Dust Baths

[shaoraned6]

Hey guys I am new to this forum and to chinchillas as well. I've bought a my chins from a breeder which gave me a paper with everything i needed to know about them. In the paper it says that i should change their blue cloud dust every two months or so (I dont actually remember the exact time it gives me but its over a month). I've only changed it once in the two weeks ive owned them, but they tend to poo a lot in their little tub and it seems to me like they run out of dust very quickly.
So my question is: How often do you have to change their dust?

 

[Chinmama]

I think changing dust depends, different people will have different opinions. I change it every month or two. My chins only dust once a week, so they aren't in it that often. I pick any poo out of it so they aren't rolling in it.

 

[ticklechin]

I change mine every two weeks or so.

 

[Idgie]

I usually change Idgie's dust about every month, though I don't have a schedule.

 

[Cuddlebug]

Are you leaving the dust bath in the cage 24/7? If so, you need to take it out and offer it a couple of times a week for 15 - 20 minutes each time. Too much dusting can cause a chin's skin to dry out.

 

[cindyv3737]

I change dust after every bath. I don't want her rolling in soiled dust, even if I've cleaned out her poop.

 

[starleomach]

I change the dust as soon as it looks like it needs changing..once is is soiled I change it

 

[midgemidge2000]

I change dust after every bath. I don't want her rolling in soiled dust, even if I've cleaned out her poop.

me too. i dont want them roolig in it. they also pee in it.:vomit:

 

[Kaifeng]

I think it should be changed right away if there is pee in there, right?...

 

[ChinnyMom]

definitely dump the dust and wash the dust house if there is pee in there. make sure it is good and dry before putting any dust in again.

as for Rhino's dust, he uses the same dust about 2 or 3 times before i dump it and give fresh. i'm stingy with dust, lol, so he only gets a couple scoops each time for new dust, but dusts every second to third day. i'm so lucky to have a clean and tidy chin - in addition to never wasting hay or pellets, or flipping his litter bowl over, he has never pooped or peed in his dust! i'll go knock on wood now....... lol.

 

[GorillaJTA]

I give mine the dust a couple times a week (humid here in the south), and I change it every three weeks or so. Mine do not pee in the dust house and I do not let them sit in it for long periods of time, so there is not a lot of poo or anything in there each time.

 

[Sandi]

Each one of my chins has their own dust house, I don't let anyone share except for the cage that houses my trio. I change their dust every other week and like GorillaJTA mentioned, I don't leave them in the cages that long and there's only very little, if any poops and I will take those out.

 

[Godofgods]

I change my dust ever every use. I also dont like that stuff in the aire with my allergies. But i would change it anyway. Having bought a big US Prio box full of it like a year ago, and still not even gone though half of it (changing after every use 1-2 tiems a week) so its not like its costing a lot.

 

[Dewdrop]

I change after three baths...typically.

 

[Jenn]

chinnie poos can be sifted out of the dust to keep it poo free for each dusting. But if your chin pees in the dust, it does need to be dumped and the bathhouse cleaned. Your chin's dustbath only needs to be available for around 10 minutes or so, then removed. This gives time for your chin to dust, but less time to soil in it.

 

[muzzyj]

definitely dump the dust and wash the dust house if there is pee in there. make sure it is good and dry before putting any dust in again.

as for Rhino's dust, he uses the same dust about 2 or 3 times before i dump it and give fresh. i'm stingy with dust, lol, so he only gets a couple scoops each time for new dust, but dusts every second to third day. i'm so lucky to have a clean and tidy chin - in addition to never wasting hay or pellets, or flipping his litter bowl over, he has never pooped or peed in his dust! i'll go knock on wood now....... lol.

I think you have the most well behaved chin lol

 

[TheSurvivor]

I put the dust through a sieve after their daily use (once a day for about half an hour or until I've seen Scrat and Gizmo roll their hearts out) and replace it after a week (during the big weekly cage-cleaning) or if they've peed in it (but they almost never do)