How to Dust Bath Chinchillas

For the final post of this quick tutorial blog, this post will guide you through the details of dust bathing your chinchilla to maintain a good hygiene.

How does dust bathing work? 

As I mentioned in plenty of previous blogs as this is super important, chinchilla coats MUST NOT come into contact with water, thus conventional bathing (soap and water) is not an option for chinchillas. Instead, chinchillas roll around in dust to rid their fur coats of impurities; cleaning each individual hair within an inch of its life. The way it works (basically) is when chinchillas roll in the dust, the dust particles fall deep into the coat all the way down to the skin; then after continuous rolls, the dust is pushed out of the fur, taking any impurities out of the fur with it as it flows out (McLeod). This technique is more than effective enough to substitute for bathing, as doing this routinely for the rest of a chinchillas life will keep their coats clean. 

Dust bath house

What do I need?

 The first you will need is the right powder for the job, which I recommend Blue Cloud chinchilla dust. It works like a charm and is readily available in stores such as Petco and Petsmart, and is even available on Amazon and eBay. The other thing for the bathing process is a container for them to bathe in; and it is recommended that the container is heavy so the chinchilla does not knock it over (Li). Some recommended containers are plastic boathouses or durable (and large) bowls [ie: fish bowl].

How do I bath them?

Add enough powder to the container to which the powder makes a nice layer of powder on the container floor (Not enough to make a pile of powder but enough to where the container floor is completely coated). Now there are 2 ways you can bath them: you can do what I do and set the bath container on the floor in a separate room in your home and let the chinchilla run around and bath at the same time; or you can set the container inside the cage with the chinchilla and let him/her bath in there. The estimated time you should leave the chinchilla with the dust bath ranges from about 10-20 minutes (Li). You should bath your chinchillas about 2 to 3 times a week, but give the chinchilla more frequent baths if his/her fur seems oily and give him/her less baths if you notice the fur being more dry and itchy (McLeod). The aftermath after a dust bath is quite messy, as the powder is often times just scattered around the room, so dust/vacuum the facility of the bathing shortly after bathing them to prevent discomfort in your own home.

Tips:

• You can reuse dust from previous baths, but discard previous dust after a few uses or if you notice a wet (or dried wet) spot in the dust, as it is most likely urine; & discard any feces in the dust if you do want to reuse it (McLeod).
• If you notice a wet spot on the chinchilla before you bath him/her, dry the spot immediately before letting them bath as the powder can severely irritate that spot if remained wet. 
• Vacuum/dust any surface in the room you bathed the chinchilla in (believe me, that dust goes everywhere).
• It is advised you bath chinchillas chinchillas in the evening as the chinchillas are more active, thus getting more rolls in the dust (Li).

Sources:

McLeod, Lianne, DVM. "Why Dust Clean For Your Pet Chinchilla."About.com. About Home, 15 Dec.   2014. Web. 11 May 2016. http://exoticpets.about.com/od/chinchillas/a/chindustbath.htm

Li, Larry. "Chinchilla Dust Bath." Chinchilla. Chinchilla.co, 2014. Web. 11 May

2016. http://chinchilla.co/chinchilla-dust-bath

What to feed your chinchillas!

Overview:

The diet is one of the most important things that affect how your chinchilla lives and drastically affects their health. There are 2 main components in the chinchilla's diet: hay and pellets. Hay provides plenty of protein and fiber, while the pellets fill in the rest of the nutrients that hay does not cover. Treats can also be given to chinchillas just as a fun little snack for them, however; it is not required to give it to them. The recommended nutrition for chinchillas is: 30% fiber, 14-16% protein, 35% carbs, 3.5% fat/oil, 4% sugar, 6% minerals, 10% moisture, 32.4 Vitamin D, 14 Vitamin A, and 80 Vitamin E (Poli).

Hay

According to the vet I interviewed at the Hendersonville Exotic Animal Clinic, out of all the different types of chinchilla hay (Alfalfa, alpine, timothy, etc.); Western Timothy Hay is the most recommended to feed your chinchilla (he also advised against providing Alfalfa hay). The brand of hay that I use is Oxbow Western Timothy hay, as it good in nutrition and is not too expensive. Chinchillas should have their hay supply constantly filled every day, as they chew on hay to wear their teeth down to prevent overgrowth of teeth (McLeod).

