A couple questions ^^

[jesse1535]

Hi, I am new to the board and though I do not have a Chin, I am looking into adopting one =) But I have some questions that I really cannot seem to find answers to.
1) How long/often are Chins supposed to be given dust bathes? Almost every site I've looked at said different things. I saw one that said "once a week for about ten minutes" then I saw another that said "once every two weeks, for twenty minutes".
2) I also saw a site that said to give Chins one Tums a day so they can get calcium, but I dunno if this is true because I only saw that on one site?
3) Is there any Chin Dust that is better than another? There are so many brands out there so am not really sure as too what I should get lol I know that scented ones are a nono

Umm...I think thats it for now. I know I had like one or two more questions but I forgot them hehe. If I think of them I'll post them below.

~Jessica

 

[MyLilPintoBean]

First and foremost... Welcome!!

How often and how long for a dust bath really depends on the chin. I give my chins a bath twice a week and they get it for 10 to 15 minutes. As fas as the tums go... I've never heard of that so someone more experienced is going to have to chime in. The preferred dust brand here is Blue Cloud or Blue Sparkle. I personally use Blue Cloud and I love how soft and clean my chin's fur stays.

 

[leni]

Hi, I'm still a bit new to chins myself, but there are a lot of sites out there that say wrong info. For dust baths, a couple of times a week for 10-15 minutes should be suffice or their skin dries out, you could probably do a little more often if you live in a more humid area. If they don't dust enough their fur gets greasy looking.

With a good pellet, chins don't need any supplementation such as calcium, unless they're deficient in some way, in which case their teeth wouldn't be dark yellow/orange-y in color. I think some people that breed use calcium supplementation for their pregnant chins, but I'm sure they will chime in here also.

As for dust, Blue Cloud I think is the best dust, they look so shiny and nice afterwards. I used to use the Kaytee brand from the pet store and that didn't work so well. I think some people use Blue Sparkle as well but I think Blue Cloud is the most recommended on here.

 

[jesse1535]

Thanks for the welcome Lil =) The dust my petstore has is "Super Pet Chinchilla Bath Sand". Is there an online site that'll sell the Blue Cloud, as well as a bath? The ones at the petstore look way to small for a fat Chin XD

Ok so twice a week for about 10-15 minutes, thanks

I didn't really think Tums would be good for chins just because its human meds, but I just wanted to make sure...For the squirrels we were allowed to use some human meds, but it had to be in very very small dosages, and only if the squirrel was in strict danger.

 

[SarahKay]

I give my chin a dust bath when he starts to de-fluff which happens to be twice a week as people said.
And the dust bath you use makes an incredible difference! I got a container of basic Kaytee with my chin and as soon as I switched over to Blue Cloud (that and the basic bath houses are at petsmart), he looked a million times better.
I'm kinda new to being a chin owner but I can guarantee you it's the best decision I have ever made. You're going to love it!
And if you can, try to rescue a chinchilla! There are a lot of rescues with tons of young chins that need a home. I am definitely going to rescue once I have the room for more chins.

 

[Laurie]

Welcome, Blue Cloud and Blue Sparkle dusts are both great and many chin owners prefer either of those over the petstore dust. Some of the members on the forum with store items often sell either Blue Cloud or Blue Sparkle--and a little goes a long way.

You can use many things for a dust house--it doesn't have to be covered it just helps keep the mess down if it is. You can use a cat litter box if you'd like, a 9 x 13 glass or metal pan works too. Where there is dust a chin will definitely try to roll in it!

 

[Christina Noraas]

Hi, I am new to the board and though I do not have a Chin, I am looking into adopting one =) But I have some questions that I really cannot seem to find answers to.
1) How long/often are Chins supposed to be given dust bathes? Almost every site I've looked at said different things. I saw one that said "once a week for about ten minutes" then I saw another that said "once every two weeks, for twenty minutes".

Three times a week for about fifteen minutes is good, once a week to once every two weeks is definatly not enough, atleast in my opinion others may have different views.

2) I also saw a site that said to give Chins one Tums a day so they can get calcium, but I dunno if this is true because I only saw that on one site?

No, as far as I can recall, on chinchillas with white teen who need the calcium should be given things such as cholla wood which I've read has a lot of calcium, I'm also sure that TUMS wouldn't be benefical to the chinchillas health due to other substances used to make them.

3) Is there any Chin Dust that is better than another? There are so many brands out there so am not really sure as too what I should get lol I know that scented ones are a nono

Blue Cloud and Blue Sparkle are the best that I've seen.



