Matted fur

[MinatoandChili]

Hi, I rescued my chin about a month ago and I found out that his previous owners use to bathe him in water instead of dust. Once I took him to the vet, I was told to give him a bath every other day due to his matted fur from the water. I’m not sure what to do in this scenario because I know chinchillas are only suppose to get baths around twice a week. The previous owner also used some wack dust that was trash, now I use the kaytee dust which my chinchilla feels comfortable in. But I also noticed that his matted fur hasn’t gone away. I read that I could use a comb to gently pick it out, yet the matted fur isn’t loose enough and I don’t want to hurt my chin. I also don’t want to hand pick it because I know it’ll hurt him. The pictures of the brush and fur are down below. Can someone please give me recommendations?

 

[Amethyst]

Honestly with it matted that badly baths will just make it worse the dust will just get stuck in the fur rather then help loosen it, you need to get them out before the dust bath. Chinchilla fur, unlike most animals, has very shallow roots, so when tugged on it releases it's a natural defense against predators called fur slipping. It annoys them more then it actually hurts, so they will bark about it. Work at it slowly, use the comb to kind of pull the mat loose and then tug it out with your fingers. It may take a few days of working a bit out at a time. It is very likely if the mats are big he will have a bald spot for a time, but it will grow back within about 6 months (depending on where in his shedding cycle he is). I've not use a comb like that before, but this is the comb I use, the wider teeth side works for loosening mats, and the finer teeth side works for removing loose fur and smaller tangles after the mat is out.


Also Kaytee dust is terrible (and really most Kaytee stuff is not good), it's known to cause a lot of issues, it can cut and damage the fur and skin because it's too course, as well as cause both eye and respiratory issues. Safe dusts include, Oxbow Poof, Lixits Blue Beauty, You and Me (petco brand), and Full Cheeks (Petsmart brand), currently "the best" dust is ChillDust, but it can only be ordered online in the US (so I've never tried it since it's not sold in Canada).

 

[tunes]

If I had a chin that matted, I would just get as close to the skin as possible and tug the mat out. It's miserable for them and pulls on their skin for them to be so matted. They aren't super happy while having their fur pulled out, but once it's gone they are. Combing is just going to prolong the pulling and pain. Do it in increments rather than yanking it all out at once. A little bit here, a little bit there and it'll be gone in no time.

 

[MinatoandChili]

Honestly with it matted that badly baths will just make it worse the dust will just get stuck in the fur rather then help loosen it, you need to get them out before the dust bath. Chinchilla fur, unlike most animals, has very shallow roots, so when tugged on it releases it's a natural defense against predators called fur slipping. It annoys them more then it actually hurts, so they will bark about it. Work at it slowly, use the comb to kind of pull the mat loose and then tug it out with your fingers. It may take a few days of working a bit out at a time. It is very likely if the mats are big he will have a bald spot for a time, but it will grow back within about 6 months (depending on where in his shedding cycle he is). I've not use a comb like that before, but this is the comb I use, the wider teeth side works for loosening mats, and the finer teeth side works for removing loose fur and smaller tangles after the mat is out.
View attachment 21733

Also Kaytee dust is terrible (and really most Kaytee stuff is not good), it's known to cause a lot of issues, it can cut and damage the fur and skin because it's too course, as well as cause both eye and respiratory issues. Safe dusts include, Oxbow Poof, Lixits Blue Beauty, You and Me (petco brand), and Full Cheeks (Petsmart brand), currently "the best" dust is ChillDust, but it can only be ordered online in the US (so I've never tried it since it's not sold in Canada).

Sorry, I actually have the You and Me dust instead of the kaytee. It’s the one shown down below. And thank you for the tips! I’ve seen that brush but I just wasn’t sure to get a thinner one so I’ll be looking into getting that one.

 

[MinatoandChili]

If I had a chin that matted, I would just get as close to the skin as possible and tug the mat out. It's miserable for them and pulls on their skin for them to be so matted. They aren't super happy while having their fur pulled out, but once it's gone they are. Combing is just going to prolong the pulling and pain. Do it in increments rather than yanking it all out at once. A little bit here, a little bit there and it'll be gone in no time.

Yea, I noticed he does scratch that area too. Sometimes when I’m brushing him there he seems to find enjoyment because I bet it gets itchy from the matted hair. Thank you!!

 

[Jawramik]

I'm so sorry your poor boy has those awful mats. It looks so uncomfortable. You've been given some good advice, unfortunately the only way to deal with mats that bad is to basically pull them out (carefully) and let the fur regrow. I know the idea of ripping out his fur probably seems distressing, but as Amethyst said, chinchilla fur pulls out more easily and painlessly than many other mammals because in the wild, chinchillas will release patches of their fur as a means of escaping predators (so the predator is just left with mouthful of fur and the chinchilla can escape to safety, similar to how some lizards can drop their tails).

I hope you're able to get him de-matted and feeling better soon!

 

[MinatoandChili]

Thank you for the help and advice!

 

[Chinmin]

I know the idea of ripping out his fur probably seems distressing

Is trimming or cutting with a nice pair of scissors not possible?

 

[MinatoandChili]

Is trimming or cutting with a nice pair of scissors not possible?

I’ve heard that trimming is somewhat harmful but it could be the last choice. So far I’ve been trying to loosing up the matted hair little by little!

 

[Chinmin]

I’ve heard that trimming is somewhat harmful but it could be the last choice. So far I’ve been trying to loosing up the matted hair little by little!

Thanks for the reply. That's why it wasn't even mentioned. I know you'll do what works best for him and I can see a good amount of patience in both of you. Can you post pics after the de-matting?

 

[MinatoandChili]

Yes of course! I’ll have an update once he’s improving

 

[Chinmin]

Thanks.