samedi 31 décembre 2016

Chinchilla ate paper with sharpie on it....

I let my chinchilla out to play earlier and she some how got a hold of a piece of paper with sharpie written on it. She did manage to take a piece of it with sharpie on it, and I'm pretty positive she ate it. What should I do? Is it going to hurt her? I should have been keeping a closer eye on her...


vendredi 30 décembre 2016

Chinchillas Fighting or Playing?

I adopted 2 chinchillas from the SPCA about two weeks ago. Both males, one is 3 and the other is 4 years old. They had to be adopted together because they were bonded and the previous owner said they got along very well for the 3 years she had them. They seem to get along well during the day, even sleeping under the same dome, during playtime they mostly ignore one another, never showing any signs of aggression. However, at night I hear them loudly running around their cage as if they are chasing one another and making strange noises that I can best describe as quacking. In the morning I have found hair in the cage. One chinchilla has had spots of hair loss since I adopted them and the vet thinks the other may be chewing his fur because of stress. Are my chinchillas fighting or playing? I am not sure if I should separate them because they have lived together for 3 years. Is this just stress from the transition that will eventually go away or should I look into more permanent separation?


Chin sitter twin cities

My chin sitter fell through at the last minute for my weekend trip! Does anyone know any sitters in the twin cities area. I live in Burnsville mn and would need someone to pop in on Sunday just to make sure my chin is doing okay. Just a quick pop in I would be willing to pay for the time spent.

We are leaving tomorrow at 2:00 so if anyone knows of anyone that would be great!!


jeudi 29 décembre 2016

Are these poos normal?

We have 2 three month old female chins housed together. One is bigger than the other, so I am thinking smaller animal, smaller poos, but I just want to be certain.

They are only getting their regular food that the breeder had them on, timothy hay (different varieties and brands), small amounts of alfalfa hay, and no treats at all.

They go through their water and it is not tap water. Now, I have not witnessed them drinking, but it definitely goes down and the bottle does not leak.

Maybe I am just being a worry wart, but any help is greatly appreciated!

Having a hard time getting my picture to upload. Tells me it's already loaded and it's not... I will try again...


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mercredi 28 décembre 2016

Could use your opinion on X-Rays

Ideally I'd be able to get a 2nd Doctor's opinion but time isn't on my side, dental appointments are hard to come by, and his dental appointment is this Friday.

I'll be the first to admit I don't know what I'm looking at when it comes to X-Rays, so I ask for your help since I know there is a wealth of knowledge and, unfortunately, a bit of experience with dental issues here.

The vet thinks a dental is the best course of action. That's great news but the reasoning behind it didn't sit well with me. Buddy, my chinchilla is about 15 years old, I've had him for 9 years. The vet said, because of his age it's more likely he's just in need of a dental and less likely it's a death sentence (severe malo).

Obviously I want him to live a long(er) and healthy life but I opposed to him living in pain for the rest of his life.

So I ask for any expertise you may have. Thank you.

Attached Images
File Type: jpg buddy-l.jpg (157 Bytes)
File Type: jpg buddy-r.jpg (157 Bytes)


Hi There

Hi there! My name is Brandon. I had a couple of chinchillas about 16 years ago and recently decided that I wanted to get one again.

So after researching and getting supplies together for about a month I finally found a white mosaic chinchilla to adopt from a family who now has toddlers and didn't her to get hurt from the kids. They had named her Delilah, but I didn't really like that name.

After getting her and having her for a few says I decided to name her Tamu Fluffball. Tamu is Swahili for sweet.

She is the sweetest chinchilla!





Keeping pellets in the food bowl

Every morning when I get up, there are a lot of pellets on the cage floor near the bowl. It almost looks like they are digging them out, because the pellets remaining in the bowl are always sloped. Are they trying to get to better pellets? I put their food bowl in another bowl, so that does contain some of the mess. Do they not like their bowl and I should look for something else?

Also, a few weeks ago, they MOVED the pellet bowl into the hidey house doorway! Does that mean they want their food in the hidey house?