Pellets

While pellets are essential, chinchillas only need 2 tablespoons of pellets per day (Poli). Pellets are meant to provide the nutrients that hay does not provide, but do not just give chinchillas pellets without providing hay; as pellets do not wear down chinchillas' teeth at all. I recommend feeding Oxbow Essentials as it has a great balance of nutrients a chinchilla needs. 

Treats

Treats should be given to chinchillas very rarely, as too much treats leads to too much sugar then eventually death. Some treats that are recommended are dried rose hips, 3-4 tiny slices of raisins per week, and 3-4 tiny dried papaya slices per week (McLeod). 2-3 mountain ash berries per day is also a good choice as well (Poli).

FORBIDDEN FOODS!

Do not feed these to chinchillas as they are extremely unhealthy: anything with meat in it, chocolate, corn/maize, nuts/seeds, excess protein (more than 20%), vegetables and greens (causes bloat), pellet mixes, and tree bark (Poli).

Poli, Miranda. "Chinchilla Nutrition." TIP OF THE MONTH! Chinchilla Chronicles, 2008. Web. 04 May 2016. http://www.chinchillachronicles.com/chinchilla_nutrition_food_and_diet.html

McLeod, Lianne, DVM. "Feeding Chinchillas." About.com. About Home, 2016. Web. 04 May 2016.

http://exoticpets.about.com/od/chinchillas/a/chinchillafeed.htm

Chinchilla Advantages

Things you don't have to worry about doing to chinchillas

As there are a plethora of things you need to worry about your pet chinchilla, there are many things that you have to do with other small pets that you don't have to do with chinchillas. One thing is grooming, as normally any other small pet such as ferrets require grooming to better benefit their health; chinchillas do not need to be groomed as powder bathing can cover that on it's own. Another thing is that the laborious process of bathing something in water is not required when you bathe a chinchilla, all that is needed is a bowl or small bathhouse with 4 scoops of blue cloud chinchilla dust and watch them roll in it. Also, nail clipping is not a thing either, as chinchillas naturally keep their nails nice and trimmed on their own. (Sara)

Another advantage to having chinchillas is that they are like cats, lazy and do not require much attention. They can be very playful (mainly at night, they're nocturnal), but most of the time you can find them just laying around or chilling out in their home. This can make a great time to pick them up and gently pet them. Another useful thing about chinchillas is their waste, as it does not smell until after a long time. This is not a good excuse to leave waste laying around, however; as this can lead to squalid and unsanitary living conditions. ("Chinchilla")

The final advantage to chinchillas is the fact that they are incredibly fluffy. If you manage to tame one into letting you pick him/her up, you are rewarded with some of the softest fur you can every lay your hands on. Also, if chinchillas are playing and are really having fun, they will bounce and ricochet off of walls like a pinball (and it is one of the most fun things to watch I might add). This bouncing is called "pop-corning". This term also applies when chinchillas sporadically hop into the air just to let some energy out. ("Chinchilla")

Sara. "Grooming Your Chinchilla." Chinchilla Expert. Chinchilla Expert, 03 Oct. 2012. Web. 27 Apr.   2006. http://chinchillaexpert.com/care-articles/health/chinchilla-grooming/

"Chinchilla Behavior." Chin Care. Family Friendly Site, 2002. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.

            http://www.chincare.com/HealthLifestyle/RelatingBonding.htm

Chinchilla Illnesses

Common Chinchilla Illness Symptoms

Chinchillas are not like humans, they do not come tell you that they are not feeling well or are having a fever, so it is up to your keen eyes to find out if a chinchilla is ill. Like a most uncommonly domesticated animals, chinchillas can actually try to hide the fact they are sick, mainly because of their animal-like instincts to hide weakness. Here is the list of common symptoms, the sight of ongoing symptoms over a long period of time or multiple symptoms occurring at once should be handled by taking your chinchilla to an exotic animal vet ASAP.

