Bath Time!

This is Nimbus's favorite time of day.

Watch the video HERE! Blogger is currently being difficult with video uploads.

It shouldn't be a daily activity for your chinchilla, but it is an enjoyable experience for both of you. Although, I will say that filming this video of Nimbus has left me with an itchy nose and tight lungs. I typically try to stay away when Nimbus is taking his bath because of the dust, but this video moment was too cute to pass up. According to Pawnation, "Too much time in the dust bath can dry out your chinchilla's skin, which manifests with scratching and dry patches, and can possibly irritate her nose or eyes. Meanwhile, not bathing enough is stressful to your pet; it can leave her more vulnerable to illness as clumping fur saps the creature's body heat, and dirt and oil in the coat create fertile ground for skin disease. Dirty fur can lead to a chinchilla chewing on her own fur; if she ingests too much, intestinal blockage may result." The website recommends a bath "1 to 3 times a week." I offer Nimbus a bath about 3 times a week, especially after a short span of illness, which I'll talk about soon. You can also reuse the dust for a 3-4 baths.

Nothing will make your chinchilla's coat shine like a bath in brand new dust! It will become fluffier, softer and take out the oil better than the animal himself can do in his own grooming.

I've used a couple different types of dust, and I typically don't see much of a difference between the different brands. Currently, I'm using Poof! Blue Cloud dust made by the company Oxbow Animal Health. Blue Cloud, according to other chin owners, is a preferred type of dust, and I personally love the Oxbow Animal Health company. I use them for Nimbus's food and treats as well as my hamster's food when she was alive. According to their website, "The sustainable collection process for Poof! Blue Cloud dust involves no strip mining, explosives or tunneling. A layer of the dust is left at the harvest location, promoting revegetation of natural plant life. Recycle Blue Cloud dust as a soil additive in your garden."

Do NOT, however, use chinchilla sand. It's not the same as chinchilla dust and is harmful for their fur and lungs. In the wild, chinchillas bathe in volcanic ash in their natural environment. Ground pumice in chinchilla dust recreates what chins would use in the wild. Sand, however, is coarse and does not pull out the oil in the skin like the dust. However, there are some chin owners who say that sand is ok. According to Chinchillas4Life, a rescue whose "aim is to find loving 'forever' homes for our healthy chins" and "provide sanctuary for those that are too poorly or old to be rehomed," "the sand you use must be proper Chinchilla sand such as Sepioliate (no other types of sand)." However, Oxbow does not sell bath sand, and I really do trust their company. They've never let me down with their products, either in safety/appropriateness for the animals or their quality.

Image from Amazon.com