Hygiene & Baths

For Short-Tailed Opossums

By Molly Kalafut

Introduction

Short-tailed opossums are usually scrupulously clean in their personal habits. They groom themselves before they eat, after they eat, and many other times throughout the day. They rarely, if ever, go to the bathroom in their nest or sleeping areas. But owners occasionally notice their STO's fur looks greasy. Males in particular have a thicker, denser coat than females and tend to look greasier. Greasy fur is often first noticed after the opossum reaches adulthood, and later becomes less noticeable when they become elderly and less active. It can often be worse in sticky summer months or humid environments. Some adult short-tailed opossums need a dust bath to clean their fur once a month or once every few months while others never need it at all. Luckily, greasy fur can be easy to control.

1. Chinchilla Dust

The fastest and easiest way to get your STO's coat looking shiny and healthy again is with a handful of chinchilla dust. It absorbs the grease and doesn't put them at any risk for catching cold. Some short-tail opossums love a shallow dish, basin, or plate of chinchilla dust in their cage and roll in it to keep themselves clean. Some don't seem to notice or care if you sprinkle it on them, and casually groom themselves tidy. Others hate being sprinkled with it and roll around their cage bedding and groom themselves like crazy. Because they might roll around the cage bedding, it's best to time dusting for right after a cage cleaning. Owners have reported good results from several types of commercially sold chinchilla dust. I personally use and recommend "Kaytee Chinchilla Dust Bath".

2. Water Baths

A full bath with water and shampoo can be helpful if the fur gets greasy quickly between dustings. I generally give my STO a water bath once or twice a year, and use chinchilla dust the rest of the time. They can be bathed in warm water, using "small pet" shampoo/conditioner. Some STO enjoy water baths and others hate it. The process involves:

Put the opossum into shallow warm water. A small basin, sink, bathtub or bucket in a bathtub work fine. A bathroom with the door closed to make sure the STO doesn't get loose is a good idea.
Pour a capful of "small pet safe" shampoo onto the fur. I generally use ferret shampoo because it is easiest to find in the petstore and says it is safe for all small mammals, but probably any small pet shampoo would work.
Work up lather with your hands or a washcloth (usually while the opossum squirms and wriggles). Some owners do this while wearing gloves if they worry about getting bitten.
Rinse by gently pouring warm water on them.
Dry them as best you can with a soft towel and return them to their cage.

Since the STO will roll in the cage bedding to dry off, it's best to bathe them when their cage is cleaned (and preferably using a soft, absorbent bedding like CageFresh.) Also make sure the cage is in a warm, dry area far from any drafts. Covering up wire cages with a towel or a blanket while your opossum dries can help shield him from any drafts. Alternately, some owners keep them in a smaller "travel" type cage filled with soft towels until they dry and then return them to their cage.

3. "Dry" Spray-On Pet Shampoo

I've tried several brands of the small pet "spray-on" shampoos, but personally can't recommend any of them. The process involves squirting the STO with a liquid shampoo that you rub in and it dries quickly without needing to rinse in water. Unfortunately, I found them useless because each brand made the fur look greasier than before, plus the fur dried into silly-looking spikes.

Conclusion

Greasy fur with short-tailed opossums is common (especially for males) and can be easily and safely controlled with a handful of chinchilla dust here and there, or the occasional water bath as long as care is taken to keep the STO warm and away from drafts. They can be dusted as often as needed to keep their coat looking shiny and healthy, though the frequency of dustings needed vary from STO to STO.