My Chinchilla is going to hurt herself

I just got my chinchilla a week ago and she's 11 weeks old, since I ordered my wheel and it hasn't come in yet, I try to let her exercise for about 30 minutes outside the cage. Everytime I take her out she always winds up getting hurt. I read that Chins are very delicate but she doesn't seem to know that. She likes to ricochet off the walls. She tries to jump from point a to point b and she crashes in it. She has too much confidence, I think. Should I stop stressing? What should I do? She's landed on her back once and she looks to take dust baths even when there's no dust, like when she's on tile she'll just roll around & I give her a dust bath 3x a week. Any tips? Any help?

Bright Orange Teeth

Hi everyone!

I'm a relatively new chinchilla owner, and I just noticed that her teeth are bright orange. Like she's been munching on a bag of Cheetos orange. Is this normal, or is this something I should be concerned about?

After some brief research, I've found that chin teeth are supposed to be an orangey color, but none of the pictures I've seen are quite as orange as hers are.

What should I do!

Chewy Tubes/Tunnels

Our Gizmo loves these oversize chewable coated tubes (larger than the typical paper towel tube, but pretty much the same cardboard, except for a treat-like coating on it). We went to our local PetSmart and Petco, but they were out. Unfortunately, I don't remember the exact name of the tube, but we've been getting them for years for Gizmo to chew on during daily playtime. Can anyone point me in the right direction to it, or something similar? Thanks! :)

Kit chinchilla and puppy help

So I got a new puppy added to the family and at first he didn't pay no mind to my chinchilla, was actually scared of her. However, the chinchilla has been the instigator, always trying to touch his nose, goes on the lower level closest to him, follows the direction he goes, starts hopping around all crazy when the pup and I are playing, she even sticks her hands out and nose. Lately, the pup has been paying more attention to her and she now makes breathing gruff sounds at him if the cage is open, but yet reaches out to his face while she does it, the other day she sprayed urine at him from inside the closed cage, and from then i realized she is not playing with him she doesnt like him. Today she has decided to sleep on the lowest level with her back turned on the most closest side to him against the cage, never have I seen her do that before. Does anybody know what her problem is? Is she jelous of my dog? Moving her to another room is not an option.

Ferdinand

:cry3:
I can't stop crying, after a long hard fight my sweet boy Ferdinand has passed. My first chinny, he loved to cuddle and do it for as long as I would let him. I have no words, I hate the e-vet I took him to last night who wouldn't even hold him to observe him and did absolutely nothing.

He had prolapse two weeks ago, it was fixed and he decided to take care of taking out his own stitches because he was a little punk like that. He was starting to improve, taking interest in the syringe feeding, jumping around, and even pooping a little, that was Wednesday, but he lost some weight. Yesterday he plummeted, shaking and very weak, his regular vet didn't have a chin doc in the emergency so I took him somewhere where they said they were knowledgeable enough to stabilize him. They were unprofessional. When they took him to the back they decided to show him to all the staff who had never seen or held a chin, all the time he is declining. He was worse off than when he had come in.

He died in my arms this morning, I'm sort of glad I could at least hold him for his last moments at least. He was just a furry ball of love and spunk. I will miss him so much, his kacking because I need to put him back in his house, his, chirping in the morning as soon as I wake up, dancing around for scritches. Everyone who met him was captivated by his joy and energy. Ferdinand, you made such a huge impact on me, you will be so greatly missed, I don't think there is another chin like you, you were one of a kind.

Cage update

After a long time i finally managed to update Astrid's cage and removed the plastic shelving and i got myself wooden ones.
I have to admit translating and trying to explain "kiln dried pine" to people was not easy and i still feel insecure that the shelving i got might poison my baby!
In my quest for shelving most people i asked told me the wood i was showing in the pics was fir tree (and all of them suggested i buy boards like those we put in our beds to hold the matresses) but i read fir tree is poisonous for chinchillas.

So new shelves and more constructions to be made!

am posting 3 pics of the current shelving but there are still things to be done.

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Getting A Chinchilla soon.

Hello Everyone! This is my first formal post on here! :)
I am considering getting a chinchilla soon, first I have to make sure I have all the supplies, so far I have the cage and some dust bath, and bedding (I have a long way to go haha)
Anyways I had some questions that I couldn't find when researching about chinchilla care.

1) If I get a male, how often should I do hair ring checks?
2) Can a large guinea pig cage be used as a travel cage?/Should I travel with them.
3) What would I do with the chinchilla when cleaning their cage? Should I put it in a ball like I do with my hamster?
4) Lastly, can young chinchillas slip though 1 inch bars? I know i've seen videos of some of them slipping though 1/2 inch bars.

I must be the only person who can't heat my cage correctly

I have had a hedge before and had heating issues. I am now getting one again and before I pick it up I wanted to run a set up to make sure everything was working and it would heat right.
I have done my research before and now and have the ceramic heat emitter. I have a tub that is 15 by 27. While I know this is right at meeting the criteria of space the hedges is a baby and I am planning on changing it out but need to practice on one. I have it going and I have the regulator set at like 77. It stays on constantly and won't turn off. I finally moved the little thermometer reader at the end of the regulator close to the bulb and it finally clicked off. This is a plastic tub and everyone else seems to have an open cage style that would be open to drafts and air and they can keep it heated. Why can't i?? I am so frustrated. I know some people keep their houses warmer and I know ours is pretty low like 69 67 so it will be harder but I should be able to reach the heat level needed. Should I get another CHE or....???? Please help!!!

Another new problem urgent, need e-vet info

If it's not one thing its another, Ferdinand has gone downhill again after looking up. He is shaking and lethargic. He has been in and out of the vet for gut issues, this piece is new. His vet, adobe has no chinchilla vets on duty and they are the only ones I have found that treat chins. Please if anyone is in the SF bay area and knows of somewhere I can take him please let me know. I'm hand feeding him now, what else can I do, I am extremely worried.

Chin vet in Portland, OR metro area

We took our little Cinnamon to this vet in Beaverton:

http://ift.tt/1P7TPUk

Very knowledgeable and not that expensive.

Female Chinchilla 4 years, Bay area Ca,

Hello, I have a female chinchilla who I need to rehome. She just turned four the other week.

When she was younger she was attacked by one of her bonded cage mates and is now missing part of her lip, and has been a little hand shy ever since.

Shes since healed up and you can hardly notice anythings changed.


She would come with her cage, a ferret nation by midwest with bass pans for the bottom, a small bag of food, her pumpkin fleece hide, a food bowl, water bottle, dust house, and a few other items.

The shelf's have been removed as the plastic they where made from was a danger but I still have the metal they would sit on if you want to make her wood ledges.

She's really independent and would rather come to you on her own term then let you pick her up and cuddle.