Thanks!


mardi 27 décembre 2016

Not an actual emergency, but could have been

I didn't know where to post this so I ended up here. On Christmas Day we could have had a tragedy. Perhaps I am not meant to be a chin mom considering my lack of brain cells! I will have to put a note on the back door to remind me to check the cage whenever I leave the house!

That's right, on Christmas Day, being gone for 12 hours (not by choice), I did not latch one of the cage doors!!!!!! OMG OMG. I just about had a heart attack when I walked in the room and saw the wide open door, and neither chin in sight. The 'good' thing is that I think they were too frightened to do anything. They could have destroyed the room, but they were under the shelf of the cage. There was plenty of stuff they could have gotten into; they chewed nothing in the room, not even apple sticks. They were definitely traumatized. I was able to catch Daphne quicker than JoJo. She was trying to climb up between the back of the cage and the wall, and I finally got her. JoJo was more of a challenge, and I chased her for quite a while. They hadn't gotten on the bed, nor did they go under it. I tried tempting her with a dust bath. When I was chasing her around the room, she would change direction whenever she got to the dust ruffle. So they don't know that it's empty space under there, thankfully.

The only thing I can think of that could have made me do that is that I went to the kitchen to cut them some loofah for them. I closed the door but didn't latch it. Obviously I got distracted by something else, because I never got to the loofah. Perhaps I just looked at the clock, because I was late.

Neither one of them would eat the rest of the night, and Daphne barked for quite a while. They seem to somewhat have gotten back to normal, but it will take some more time. I'm sure they won't want to come out of the cage now! And I had just gotten the 11-panel playpen a couple days earlier. I threw my back out a week and a half ago and just hadn't been able to carry it back to the bedroom yet. Yes, all this chasing was done in extreme pain but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

With 3 Advil in me today, the room is now chin-proofed. I just want to smack myself. Sometimes I don't know how I've made it through almost 60 years.

Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday!

Trish


New Chin--Ripley

Hi,
Just wanted to let you all know that I had to put Idgie down a couple months ago. But we adopted a new chin last week. I had wanted to get another rescue, but we ended up falling in love with a baby. Her name is Ripley and she is a little over 4 months old. She is a mosaic. (My avatar is her photo)
Lorri


Change in behavior

I recently took Diablo (my chinchilla) to the vet due to a swollen face from a spider bite. All is well in that area now, he is back to normal except now he won't let me near him. No petting, I can't even scoop him up for out of cage time and he stays in his igloo or on a perch when I feed him. I am thinking it may be that he had never seen a vet before now and is holding the visit against me...my husband thinks it is because I am reaching my 3rd trimester for 1st baby and that my hormone changes may be off putting. Some animals are sensitive like that, I guess. Any thoughts as to what may have caused this change and/or what I can do to fix our bond?


New Chinchilla Own

Hi all

My Chinchillas name is Zoe and she is very friendly. Does not like to be picked up but she runs all over me if I lay down on the floor in her cage play penand nibbles my ear. :)

Zoe and I know each other from my pet store She was friendly on the spot when she came in. The company they are not the best place to find chinchilla supplies even though the sell chins. I have giving my special vet a stool samples to test. since I question the pet supplier we currently use.

I searched the web for information on chinchillas and found this forum and I have read many posts before joining. I purchased The chinchilla
handbook by Sharon Vanderlip DVM. It was helpful in some ways not all my questions were answered.


What was not covered in the chinchilla handbook is my questions I need to ask.

-nuts can chins have these my vet said sunflower seeds but I want to only give her what is good for her.

-wood there is some contradictions to what type is safe in my searched but all I can find is poplar here anyway. I needed this for her cage door since it was wire I covered it in poplar so she could have a ramp to the cage.

-I need to find twigs for her to chew she like chins only chews off the bark and I think she is eating it that okay something smaller would be harder to chew the bark off suggestions?

