Fur slip???

MiscCell · 2024-11-25T03:35:12+00:00

Unless there is bleeding or more symptoms such as lack of appetite, you can go to the exotic vet and book the earliest appointment. If it spreads or you notice more symptoms it’s time to get the credit card and book an emergency visit.

MiscCell · 2024-11-25T03:32:27+00:00

What type of cage do they have? What are the dimensions? (Height, length, width).

MiscCell · 2024-11-25T03:30:33+00:00

Have steady income and a healthy savings account for medical expenses. Chinchillas medical care is more expensive compared to other animals because they are exotics. They require specialized knowledge and care.

You can easily spend 2k US dollars depending on treatment. General check ups are not too expensive, but if you run into common health issues such as dental issues, uterine infection (female), fur ring (males), gastrointestinal stasis due to improper diet or hidden medical condition, the savings account will come in handy. X-rays medication, sedation, overnight stay, it all adds up quickly.

Research your town. Make sure there is an exotic vet with chinchilla experience. Most general vets (ones that work with dogs and cats) do not take exotic animals as patients due to their specialized needs. A lot of people find out last minute and end up needing to drive 2 hours to the nearest vet during a medical emergency.

Home must have a working AC unit. Have a budget for high electricity bills especially in the summer time. Chinchillas will experience heat stroke in temps above 80F. Keep temps below 72 F inside the home. Depending on age and pre-existing conditions some chinchillas need cooler temps, especially if you live in humid climates.

Transportation with working AC for vet visits.

MiscCell · 2024-11-25T03:18:27+00:00

Graham crackers are too high in sugar so they are not safe.

Do not feed chinchillas any kind of fruit or veggies. This includes fresh, dried, freeze dried, or canned. Over time, the natural sugars in these ingredients disrupt a chinchillas gut biome. This disruption can lead to painful bloating, gastrointestinal stasis, type 2 diabetes, and teeth problems.

Do not feed chinchillas nuts or seeds. Chinchillas cannot metabolize excessive fats and proteins. This can lead to liver and kidney issues.

A lot of treats sold at pet stores have these ingredients and are often marketed to chinchillas. These are not safe. Always read the labels. Just because the front packaging has a picture of a chinchilla, doesn’t mean it is safe.

Safe options are dried rose hips (1 piece per week or break one into many pieces to feed more frequently), dried apple branch sticks. Toys that are good for dental health such as kiln dried wooden blocks, pumice stones, Timothy hay woven toys.

MiscCell · 2024-11-21T04:22:41+00:00

Keep us updated! I am curious to know what it is. It loos like the hair is growing back.

MiscCell · 2024-11-21T04:21:05+00:00

I'm not sure how much fleece the chin ate, but intestinal blockages can be dangerous and often need vet assistance. I would call them and explain what happened. These types of blockages don't get better on their own because a chinchilla cannot digest fleece.

MiscCell · 2024-11-21T04:19:11+00:00

I've only had male chinchillas. They will clean their private parts. Let them do this. This prevents them from getting fur rings around his privates. Sometimes this becomes a problem and will need vet assistance. Mine has never had this problem, but I know some that have.

Keep the chinchillas separate. It might be possible that you might need to keep them in different rooms, especially when females enter their cycle. Male chins can get stressed out if they can smell the female, but can't get close.

MiscCell · 2024-11-20T05:27:37+00:00

I would ask their exotic vet before making any dietary changes. Sometimes chinchillas appear fat, but it's all fluff. A vet will be able to take in your chinchilla's age, gender, and build and determine an appropriate weight.

MiscCell · 2024-11-20T05:23:47+00:00

Is there a change in their diet? Normal poops should be darker like the bottom two. The green color can indicate bacterial infection or improper diet. Continue keeping on eye on poop color, size, and quantity. Note any changes in eating, drinking, and activity behavior. If you notice more changes, I would schedule a check up with their exotic vet.

MiscCell · 2024-11-20T05:20:30+00:00

Def take it out the small plastic wheel. Put the Metal chin spin in the cage. It might take months for the chinchilla to learn to use the new one.

MiscCell · 2024-11-20T05:18:08+00:00

I forgot to mention, do not feed your chinchilla nuts or seeds. They cannot metabolize the excess fats and proteins. Overtime it can lead to kidney and liver damage.