If shes had enough of cuddling she will give a soft nibble letting you know shes done being held.

I'd like her to find a home as soon as possible

I'm asking 200$ for her and her cage OBO

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Questions on daily cage care

Hey everyone! I am a brand new chinchilla owner, I picked him on Saturday and named him Kirby. I've been doing a lot of reading on this forum and I have already learned a lot, but I do have a more specific question. I was given a rather small cage to go along with him, so it gets dirty rather quickly. I use Kaytee bedding and leave about 1.5 inches thick in his cage (which measures about 16x24), and was wondering, do I need to remove his droppings daily? Or do I only spot clean the bedding that looks like it was urinated on? I'm planning on buying a larger cage soon.

Male Chinchilla For Sale. OHIO

Male Chinchilla. Spent 2 years with two other male chinchillas, but now my second eldest chinchilla is attacking him for unknown reasons. The tip of his tail got nipped, he is fine but I am worried to put him with my second chinchilla. He was my first and he is super sweet. 2.5 years old. I am asking $75. I have a cage to come with him, but it's just a smaller starter cage. He is used to a big multi-level cage sharing it with one other chinchilla. He is also used to getting play time and running around my room for a couple hours a day. Located in Cleveland Ohio. Please respond asap. I hate to see him go, but he deserves a safe environment home.

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Having Problems with 3 men.

I have three male chinchillas. They are all usually fine, I let them run around my room for a long time then I have cages for them to go back into to eat, sleep, drink, ect. The cages are just left open so they can run around my room again if they want to. They are usually fine, but the past couple days they have all been fighting really bad. My oldest chinchilla had the tip of his tail bit off and blood got everywhere. I watched them for a little bit and they kept attacking him. So I put them all in separate cages to give them some time apart. My second eldest got out and somehow got into the same cage as the eldest and had him by the throat with his teeth. I completely separated them now and they aren't even by each other.

I've looked up a lot of different sites and some say they are in heat and fighting due to hormonal change and dominance. If so, how long should I keep them separated for before I try to re-introduce them? How often do they go in heat? Will I have to do this every time they go in heat?

And now my oldest is real jumpy and bit me twice when I tried to calm him down. His tail is still bloody and he won't let me touch it. Should I do something with him?

My youngest one doesn't seem any different. Is he not in heat? should he be fine for now?

Please help

Hi!

Hi There!
My name is Marissa and I'm a college student at CU Boulder. I adopted my chinchilla about 2 weeks ago so I'm really new to being a chinchilla parent and would love advice! I've had most other types of rodents and I have also had fish, cats, dogs, etc.

I decided to adopt a chinchilla because I've wanted one for my whole life and finally had the opportunity and funds to do so.

My chinchilla is Yoda and he is about 2 months old I'm guessing. He is dark standard gray and so very social and happy! I was nervous he would take a long time to warm up to me but it only took him a few days. His new cage probably contributed to his new energy and happiness!

I'm so happy to be part of CnH to learn more about my new friend!

Chinchillas fighting after being together for awhile. Help!

Earlier this week out of the blue one of my male chinchillas started attacking the other male. They were bought together and have been living together for a year or so. I believe they are 1 1/2 to 2 years old.

He fur pulled the other one pretty bad and kept trying to bite him so we decided it's best to separate them. They are in the same "cage" but the top and bottom is split.

Since the split both chinchillas keep trying to get to the other opening side of the cage that is now closed off. They also keep crying in the night, making a loud alarm type noise and sometimes little beeps as if they are talking to each other.

Whenever I open the cage to either of them they really try to escape and push my hand away. Is it safe to monitor them and try to let them coexist again? For what it's worth I noticed it smells way more urine-y the past couple weeks as well but they have not sprayed as us or each other.

They used to groom each other, sleep together, play together,etc
We have made no diet changes or environment changes besides turning the A/C off as the weather is cooler.

Questions!

I am thinking about getting a chinchilla and have done a lot of research to be prepared. After all of that reading I have 3 questions:

1) Chinchilla's need a cooler temperature and am wondering if I put a chinchilla cage somewhat under a vent, how will the constant on and off of the air flow effect the chinchilla?

2) Do chinchilla's need to go to a vet regularly or get shots? Or do they normally just go to a vet if they are sick or something is wrong?

3) If I have a chinchilla play in the bathroom, as seems to be commonplace for them to run around, and I clean the bathroom with cleaning product but make sure its washed away or none of the surfaces are wet, will any possible cleaning residue effect the chinchilla? For example, if I clean the bathtub so there are no germs or bacteria that could effect the chinchilla, and after its clean and dried the chinchilla jumps in the tub to run around, would the chinchilla be effects at all or get sick? At what point can something be cleaned and dried and is then okay for a chinchilla to be around it?

Good news regarding Sunshine

She's back up the the weight she was when I started weighing her.

The Breeder that we got them from had them on rabbit food if I recall, and when we got them we started them on timothy hay pellets from petco. Around 7/22 we began to feed them oxbow pellets. I doubt the petco stuff is really that bad for em, but oxbow looks like much higher quality food (because it is!). You can notice that from that date, Sunshine doesn't really lose any significant weight, and kiwi fattens up quite a bit.

We suspect that kiwi might have been bullied at the breeders home. They were together with a few other girls as a nonbreeding herd. Being bullied would explain why she was so high strung when she was brought home.

We thought that sunshine was the larger one when we first got them. Mainly because kiwi was probably curling up into a small size out of anxiety, also sunshine has a larger, wider head. Anyway, after a while sunshine started to look like the smaller of the two and that, along with the consistent lack of energy prompted me to start weighing them. I figured that if she continued to lose weight and got down to around 575g, then she was in trouble, but it looks like she's back to her healthy self. She's much more active, though she's a bit of a derp, not as active as kiwi either. I still wanna get them a checkup, but for now I feel like I can relax knowing that they are both seemingly healthy.



Also, we goth them rosehips for the first time. Sunsine loves any form of treat we have given her. she will take it from you an run up the ledges to the top and eat it. Kiwi will kind of eat some of it and drop it and lose it.

Kiwi's much more picky than sunshine when it comes to treats. We got them these dandelion drops, and kiwi will refuse them all together. After sniffing them she will jerk her head around. I don't blame her, they smell horrible.

Teeth issues and x-ray

Hey, everyone.

I have been in touch with a chin owner whose chin has issues with dental infections, eye infections and spurs on teeth. I have posted the x-rays and would like to know what those if you with more experience think. She is taking the chin in to get the teeth trimmed on 2 days. She could also use some suggestions on a good chin vet who knows teeth in the So. Cal, area.