Symptoms list: (Poli)

Red ears, indicating over heating

• Watery eyes
• Nasal discharge
• Wheezing (common breaths sound like someone is breathing through a funnel)
• Constant and furious pawing at mouth
• Constantly attending a certain body area
• Agitated behavior or complete disinterest in everyday routine (feeding, bathing, etc.)
• Red ears (ears are normally a dull grayish pink)
• Drooling or wet chin and chest area
• Loss in appetite (pet is not coming to feed or drink)
• Chewing out own fur (do not confuse with oral grooming)

Other less common symptoms include mucus-filled and smelly poop, and hunching over in corners. (Kundrotas).

How to treat an ill chinchilla (Kundrotas)

Some illnesses a vet can completely treat him/herself, but some others have to be treated over time by you with medication. When the time comes, you need to know how to do this. First thing is administering medicine. An easier way to provide medicine is by using the harness hold (mentioned in the last blog) and have somebody else gently provide a healthy feed or medicine via tiny spoon, or provide medical fluid via a syringe into a mouth. Make sure you gently provide the medicine or food when doing so manually to prevent messy eating and choking on food. For administering liquid medicine via syringe, put end of syringe next to a side of the chinchillas mouth, then push a couple droplets of medicine out at a time and the chinchilla sip it up; dry up any mess left around the mouth. Make sure your chinchilla gets constant dust bathes to fight off foreign invaders and constantly watch the chinchilla if symptoms worsen during treatment. The best treatment to a disease is prevention, as it is quite simple to prevent disease. Provide the chinchillas constant supply of hay, water, and dust bathes to keep them healthy; and constantly deep clean the cage to prevent infections in the chinchilla. Keep the temperature low in the area to reduce stress and keep other sick animals away from the chinchilla. 

Just take good care of your chinchilla and it will be VERY rare for your chinchilla to be ill, usually chinchillas get sick by lack of care from their owners, so just make sure they are living healthily in their home to keep them from being infected.




Poli, Miranda. "Chinchilla Disease and Illness." TIP OF THE MONTH!Chinchilla Chronicles, 2008. Web.   20 Apr. 2016. http://www.chinchillachronicles.com/chinchilla_sickness_disease_illness.html

Kundrotas, Andrea. "Nursing a Sick Chinchilla." Chinchilla Rescue. Forever Feisty Chinchilla Rescue,
Inc., 2003. Web. 20 Apr. 2016. http://www.foreverfeistychinchilla.org/nursing-a-sick-chin.html

Handling Your Chinchilla

Now that you know what home you should provide your chinchilla, now comes the fun part, how to hold or handle them.

Holding a chinchilla

Chinchillas are more stand-offish pets, like cats for example; so do not go treating your chinchilla like it is a teddy bear when you want to hold him/her.  If you are not doing the hold correctly, the chinchilla will constantly squirm around and in worse cases start making undesirable vocal noises. There are multiple ways to hold them and I will cover them in the most popular to least popular forms. Knowing how to hold a chinchilla is IMPORTANT, as you do not want them jumping free as you risk them getting injured or ending up with dental injuries such as malocclusion, so do hold them carefully and firmly. The best piece of advice is to not be afraid to hold a chinchilla, as they will try to escape if they even notice a weakness in your grasp. So, hold them carefully, calmly, and firmly. 

1) The harness (the best hold)

The proper hold (harness)

The proper way to hold them is what I nicknamed "the harness", but that's not what it is really called. Basically to properly hold your chinchilla, you must: keeping your chinchilla's back close up to your chest, have one hand across the chinchilla's torso like its a seat-belt, then have your other hand under the chinchilla's legs to prevent them from dangling. Dangling feet will cause the chinchilla to be extremely uncomfortable and not having your hand across their torso will allow them to jump free. Also keep their back constantly up against your chest, not crushing them, but just enough to where they won't try to slip out of your grasp. This is the best hold because to them it is the most comfortable and it allows for handy treatments to the chinchilla in the hold such as easily administering medicine. You can also do this hold with the chinchilla's torso up against your chest and have your hand across their back, as if they are hugging you. 

2) The scoop

The Scoop Hold

Almost identical to the harness, the scoop can be used if the chinchilla is starting to feel more comfortable with you holding them. This one is not as effective as the harness but it is easier to do. Basically have the chinchilla on all fours standing on the palm of your hand, then have the chinchilla's side against your chest and have your other hand cupping their other side to prevent them from jumping down. 

