Chinchilla dust baths: how, how often and which dust

Why do chinchillas need dust baths?

Because dust, not water, is how they keep their fur clean. A chinchilla's coat is extremely thick, and the skin under it makes natural oils. PDSA explains that without a dust bath the fur gets matted from those oils. Rolling in very fine dust soaks up the oil and dirt, and a good shake leaves the coat soft, clean and fluffy again. The MSD Veterinary Manual compares bath dust to the fine volcanic ash wild chinchillas roll in.

It is also one of the things chinchillas plainly enjoy. Most flip, roll and kick in the dust with real gusto, and a regular bath is one of the RSPCA's basic needs for the species, listed alongside space, hiding places, food and water.

How often should a chinchilla have a dust bath?

Every day or every other day suits most chinchillas, but good sources split into two camps:

Which should we follow? We would start with a short daily bath of about 10 minutes, as PDSA and the vet-written MSD and VCA pages say. Short and often keeps the coat in good order without the two problems long baths cause: dust in the eyes, and a bath that turns into a toilet. Then adjust by watching the coat and skin. If the fur looks greasy, clumped or flat, bathe more. If the skin looks dry or flaky, or your chinchilla scratches a lot, bathe less. In humid weather, coats tend to need more baths; in very dry, heated rooms, fewer.

How to give a chinchilla a dust bath

1. Pick the container. Choose a heavy ceramic or metal bowl, tray or enclosed bath house, at least 15 × 15 × 23 cm (6 × 6 × 9 in) as VCA says, and big enough to roll in. Woodgreen suggests a metal tray; avoid plastic, which they chew.
2. Add the dust. Pour in chinchilla dust or sand to about 4 to 6 cm (1.5 to 2.5 in) deep, PDSA's depth. That is roughly enough to cover your fingers when your hand is flat on the bottom.
3. Put it in at the right time. Place it in the cage or play area in the evening, on a flat shelf or the floor where it cannot tip. Keep it away from the water bottle so the dust stays dry.
4. Let them roll. Leave your chinchilla to it for about 10 minutes. With a pair, each usually takes a turn, so allow a little longer.
5. Take it out. Remove the bath when time is up. PDSA warns that a bath left too long can become a toilet and cause eye problems.
6. Sieve and store. Sieve out droppings, hair and bits of hay, then tip the clean dust into a lidded tub ready for next time. Replace it all about once a week, as VCA advises.

Which dust is best for a chinchilla?

Only a dust or sand sold for chinchillas. VCA says to use dust made specifically for chinchillas, not a general product, and PDSA and the RSPCA say chinchilla sand. In the UK, the product is usually called chinchilla sand; in the US, chinchilla dust. Both are very fine, soft minerals meant to sit in the coat and absorb oil. As an example, JR Farm Chinchilla-Sand Special, sold at zooplus, is made of meerschaum, a soft, clay-like mineral the maker describes as quartz-free with no sharp edges.

What to look for and what to avoid:

• Labelled for chinchillas, not for bird cages, reptiles or play.
• Very fine and soft between your fingers, more like flour than beach sand.
• Quartz-free, or made of a soft mineral such as meerschaum.
• No added scent, glitter or colour.
• Not play sand, builders' sand, bird grit, cat litter, flour, talc or cornflour (cornstarch).

Some chinchilla dusts are dustier than others. Zooplus reviewers of the JR Farm sand were split on this, so if you or your chinchilla have breathing problems, try a coarser chinchilla sand, use an enclosed bath house and keep the room well aired. Bath dust also travels, so put the cage on an easy-clean floor, and see our guide to cleaning a chinchilla cage for keeping on top of it.

Bath containers: bowl, tray or bath house?

If your cage is small, an enclosed bath house is worth having. Some popular cages are fairly compact: the Prevue Critter Animal Cage 495 in its earthtone dusted rose finish, sold for rats and chinchillas, is 79 × 52 × 102 cm (31 × 20.5 × 40 in). That is below the minimum height for a pair in our chinchilla cage size guide, and with shelves, nest boxes and a wheel inside, an open bowl of dust leaves little room. In a cage that size, give the bath in the play area instead.

Dust bath problems and what they mean

Most dust bath problems come from too much, too little or the wrong dust.

• Red, runny or half-closed eyes: dust irritation. PDSA says long baths can cause eye problems. Shorten baths, try a finer chinchilla dust, and see a vet if it lasts more than a day.
• Greasy, clumped or flat fur: not enough bathing, or a damp, humid room. Bathe more often and check humidity (our chinchilla temperature guide covers the numbers).
• Dry, flaky skin or lots of scratching: possibly too much bathing. Cut back to every other day. If it carries on, ask a vet, since some skin conditions look similar.
• Patches of missing fur: not a bath problem. It can be fur chewing from stress or fur slip from rough handling (both RSPCA), or a skin infection. See our chinchilla health guide.
• Using the bath as a toilet: it has been left in too long. Remove it after 10 to 15 minutes.

Dust baths for babies, older and unwell chinchillas

For a group, a wide bath that two can use at once saves time, but watch that a bossy chinchilla doesn't keep the others out. For an older chinchilla with stiff joints, use a low-sided bowl it can step into easily. If your chinchilla has an eye infection, a wound, or has just had surgery, ask your vet before giving a dust bath; they may want you to pause it until things heal.

The dust bath is one small part of a chinchilla's routine. For the rest, read our complete chinchilla care guide, and our guide to chinchilla cage setup for where the bath fits in the cage.