What is Chinchilla Dust?

Chinchillas dust keeps your chinchilla clean and healthy, with a regular roll in the dust!

Placing your chinchillas in a pile of fine powder might not seem like the best way to keep the animal clean, unless that animal happens to be a chinchilla...in which case it’s the only way! A product called “chinchilla dust” has been developed to bathe chinchillas and keep their fur soft. Although it may sound exotic, chinchilla dust is actually derived from an ordinary product - concrete.

Powder for pretty chins
Although other fine powders may resemble it, this special product is the only thing you should use to bathe your pet to ensure its safety.

Chinchilla dust helps to remove excess oils and moisture from your animal’s lush fur. It is possible to bathe chinchillas in water, but they hate it--even more than cats hate water. Another reason to avoid a water bath is that drying a chinchilla is no easy matter.

Yet another advantage of dust is that it effectively penetrates to your chinchilla’s skin. With the fur so dense, it’s hard for water to reach the skin to cleanse it.

Not only does the dust keep your pet looking pretty and feeling great, but chins also adore the stuff. Chinchillas just love to roll around in the dust! They probably relish the dust because it feels like home. In their native environment high in the Andes Mountains, chinchillas keep themselves groomed by rolling in the chalky soil.

It’s bath time!
Most experts recommend that chinchillas to be bathed at least twice a week. But the more humid the weather or the more humid your climate, the more often you should bathe your chinchilla.

No matter where you live, you should avoid bathing any chinchilla who has recently had babies. Always keep new mothers out of the dust for about two weeks after they give birth to avoid exposing them to infection. However, it’s fine, to let newborn chinchillas bathe, although they often wait to take the plunge until they see mom enjoying a roll in the dust.

A chinchilla bathtub
For a chinchilla bathtub, use a container that’s deep and wide enough for your pet to freely roll around in. Some common bath containers include litter boxes, big goldfish bowls, aluminum baking pans, ceramic or porcelain bowls, and plastic food tubs.

How much dust should you use?
Just place a few tablespoons in the jar and let them roll around in it for a couple minutes. Some people use a large amount, and leave the container in the cage all the time. But if you do that, your chinchillas will most certainly poop in it, so you’ll have to constantly remove the droppings or else throw out all the dust frequently, which gets expensive and wasteful.

You can reuse the dust several times, as long as it stays free of droppings or dirt. Once the dust appears clumpy, replace it. If your pet has mites or a fungal infection throw out the dust after every use.

By making sure your chinchilla gets a regular bath, you’ll keep her coat soft and glossy, help to prevent nasty infections, and provide them with a clean good time.

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