but couldn't, and I'm going to call Harrison's and ask for a new bottle. I want to use the stuff, but I'm pretty ticked that I paid so much for S&H and got a bottle that expires in 3 flippen months. Milly goes to the vet today, so I'm going to find out if they sell it. It'll probably be easier to do buy that way lol.


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

Never mind, I found it, lol. It says it's good for 18 months after production... which means that the bottle I got is 15 months old. :roll: I looked at my vet's website, though, and they sell it.

Has anyone dealt with returning stuff to Harrison's? I hope it's not a pain in the butt. >_<


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