Combs

[Chin_Up_Sunshine]

I want to state first that I have no intentions of showing my boys. I do notice however, that occasionally they have little tufts of hair and I have considered combing them every once in a while. I know that there are chinchilla combs, but was curious if anyone has ever used other pet combs/brushes and what others think of this.

 

[Paws4Chins]

Thanks for this post I had been wondering about Chin combs and if combing/brushing would ever be necessary. Where can you get Chinchilla combs? Will it ever be necessary for them to be combed if they get regular dust baths and they are grooming themselves? If you use a Chin comb are there any dangers I need to know about?

 

[Jazicat]

I don't know much but I do know that chinchilla combs are very sharp so you have to be careful. Chinchillas have very dense fur so normal combs often don't get through it. I would recommend going to a show if you can and want to learn as there are really nice breeders who will help. I also think there are videos showing how but I can't remember who sold them. I bet Jags could help you as well as a lot of breeders here. Mine showed me how but I'm not brave enough to get a comb and try it. They're really sharp.

 

[seachin]

First off, chinchilla combs are not really sharp like pins (they look like a line of pins, but they are not pin-sharp). Granted, if handled incorrectly, you could poke a chin, but I have never drawn blood from grooming a chin, nor have I known anyone to. If they were actually sharp there would be a bloodbath at every chinchilla show.

Pet chinchillas can benefit from a rough grooming (with a #4 chinchilla comb, or if you want to splurge a bit, a #2 as well) 2-3 times a year to remove dense old fur. This helps the dust to penetrate deeper so their coats look better. Many breeders only groom their chins before showing them.

However, as to the OP question, I would not personaly recommend anything other than specific chinchilla combs, such as can be purchased through Jags on here. Do have someone experienced show you how to hold them and how to groom them and with a bit of practice you should be fine. Alternatively, if there are tufts of fur that stick out, you can get a lint roller (such as the 3M brand) and lint roll them as needed.

 

[Spoof]

Some people have luck with flea combs, I never did. Before I bought my show combs I used a regular cat comb. It works to get the rough stuff out. You can also use a lint brush or pet hair roller, we use both for finishing at show, they work great to remove hair that is already loose and above the fur line. The other tool we use is a saw blade, I might make a video of that, it's been brought up before. )

 

[Cuddlebug]

Gary and Margot Neubauer showed me how to use the saw blade. It was really interesting.

 

[seachin]

Margot is crazy fast with her grooming...I love how when she uses the saw blade it becomes a flurry of fur flying through the air...

 

[Spoof]

Margot is crazy fast with her grooming...I love how when she uses the saw blade it becomes a flurry of fur flying through the air...

Yea, she is nuts to watch, her hand never moves and fur flies everywhere. I recorded a quick video video showing how we use some of the tools.

 

[Chin_Pig]

i used to use a dog comb with a med. wide and the other side was the smaller width of teeth.

it works well for rough grooming. but i bought combs for show and i think they make a ton of difference! on show animals that is..

 

[Claire D]

First off, chinchilla combs are not really sharp like pins (they look like a line of pins, but they are not pin-sharp). Granted, if handled incorrectly, you could poke a chin, but I have never drawn blood from grooming a chin, nor have I known anyone to. If they were actually sharp there would be a bloodbath at every chinchilla show.

European chin combs are needle sharp. Catch yourself or the chin with one of these & you most definitely know about it.

 

[button]

Yea, she is nuts to watch, her hand never moves and fur flies everywhere. I recorded a quick video video showing how we use some of the tools.

I have always wonderd why on earth you would ye a hacksaw blade, now i know:thumbsup:

Thanks for the vid.

 

[Paws4Chins]

Thank you for posting the video. It was quite helpful to see how this is done. It made me realize how complicated it is. There is a Chin coming up in my state soon. I think maybe I will go to it and watch the grooming or find someone who might show me in person.

 

[jags]

You are more than welcome to come watch, ask questions and learn swan.The show is in Adrian which I think is only about an hour from you. We start grooming about 6am.

 

[Jazicat]

I really enjoyed our states chinchillas show and think it's a great place to learn. The breeders were all very friendly willing to answer questions. You will also get to see a lot of chinchillas be groomed which is really helpful.