Dust bath

[iagirlsmom]

We just got baby chins 3-4 days ago and this is already my 3rd question. Thanks so much for all the advice.

So, we have 2 girls. One born May 16 (Sadie, a violet) and one 3 weeks earlier (Lucie, ebony mosaic). Sadie seems to get get right with the program and Lucie not so much. Lucie is more skittish, sleeps more, less apt to come to front of cage, was slower to use water bottle and now won't use dust bath.

The breeder had a ceramic egg dust bath thingy that was left in the cage with them. I have ordered one, but can't find one locally. We didn't want to leave it in there all time - rather twice a week or so let them have it.

So yesterday we tried it for the first time and Lucie gets right in and does it. We left it there forever for Sadie who just won't go in. We tried coaxing her in with a treat (timothy hay bushy end, cheerio) but no luck. Lucie however did it 4 or 5 times while we tried to get Sadie in there.

So - how serious is it that Sadie hasn't had one in the almost 4 days we've had her. How serious is that Lucie took like 4 or 5 last night? I hate to force it with Sadie since she is more scared of us.

Thanks so much for your advice.

*we know we shouldn't give cheerios so early. The breeder mixed cheerios and oats in with their food - we aren't doing that, but the bag she gave us of food had a few cheerios and we thought we'd try that with Sadie. She will come to us for the cheerio but won't get in the bath*

 

[Godofgods]

When you put a dust bath in their for them, they will generaly always hope in and out several times for a few diffrent goes at it. All 5 of mine do. So no worries their imo.
I wouldnt worry about her not having one in 4 days either. Many ppl only give them a bath once a week so i doubt 4 days is going to be a big problem.


If those kits were born may 16, and the one jsut slightly earier, that means that breeder already seperated and rehomed them before they were even 8 week old. Other breeders here might/might not agree with me, but i find that pretty deplorable. Many arnt even weened at 6-8 weeks.
Considering jsut how young they are, are they eatting and drinking well? That would be my biggest concern. Just so young.

Considering that from the breeder, and the fact you said he mixed cheerios and oat in with their normal food; I would seriosuly suggest ignoring most of anything hes told you and do the research yourself. I dont no the person, but so far i cant say im a big fan

as for getting your one little one a bath, you can try taking some dust is gently rubbing it on their fur if your worried about it. But it only being 4 days is not a real problem i think. No doubt you chin is still adjusting to her new envirnment. My latest two female kits were skiddish as **** to. Wasnt till after like 2 months old did they even start to come near the edge of the cage. So its not entirly unusual.

Also, consider how young she is, theirs a possibily at least she never had the time to learn how from mommy. They can learn by watching others do it. And im not giving that guy the benafit of the doubt. If that were the case, hopefully she will learn form her cge mate in time.

 

[iagirlsmom]

I know that the violet is drinking because we see her do it. The mosaic we think is, we've seen her drink once so know that she knows how anyway. But she isn't too active when we are around.
The food and hay is eaten every day but whether the violet is eating most of it we don't know. When we gave the mosaic the bushy hay end and the cheerio she eats it.
They poop all the time and a ton, so assuming that they're drinking. We don't think the violet herself could make that much poop.
I'm hoping maybe the mosaic is just still settling in, she is the older by 3 weeks, but seems more cautious. Maybe she won't bath or drink while we are around.
Is it Ok that the voilet bathed 4 or 5 times in a one day? Hate to separate them to bathe....
So nervous, we don't want to do anything wrong.
Thank you

 

[Dewdrop]

Wow, so lucie was born in June!?....

Being so young and the environment changes could play a large roll. Some are shy bathers and won't bathe if there is an audience..

I got phoenix when he was five months old....In Feb. And I had to actually manually bathe him up until the end of last month. Then something just clicked and he finally got into it.

 

[iagirlsmom]

The violet (Sadie) was born May 16. The mosaic (Lucie) was about 3 weeks earlier she said - so end of April? Lucie is older but is the one not bathing.

 

[EMSChins]

Were they caged together at the breeders or caged together for the first time since you brought them home?

If this is a new pairing then she could be intimidated by the other chinchilla and afraid to eat, drink and bathe??? One chinchilla can easily be dominant and scaring the other one to the point that she will not bathe.

I don't want to jump to conclusions but if this is a new pairing then she is probably quite stressed with a new cagemate, a new home, new sounds...

All introductions need to be done carefully and slowly and they should have been quarantined for 30 days minimum before being put together (unless already together at the breeders).

I would suggest contacting the breeder that you got them from to see how long she was with mom before being weaned and ask if she was bathing on her own there???

At any rate - they are both very young yet and BTW...you would be shocked to realize how much one chinchilla can poop - be grateful for it because the absence of poop is a very bad deal!

 

[tunes]

All introductions need to be done carefully and slowly and they should have been quarantined for 30 days minimum before being put together (unless already together at the breeders).

You don't need to quarantine chins from the same breeder, and you also don't need to go all gaga over "introducing" babies. Here we call that weaning. I throw 4 or 5 together in a cage and walk away.

I would, however, seriously question anything this breader has to say based on the fact that she feeds any of her chins cheerios mixed in with their feed, but especially kits.

She will dust when she's ready. It's nothing to panic over, even if you have to teach her how. For all you know she never dusted at the breaders. As far as dusting 4 or 5 times, that's fine. They don't just get in once, roll over, then leave. They will dust as long a you leave the house in there.

 

[Godofgods]

dusting 4-5 times once after another is fine. They all do that for the most part. Since the dust can aggravate my allergies, i generaly now jsut but the dust house in their, and go into my room for 15-20 min. They go crazy with it. Going in and out over and over. lol So theirs no issues with multiples.

However i wouldnt leave the sand in their 24/7. You will risk drying out their skin. Most prefere once or twice a week.

I msut agree with ^^. Youd be suprised how much poop one chin can produce lol. Just keep an eye one them as best you can. Make sure their eating and drinking.

Over all tho, my first guess would be a comfortablily issue. They are jsut SO young, new cage mate, new envirnment, new ppl. It can take its tole. It will take time for them to adjsut. Just keep an eye on them for any other issues you might be worried about.

 

[AmandaDi]

I have a chin who will go weeks without dusting herself! She usually just rubs up against her mate and it keeps her fur dusted enough until she decides to go get in it. I wouldn't worry about one not dusting in 4 days.

Make sure you don't leave the dust house in the cage for too long either. Mine usually get it long enough to clean all the cages... so maybe 20 minutes or so. If you leave it in all day the chin that likes to dust will likely just sit in the bath and will pee and poo in it... plus you dont want them to dry out their skin.

 

[chinniegal]

You contradicted yourself. First you said Sadie was the one taking the bath but then you said Lucie was the one. Lucie is the scared one, Sadie's the one taking the dust baths.

 

[partygirlha]

Like other's I would not worry about dusting for now.

I would worry about eating. drinking and their weight. If you don't aleady have a gram scale go and pick one up and get a base weight for both girls. and keep weighing them to make sure they are gaining (they should be gaining at this age). You also want to get them used to being weighed now so that you can keep records once they are full grown as that's one way to keep an eye on their health.

Congrats on the new girls BTW.