my chinchilla jumped into a bowl of soy sauce

[ahappycamper]

can anyone recommend me any ideas on getting him clean?!

 

[AZChins]

That's a new one! I'm sorry about that happening.

What I would probably do is clean him up with a baby wipe or a damp cloth as best as I could. Then give him a dust bath after it's dried a bit after wiping him down.

Chins are just awful about hopping into places they should not be. Most of the time a dust bath is the only thing you can do to get them clean...but with soy sauce, you will probably need to wipe him off first just because soy sauce is a little sticky-ish.

 

[arf2184]

If he's already wet, I'd just give him a good rinse with water. You can use the blow dryer on low/cool setting for short bursts at a time until he's completely dry (take breaks to make sure he doesn't overheat). Once he's completely dry, a good dust bath.

 

[addictedtochins]

There is so much sodium in the sauce which he would ingest from cleaning himself. Won't he need a plain water bath, no soap?

Now I know how to sell white ebs as brown velvets :neener:

 

[AZChins]

Bathing him in too much water can mess up his fur. That's the only thing I would worry about - the water can mat him up pretty good.

 

[Essentia]

I soap/water wash my one chin once every two weeks and he never has any mats on him...Maybe I'm one of the lucky ones?

 

[eroomlorac]

I soap/water wash my one chin once every two weeks and he never has any mats on him...Maybe I'm one of the lucky ones?

Why would you need to do that, Essentia?

 

[ticklechin]

I have had to full bathe rescues, when dried properly and groomed no mats.

 

[Stackie]

I would give a water bath as well. As long as it's done right, the chin won't mat up afterwards. Use lukewarm water- not too hot, not to cold, and then dry the chin with the cool and low setting on the hair dryer. Make sure he is completely dry.

 

[tunes]

Crysta has to do that because of a health issue Carol.

I agree. I would give him a water bath. If you get someone to help you, you can gently comb him out as he gets close to dry and that should take care of any mats. I know of many people that have given water baths when they came into their rescue just too disgusting to clean themselves, and they were fine after, no clumps.

 

[AZChins]

I've seen people do it the wrong way, and the chins end up horribly matted to the point where it isn't even possible to comb the chins out. This is something that needs to be given very careful attention if it is done and I wouldn't recommend it for someone with just a few little splatters of something on the legs, tail or belly. I've given chins baths in water before and every single time it's difficult and I hope that I never have to do it again. Not to mention that the chins absolutely hate it.

After getting wet from a bath a chin will need to be combed and dried. Do not just bathe the chin and let him air dry....

 

[Stackie]

This is something that needs to be given very careful attention if it is done and I wouldn't recommend it for someone with just a few little splatters of something on the legs, tail or belly.

I wouldn't recommend it for that either, but this chin actually jumped into a bowl of soy sauce which leads me to believe it is covered in soy sauce..not jst splattered.

 

[AZChins]

Maybe it is just a splattering? We weren't given all that much information afterall! The chin could have jumped into a little dipping bowl for all we know.

 

[chinsNdobermans]

I would probably be inclined to use Susan's method. It is what I've recommended to clients before with fine results.

 

[Claire D]

I'd wash the chin - ingesting the high sodium content of soy sauce could well be problematic for the chinchilla. The wash is the lesser risk option as long as the chin is dried carefully afterwards.

 

[tunes]

Either way, whether it's a splatter or a dunking, a bath should not kill a chinchilla or cause it's fur to suddenly clump and fall out in huge quantities. I know of breeders who have bathed their whites before shows because they couldn't get the yellow out of their genital area or urine off their backs from spray or whatever. They didn't suddenly go bald and have all their fur turn into dread locks.

 

[Essentia]

Why would you need to do that, Essentia?

I have a chin who constantly leaks urine. After countless xrays and blood work still nothing can be found to be the cause. It's been deemed genetic. Because of this though, he has to be water washed (especially his stomach and back end) to removed the urine from his fur before it burns his skin.