Thanks

D


Phasing young chins into longer playtimes/wheel

In a couple weeks, both our chins will be 6 months. We've been giving them 10 minute play times a couple times a week, as people here suggest not overdoing it when they're young. We are going to start giving them longer play times, my question is, should we go in phases, to get them used to it? As in, should we do 15 minutes one playtime, then 20 the next, then 25, etc? Do you ease them in, or is it safe at this point to just let them have a long playtime?

We will also be putting in a chin spin. Will we need to monitor this, as they're still pretty young, or can we assume they'll likely be safe since they've reached 6 months?

Thank you!


Fleece lining at bottom of Quality Cage

Hello- I have a Quality Cages Chinchilla Mansion for my two guys, and was wondering whether it would be ok to place a fleece lining of the appropriate dimemsions at the bottom without fastening it. I can't think of a great way to fasten it while keeping it easy to slide out. Has anyone had any luck with having a fleece liner with no fastening? I guess my concern would be the chins goin underneath it (and maybe not getting enough ventilation as a result?) Thanks for any advice.


vendredi 23 décembre 2016

Changed behaviour and bathroom habits

On the 19th, I came home to find my chinchilla very frightened and unwilling to come near me.
She was barking as a chinchilla would and hiding in small spaces.
I found tuffs of her fur on my bed and realized that another household member had gotten drunk and had some kind of interaction with her.
It took her a little over a day to normalize, and now she's almost the same.
She's running on her wheel, cuddling with me, coming out in my room willingly, taking dust baths, sleeping, chewing on her toys, biting on her wired cage to come out.
She's a bit more timid right now, but trusting of me as I am her primary care giver.
She sleeps on her sides every now and then but since the occurence she's been sleeping normally/fully on her right side, but will only lay her head down on the left side while her back/behind are simply sitting.
She's interested in her hay most days, although as of right now, she doesn't seem to be eating as much or drinking as much.
She's still pooping, but not as much due to loss of appetite I guess, and she doesn't seem to be urinating as much as she used to. Neither her food bowl or water dish seem to be decreasing at the steady rate they used to.
Might this just be stress over the interaction? Or should I take her in immediately for an internal examination?
It's been 4 days and all else seems to be normal except those few things.
Any insights or recommendations are very much appreciated and thank you in advance.


Moving With Chinchilla Question

Hey Everyone! I am getting ready to move about 20 minutes away in February, so it's not a long distance move. My question is what would make this the least stressful for my chinchilla. I currently have her in a three level Critter Nation cage, so it's 9ft tall and won't be easy to move. She will be in a little cat carrier for the trip.

I have a few options for what to do once we are at the new house.

Option 1: I have a single level critter nation that is much easier to move I can put up in the new place, so she won't be in the cat carrier for a really long time while we move and setup the big cage. Which might not happen the first night since we are doing all the moving ourselves.

Option 2: I can put the chinchilla into the single level now and have the big cage disassembled and ready to be put in to the new house, so she can go straight into the big cage at the new place.

Option 3: Is a last resort to move both her and the big cage at the same time, so she would be in the tiny carrier a lot longer.

Maybe I'm overthinking this, but I just want the transition to be as stress free as possible for her. I'd love to hear suggestions.

Here is a picture of Ender.



jeudi 22 décembre 2016

Hiccup/cough and barking?

Hey everyone! My chinchilla starting doing something odd today- he was sitting on the bottom of his cage (not abnormal) and then would give a quiet hiccup/cough like noise, followed by a series of barks. He does just one of those strange noises at a time, about 30 seconds or so apart. I'll try to get a video of it if I can. My questions are- do chinchills get the hiccups? If so, what do they sound like? And what do coughs sound like? He doesn't have a runny nose or watery eyes, but I'm on the lookout for any symptoms of a URI just in case. Thanks in advance for your help!


mercredi 21 décembre 2016

Seen vet...is this normal?