Thanks

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5 year old male chin needs rehoming in Oregon

I'm hurt to do this but I lost my job two months ago and things have been really tight. While Ezio hasn't gone hungry or anything, I don't have time for him at all thanks to job hunting. Thankfully, I had just bought food and a hay and still have lots of wood for him. But when it comes time to buy more, I don't know if I can. He really needs a new cage but I will give you his cage - it's a feisty ferret cage. He'll also come with whatever food and dust I still have as well as his fleece stuff and a new set for the cage that I was saving. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I am in Salem Oregon. I am not charging anything, obviously. But I will ask that you meet me around here so I don't spend lots of gas.

Chinchilla bit me

So my Chin is about 2 years old and has never bit me before. I got her a new play pen and was trying to get her to come out. I have never had problems with this before. However she did not like it and bit me. It broke this skin. Has anyone had a bite before that broke the skin? Did you go get a shot? or just put a bandaid on it. I got her from petsmart 2 years ago.

Ferret nation replacement to downsize

Hi all, I am moving and need to downsize my chin cages by a lot. I have 2 sets of fn142s right now. All but one of the chins are older (10+) and are less active anyway. Any recommendations ? No bonded pairs, all seperate. I looked into feisty ferrets but am not sure if the levels can remain seperate. Thanks !

Thinking about getting chinchilla, have questions!

I am thinking about getting a chinchilla and am saving money to get one. I've read a ton about them to be properly educated but have a few questions:


1) I understand the importance of temperature. I live in Florida so it definitely gets hotter but my a/c unit is brand new as all the parts have been replaced for maximum efficiency. I am thinking if I get a chinchilla, I would put the cage at the foot of my bed which would be right under an a/c vent. I'm not bothered by noise since I'm a deep sleeper and I know a fan won't help, but will being under an a/c vent that blows air on and off effect the chinchilla at all? More helpful or possibly harmful?

2) I know its important to know of an exotic pet vet in case the chinchilla gets sick. Do chinchilla's require shots or regular check-ups like a dog might? If I keep the chinchilla healthy with the right diet, exercise, temperature, cleanliness, and fun, does the chinchilla need to go to the vet for check-ups?

3) I've seen that those who don't have play pens allow the chinchilla to run free in bathrooms a lot. Making sure they can't chew on anything or hurt themselves is important. What I am wondering is how much does the cleanliness of the bathroom matter? For instance, if I clean my tub and suds are washed away, will any chemicals possibly effect the chinchilla? I know they can't get wet and everything would have to be dry. At one point will the cleaning of surfaces not effect the chinchilla?

Thanks for your help!

Female Chin Problem-Please Help

Sorry this is so long, but I wanted to make sure to explain the entire situation.

My boyfriend and I own four chinchillas, three males and one girl. They all live in separate cages because we don't want to breed them. We bought Pounce first when he was 8 weeks. Then a few months later we bought Henry, also at 8 weeks. Neither of the boys had bonded with another chin or a person at the time when we got them. Pounce is now bonded to my boyfriend and Henry just loves anyone who gives him attention. They do not like to play together, but when they are out for individual play time, both will stay away from the other's cage and ignore them. Another few months passed, and we decided to look for a third chin. My boyfriend wanted a male because he had read about how females are more likely to spray, but I was willing to try and get a girl. We went to a pet store in Des Moines, and met Rosie. She is a beige (mom is a white and dad is a beige). She was 7 months old at the time, and even thought she was very skittish and bit my boyfriend multiple times out of fear, she never drew blood or bit me and eventually warmed up to us a bit. We brought her home and fairly soon after she started to have some behavioral issues. She would only tolerate being touched when she felt like it (which wasn't often) and she was very aggressive towards our males. Pounce was not showing any signs of wanting to mate with her, he seemed to only want to smell her cage and see who his Daddy was giving so much attention to. Henry on the other hand, wanted Rosie to become his new girlfriend. He would keep going up to her cage to smell her, make noises at her from his cage in hopes that she would pay attention to him, and when she was having play time he would try and get as close to her as his cage would allow. We made sure to keep the boys away from her cage since we knew chins are territorial but if they got any closer than a foot to her cage, Rosie would begin to be very aggressive. She barks, tries to bite, and will spray. When she would be running around for playtime, she would go up to the boy's cages and try to attack them, or get on the top of their cages to try and pee on them. This made the living conditions difficult, since my boyfriend wanted to keep her in his room with him and the other boys, but with her behavior isn't wasn't a good environment. Rosie now lives with me in my apartment and seems to be happier here without any males around. She still only wants to be touched when it suits her, she does not like to be held very much, and will rarely take food or treats from my hand. But she no longer makes hissing noises or tries to bite me and will hop into my hands sometimes and allow me to pet her, even though she doesn't always want it. What I am concerned about though, is that she still doesn't seem very happy. I know she had bonded to the woman who bred her so maybe that could be why she still isn't totally happy living with us? I also know she lived with other chins at her breeder's home, and again with another young female at the pet store, so maybe she isn't happy because she wants another chin with her? But since she showed so much aggression towards our males, I'm afraid that her behavior might be the same towards females too, so I don't want to get another female if it will result in more aggressive behavior and fighting. I'm not sure what else to do and would love some advice. Rosie is now a year and 4 months old now, and I want her to have a happy life with us.

Prolapse question

So Ferdinand has not been doing well, he had a prolapse about a week ago and has been in and out of the vet since and has a follow up appointment tomorrow (it was supposed to be to take out his stitches that were put in because of the prolapse but he apparently decided to take care of that one himself, the punk)

But my question is, what can cause a prolapse? Also, the vet said one possible cause could be parasites (we didn't have any poop to test for it, so he's being treated just in case), so what can cause parasites and how easily can my other chinchilla get them or anything that could cause a prolapse? I've been keeping an eye on Chimney, my other chin, and he hasn't shown any abnormal behavior and he is in a separate cage, but just would like to know how concerned about him I should be as well.

Thank you, sorry it's sort of a convoluted set of questions!

Houdini's surgery

I forgot to post this here on wendsday as well
----

So the time has come. Houdini's surgery is scheduled for monday (26th).

Just got word today. And when i went in there to get him his fluids the doc told me i can either do it tomorrow (thurs) or monday. She said there thursday surgery schedule was already book and they were jsut trying to squeeze him in. - Monday however the schedule was more open. They would have more time, and more ppl there to monitor Houdini and what not. So i opted for monday. Id rather them take there time and do it right.