Welcome to the forum, if you look around I'm sure you'll find all the answers you need.

Here is a link that might help you:

http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=31


I suggest using the search option instead of posting a new thread for every question that you have unless if it is absolutely URGENT. From what I've seen if a person posts a thread to a question that has already be answered, fewer people tend to respond and you don't always get the answer your looking for.

 

[missjess10475]

I use Blue Cloud dust. I bought mine at Petsmart, but it was $9.99 for 3 pounds. The Ryersons sell it $25 for 50 pounds. Not sure about shipping though. I beleive they sell it in smaller quantities. Also, don't use cheap food. Many people here like Mazuri, Oxbow, or Purina Rabbit Chow Show Formula. I use Tradition, which you can also get from the Ryerson's. I give my chins a bath at least twice a week. 3 times if they look oily. Sometimes I just see them rolling in their cage, so I know they want one. I, personally, don't like anything Kaytee brand. I use Oxbow timothy hay also.

 

[Dusty Foot Prints]

Hi Jessica, welcome to the forum.
Where in FL are you located? Essentia (Crysta) has a rescue operation in Jacksonville. She doesn't have any rescues right now, but she is a great contact person.
You're doing the right thing by researching ahead of time. IMO, I'd keep reading and reading here. :hithere:

 

[Dozla]

my chinchilla's have a dust bath every day and their fur and skin are perfect, they also have a cuttle fish in with them for calcium as recommended by my vet who is an exotic specialist. everyone seems to have different advice lol... guess its whatever works for your chin aslong as he is happy and healthy

 

[3CsMommy]

Ideally, if your chin is on a good diet, you don't have to worry about calcium supplementation at all. The only chins that need something like cuttlefish bone or oyster shell for additional calcium are those with white teeth (indicates a deficiency) or females that have had several litters in a row (and are at risk for deficiency). A good chinchilla pellet like Oxbow, Tradition, Mazuri, etc. and all-they-care-to-eat Timothy hay give the chin plenty of calcium. I've read somewhere that too much calcium (like a constant supply of cuttle bone) can actually do harm to their kidneys.

 

[Stackie]

Like it has been stated, a chin on a good quality pellet and hay will most likely not need supplimented with calcium unless there is an underlying issue. Excess calcium in the diet can lead to bladder and kidney stones.

 

[chinnychinchinchilla]

i was reading a site today and something that caught my attention was the fact that they give their chins calcium supplement daily. ive read that too much calcium can cause bladder stone on here on numerious occasions so this was weird to me. he also mentioned tums so i immediatly thought of this thread. )
heres the site: http://www.chincare.com/HealthLifestyle/DentalCalC.htm#bladderstones

 

[Tennyson]

Hmm this article seems to be right on to me-hope to hear from some more experts on here voicing their opinion...hint hint

 

[jesse1535]

Ok so dust bathes twice a week for about 10-15 minutes, and I'll buy the Blue Cloud since its what most people use. I found a site that sells it fairly cheap and cheap is good So do ya'll think its just safe to not use Tums? As long as the Chin is getting a good quality diet (I plan to give mine Mazuri) then she should be fine, and I definatley do not want to risk her getting a bladder stone

 

[CrazyForChinchillas]

Welcome! I am new here, but I have owned chinchillas a few years now.

I give mine a dust bath 3 times a week and I use blue cloud.

 

[ticklechin]

Some OK stuff on chincare.com, but most is just plain wrong or psychobabble.

 

[Stackie]

Ok so dust bathes twice a week for about 10-15 minutes, and I'll buy the Blue Cloud since its what most people use. I found a site that sells it fairly cheap and cheap is good So do ya'll think its just safe to not use Tums? As long as the Chin is getting a good quality diet (I plan to give mine Mazuri) then she should be fine, and I definatley do not want to risk her getting a bladder stone

No, you won't need to use Tums. As for dust baths, it really depends on where you live. Mine get dust baths twice a week during the summer because of high humidity. However, in the winter the humidity gets really low, so they only get dust baths once a week. Too many dust baths and low humidity can lead to dry skin.

 

[CrazyForChinchillas]

For some reason, I can't edit my posts yet... I use blue sparkle dust. I used to use blue cloud though and they're both good.

 

[Sandi]

For some reason, I can't edit my posts yet... I use blue sparkle dust. I used to use blue cloud though and they're both good.

You can edit your posts within 10 minutes of first posting it.