3) The tail grab

The infamous tail grab

If the chinchilla is really not having it and you need to hold them quickly, then this can be used. Just do not do this too often and it is not comfortable for the chinchilla, but it is good for making a quick grab. Basically grab the chinchilla by the base of the tail, if it is further down the tail then the tail can fracture/fall off. From this point you can let the chinchilla dangle freely upside down or have your other hand around him/her to secure his/her in place. Again, it is not highly suggested you do this one above the others. 

Chinchillas on your shoulder?

Yes, you can have your chinchilla perch on your shoulder like a parrot. This requires more training than to hold them, but it is totally worth it as it is much easier to transport your chinchilla and look more awesome while doing it too. You can train your chinchilla to do this by at first holding them by the base of the tail and setting them on your shoulder, still holding their tail to make sure they do not jump off. Once they are on your shoulder, give them a treat (dried papaya is an effective one) then set them down. Do this more and more until they sit on your shoulder without holding their tail. Continue giving them treats until they just jump onto your shoulder when you walk near them. Then giver them treats for doing that until they eventually get used to it. Some chinchillas catch onto this quicker than others, so be patient if yours is a daredevil jumper. Some chinchillas do not know that they need to stay on your shoulder and will just jump off anyway, so watch out for this every time you do it. 

How to pick up a chinchilla

This is relatively easy, if the chinchilla is holding still, just cup them up with both of your hands like you are trying to scoop up 2 handfuls of candy with your hands. If the chinchilla is moving, place one hand in front of where they are trying to go then with your hand scoop them up from behind in one swift motion. When you first have your chinchilla this will not be easy, but they'll get used to it soon, just keep doing it over and over until they get the idea.

Overall, it is easy later on to hold and or pick up your chinchilla, you just got to practice and keep doing it until you and them get used to it. 

Sources:

Poli, Miranda. "Holding Your Chinchilla." TIP OF THE MONTH! Chinchilla Chronicles, 2008. Web. 13 Apr. 2016. http://www.chinchillachronicles.com/holding_a_chinchilla.html

EHow Pets Editor. "How to Shoulder Train a Pet Chinchilla." EHow. Demand Media, 2012. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2093187_shoulder-train-pet-chinchilla.html

Chinchilla Habitat Guide

What home should I have prepared for my chinchilla?

Cage Conditions and Dimensions

Suggested cage, 7.5 cubic feet, all metal, $52
Cage: Large Small Animal Sugar Glider
Chinchilla Ferret Rat Mice Cage
K705h

A chinchilla cage can have many different combinations of dimensions, as long as the dimensions add up to more than 6 cubic feet of space (length (ft) x width (ft) x height (ft)= Cubic feet of total space in cage), just make sure the cage isn't too short in height and too skinny in length/width. Besides dimensions, composition of the cage must be sturdy. Cage walls should comprise of metal bars, whilst the floor should be metal mesh or a solid metal plate (NO PLASTIC!!!). In cages with plenty of upward space, platforms are a great addition for the cage, just as long as its metal. Plastic is not recommended because chinchillas can easily destroy it given enough time and is unhealthy to ingest. Plastic platforms are only meant to temporarily stay until metal platforms are installed. Also have room for accessories such as marble slabs and wooden perches (again, no plastic allowed). (Pro tip: later ramps can be removed when chinchillas are used to jumping, so chinchillas can leap from platform to platform given their superb agility; but permanently kept platforms should be metallic, NOT PLASTIC!). 

Water Dropper, KAYTEE Brand,
Comes with cage attaching equipment

Marble slabs are also a must, because in hot temperatures, chinchillas seek a cold surface to sprawl across to cool off; so getting this will help keep your chinchilla comfortable (1 slab per chinchilla). Wooden perches are also a good way for chinchillas to amuse themselves and wood is edible by chinchillas, so if chinchillas do develop a chewing habit: wood perches are a healthy option. There must also be room for a food bowl (no plastic) and a leaky water bottle (dropper). Chinchillas cannot get wet, so no water bowls; instead get a leaky water bottle so when chinchillas are thirsty, they can press their tongue against the bottle nozzle to drink the oncoming water droplets to hydrate. Leaky water bottles can also be purchased with attachment gear to the side of the cage, so the nozzle can fit through the bars and attach to the cage to be secured. 

