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[LeviStout12]

Hey guys, I just went and picked up my baby girl Grace. She's about 8 weeks old. The owners hand raised all their babies. I just had a question about their dust baths though. They said to leave the dust in her house at all times. I also read that you should only give them baths 1-2 a week. Should i take out the dust or what? Sorry if this is already posted, i couldn't find it. Thanks for all the help and advice

[GrayRodent]

No problem. Congrats on your new pet. I have a hand raised chinchilla myself and he is wonderfully tame.

It is unwise to leave the dust bath in the cage for several reasons. Chinchillas should not be bathed every day because the dust will leech the lanolin from their fur which is needed to condition their skin. This causes dry skin and cracked skin on their feet which can lead to more serious problems down the road.
Also they use it like a litter box and it gets soiled with urine which is very irritating to their skin and can increase their risk of fungal infection.

Another reason is that some chinchillas if given too much access to dust will loose interest in it and not dust vigorously which is needed for them stay clean and healthy.

I always recommend dusting every other day unless there are health issues you are dealing with such as eye infections or cuts that are healing in which case dusting is not advised until they clear up. If you are having issues with dry skin skip an additional day or two to see if it clears up.

Personally I put the dust bath bin in my bath tub and close the shower stall. I leave him in there for about 10-15 minutes. You don't want to dust much longer than that.

[LeviStout12]

No problem. Congrats on your new pet. I have a hand raised chinchilla myself and he is wonderfully tame.

It is unwise to leave the dust bath in the cage for several reasons. Chinchillas should not be bathed every day because the dust will leech the lanolin from their fur which is needed to condition their skin. This causes dry skin and cracked skin on their feet which can lead to more serious problems down the road.
Also they use it like a litter box and it gets soiled with urine which is very irritating to their skin and can increase their risk of fungal infection.

Another reason is that some chinchillas if given too much access to dust will loose interest in it and not dust vigorously which is needed for them stay clean and healthy.

I always recommend dusting every other day unless there are health issues you are dealing with such as eye infections or cuts that are healing in which case dusting is not advised until they clear up. If you are having issues with dry skin skip an additional day or two to see if it clears up.

Personally I put the dust bath bin in my bath tub and close the shower stall. I leave him in there for about 10-15 minutes. You don't want to dust much longer than that.

Thank you mate! Yeah, I was a bit iffy on leaving it in so i decided to join a forum. I'm excited to get to know her

Do you mind if i email you if i ever have any questions? Thank you again!

[kageri]

We bought bulk blue cloud dust which is considered one of the best for chin coat health but one of the worst for respiratory problems.  We filled a clean cat litter box and put it next to the bathtub.  Twice a week we clean cages and let each set of chins run in the bathroom and dust bathe while their cage is set back up with clean items.  Then we just sweep the bathroom floor with the exhaust fan on.  None of it travels to the rest of the house except a little on the chins so respiratory concerns are minimal.  The only problem is we have to put kits in there and lift them out when done for their first couple baths because they are too small to jump in and out.  We do get some poop in the dust when they are left to run the bathroom for awhile but it can be sifted out and they very rarely pee in it.

[GrayRodent]

If you have a question I recommend posting on this board. We have some very knowledgeable people here who frequent the board and the exchange can benefit others. With that being said still feel free to send me a pm if you wish.

[LeviStout12]

Thanks so much guys!