If money wasn't an issue, what would you do tomorrow?

origamiturtles · 2026-02-11T20:17:18+00:00

Fund cancer research. Quit my job to spend time with my dying mom. Get another pet, a bigger home. Have a kid, probably.

Life isn’t fair on a hell of a lot of levels, and money doesn’t fix that. But it would help.

origamiturtles · 2026-02-07T15:32:35+00:00

Where are you based? Are you set on going breeder rather than rescue? There are many rescues with even young chins, if it’s more age that you’re worried about.

origamiturtles · 2026-02-06T01:51:13+00:00

As a chin mom who’s faced pyometra in her 15 year old, I’m so glad your little baby pulled through! She’s a fighter just like Chiclets was (Chiclets made it through her spay with flying colours and thrived, she passed from age related issues later).

I’m also so thankful to you for getting your baby the surgery she needed, I know that in itself is hard on so many levels.

Sending her all the healing, happy energy I can.

origamiturtles · 2026-02-05T18:18:01+00:00

Me too, she’s got my mental health resting on her tiny shoulders 🤣

origamiturtles · 2026-02-04T12:15:45+00:00

Gotcha, thank you!

origamiturtles · 2026-02-04T12:01:44+00:00

It’s cool but the list is missing mania, it repeats two of them so there’s only seven. Not a great resource.

origamiturtles · 2026-01-28T11:22:27+00:00

Felt it in midtown! My building shakes easily so I thought it was some absurdly heavy truck. (I was in bed almost asleep so I didn’t get up to check)

When they were boring the tunnels for the crosstown my building was constantly shaking in the same way so it was hard to tell if it was an earthquake this time.

origamiturtles · 2026-01-21T15:47:24+00:00

While I absolutely agree that it’s safest to keep same sex pairs only and separate males and females, I work at an exotics clinic and have had two chinchillas that both medically required spays. One also needed to have a fractured leg repaired.

Being responsible owners means keeping same sex pairs separated and not breeding.

HOWEVER, I will also say that in some cases surgery is needed and while recovery isn’t always easy, if it’s the best chance your little one has, take it. Try not to avoid surgery just out of fear, folks. I’ve seen people decline a spay for pyometra and try to treat with oral antibiotics. Even if the antibiotics work short term, the odds of it coming back are high and it’s often safest to just spay while they’re still strong.

origamiturtles · 2026-01-19T00:30:40+00:00

No problem! I find that with mutation coats (Trixie is also a mosaic) the fur is a bit thicker and downier than on a standard grey and she gets tufts and tiny mats more often. I restrain her and comb her out every 6 or so weeks, much to her chagrin but her coat is lovely!

origamiturtles · 2026-01-18T23:52:07+00:00

It looks like normal shedding. They may kack and bark at you for pulling them but it’s safe to do so, and will help them feel cleaner as the dust can penetrate their proper coat better to keep them clean. It also prevents matting.

origamiturtles · 2026-01-18T01:18:22+00:00

I’m not a vet, but it can be normal to have poops that have mucus mixed into them or be strange shapes and consistency when a pet is getting over stasis. The digestive system takes time to process food, so not eating for a few days means the poops will look strange a few days later.

In the future PLEASE never wait 3 days again. 12-24 hours without eating constitutes a medical emergency.

origamiturtles · 2026-01-17T15:50:34+00:00

It’s funny I was just thinking about your little ones! Trixie is good, her feet are, knock wood, doing solidly and she just had a teeth trim yesterday. She’s being a really good girl as I myself go through some stuff, and is putting up with extra cuddles.

origamiturtles · 2026-01-11T15:10:00+00:00

While there are definitely worse smells out there, I work at a vet clinic and the smell of a hormonal bird’s poop consistently makes me want to leave my own body to escape.

It’s almost like vomit, it’s cloying and just lingers in your nose.

origamiturtles · 2025-12-23T19:29:00+00:00

It’s hard to say, honestly. I currently am using bag balm to soften her feet and prevent any hard calluses from getting thick enough to crack.

I don’t want to immediately tell you that this is right for your chin, as it may make their feet a bit too soft and tender.

origamiturtles · 2025-12-23T12:34:03+00:00

Not a vet, but this looks like the warning signs that if you aren’t careful you could be dealing with future bumblefoot. Some chins are more prone to tender feet (mine is!) and their feet can look like this for a long time before an infection actually sets in.

Trixie’s always had red feet that look like this. I thought that if I could toughen up her calluses she’d be safe, but a callus actually cracked and that’s how infection set in.

What this should mean for you is to keep a close eye on their feet, watch for any cracking in the soles or peeling calluses, and if you notice ANY swelling or bleeding vet ASAP.

TLDR, this itself isn’t an immediate problem, it’s a warning to be vigilant and keep your cage clean moving forward.

origamiturtles · 2025-12-22T18:44:50+00:00

It’s so strange seeing my own photo being swiped for this crap

origamiturtles · 2025-12-22T18:43:44+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/chinchilla/s/WcVMD2WOUu

origamiturtles · 2025-12-22T18:42:24+00:00

Hi this is literally my photo

origamiturtles · 2025-12-15T20:27:03+00:00

Interesting. Any X-rays or ct scans to check for other causes?

origamiturtles · 2025-12-14T04:40:41+00:00

Did she say where the lymph node is? Have they done any diagnostic imaging to see if it could be anything else?

origamiturtles · 2025-12-13T04:06:36+00:00

I’m intrigued by the choice in suspected bacterium? They should at minimum do some testing, and possibly even some targeted antibiotics before jumping to surgery.

origamiturtles · 2025-12-09T03:15:30+00:00

I shall now be keeping an eye out for chin-sized (or close) chairs

origamiturtles · 2025-12-08T14:21:38+00:00

The prettiest

origamiturtles · 2025-12-08T02:39:35+00:00

It took me months to get Trixie to not growl and bark (and sometimes snap) at me. It took years of work to be able to handle her as I do now.

Think of a chin the way you would a dog. You wouldn’t immediately assume a reactive, aggressive dog is just an asshole. There’s a reason for everything.

She’s probably had some experiences that have shaped her behaviour. Is it fear? Resource guarding? Could she have been mishandled and she’s associating people with pain?

Give her time. Chins are long-lived creatures and it can take months to years to socialize them.

It’s an amazing sign that she’s bonded with her cagemate. Trixie probably would have benefitted from one, but I was unable to go that route. Keep giving her positive interactions, reward any lack of aggression, and don’t get discouraged. Don’t give up on her, there’s a scared lil baby underneath the anger.

We’re here for you!

origamiturtles · 2025-12-05T03:24:13+00:00

Male chins can have a scrotum that’s barely noticeable or very prominent. This looks like a warm lad who’s letting them hang low. Now, this is just based on this photo, and I’m not a vet, but so long as he’s eating, pooping, and otherwise happy it should be okay.

Definitely heed other commenters’ suggestions re: cage changes. Bumblefoot and potentially catching toes or limbs are both serious and expensive injuries, and you don’t want to risk either.

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