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[chinchillalover101]

I was emptying out poop into the toilet when all of a sudden my baby chinchilla jumped in. I quickly got her out and her tail and under got wet. I dried her off as much as possible using a towel. I then brought her upstairs to blow dry her fur. She freaked out and knocked down toothpaste then got a little into her fur. She now has toothpaste stuck in her fur. I was gonna try to cut it but its too close to her skin. She then jumped inside dust which is going to cause mats on her damp spots of her fur. I really don't know what to do. Please help

[GrayRodent]

Don't panic. Here's what I recommend.
Toothpaste is fairly soluble in water.
Take a washcloth and get it soaking wet with lukewarm/ room temperature water and go after the toothpaste spot. Then towel dry as best as possible. Take your fingers and pinch the matted spots from the dust bath and blot them with water if needed. I think you'll find it will break up easily. Your pet is probably going to get pretty wet. You may not be able to get all the toothpaste but don't worry fur grows and it should eventually grow out. Make sure to dry her thoroughly before returning her to her cage.

Avoid shocking your pet with sudden changes in temperature from the water. That's what you really need to be careful about.

I imagine most of the mess will be gone overnight when chinchillas are most active and will groom their fur.

[chinchillalover101]

Thank you so much. I was freaking out so much

[GrayRodent]

You're welcome.
Remember you can bathe chinchillas in water like any other animal though it's not recommended because they are sensitive to changes in temperature. Also it takes much longer for the fur near the skin to dry out because of the density of their coat. If you keep exposing them to moisture (like a weekly bath you might give a guinea pig or hedgehog) you're at risk of causing skin conditions and infections.
As long as you can ensure your pet won't get chilled or overheated it is safe to do that. It should only be used as a last resort.

And always when you have a chinchilla around toilets close the lid. Not all pets survive a plunge into a toilet because they can easily drown.

[chinchillalover101]

Yea I know. I just wasn't expecting that. I was emptying out her poop and before I knew, she was in there. She still has the toothpaste in her fur. I'm not really sure what to do at this point. It's pretty hardened. I can't cut it either

[GrayRodent]

Just let it grow out. Eventually it will get high enough on the fur that you can cut it out if you feel the need. It may take a couple of weeks.

[chinchillalover101]

Thank you so much !!!