Chinchilla won't take a dust bath anymore!

[Matt H]

Chilly, my 8 year old female chinchilla has recently started refusing to take dust baths. She will hop into the bath, stand there for a second and hop out. Her fur is starting to get very knotted and it's gotten to the point where we have to force-bath her (which she is not too pleased about!). We had just bought a new type of dust from the pet store, so we figured that she just didn't like the dust. So we went and got the kind of dust we have primarily used, with no success, the same thing.

Chilly is a fairly healthy chin, the only problem we have ever had with her is with her teeth.

What could this behaviour mean? Any suggestions?

 

[Snickers]

If it was me I would just rub the dust on her. Do you give her a dust bath every day? Mine only get a bath 2 to 3 times a week, unless I get ready for a show.

 

[ChinnyMom]

what was the problem with her teeth and what was the treatment/outcome? could be she is in pain and doesn't want to roll around because that hurts her teeth/jaw, etc.

 

[Matt H]

Chilly doesnt like to eat hay or hay pellets very much, no matter how much we try. We had to take her to a vet (a specialized one at an exotic animals clinic) to get some teeth filed down and some even needed to be pulled. However, even during the times when the teeth were bothering her the most she still always had baths. I would guess that we bath her 2 times a week.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

I think she is in extreme pain right now because of her teeth. Take her back to the vet

 

[ticklechin]

Do you hand feed this chin? Is this chin on pain meds? When was the last time this chin had a set of dental x-rays? Malo chins who are at the end of their ropes as far as pain goes will not bath, they want to die, chin needs to have its situation re-evaluated. Sounds harsh I know, but when it comes to this point PTS is not a option on the table, its the only option on the table.

 

[Matt H]

Never have heard so much as a peep from her regarding the teeth, she eats normally (and voraciously!), and she still loves skritches and running around. Definitely will err on the side of caution, though.

 

[ChinnyMom]

Chilly doesnt like to eat hay or hay pellets very much, no matter how much we try.

she eats normally (and voraciously!)

these two statements contradict one another. which is it? doesn't like to eat, or eats voraciously?

 

[Matt H]

Let me clarify, her food is a mixture of about 80% hay pellets and 20% 'treats' (they resemble kibbles and bits in shape and texture), however she probably eats 80% kibbles and 20% hay pellets. We've tried slowing introducing more pellets or timothy hay but it never gets touched.

 

[Cuddlebug]

Ditch the food with the treats in it. Your chinchilla is just picking out the treats and not eating the pellets which is not good for her. If you offered a child treats and healthy food at every meal, and let them pick, they would do the same thing and only eat treats. Besides, all of the feeds that have crap mixed in them are crappy pellets to start with. Get your chinchilla a good, pellet only feed like Oxbow or Mazuri. Both are sold at Petsmart and are excellent feeds. She will probably hold out for the treats for a few days, but she will eat the new food when she gets hungry enough.

 

[Lillybabe]

Why were teeth extracted? Multiple teeth it sounds like? This is usually not a recommended option with malo chins. It is usually a last resort, if done at all. A chin who has had teeth removed should be being watched very closely, weighed regularly, and most likely handfed. If she is not taking a dust bath I agree with others, it sounds like she is in extreme pain. I am surprised a knowledgeable chin vet would extract teeth at all. Most of the time a chin is put down rather than extract teeth. "Fairly healthy chinny" and "problems with teeth" don't go together with a chinchilla. If they have teeth issues it's typically a major issue. Malo gets worse with time.

Even a healthy chin though, shouldn't be offered a food filled with treats (most of which are usually seeds and fruits which chins can't digest properly). I think even a dying chin might be tempted with treats. I knew my guy needed his teeth filed if he ever refused an unsweetened shredded wheat.