For some reason she also had picked of a bag of Mazuri chin food. And she asked if i had wanted it (for free none the less). She already new that it was a different food that what i used. (Weve had a number of discussions both in person and on the phone about not only my chin but medical and anatomy questions and such on chins in general.) But it tied in with a different question i had asked as well about supplements. Figured that maybe something different might get houdini eating a little bit more. Since houdini is still eating, just not enough to keep his weight up. It looks like the novalty of the EFL has worn off. He eats some of it but not as much. So maybe something else new might get him in the mood some. - No harm in trying. I made sure to include there regular food in a dish as well, but in the second dish i put some of the mazuri pellets. Which Chico actually went right for. But later i saw houdini picking at the mazuri pellets to. So hopefully he will eat a bit.

But monday is the day.. here's hoping for the best.

Blood in cage

I have three male chinchillas that I recently (about two weeks ago) got from a rescue - they hadn't fought or anything, and still haven't to my knowledge. I went into the room they're in last night to find that there is a large (with some pretty dark parts to it) blood stain on one of the ledges. There are also multiple little stains (I'm assuming from movement) around the cage. There was also a large lighter stain inside a house where Calvin (one of the three) was sitting when I actually got down there and saw this. All three have lost some hair, but Calvin seems to be the most "roughed up."

There was a ledge that had tilted, and I think one may have fallen from it (and now I am putting something under it because I hadn't realized that ledge wasn't covered by something beneath it like others). It was about a 2-2.5' fall. The thing is, there is no blood at all where they would have dropped, nor any sharp objects (obviously). I'm unsure of what to do, and should I attempt to check the three guys bodies for wounds or take them to a vet right away?

How to know if your cage liner is fleece?

Hi, I have tons of blankets all throughout my house but I have no idea what they're made out of. They don't have tags. Is there anyway I can tell if it's fleece? I really don't want to have to buy fleece cage liners because they're very very expensive and they take about 2 weeks to actually get in. I also bought a ferret hammock thinking it was fleece but it was cotton. I read somewhere cotton is bad? Should I return it or is it fine?

does this bother anyone else? My heart is broken.

I was browsing Instagram today when I found a post dedicated to a chinny who sadly just passed away. Was curious to see if the account had posted why, and to my luck they had. A DRESSER DRAWER FELL ON IT DURING PLAYTIME AND PARALYZED IT. this is not ok. Chinchillas are such curious and smart creatures and one of the first things I learned doing research before getting a chinchilla is that if you plan on having out of cage playtime the area needs to be a completely chin safe environment. I'm so sorry for the rant but I really didn't know where else to go. Please please please learn about these animals before taking one under your wing!
(See pics)

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Just a couple bonding questions

Hi everyone! Let me start off by saying that if this has already been answered let me know and I can delete it, or if this is in the wrong forum I can move it too!

Ohkay, down to business:
I know that bonding with a chin takes time and effort. I've had my two males for almost 3 years and although they are not afraid of me, it definitely seems like they don't like me and want absolutely nothing to do with me. Also, they are not unfriendly for aggressive towards me, just uninterested.
-are some chins just like this?
-do not all adapt to their owners?
-or have I just not been patient enough?

Any tips or pointers would be appreciated too! Thanks (:

Soft Poop for a while

Hi I have 6 week old standard gray chins that lost their mother and moved to a new home about 2 weeks ago. They started having softer, wetter looking poop about a week and a half ago. I thought it was because I started them on goats milk because the mother had passed on but it's been about 5-6 days since I stopped and they still have soft poop. We were giving them some cheerios for treats but took that away also. I don't know what else to do. I took away their pellets 2 days ago also and am only giving them timothys hay. My questions are: Is this normal for kits to have soft poop from stress of a new environment? Did I do the right thing and stop the goats milk? (Because as of right now they aren't getting anything other than water and hay) How long before the poop should be back to normal if and when I get everything right?

Chinchilla questions

Hello I have a chinchilla i have had for about 5 months now and she will be 3 in december. I got her for free with everything when i got her and started to talk to people i had to change some things in her cage like the wire she was stepping on was bad the bedding was no good and the food bowls and water bowl they were useing was bad ideas so now she has a food bin for all food and a water bottle and also wood shavings on the bottom plus she has wood toys to chew and so many things to eat. They didnt play with her much or give her treats or anything so i got her to trust me and she now kisses me lets me pet her and so on. Any ways the other day i woke up and she wasnt her self and her eye was nasty and pasty and shut. I started warm compresses and then i got eye drops for her. I did that for 4 days till i could get her to a vet. So i wentto vet to find out she has pink eye he said so he gave me medicine for her mouth and gel for her eye. Her eye seems to be getter some what better but she isnt her self. She dont eat her hay any more really and she dont rally jump around and stuff she just isnt her and im still worried. Everyone says it takes time and she will be back to her self soon. But i miss her jumping around i miss her coming to me as soon as she sees me i miss how she took sticks and how much she ate all the time. So does anyone know how long pink eye lasts in a chinchilla at all. Her eye isnt that pink any more but its still not as bug as her other eye. The vet said her teeth are fine fur and stuff is good ears are good so thats great. She also started making a grinding noise with teeth when i hold her or when she seems mad is that normal. people tell me it might be her teeth but vet said there fine. Can anyone help me please I need someone who know a lot about chinchillas and has had many or still has many.

Soft Poop

We recently brought home 2 baby chinchillas that are almost 6 weeks old. They seem fine but their poop is now on the softer, shiny side. It wasn't like that when we 1st got them so I'm not sure what caused it or what to do. It's been like this for about a 5 days now. We feed them timothy's hay, Pellets, and used to be goats milk. I stopped the goats milk because the soft poop started 2 days after I first gave them it. Also, we did feed them a few cheerios for a couple days but stopped that about 3 days ago. The poop is getting stuck to everything. It's still soft. All they are eating now is hay and pellets. What should we do? Is it from stress of a new home and losing their mother or goats milk and cheerios? Help!

Calf manna formula change?

I've been giving my chinchillas a few calf manna pellets each day for a few years. Back in January, I ordered a couple bulk pounds from an online vendor and was sent a product that seemed "different" --it was very light red in color and lacked the unmistakeable anise scent of calf manna. My chins wouldn't eat it so I asked the vendor about it and was sent a replacement that better resembled what I had been buying for years (i.e. dark red pellets smelling of anise). I assumed that the earlier package was just Animax sent by mistake. However, I just bought a 10 lb bag of calf manna in its original bag (from a different vendor) and again received pale, maroon-colored pellets with no anise scent. Because it is in its original package, there is no chance that I received Animax by mistake.

What is going on? Whatever it is I'm receiving, my chins don't like it at all.

New kitten and chins?

If the little guys FIV/FeLV test comes up negative, I'll be adopting another cat. He will be only 12 weeks when I bring him home and I'm super excited.

