How to water bathe a chinchilla.

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Essentia

Jax Chinchilla Rescue
Joined
Jan 29, 2009
Messages
4,312
Location
Jacksonville, FL
As most people know I have a chinchilla who was born with a birth defect. He constantly leaks urine so he has to be a water bath once a week, or once ever two weeks depending on how bad his fur looks.

I am asked often what my process is, so I figured I would put a tutorial together.

This is his before picture:

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Step 1: The actual bath. I use baby organic baby shampoo with no sulfates, though most people just use regular ol' baby shampoo. I don't use sulfates on my head, so I figured I wouldn't use them on my animals either. The water is luke warm/cool but not cold. Unfortunately I realized too late that he isn't in the frame for most of the video. In the parts where you can't see him I am just putting shampoo on the messy parts and scrubbing lightly just like you would your head. I will be recording a better video of this the next time he needs a bath.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi6Z2fTnB8g

Step 2: Towel drying. This part Riku hates is part the most. It doesn't hurt him, he's just cranky. I towel dry to get as much moisture out as I can so that it doesn't take as long to blow dry. I didn't take video of this, but here he is giving me some pathetic faces.

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Step 3: Blow Drying. This is his favorite part. I rarely have to hold him at all unless I am drying his tummy. I use a blow dryer on the cool setting. If your chinchilla is getting stressed out, give periodic breaks. With Riku, he doesn't need them. I blow dry until he is about 98% dried.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VxZQ_uXoyI

Step 4: Dusting. Roxas decided to join him during this portion of bath time. I use brand new, clean dust for this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKGcI89ZCUI

Step 5: Rough Groom. This is not mandatory, but it makes the after bath fur look better. During this he is about 99% dry, though you can still see a tiny bit of moisture on the tips of his fur. This will dry the rest of the way once I let him back in his cage for the final dusting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUF4f4RwgE8

After:

IMG_1437.jpg
 
You can tell he's really accustomed to this procedure- what a well-behaved boy! Mine will not tolerate being turned on their backs like that. Thanks for providing this tutorial, it's riveting for some reason! (Or I am just a chinchilla nerd.)

PS: I am sulfate-free as well! :)
 
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Just as a disclaimer, a chinchilla should not be water bathed unless necessary. For regular bathing use a high quality bathing dust.
 
Great Tutorial Crysta! Sabin has had to have only one water bath since I got him home, and he is doing really well with the dust baths! But every time I try and get a video of him dusting, he quits and runs into his tube! Same goes for play time, he just sits there when he sees the camera!

Him and Ansem are becoming fast buddies too! No together play times and separate cages, but they are able to see one another and they love to talk and chatter all night!
 
I used Dawn dishwashing soap on Gino, he came out sparkling white like Crystas chin! He is a cutie BTW!
 
Wow... what a beautiful, fluffy, adorable boy. I can't believe how sweet he is with you handling him like that!
 
Oh, he bit my foot when I was grooming him, and when I was drying him with the towel he bit me at least 3 times. He's not as sweet as he looks. :p

He's just a biter though. From the day he came here he has bitten just to bite. Luckily he doesn't bite hard enough to draw blood, but definitely hard enough to make his point.
 
Thank you so much for this thread. I would have no idea how to do this if it ever became necessary.

I do have a question:

One of my rehomes got some urine underneath her neck. I have not tried to grab her to wash her as she has just begun to trust me.

I thought that daily dusting would take care of it but I am not sure. Do you think that eventually I will have to wash her?

thank you for the help.
 
Nice tutorial.

Chinwawa- you can use an UNSCENTED baby wipe for small things like that. Make sure you dry up the fur as much as you can though. Usually it doesnt penetrate the under fur, but if you really get in there it might. So just make sure the fur is dry, then give a dust bath.
 
Olallie thank you so much for the help. That is just what I needed to know. Duh, would not have thought of that myself. LOL

I can wipe her and dry her and even blow her dry a little. I did not want to have to fully wet her.

This CnH is great for us newbies. Thank you again.
 
I need to bathe tilly again from drooling after she gets this procedure wednesday and i am afraid it hurts her to comb her.. no?

Also, her cagemate has been cuddling with her and she is wet so her cagemate needs a brushing as well!!
 
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