For those of you, who are in a hurry: Here is our top pick, the Petpost Chinchilla Bath Dust.
Good chinchilla dust is essential for the well-being of your little friend. Different brands come with different qualities while it is difficult to determine the best chinchilla dust. With this article, we want to help you get an overview. We spend hours researching the best products to make your life a bit easier. Here is what we found!
In this article we are going to review the following 3 chinchilla dusts:
Why Chinchillas Need A Dust Bath
While we like to take a shower to get fresh and clean, this is not an option for our beloved chinchillas. The fur of a chin is very dense and 50 to 70 hairs are growing per follicle – and yes humans grow only one per follicle. However, that leads to a massive amount of 20,000 hairs per square inch and it is also the reason why chinchillas are so fluffy.
The thick fur is not only waterproof but there is also the risk that it does not dry completely after getting wet. The humidity is a perfect breeding ground for different bacteria and fungus causing serious health issues.
While using water is bad for chinchillas, not washing them is not good either. Dirt and oil will quickly build up in its fur. Hair loss, dry skin, fungal infections and painful hairballs are the consequences.
The volcanic ash used for chinchilla dust is absorbent and does not get stuck in the hair. Additionally, it goes all the way down to the skin. While it fosters the fur, it also removes dirt and oil. Sounds like the perfect water alternative, right?
What To Consider When Choosing Dust For Your Chinchillas?
Now before we actually come to the product reviews, we want to take a closer look at the characteristics that are important in chinchilla dust.
Ingredients
This is very easy. The best chinchilla dust should only come with one ingredient. It is volcanic pumice or ash. There are different mines in the United States that serve the brands with their pumice. Not surprisingly the different brands have different qualities depending on where the pumice comes from.
Additives
Most likely you can imagine, that any additives do not belong into chinchilla dust. Mainly we think of scents that can cause respiratory or skin problems.
Dust vs. Sand
Some chinchilla owners use fine sand for bathing their critters. While this might seem eligible on the first sight, sand is by far not fine enough. Apart from that, it can be rough to the fur.
You Will Also Need A Bath House
There is no perfect cleaning day without a proper bath house. Of course, you can use a plastic bin or even a baking pan, but it is likely that things get messy. So to say everything in the near surrounding will be covered with the powder.
While this is not really fatal, as you can easily clean things up, some people react allergically to the powder in the air. Depending on if you want to prevent the biggest mess, or are allergic, two bath house options come into play:
- The Lixit Chinchilla Dry Bath is fairly large but has an opening at the top. Even if it prevents mess, some particles will get into the air.
- The Chinchilla Dry Bath by Anxyuan is a bit smaller, therefore it closes completely when your chinchilla takes its bath. This might be the right choice if you have allergic reactions.
While bath houses are a good choice if you have only one chinchilla, they won’t work for more than that. You want to offer all your little friends the possibility to take a bath at the same time and the tubs are just not big enough for that. No matter which house you choose, make sure it is big enough for your critter rolling around.
Best Chinchilla Dust Reviews
Now we come to the reviews straight away. As the package size is typically quite small, we recommend buying 3 or 4 in bulk to stock up a little.
Our top pick: Petpost Chinchilla Bath Dust
The Petpost Chinchilla Bath is definitely our favorite. It seems to make the fur cleaner as other brands and the manufacturer underlines this with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
The only ingredient is pumice that is harvested in the Andes, the natural habitat of chinchillas. Apart from that Petpost is a responsible company that tries to keep its footprint at a minimum.
If you can not believe how good this product is, just read the reviews. Most buyers (and their chins) really like this product and there is even an allergic person that has no reactions to this powder.
Lixit Chinchilla Dust
The Lixit Chinchilla Dust is all-natural and from very reasonable quality. It comes without free silica and removes moisture and odors reliably. However, there are some buyers that complain about product quality and that their chinchillas got health problems.
Kaytee Chinchilla Dust
Kaytee is a well-known brand when it comes to small pet supplies. The chinchilla dust from this brand is affordable and from good quality. The only ingredient is natural pumice. Even if most reviews are very good, there are some that say that the product quality suffered in the last years. Sadly there are chins that pulled out their fur after taking a bath in this.
Conclusion
Our winner is definitely the Petpost Chinchilla Bath. Even though it is on the pricier end of the range, it is of convincing quality. Compared to other products we couldn’t find things we can complain about. The fur of chinchillas looks very beautiful and clean after taking a bath in this. The most important point for us is that even persons with allergic reactions to chinchilla dust do not seem to have a problem with this one.
FAQ
How Often Do Chinchillas Need A Dust Bath?
That totally depends on your location or respectively its climate. While you may need to bath your chin more often in warm and humid regions once a day, 2 to 3 times a week can be a good number for colder places.
Can I Leave Chinchilla Dust In The Cage?
When you put the bathing house or tub into the cage it is likely that some of the dust remains in the enclosure and that is totally okay. Apart from that, you should stay away from leaving the whole bathing house in the habitat.
Most chinchillas tend to spend way too much time in the dust. As a result, the feet of your critter will get very dry which can cause pain to your little friend.
How Long Should Chinchillas Take The Bath?
A good timespan is 10 to 15 minutes. A very long bath is bad for the skin, fur and eyes of your chinchilla. It is a sign that the time was enough when your critter starts to chew on the bathing house instead of rolling around in the dust.
How Much Dust Should I Use
The dust should be half an inch to one inch high. More dust does not lead to a cleaner chinchilla but is a waste of money.
Can I Reuse The Dust?
Yes, you can reuse it. But make sure you spot clean it every time your chin took a bath. The pet will poop and sometimes even urinate in the dust. You should avoid that it rolls around in its own mess the next time. After you used it 2 or 3 times you should discharge everything and use new powder.
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