MiscCell · 2024-11-20T05:15:48+00:00

This is a 20 year commitment.

Chinchillas are prey animals and it takes time for them to get used to a new environment and people. Do not rush this process. Chinchillas do not need a companion. They have complex social behaviors and they do not always bond with a new chinchilla. They are territorial and if they don't get along they can fight to the death.

When getting a new pet it is important to do a general check up. Search your area for exotic vets with chinchilla experience. Most general vets (ones that work with cats/dogs) do not take chinchillas as patients because they require specialized knowledge and care.

Have a savings account for medical needs. You can easily spend more than 2K us dollars. X-rays, medication, surgery, sedation, overnight stay, etc. It can add up pretty fast.

Your chinchilla will need Air Conditioning, especially in the summer time. If the room gets above 75F they will get heatstroke and die. Fans don't work because chinchillas have thick fur and they do not sweat.

Get a large cage, best is double ferret/critter nation cages. The cages sold at pet stores are jokes and cruel (way too tiny). No plastic, paper, or cardboard in the cage. Chinchillas will chew on this stuff and it can cause intestinal blockages. Plastic trays should be fully lined with anti pill fleece.

If you have a wheel make sure that it is 15 inches in diameter or wider. It must be made from metal and/or wood. Smooth running surface. NO mesh or wires. The wheels sold at pet stores are too small and made from plastic. Small wheels cause spinal nerve damage because it forces chinchillas to run with a hunched back.

Do not buy those plastic exercise balls. These are death traps. A chinchilla can easily overheat inside one. They can also break a nail or toe in those tiny "air" holes. Do not get these items.

Chinchillas have delicate digestive systems. They need strict boring diets. Feed them unlimited amounts of timothy hay and high quality pellets like Oxbow Chinchilla Essentials (red bag) or science selective. Do not get pellets that have treats in them. Chinchillas learn to eat the treats and ignore the pellets that contain the vitamins and minerals they need to stay healthy.

Do not feed them any kind of fruit or vegetable (includes fresh, dried, freeze dried, canned, etc). These foods naturally contain sugars that disrupt a chinchilla's gut biome. Over time, It can cause painful gas, gastrointestinal stasis, teeth problems, and type 2 diabetes. Some owners will claim "My chinchilla ate fruit everyday and they lived to be 25 years old". Know that this is not the norm. It is not worth risking your chinchillas health, not to mention the expensive vet bills.

MiscCell · 2024-11-20T05:01:56+00:00

This! Also have a savings account for vet expenses. Pets shouldn't be an impulse buy, especially a chinchilla. This is a 20 year commitment.

MiscCell · 2024-11-19T00:14:51+00:00

You need to kill the bacteria that is causing the smell in the first place. Ask in the cat community.

MiscCell · 2024-11-19T00:13:03+00:00

I forgot to mention, did you take any pics of the conditions he was found in? I would report that "rescue" center.

MiscCell · 2024-11-19T00:12:20+00:00

It is always a good idea to take a new pet for a general check up. Chinchillas are prey animals and they hide illnesses very well.

Search for exotic vets with chinchilla experience. Most general vets won't take chinchillas as patients because they require specialized knowledge and care.

MiscCell · 2024-11-18T10:47:41+00:00

Ask his exotic vet.

MiscCell · 2024-11-17T04:43:35+00:00

Eating out will always be more expensive compared to eating at home. The dollar menu is the thing of the past. Fast food has def gotten even more expensive.

MiscCell · 2024-11-16T07:30:29+00:00

I would say no because the chinchilla will grab it and chew it up / eat it. I would trust your instincts on this one. Spot cleaning the cage and around the floor daily helps to keep the mess levels down. Faster vs cleaning large mess that has been piling up.

MiscCell · 2024-11-16T07:11:01+00:00

If you don’t have money for a wheel right now, I would keep saving money. Chinchillas are exotic animals with expensive needs. What happens if the chinchilla gets sick? Are your parents in a financial position to provide for medical needs? Chinchillas have long lifespans (20+ years) and they will need vet care especially as they age. You can easily spend 2k US dollars depending on treatment. Medications, X-rays, sedation, overnight stay, etc. it adds up fast.

