Why does chinchilla not use water when bathing? Can chinchilla take bath when pregnant?

Although chinchillas are called cats, they are indeed serious rats, and they are kept more like rat pets, such as hamsters. Like hamsters, chinchillas cannot use water for bathing and need special bath sand. So, can chinchillas take a bath when they are pregnant?

Why chinchillas don’t use water when bathing

Chinchillas don’t have sweat glands, so they don’t use water when bathing.

Generally, bath sand can be used to bathe chinchillas. First, put the bath sand in the chinchilla's cage, and then put the chinchilla in; second, if the chinchilla cannot wash itself, the owner can hold the bath sand on it and let it swing its body for the purpose of bathing. Chinchillas generally need a bath once a week or so and do not need frequent baths.

Can pregnant chinchillas take a bath?

Pregnant chinchillas can take a bath, but do not let them take a bath one week before the due date to avoid premature birth when rolling in the bath sand. In addition, chinchillas cannot take baths during the postpartum period to prevent infection. Because the chrysanthemums of chinchilla mothers are in a patent state after giving birth, it is easy to cause infection if bath sand is used. During pregnancy, chinchillas need to pay attention to nutritional supplements and moderate feeding to make it too fat and difficult to give birth.

How to bathe a chinchilla

Under normal circumstances, the chinchilla is placed in a bathtub filled with bath sand, and the chinchilla bathes itself. The owner bathes the chinchilla every 2-3 days, and each bath lasts for about 10-15 minutes. However, owners cannot bathe chinchillas with water to avoid symptoms such as colds and gastrointestinal discomfort.

It should be noted that to bathe chinchillas, you need to buy special bath sand, not water.