Confusion about dust baths

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Cindy_the_chinny

New member
Joined
Oct 19, 2017
Messages
3
Hi! My roommate and I brought two three-month-old chinchilla's into our apartment almost a month ago and I have read conflicting information regarding the frequency of dust baths. One site had said you should give a dust bath to your chinchilla quite frequently while another said to not surpass twice a week. I only found this site the other day, so I have definitely been trying to make myself as educated as possible! Any advice on the subject would be greatly appreciated!
 
How frequently you give dust baths depends on the climate you live in. If you live in a very dry (low humidity) area you may only need to give a bath once or twice a week. If you live in a very wet area you may need to give a bath almost everyday. Most people give the chin a dust bath 2-3 times a week. Giving too few is better then too many, if their skin dries out too much it can crack and bleed, opening it to infection.

You can also look at your chin to see if you are giving too many or too few. If the chin is getting flaky or cracked skin (most noticeable on ears and feet), or the chin seems itchy, give fewer baths, if the chin is looking oily give more baths.

They are still babies, so their feet are probably still soft, but once they get a bit older their feet should form calluses on the bottoms which act like shoe soles. It is perfectly normal, they help protect their feet, and is not a sign of over bathing.
 
I keep a Hygrometer and Thermometer in the room where my Chins are. If the humidity is 45% I give them dust bathes every other day. Or if I notice my chins trying to take a dust bath with no dust I throw the bath in for them. They let me know. If the humidity is 20% or less I would give less. My chin room stays in the 45% range so I do not fear of over dusting them.

The dust baths are the hardest part about owning a chinchilla. They make everything so dusty. I have invested in a air cleaner for the chinchilla room yes My chins have taken over a room in my house. 7 dusty rodents make a mess.
 
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