I took Diablo to the vet last Wednesday. His poor face was all swollen, like he had a rabbit nose and chipmunk cheeks. He was thankfully still eating/drinking/poo normal/active. The vet sent me home with anti-inflammatory meds (7-10days) and by the weekend the swelling was gone. We think he got bit by a spider/bug. I was also told I could give him .2ml of childrens Benadryl 2x daily as needed because he developed itching. My concern now is that he is lethargic/skittish. Still drinking/poo normal, eating but not like he used to and 75% active when out of his cage (which is a big cage, used to house 4 chins). He was checked for hair ring at the vet and all was good there. I have given him Critical care to assist with the food intake concern. I have spoken with the vet off/on about progress but I don't want to be the owner that calls daily. Does this sound like normal recovery behavior and I'm just overly worried or should I have him seen again?
P.S. sorry for the lengthy post.


Greetings

Hello there. I have stumbled across CnH afew times now, looking up chin advice and such. I have had 2 chins so far. My first was Faust (2009-2015), handsome black cuddlebug. My most recent is Diablo, angsty black with grey highlights. I believe that he is 6-7 years old. I got him from a friend last August who got him from someone that was unable to care for him. He can be devilish at times but I love him.


Looking for female chinchilla

Hi! I'm really in need of a female chinchilla. I've looked everywhere, all the pet stores and online. But I can't get a female chinchilla. I would prefer a tan or white chin, not a standard grey. I live in Oregon, so if you live around the Oregon coast Portland, Eugene areas I can totally come pick her up!! Also if you're down with air shipping that'd be awesome. Please let me know if you have a female for adoption or know of someone with a female for sale!!! Thank you.


mardi 20 décembre 2016

Really Need Suggestions for Heat Source/Thermostat

Hey there. So I'm completely new to hedgehogs and I'll be bringing one home next month. The biggest thing I'm stumped on is getting a reliable heating source. I'm heavily leaning towards a ceramic heat emitter but there's so many on the market, along with porcelain lamp holders, and thermostats.

What brands do you recommend for this?


dimanche 18 décembre 2016

Lost chinchilla. Help!

Help! My chinchilla has been lots for 2 hours, she was lost in my bedroom,everything was closed and no holes. It's the biggest mystery ever,we have turned the room upside down, only had her for a day and we also have another one in her cage.what should we do, there is no way for her to get out yet we have searched under,on top of and threw everything. If anyone has advice please let me know, how should I make sure she is ok ?


samedi 17 décembre 2016

Food and treats

I know it’s a little late to be asking about these questions two months into being a chin parent, but I just want to be sure I’m doing the right thing for my girls. The questions are about frequency of treat items.

I free feed Timothy hay and alfalfa pellets, and I give them several chew sticks each day. They have some wood toys in the cage to chew on, and of course, the wood ledges and lava ledges. They don’t seem to be too much into hanging toys; they seem to prefer to get them up off the floor.

I also give them each a whole (or several pieces of crushed) rose hip daily.

They each get half of a bite-size shredded wheat about twice a week.

Vine rings and bamboo fingers – how often?

They love loofah – is it ok to give that to them daily? (I have not been.) Or should that be limited?

Dried flowers – frequency of those? I have purple rosebuds (is it ok to give them AND rose hips in a day?) purple globes, peonies, tiger lilies, and
honeysuckle. I also have carnations, but they don't seem to like them.


Edited to add cholla - can they have that daily? They do love it!

Thanks!
Trish


Bonding

First, let me admit that I’m not a very patient person to begin with. With that said, I sometimes feel like I am not going to become part of Daphne and JoJo’s herd. I have had them now for 2 months, and I do know it can take a lot longer than that. Last week, at the 8-week mark, I decided that I was going to take Daphne out and hold her since she SOMETIMES lets me rub her belly for a minute before she starts barking at me. (I am not allowed to touch JoJo, but she came out onto my shoulder and she touches my face to get at my glasses or eyelashes when glasses aren’t on.)

Anyway, I took Daphne out to hold her. She was extremely squirmy, but she did settle down and let me pet her for a minute. When she started barking I put her back in the cage. I haven’t attempted that again, and feel like it should be a long time before I attempt again.

Every evening I sit on the floor in front of the cage and leave all doors open (FN double cage). They do get curious enough that they look like they may want to get out, but then I lean in and they go back in the cage. I have not gotten a pet fence to block off the bed yet, figuring it’s a little premature (plus having spent a small fortune so far on setup). I thought I had read that you shouldn't let them out until you've formed the bond or you'll never get them back in. Is that wrong?

