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[Joyce]

I have not done much grooming so pardon my ignorance.
You know those little "tweeks" of fine hair a chin can get that stick straight up out of their coats?
Well I know they really don't care how they look but one of my chins looks like a chicken right now!  Poor girl.  She has a bunch of wispy fine hairs sticking out of the very top of her head.  How does an owner groom a chin when this happens?  Or when a fine wispy hair or two pops out from your chins back, you know, those little tufts that pop up from time to time?  It kinda looks like hair they were trying to shoot but it never made it the whole way out.
  Is their a special comb or brush I can buy to gently comb them?  Where can these grooming supplies be purchased.  I was looking on some rancher sites today and found a million various combs all with various numbers given to them.  Now I am very confused.  They sort of looked like cat flea combs. 
Where does one begin?     

[ThreeLilChins]

Their are 6 types of chinchilla combs that I know of. All six have a different purpose. It sounds like you need a #5 comb(Combs are classed by #'s 1,2,3,4,5,7). Their is also a video you can buy from Bowen Ranch that is very help with showing you how to groom you chinchillas and giving helpful tips. For one size 5 comb and the video you are looking at a lil over $70.00 + s&h fees.
Chin world has the video and the comb I think.  .com has the combs

[Jo Ann]

Thanks, ThreeLilChins!
    I knew I had seen one somewhere ... Joyce, check out: http://www.chinworld.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=CW16   They have a CD on chin grooming and shows the picture of one of the combs.   
    In-the-mean-time ... as a "quick fix" ... temporally ... the lent rollers do great to remove those little "spikes" of fur, but a good grooming with the proper combs works wonders!

 
Jo Ann

[Joyce]

  Hi guys, thanks for your help!  I'll check out these sites and order something so my little girl doesn't have to look like a punk rocker much longer!   

Does everyone groom their pet chins, and is this manditory to keep a chins coat nice and healthy?  Do any of you that DO NOT show your chins groom/comb them regularly?
I know that people that show their chins groom their chins. but on how regular a basis?  Just a couple months before a show or year round?

[Stacy]

I tried the lent roller a wile back and Roo could not stand it. I have a little rabbit comb that I brush them with and they like it. I don't think it does all that good of a job but it helps. I put dust bath on it the first time so they would not run form it and now they will run to it.

[ThreeLilChins]

The chin's coat will look better if they are groomed. I'm can't say for sure if its manditory to groom chins though. I can tell you its not a bad for the chin.

[chinclub]

I don't groom regularly.  My chinchillas are groomed before pictures, before shows, and whenever I walk by a cage and see a really raggy looking girl (If I am sure she isn't pregnant).  When they aren't groomed on a regular basis its really a stressful thing for them.  You don't want to stress out a pregnant girl.

For pet owners who aren't breeding it is really a good thing to do.  You will be shocked at how much dead hair you pull out.  I'm sure it makes them feel much better and with all of that dead hair gone the dust bath can get into the live hair better and pretty up the coat.  Its not manditory, your chinchilla won't get sick if you don't do it, he just may not look and feel his best at times)

I would really only do it when you start to see a bunch of those tufts of fur coming out.  This is a good sign that they are going through prime and loosing all of that old hair which is what you want to remove.  Just don't forget to brush from butt to head.  Its easier to practice the first time on a grey chinchilla because you can easily tell dead hair from live hair.  On a grey chinchilla all of the hair you pull out should be totally grey.  If you are pulling out hair with white bands on it you are pulling out live hair and you are doing it incorrectly.  Remember to go very slow.  The first time you brush a good quality chinchilla it can take as much as 45 minute to an hour to get all the way to its head.  (See why its so stressful for our very active little friends)