Environmental Conditions

In terms of atmospheric conditions, the cage should be placed in a room where people are not present too often to reduce body heat and humidity (preferably someplace dry and cooler). The thermostat should be cooler than 71 degrees Fahrenheit to keep them comfortable. You can till if a chinchilla is becoming overheated if they seem constantly exhausted and their ears are turning a shade of red. The cage should be cleaned out daily to preserve good sanitation given their potty routine. Pest control should be kept up to code, just a huge suggestion to keep chins happy. Lastly, avoid going overkill on chemicals to clean chinchilla cages, as the exposed chinchilla feet are kind of sensitive to that. Chemicals can be extremely effective, just avoid using too much.

North Star Rescue. "A Guide to Pet Chinchilla Cages." North Star Rescue. North Star Rescue, 2014.             Web. 16 Mar. 2016. http://www.northstarrescue.org/pet-care-information/pet-chinchilla-care/145-a-guide-to-pet-chinchilla-cages


Poli, Mirella. "TIP OF THE MONTH !" Introducing Chinchillas. Mirella Poli, 2008. Web. 26 Feb.              2016. http://www.chinchillachronicles.com/introducing_chinchillas.html

Are Chinchillas the Right Pet for You?

Some things to consider

Pros

Chinchillas have pros and cons on how difficult it is to care for versus other small animals. For the pros, chinchillas do not require grooming (unless extremely necessary) or manual bathing, just give them a powder bath every 2 days and they should be good. Chinchillas are also very independent and are nocturnal, so they do not require much attention for those kinds of relaxed owners. Feeding is also easy, just make sure you give your chinchilla 2 teaspoons of pellets per day (1 pellet for breakfast, 1 for dinner) and give them a handful (or 2) of hay every breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Buying a 5 pound bag of pellets should last a chinchilla well for a couple months. No manual dental care is also a plus, just give them something to chew on (wood block, pumice stone, but NO PLASTIC!) to keep their teeth down and they should be good (and make sure to give them their hay too, chinchillas grind their teeth while eating hay is the biggest method they use to keep their teeth from growing out). 

Cons

Cons do exist, on the other hand, as nothing is all sunshine and rainbows. Chinchillas are very sensitive to their environment, so keep their room temp somewhere below 71 degrees (Fahrenheit). Another con (and the biggest) is when chinchilla gets sick, because they barely show symptoms. It is difficult to tell if a chinchilla is ill, and more importantly it is not cheap getting them treated, because they are exotic animals (so it is more difficult to treat by default). Another big con is chinchillas need to avoid having their fur coats exposed to water. Water will moisten their coats to the point where it will not dry properly on its own, inviting unwanted visitors such as fungus, killing your beloved little furry pet. The next con is that chinchillas go potty constantly, so their cage must have all poops in it removed daily. Do a deep clean of the cage (using some soap and water then drying with a towel) weekly to keep it sanitary for your little guy. If the floor has bedding on the floor, change it out weekly as well. The last con is the cost of getting a cage. On one of my later blogs, I will cover habitat standards. The cage needs to be large compared to other small animal cages, and chinchillas will also need a large area to run around in for occasional recess. Also chinchillas love to chew on EVERYTHING, so keep chinchillas away from things you do not want them getting their powerful teeth on.

Overall

Caring for chinchillas is unique, but just as difficult as caring for a rabbit or a hamster. Chinchillas can make really nice pets if you are proficient in pet sanitation and care. Chinchillas are definitely not the cheapest to have around, but they can make some pretty awesome pets. However, people have different preferences for pets. If you want a pet that is more dependent on you (like dogs), then chinchillas may not be the best option. Chinchillas can be a challenge at first, but later you get the hang of the routine and your chinchilla will be a humble addition to your home.

Poli, Mirella. "TIP OF THE MONTH !" Introducing Chinchillas. Mirella Poli, 2008. Web. 26 Feb.              2016. http://www.chinchillachronicles.com/introducing_chinchillas.html

Poli, Mirella. "TIP OF THE MONTH !" Chinchilla Teeth. Mirella Poli, 2008. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
         http://www.chinchillachronicles.com/copyright.html