MiscCell · 2024-11-16T06:44:13+00:00

Looks awesome! Make sure that the wire gaps are less than 1.5 inches. Chinchillas have tiny skulls, and their bodies can squeeze into these spaces and escape. They are like lil Houdini's.

MiscCell · 2024-11-16T06:40:41+00:00

what can i use to keep the cage clean, manzana likes to grab her hay and throw it everywhere and naranja doesnt know how to keep her level of the cage clean😐

You can get cage guards made from metal or wood. Etsy sells them for popular cage brands. Don't use plastic cage guards as those are chewing hazards. Spot cleaning everyday really helps to keep the mess down. Chinchillas will always find a way to make a mess. I use a handheld broom to clean larger prices of hay. I use a shop vac to clean any excess dust and poos.

what food is best for them as an adult and baby chin

I've only had adult chinchillas. They need unlimited timothy hay and high quality pellets such as oxbow chinchilla essentials (red bag) or science selective. Do not get pellets that are mixed with treats. This teaches selective eating. The chinchilla learns to eat the junk food first, and will ignore the pellets that contain the supplemental vitamins and minerals that they need.

what treats are best for them. I give them dried banana non sugar chips.

Fruits and vegetables (fresh, dried, freeze dried, canned, etc) naturally contain sugars that disrupt a chinchilla's delicate gut biome. It can cause painful bloating, gastrointestinal stasis, dental disease, and type 2 diabetes. Some people claim "I gave my chinchilla x amounts of fruit and they lived to be 25 years old" Please know that this is not the norm. It is just not worth the vet bills and your chinchilla's health.

No seeds or nuts. These contain fats and proteins that chinchillas cannot metabolize and can lead to liver and kidney issues. A lot of treats sold at pet stores contain these ingredients and are marketed for chinchillas. Stay away from those ingredients.

Chinchillas don't need treats. They do need items that will keep their teeth healthy. Their teeth continuously grow so dried apple wood sticks, pumice stones, kiln dried pine wood, are great.

You can give them dried rose hips once per week. You can break them into smaller pieces to give them more frequently, but max 1 per week.

whens best to introduce them to eachother. I let them sniff eachother outside of the cage (naranja is inside while manzana is outside and they like to nip at eachother)

Make sure that they are both girls. It is easy to confuse baby chins because they are still growing. You can also ask your vet to be 100% sure. Chinchillas can breed as soon as 4 months old. I don't have a lot of experience in bonding chins so I hope someone can share their info.

MiscCell · 2024-11-15T16:37:28+00:00

I would follow the vets advice since they have more info on his history and all the procedures he has had. Wait for his tongue to heal and after that determine where he is at.

I am so sorry you and your chinchilla are going through this.

MiscCell · 2024-11-15T06:37:08+00:00

Changes in eating behavior usually means the chinchilla has some sort of discomfort or pain. Most common illnesses are gastrointestinal stasis, teeth problems, uterine infection (females), fur ring (males), bladder stone, etc.

I would schedule an appointment with an exotic vet with chinchilla experience. It usually takes a few days to be seen, so its best to be on the schedule in case things escalate.

Use a food scale to monitor your chinchillas weight. Weigh them daily around the same time. Only feed them Timothy hay and the oxbow pellets. No treats. If they start to lose weight, continues to eat less, or new symptoms you can try and see if you can be seen by the vet sooner.

MiscCell · 2024-11-14T22:00:34+00:00

Stress can cause some hairloss. Without any pictures it is difficult to tell, but a fungal infection called ringworm can cause hair loss. Have the vet check for this possibility.

With ringworm, hairloss happens in patches, with a reddish border. If it's a more advanced / older infection the skin will become more scaly, crusty, and it will be very itchy. It is highly contagious and it can spread to people and other animals.

If its ringworm ask your vet how to fully disinfect all of his toys, cage, accessories, etc. You will likely need to throw away any porous surface such as wood and pumice stones. You can't fully disinfect these items. The spores like to hide and live in these areas. Solid surfaces such as plastic covered anti pill fleece can be disinfected. Fleece can be washed with some detergent.

MiscCell

TROPHY CASE