Now, I'm looking for some information on getting him to ignore the chinchillas. He's a rather docile kitten and enjoys cuddles. However, like most young cats he is also super playful. For the first few weeks, he will need to stay in the bedroom with me... Which is also where my chins are. Obviously the chins will never be left out while he is present, but they are still in the room with him. I need to keep him separated from my other cat, as it's an important step in the introduction process. For him to have free reign of the rest of the house, they both need to get along.

What steps can I take to raise him to ignore the chins and their cages? I do have CNs so he can't shove his paws in, but obviously I'd like him to ignore them completely. If anyone has any experience with this, I'd love to hear what worked for you. :]

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2016 ECBC Colorado State Show

I have attached a copy of our show flier. We hope to see many of you there.

Attached Files

COBranchECBCStateShow_20150207V2.pdf (230.5 KB)

Need to Re-Home my girls -FN Included (Located in NE PA)

I am going to be moving to Europe, to live with my fiancee, early next year. However, I am not able to bring my three babies along (due to a no pet policy in our flat, and no space for them. Since our flat is tiny.) So I am looking for a new home for my three wonderful girls.

I am in north eastern PA. I will be giving my ferret nation cage, along with all my chin supplies. My chins are three girls, two are housed together but one is on her own. My little girl that is by herself I rescued some years back, and she came from an abusive home.

If interested in adopting my girls please send me a message and I will get back to you with any questions you might have about them.

Chin has pneumonia

My baby Cinnamon has pneumonia. We caught it extremely early (like she was her little bouncy self yesterday) but the vet put her on .28 mL of baytril by mouth. She had an injection last night and we gave the first dose by mouth this morning. She turned down a rose hip but took part of a raisin.

I've read all the horror stories and am freaking out. I ordered a ton of stuff from Whimsy and have raisins/rose hips/banana flavored critical care. I also made a vet appointment for her at an exotics specialist tomorrow and am going to request a different antibiotic. In the mean time we're stuck with the baytril

This is what I ordered:

A bag of hay cubes
Chinchilada
Supplement
Goji Berries
Asthma/Allergy friendly dust

What else can I do? What do I need to watch for? When do I need to give her critical care? I'm terrified my baby will stop eating and go into stasis.

Clean-up of Drool from Malo

I have a rescue chin that has malocclusion and has had two filings so far; he is scheduled to see a dental specialist in early November so that we can better assess his long-term prognosis and get him worked on. In the meantime, however, he has started drooling and favoring one side of his mouth while eating again. I'm watching him like a hawk to ensure he doesn't stop eating before then, but I'm concerned about him possibly developing dermatitis of some sort from the drool before his specialist appointment comes up. What is the best way to deal with his drooly chin for the next two weeks? Should I sponge-bathe the area and towel-dry him then blow-dry on low/no heat? If so, how frequently? What should I watch for, as far as irritation to his skin before and after cleaning him? Anything else I need to be watching for?

He also got attacked by his cage-mate when he began getting ill again (they have since been separated) and he has a large scab on his back). Is there anything I should be extra careful about with this when cleaning his chin? Should I try to wipe down his wound (it's a dried up scab at this point) at the same time to maintain, or just let it be?

Sleep Well Master Roshi xXx

Last night one of my four chinchillas Master Roshi passed away. I rescued him along with one of our other chinchillas, Mr. Pickle, from a 'farm'. Master Roshi was already very old when we got him, but I am proud to say that we were able to give him a better quality of life in his last months. The farm that we got him from was a place where unwanted animals would be left. They did not know how to properly care for chinchillas, as he was never let out of his cage or given dust baths. He had been at the farm for at least five years and they guessed his age to be somewhere in the tens. In addition, he also suffered from a broken tail and was never able to be held. It makes me sad to think about the life he could have had if he had been taken care of properly from the start. He was a timid but kind chinchilla who loved raisins and hopping about the room. His loss has hit me particularly hard as two days before we had to put down our family rabbit Jackson. Jackson was ten years old and had gone on almost every family vacation with us as well as been in my wedding! I will miss these amazing animals as they were a part of the family and my friends.

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Can someone help?

Hi, I'm new to this forum and very glad I found it. We've had our Buster for about 5 years. He came from a home that couldn't keep him any longer, so I don't know how old he is. He has had teeth problems and the vet ground the back ones about 3 months ago. Vet gave us an antibiotic and pain medicine as well and critical care food.
He also had his penis hanging down. The vet couldn't see a hair ring and it still won't stay in. He recovered nicely until tonight I noticed more drooling and he
was drinking at his water bottle more than I've ever noticed. I think he is eating, but I am getting worried. I will take him to the vet if really necessary but would like to get some experienced chin owner advice!

New Babies.

Thought you guys would like these pictures of the two latest editions to my chinchilla family. Storm is the violet and Zeus is the beige.

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blood from anus

Hi need advice please! My boy Ferdinand is not doing well, took him to the vet wednesday because he wasn't eating or pooping. They prescribed a motility med and pain med and filed some teeth (he has a history of teeth issues, mainly spurs and is not a big chewer so his front teeth can overgrow slightly). Tonight I picked him up to hand feed him and saw a small amount of blood from his anus.

He isn't lethargic but is stretching his belly occassionally if that makes sense

I have tried calling my amazing vet but they don't have anyone to see him in urgent care. There is one e-vet that sees exotics but not really knowledgable about chins, so, should I take him to that one or see if I can get a monday or weekend appointment with someone who knows chins specifically?

Thanks

ECBC Southern Atlantic Branch Show - January 9th, 2016 - Roxboro, NC

We hope that you can make it!

hello

Thank you for adding me to the form!! I have been a chin owner for several years. My beige girls' name is Misty and we will be adding a white baby to our family soon. We also have a couple of cavies , and dogs as kitty cats. I look forward to chatting with all of you!

Blue Cloud Rocks

Here is my prices for Blue Cloud Rocks:
1 - 5 lbs $6.00
6 - 9 lbs $5.75
10 - 15 lbs $5.50
16 - 20 lbs $5.25
21+ $5.00

There are about 4 - 5 rocks per pound.

Does not include shipping. Price subject to change.

adopting chin from petsmart please help

Im adopting a chinchilla from Petsmart. He has been there for 8 months and recently the chin he was bonded with was adopted. The employee who I talked to said he has been depressed for the past month and it is very obvious when you see him as he has obvious signs of fur chewing. Here is my dilemma, since he is from Petsmart I have no way of knowing if he has any health problems and I want to take him to the vet for a wellness check but I am afraid after everything he has gone through to be immediately taken to the vet on top of entering into a new home might over stress him completely and cause him to stop eating or worse. So should I take him immediately or should I wait a week or so?

Also, I do have two other chins so if he does have any diseases how can I ensure they wont be spread to my other two boys?

Like obviously keep them apart entirely and don't allow them to share playtime together or anything like that but I mean like is having them in the same room dangerous and should I constantly wash my hands ect?

