Why Can’t Chinchillas Get Wet? How Do I Clean My Chinchilla?

Growing up, anytime anything was dirty my mom would grab a JCloth and give it a good rub down. If things had a spill or a mess, she would soap up a sponge and scrub a bit harder, making sure everything was clean.

I’m sure everyone has heard about the importance of washing your hands after using the washroom, and everyone knows that you should take baths or showers often to keep clean. So, what makes our pets any different?

In the past, I’ve covered what you may want to wash your cat with and covered some of the worries you may have when giving your feline friend a bath. 

The only trouble is, cleaning your chinchilla doesn’t work in the same way. Chinchillas would much rather a dust bath, and honestly, you don’t want to risk any water touching your chinchilla.

A CHINCHILLA’S FUR IS TOO DENSE

Ever try to brush your hair and have difficulty pulling your hairbrush through it? Ever had a long hair cat who got mats that never seemed to go away? Well, now imagine that with much more hair!

Chinchillas, as soft as they are, don’t just have soft fur… they’re absolutely covered by it! Each chinchilla has about 80 hairs per follicle!

So whenever you can’t get your brush through your hair, just remember, at least you don’t have 80 hairs growing out of every one of your follicles!

CHINCHILLAS HAVE DIFFICULTY REGULATING HEAT

One of the first things you learn about keeping a chinchilla is the temperature at which you should keep them in. It is recommended that you keep a chinchilla in a room that is  60°F to 70°F or 15.5°C to 21.1°C. Since chinchillas cannot sweat they are susceptible to things like heat stroke.

The same worry can be said if a chinchilla gets wet. Although getting wet will not cause heat stroke, it may cause the chinchilla to get a chill. Chinchillas are known to lose body heat quickly and are fairly vulnerable when it comes to getting sick.

Chinchillas who are chilled commonly begin experiencing respiratory problems and may even get an infection if things worsen.

That being said, although chinchillas are resilient to many parasites, they aren’t resilient to funguses such as ringworm. 

MY CHINCHILLA IS VERY DIRTY THOUGH! WHAT DO I DO?

As much I’d love to say that a dust bath is the only type of cleaning you will ever need, sometimes that’s just not true. 

If your chinchilla has gotten into some sort of sticky mess in a fluke accident, you will want to try to spot clean your chinchilla. You can use a damp cloth but only rub on the affected area as you want to ensure that your chinchilla’s skin is not touched by water.

Try to avoid doing this as much as possible and ensure that you are washing your hands before handling your chinchilla. It is also important that you dry your hands completely before handling your chinchilla as residue water may begin to mat your chinchilla’s fur.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, you are going to want to make sure that your furry friend stays away from all things sticky and liquid! 

Chinchillas, similar to cats, are self groomers and will do the majority of their care by themselves. The main difference is you’re going to have to provide a dust bath for your chinchilla every few days to ensure that their fur is kept soft, clean and fungus free.

So pet parents, what was the stickiest situation you found yourself in with your chinchilla? How did you get them clean? Let me know in the comments below!