GROOMING 

chinchillas are fastidious about keeping clean, even though their plush coats are so dense that they do not suffer from parasites such as fleas. Looking after their grooming needs is not especially difficult, but it is nevertheless an aspect of their care that is important to their overall well-being, apart from their appearance.

Supplies:

(You will need the following items to meet your chinchilla’s grooming needs)
  • Chin bath: The container used to provide the dust for bathing purposes.
  • Chin dust: A special product that helps to keep a chinchilla's coat in top condition. 
  • A comb

Bathing

Because chinchillas give themselves dust baths once they have the means to do so, all you need to do is provide your chin with his bath and dust powder. However, you cannot allow your chin to have constant access to his dust bath, as excessive exposure to the powder can strip most of the natural oils from his coat and cause his skin to become dry. Provide a bath for him on alternate days (or more frequently during hot weather), after you have combed his coat. You’ll be able to tell if your chin requires bathing by the condition of his coat: if the fur starts to become greasy, appears flatter than usual, loses its soft texture, or parts more than normal and does not hold together, he needs a bath. Conversely, if your chin appears to be scratching more frequently and intensely than he normally does, he is likely bathing too often, and you should reduce his access to the dust bath.
Younger chinchillas may be reluctant to dust-bathe at first, especially if there aren’t any adults around who can show them the purpose of the bath. You may need to lift a younger chin into his bath and rub some of the powder into his coat as a way of encouraging the behavior. Once they understand the purpose of the bath, chinchillas will start rolling around within a few minutes of having a bath placed in their quarters.

Combing

Combing your chinchilla is a fairly simple, straightforward task. You can purchase special combs for the job either from pet stores that stock chinchilla accessories or through special suppliers on the internet.

How to Comb

  1. Find a level surface at a convenient height where you can groom your chinchilla easily without having to stoop. Towering over your pet is likely to frighten him and may cause him to struggle more than he otherwise would.
  2. Comb your chinchilla’s back initially, then continue down the sides of his body to ensure that the fur there is smooth.
  3. Don’t forget to comb the longer fur on his tail and the sides of his face, but avoid his eyes.