Chin Rescue in need of some donations

Before I adopted my chin, I pestered these poor people with questions all the time.

They are some of the most knowledgable and caring people ever!!!
If you look on their facebook page, you can see all the little current adoptables!

Unfortunately, they are in need of some supplies - mainly oxbow pellets and hidey huts.

Please consider donating or pass this information along.

Again, great people with a great mission

:-)
Link to their amazon wish list

http://ift.tt/1K9gRUu

Bringing home a chinchilla from a breeder!

Hi! I'm a new chinchilla owner and I will be picking up my chinchilla in a few weeks from a breeder. I don't know if the same rule applies to me (since I'm picking it up from a breeder), but should I try to interact with my chinchilla the first few days? When I bring him home should I just put him in the cage and just leave him be? I read somewhere that you shouldn't let them play outside the cage for the first few days. I'm assuming breeders play with the chinchillas at a young age which will lead they to be more sociable. Thank you.

Multiple Paternity Questions

I have a couple questions.

My ebony female chinchilla Chaska gave birth to a white mosaic girl, and a stillborn ebony boy. She has been with my white mosaic male (Aldo), but also I saw her accidentally get mated by my standard gray male (Xeldon), who is the father of Aldo. They were out at the same time and I didn't realize it. 110 days after mating with Xeldon, she gave birth to the live and dead offspring. I want Aldo to be the father of the girl. Is it possible that Xeldon still be the father? I'm thinking perhaps Aldo is the father of the live girl, and the stillborn may have been fathered by Xeldon... is this possible? I always thought the mating plug prevents multiple paternity.

Dust bath depth?

I was giving the chins a dust bath a few weeks ago and I noticed kiwi decided to pile it all up into a corner and decided to sit in it. It then occurred to me that even though we use the recommended amount of dust it says on the jar, I had no idea what size bath house that amount would be good for. I then though about how kiwi continued to get clumps of fur stuck in her hair and I wondered if I had dust baths right?

My question is: how deep should a dust bath be? I did a search and I saw like an inch. This was much deeper than the ~1/4" or less they were getting. We decided to get a mini hamster cage and wrap it up with a layer of fleece so that the room didn't completely fill with dust. The cage is a cylinder with a diameter of about a foot. A bath with that area took a lot of dust to fill up to the ~3/4" we gave them. And to be honest, it doesn't feel right.

They also seem to temporarily rub their eyes and possibly wheeze after their bath with that much dust. I cant be sure though because I only observed one dust bath since we changed it. My girlfriend says that they seem alright. When I saw them today they didn't do either of those, but somebody sneezed a few times, which they usually didn't do before except right after or during a dust bath. I don't thing I have enough data to make an assumption here, but I'd say that from what I've seen so far I'm not super concerned because it appears temporary which would be pretty normal if you were to flop around in a pile of dust.

One last point: This new container has little ventilation so the dust doesn't get everywhere, as a result, the air in the bath is super dusty. We leave the door open so they can enter and exit the dust bath whenever they'd like, as it's in their cage. But kiwi will sit in there for quite some time. Is this a problem or should we consider making it more ventilated for the 15 minutes they get it?


On the other hand, I just asked, and it seems that in the two weeks that they have had the deep bath, kiwi's fur clumps have not returned. I've noticed a few posts here and there about chinnies with fur clumps, and a lot of articles I've seen about dust baths neglect to recommend a depth, so there might be a connection there.

Chinchilla cage DIY

My girlfriend created some plans for her chin cage and I helped her assemble it. It is 54" x 36" x 54"



That isn't going to be the final roof, but it'll hold them for now.

The back wall is Particle board that has been wrapped with three layers. The innermost layer is fleece, followed by 1/4" mesh hardware cloth, followed by a nicer layer of fleece on the outside. The hardware cloth ensures that if they manage to chew a hole through the fleece somehow, they cant chew through the second layer. I don't have to tell you guys how bad MDF would be to chinchillas.

Compared to the old cage, this one is rock solid. The only thing you here when they are running and jumping is the pitter patter of their feet. only noticeable noise is when they decide to chew on the shelves. This should be very beneficial when we put the wheel back in, because having an energetic chinchilla running on a wheel all night in your room must be hard to put up with.

Kiwi is really happy with the cage but she is ready for the flying saucer to be put back in. She was running up and down the length of the cage and jumping up and down the shelves. She was so hyper that she couldn't sit still, she would run a few steps and turn around in a circle. :laughitup:

And as for sunshine? well I'm sure she's just glad she can get some rest while kiwi is running about!

here are some more pictures of cute chinchillas!






I put a few more in the album here:

http://ift.tt/1jqyhpT

Sleeping too much?

I got 2 male chinchillas yesterday and they have been kept reasonably quiet while they settle in. They are 14 & 15 weeks old. Both from the same breeder and I am told they have been regularly handled. One is already being extremely friendly and inquisitive but the other is spending most of his time asleep in the corner. I have not attempted to take either out of the cage but I have spent some time standing with my hands in the cage for them to come to me. He has come to me a couple of times but seems to want to hide away and sleep. If I attempt to get near him he calls and jumps out of the way. Is this just a settling in/age/temperament thing or should I be considering other things? I have had lots of pets before but never Chins. I would hate to miss something important.

Box of Wood and Chew Tubes - FREE

All:

I am moving overseas, and can't take everything with me. I have a medium Priority Mail box worth of wood slices and multicolored chew tubes that I am willing to give away for the cost of postage. First response gets it!

Thanks.

whole bale storage??

Well I finally found a supply of timothy hay(rare here in south, fescue is common for us). I am just wondering what would be the best way to store it as I feed it? Currently I am looking at buying a horse bale hay bag that is nylon and holds a whole bale vs. a really big trash can and drilling some holes in it for ventilation. What do ya'll think would be better? I'd like to keep it on our garage, but I could take it up to my horse barn.:hmm:

Chinchilla not bonding

I have two chinchillas, McKinley and Copernicus. McKinley and I are really close. He'll curl up in my hand and go to sleep if I put it in the cage during the day, and he loves to sit on my head during playtime. Copernicus, on the other hand, is nowhere near as friendly. After three months, maybe a tiny bit more, of having these two chinchillas (using the standard bonding techniques of the treat in the hand, sit near the cage, etc.) only McKinley made progress. Copernicus doesn't seem afraid of me -- he seems to hate me. He gives me awful glares, makes the kek'ing sound that chinchillas make when fighting while staring at me, and even sometimes attempts to bite me. He takes treats confidently from my hand, as if it's no big deal, but he shows no affection -- only signs of violence and anger. I have done nothing that I can think of to scare him or make him dislike me. He's been like this from day one.

