just got a new chin, her fur is aweful. Help!!!

[Chinnyluver]

So I just got a chin who's owner would sell her to anyone who wanted her. When we got there her fur was really matted and in clumps. There is no skin irritation or bald spots, it just looks really ungroomed. I know it could be fur biting but her owner said she hasn't had a dust bath in a while. What to I do? Is this something that dust baths will fix?

 

[Twilight Chinchillas]

Only time will tell. You could get a flea comb and do a light grooming, dust her and let her settle in. If the fur is matted and in clumps, and not mowed down, then probably just hygiene issues from no dust. If your careful you can softly pull on the clumps. The hair should release, as chinchillas have a defense mechanism against predators, where they slip fur. Sometimes I have to do this to one of my girls who always gets small clumps around her back side near her butt.
Oh and you probably already know this, but if someone reading it doesn't good idea to quarantine her away from your existing chinchilla. I generally wait a month before anyone goes into the chin room. If you have a scale, can't hurt to weigh her also, and do so once a month to get an idea of what her normal weight is, to ensure you pick up on anything if she ever begins to loose weight.

 

[xtoff]

yes after a few weeks regular dust baths should get her looking her best unless it is fur chewing. 15 mins 3 x a week or 10 mins every other day.

 

[Shooper]

A little TLC and she will probably look beautiful!

 

[Chinnyluver]

Thank you guys so much! I feel so much better. I was worried it was some major health thing or something, which just made me more eager to take her. She's had five dust baths in the last ten minutes. LOL. She already looks better.

 

[liewwan]

Oh just make sure humidity is not too low with the extra dusting. It can cause dry skin. You can use a humidifier to increase the humidity.

 

[Riven]

Dust, dust, dust. And I personally, would get a #3 or #2 chin comb, there really isn't a substitute, I've seen one other comb that works well... but that's about it.

 

[Chinnyluver]

Ok, I didn't know that about the humidity. I just thought I'd let her since she'd been deprived of it for so long. I'll just give the dusting a day off. Where would I get one of those combs?

 

[EMSChins]

You can order the combs thru Jags or Ryersons, I think the Shoots also sell them if you e-mail them.

I have found taking an unscented baby wipe to the animal, letting her dry, giving a dust bath and then combing her out, repeating this process a couple of times usually helps immensely. Also putting her on a good diet and dust regimen will also help.

 

[partygirlha]

I brought 2 abonded chins hoem and they had awful fur. I gave them more than the average number of dust baths. They started looking better in a few days, and two weeks later when they left me to go to their furever home, they were looking about 80% better.

it's amazing what some dusting can do.

 

[Chinnyluver]

Ya, I had no clue what an effect the dust bath actually had since both of my girls came home from the breeder perfect condition and have stayed that way. Two days later and she already looks like a different chin. I was originally going to name her Bambi but I'm changing to Cinderella now. Both because of her situation and beceuse it means "little ash girl" and thats exactly what she needed .

 

[Chinnyluver]

Your so right party girl. I honestly didn't grasp what a big difference the dust made since my girls came in perfect condition and stayed that way. After too days she looks like a completely different chin. I was going to call her Bambi but I'm changing it to Cinderella (little ash girl) for her situation and what fixed it .

 

[Chinnyluver]

Didn't mean to post the same thing twice. Sorry!

 

[liewwan]

How is her fur going? I have 3 rescues here that's going through the same thing. Just brought them in Saturday. They pee and poo stains on their bottom and tail. Matting is bad on the belly area with one. Then there's the mosaic whom is yellow and brown and they all smell horrid.

 

[Chinnyluver]

Her fur is doing great. She still has some she needs to shed but for the most part I don't see any more mats. She doesn't smell at all, luckily.

 

[jbcstratton]

A good quality dust will make the difference as well.