What Happens if a Chinchilla Gets Wet a Little Bit on Its Body?

It is important never to get a chinchilla's body even a little bit wet. Chinchillas and water just don't mix very successfully. The rodents are notable for their extremely thick coats. If these coats come into contact with water and become damp or fully wet, the fur can become tightly compacted together, creating a big, uncomfortable mass. The thick fur also can be extremely slow to dry, and can create chilling problems for chinchillas. Lastly, due to the excessive dampness, water also can bring upon fungal infections in the small animals.

Keeping your chinchilla out of water in no way means that you have to forsake bathing him entirely. One way in which to keep your pet squeaky clean is by allowing him to move his body over dust, which is capable of soaking up excess oils, and encouraging coat health and shine. Purchase dust made specifically for these purposes at your local pet store. If you place some inside of a bowl, your cutie's instinct will be to lavish it all over her body.

If your pet chinchilla happens to get a little wet for any reason, do not panic. Instead, take action. Dry her body off with a towel yourself, or do so using a blow dryer. Just make sure that the dryer's setting is placed on "low," as you don't want to risk overheating your pet. Also, keep the dryer approximately two feet away from your chinchilla's body. In the event that you have any reason to think that your chinchilla is experiencing any issues as a result of water exposure, contact your veterinarian immediately and without any hesitation.

Keeping a pet chinchilla clean, happy and healthy is a very realistic possibility, even if you have to rule out the entire concept of H20. Do not forget, also, that just like the feline species, chinchillas are pretty avid and enthusiastic self-groomers themselves.