Is it normal for a chinchilla to just act like this? I know it can take a long time to bond, and I don't expect him to be as close to me as McKinley is, but this level of dislike is a bit surprising to me. Has anyone had something like this and know a way to help him get over it?

jumped off the banister onto stairs

While my chins were playing, I left to use the bathroom. I then realized tainga had escaped. While trying to direct her to go back to her room, she jumped through the bars of the banister and onto the stairs (a far drop). Thankfully, she seems to have landed on her feet and on a level part of the stairs. I looked her over, squeezing and watching her expressions and I'm not seeing any obvious injuries. She didn't want to roll in her dust which concerns me. She's eating. I thought she was babying her right arm, but now it seems she's using it normally, so I may have just been paranoid. The vets not in until 1 tomorrow. Should I bring her or just keep an eye on her? I've read chins can heal on their own if there's a sprain.

Dust bath

So I have a variety of plastic boxes and glass bowl and even the standard pink dust bath house but I think I am going to try a gaint pickle jar. Is that safe for them if I stabilize it.

2 outta 2!

hi my name is emma. i'm from illinois and stumbled across this site when reading up on some info regarding new cage suggestions for my chinchilla, eloise. i had to register when i saw it was for both chins and hedgies because i also have my dearest hedgehog, walter! i'm stoked to see what all i can find on here now!
:grouphug:

Pneumonia

Hey guys, im new to this forum but have been posting on others for a while now and have had my baby boy Liam for about 8 months now. To start from the beginning, one day I gave him a bath and both me and his vet assume water must've gotten into his nose as he developed a URI that due to late detection developed into pneumonia. He has been on various antibiotics (baytril, amoxicillin, clavamox, tribrissen) and two antifungal (terbinafine and itraconazol) for about 6 months and still no improvement. He is currently on baytril and itraconazol as well as a nebulizing solution.

I really have absolutely no clue on what I should do next as it seems were running out of options. We've already had 2 sets of xrays done along with a culture and sensitivity test, but nothing seems to be helping him

As you known im pretty frusturated because I love him so much and he's been dealing with yhis for so long and I know it must not be comfortable. So I guess my question was ultimately if anyone had any suggestions on what we should try next or if anyone has ever gone through a similar experience? Any bit of knowledge helps. Thank you guys in advance!

What the heck is this?

This is something Olive does from time to time, it happens most often when she seems "confident" (ie letting me touch her or wanting out of her cage). She sort of hugs my hand/fingers but doesn't really do anything with them. Anyone know what this is??

http://youtu.be/J8NHv5HSIvE

Thanks in advanced.

closed pyometra

I often wonder what are the signs, if any, for closed pyometra. Over a year ago one of my girls had an emergency spay due to pyo. A few months ago my other chin had discharge and was treated with antibiotics, but I had to see a vet who was clueless, so idk for sure what it was. So its just something I would like to know and I'm having trouble finding in in the forum.

2 Chinnies need new home by Nov 1- FN included

Hi all, I am sadly being forced out of current living situation and cannot take two of my chins with me in order to stay at my next place. I am tortured about this and so so saddened. I DO NOT want to give them to a shelter to adopt out to just anyone. I want them to go to a chin educated/friendly loving home. They will come with their FN, some food, hay etc. They are two boys.
If you know of somewhere else I can post them, (nottttt craiglist!) Please let me know.

unrestricted playtime- any arguments against

Firstly thanks to all on this site for providing a great resource to new chin parents.

We adopted two 9 month old brothers, Baffie & Scoot last week. They previously shared a home with a toddler, so their out of cage time may have been restricted, involving a lot of being held. Consequently it seems the poor wee beasties have a fear of hands and of people sitting on the floor.

The first night we let them out of their cage it took them about an hour to learn about their new surroundings, and begin to gain confidence running and jumping. They seemed to be having such fun that it would have been a sin to lock them back in their cage (especially after all the work of chin proofing the room) so we left them out until we went to bed.

Each night we have repeated the exercise. Opening the cage at about 6pm; they come out at 8pm, have a crazy 45 mins or so bouncing and exploring, then go back to their cage (or more recently into one of the cardboard tubes next to us on the sofa) for a wee rest. Then its back to bouncing, chasing and exploring again. Usually we retire around 2am, so they get about 6-8 hrs out of cage exercise.

If we are snuggled up on the couch with a book or the TV is there any argument why they shouldn't be out with us?
We are new to chinchillas so any advice welcome.

Hi from new herd in Scotland

Just a quick first post to say hello from Edinburgh.

We are an all-boys herd of four, two humans and two chinchillas, 9 month old brothers Baffie and Scoot, who joined us last week.

Thanks to all of the contributors to this site over time as it provides an excellent resource especially to people like us who are new to these fabulous wee fluffy beasties.

First Bath!

Hello! I've only been with my first Chin for about 48 hours and she's taking to her new cage relatively well, I'm excited to try and start bonding with her. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on when I should let her explore in her new safe space and have her take her first dust bath. I'm just worried about her getting nervous when I finally take her out, I just don't want her missing out on a bath when everyone stresses the importance of them!

"I am not fat, I'm fluffy"

This summer I started weighing my chin..

According to his last owner, He was born Feb 14, 2014.
When I took him home in March of this year, he was 540 grams.
He was pretty consistent at that weight for a while.
Last few months he has increased quite a bit. Nothing really changed as far as his care goes. I started giving him probiotic cookies on a regular basis.
That would be the only difference in the last few months.

Now as of October he is 578 grams.


Considering their diet is mostly fiber, do chins get fat?

He gets Fuzzy-kingdom foraging hay, oxbow pellets, and one probiotic cookie per day as mentioned above, and bottled water.

He has a lot more ledges and a chin spin (that he loves.)
He has had the chin spin since I got him.

I thought they stopped growing after a year.

Not to quote that one comedian, but he is just fluffy? haha

Chin's poop is soft

Hello,
I've had my chin for almost 3 months now. He's my first chin I've owned, so I'm still learning but we've been getting along great.

About 2 weeks ago, I came home one day and noticed that there was poop squished all over his cage. It was stuck to him as well, and caused quite the mess. I wasn't sure what caused it, but I quit giving him treats and kept an eye on him. He seemed to be doing okay, but today I went into his cage and noticed a large pile of soft poop that would get squished once again.

I've been feeding him a bag of Kaytee food (which I've read is not that great for them, and plan on switching once this bag is finished) and he has a supply of timothy hay. As far as treats go he'll get a cherrio or sunflower seed, or something of the sort. I haven't switched his food or changed anything, so I'm slightly puzzled as to why he's having issues now.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Dental work: mother and daughter both need it

I have had a mother and daughter pair for about two years. We got them from a young girl on Craigslist who bought them from a breeder. The mother is about 7 years and the baby is about 3 years. Both eat Mazuri pellets and love them. They were eating rabbit food when I adopted them (she gave me a small supply when I took them) but I could not find it in a feed store near me so I had them on Petsmart food until I researched on here that Mazuri was a recommended food. They seemed to have lost interest in hay when I switched them to Mazuri which was over a year ago now.

Less than a month ago both started drooling with their chins and chests wet. I'm mad that I did not take them to the vet when I adopted them because we would have an idea of their healthy weight. I can tell that Momma has lost weight since we got her. They saw my vet I use for small animals and she tried to get a look in their mouth. She saw some redness in Momma's cheek but could not see well enough in Baby. Momma also had an odor of infection. Momma was put on antibiotics for about a week and they both were put on Metacam for four days. The infection smell went away and both stopped drooling with the pain relief. However a few days after being off the Metacam the drooling came back but not as much wetness as before. Momma also started showing signs of fur chewing on her legs and back- not sure if she is just chewing herself or if Baby is too.

I called my vet again and she then referred them to an exotic specialist at Ocean State in RI. My vet gave me more Metacam to help relieve the pain while waiting for their appointment. Yesterday they saw the specialist and she knew by looking at both their incisors that there is misalignment in the jaw/teeth. In Momma's mouth she could see the molars on the top curling out toward the cheek on the left side. For Baby chin she could not see all of the molars towards the back but she could tell their is an issue from the wear pattern on her incisors. Also, for as long as I can remember Baby chin has been one to paw at her mouth when taking treats. I read that as a symptom of teeth issues as I have been researching lately.

The vet wants to do dental work on both and says she is optimistic. She believes they lost interest in hay because of the change in food and lack of hay caused this. I continued to offer hay but I could tell they did not prefer it and I should have known it was an issue.
The vet did not want to do x-rays until they are already put under for the dental work. So we do not know if their are issues with the roots, just that the molars are growing outward.
She said that this dental work could help for a few years. When I initially talked to her on the phone I knew I wanted to treat them but at the appointment she said she will probably have to do two procedures to correct the issues which made me upset. I don't know if they can (or I can) handle the stress of multiple procedures. I know they are in pain and that is not something I want them to experience anymore or again if this is going to be a reoccurring issue. Now our options are should we move forward with the procedures or should we euthanize? Are environmental teeth issues more manageable or will they need teeth procedures for the rest of their lives now that they have already started? I can't imagine the pain they would feel every time the teeth start to cause problems again. Also the force/hand feeding they would need after each procedure since they do not enjoy the Metacam syringing now.
I have been crying for days. They are so bonded I also can't imagine how the other would feel if one does not make it, especially Momma since the vet noticed a pronounced heart murmur while listening to her heart. She can do the procedure on both on Thursday (Oct 8th) but wants our decision on Monday (Oct 5) if we are going to move forward with dental work or if we will be euthanizing.

Please comment with your experience with chins with dental issues. I would like advice on our options. I want what is best for them. I don't want to put them through repeated stress if their teeth with consistently need work for the rest of their lives. However does anyone think there is a chance we could get them on another pellet food so they will eat hay again? They still love their blue cloud rock and pumice stone but that does not help wear their molars from what I understand.

I really wish I knew more about prevention of these issues before they arose. I should have been more educated before I adopted them or when I first got them. I love them, and seeing them cuddled up together warms my heart. But now I look at them and knowing they are in pain breaks my heart. I want to do what is best for their quality of life. Thank you for reading and I appreciate any advice.

Color Changing Chin

Hello - I have a standard grey male chin named Bentley who is 10 years old. His color has always been dark around his haunches and face but most recently his coat is starting to lighten up.

He seems the most healthy that I've seen him since I switched to proper pellets and hay. He eats about 2 tablespoons of Oxbow pellets a day, a good amount of timothy hay and sometimes orchard grass. He gets sticks and wood, has a large cage. He also gets out of cage time daily. He drinks about 4 - 6 ounces of natural spring water daily. His treats are organic rose buds and rose hips, about one a day.

He used to barber badly but now it's all grown in and his coat is thick and soft. So much more luxurious than it used to be. But I'm puzzled by the color changing.

Sorry this probably seems like a stupid question but I honestly don't know. Should I be worried about the color change? Do old chins get grey like old cats and dogs? I know he's not that old compared to some but maybe for him, (there's some history of improper care with previous owners and even myself until I learned better) he's aged because of this?

and the chinnymom comes back! lol

hi all! long time no see, no talk!

i took a break from forum life for quite some time, but now i'm back!

still have my Rhino and Guss, and they are still living happily together in their big homemade cage (just built a new base for it recently - new bigger casters on it are a godsend, haha!). Rhino is still my nippy guy full of attitude and Guss is still my lil lovebug that will nearly tip over when you scritch him under the chin lol. can't believe it's been almost 5 years since i got into chins, still seems like yesterday when i first started learning about them.

i found a local health food store that sells rosehips, chamomile, alfalfa leaf, etc........ been making homemade herb mixes that the chinny boys just love me for.

and found out you can teach a chin words and they'll remember/understand them. Guss has picked up what the word 'stick' means. i can say it and he'll go jumping to the shelf i usually give him sticks at. smart lil bugger, lol

anyhoo, figured i'd pop in and say hi, howdy, ahoyhoy. hope everyone is doing well, both long time members and new here :)

Searching for shelves!:)

Hi!
I looked through the "For Sale" thread before posting here, and I hope I didn't just miss someone's post!
I just bought my second FN, and I hate having the big plastic shelf in there, but I also have no talent for making things, so I was hoping to find someone who makes and sells shelving! I would also love to find someone selling fleece liners too if possible, that I did not look for on the other thread though, so I will start there.

I am located in Corvallis, OR.
Please let me know!:)

Chinchilla Teeth?

As some of you know, my oldest chin Jed is going in for his 2nd Op on Monday as he is still Drooling. The first time I took him to the vet I was told he had an overgrown tooth at the side which had caused an absess. I am wondering if any of you can help me as I've read once a chin has teeth problems they never go away. I really don't want to lose my Jed. Please help!

Itchy!

So, I looked around on the forum for some general ideas of what's going on, I haven't found much.

Olive has been itching for a couple days now. She uses her feet, rolls around the cage, and even gets under her wheel and uses it as a back scratcher.

I looked at her skin, it is a normal flesh color and does not seem dried or irritated.

I have had her for a week now, and she has gotten two dust baths. They were both very very short, under a minute.

I'm truly hoping it's just the baths, and I'm going to cut her off for a bit, but does anyone have any other suggestions as to what it could be?

No eye watering, ears are fine, and like I said, skin seems to be a "normal" color.

I appreciate your answers :)