What can I do to help the bonding process along? Am I doing something wrong? I’m thinking it may have been a bad idea to have taken Daphne out. Should I at least continue to try to rub her belly?

Also, on another subject, since they do not respond to their names yet, would it be ok to change a name? Or since they’ve been hearing their names for 2 months already, is that a no? I say their names to them MANY times every day. I’m rethinking JoJo, even though that was the name I chose first.

Any advice is appreciated!!!!

Thanks!
Trish


vendredi 16 décembre 2016

Hind bumps--male chin

Hi, would anyone be able to help me with this? My male chinchilla has these bumps on his backside that I have not seen before. I've attached a photo...hoping to post a second photo

Attached Images
File Type: jpg image.jpg (157 Bytes)


Chin collapsing and convulsing - HELP!

I've just joined the forum as I really need some advice!
Our girl Flo (c.4 year old standard grey) has been collapsing/seizing regularly during play time in the last 2 weeks.
I took her to the vet on Monday and they diagnosed a heart murmur, and said she needs to lose a bit of weight (she was 770g). Advice was to avoid long periods of exercise and increase hay consumption by reducing pellet feed.
Now, I might be wrong but I'm just not convinced that the heart murmur is the culprit here.
The episodes happen pretty quickly after she gets out to exercise (before she's really exerted herself).
She will suddenly start to move differently to normal (lower to the ground, almost like a soldier's crawl?!) and then just flop on her front. She goes limp and doesn't object at all when I pick her up (normally she would complain and wriggle!). During the episode she will shuffle about the room a bit but is clearly disorientated and uncoordinated (like she's drunk). Her eyes mostly look normal, maybe a bit dozy. But she is not totally unconscious and does react (mutedly) to noises, etc.
Last night was the worst though - after she flopped I laid her in my lap and then she started convulsing (her head would visibly pull upwards and back in a spasm) and she made what I call her 'squeaky toy' noise (warning call). She did this about 3 times and then just sat around looking dazed.
During previous episodes she has trembled a bit and occasionally juddered (like she had hiccups?!) but never a properly jerky movement like this, and never any vocalising!
The episodes generally last a couple of minutes at a time but they seem to be getting longer (last night she was out of it for at least 5 minutes). However, it does pass and then she seems totally fine - alert, bright eyed, eating and pooping normally.
Does this sound like it could be a heart murmur? I'm wondering if it could be hypoglycemia (although would it be weird to happen so quickly after I let her out, and stop without any sugary treat?). Or possibly a thiamine deficiency? Pretty sure its not calcium as her teeth are a healthy dark orange color. No big changes to her feeding patterns or routine recently so I don't think its environmental.
I'm wondering if I should stop letting her out of her cage for a week or two as it doesn't seem to happen until she's out and about!
I plan to take her back to the vet unless things improve but I don't really think any of the ones near me are super-experienced with chins, so if I can go armed with suggestions I'd be happier.
All thoughts gratefully received!
Thanks,
Jenny


Bonding with my Chin

Hi everyone,

So I've had my Chin for a little over a month, and I think she is getting more comfortable with me. She does still run towards the corner of the cage when I get close but them will come up to the door when I sit there long enough. I have chin proofed my room, so I now let her run around. She still is very jumping when I move around the room, she'll run and hide under the bed or cage. But if I sit on the floor for long periods of time, she will jump/climb all over me.

Any advise on bonding with her or getting her to trust me more. Or how long before your chins bonded with you.

Thanks for the help!


Found in Pool of Blood- Bladder Stone

Hello all,

I have been a member for a long time, but this is my first post. I own two chinchillas, Charlie and Clarence, respectively They are each three years old, though Clarence is approximately two weeks older than Charlie. Clarence is beige and Charlie is charcoal grey. I also own two degus, an animal nicknamed 'Bush-tailed Rat', named Delilah and Tulip. Delilah is eighteen months old and Tulip is six months old.

Well, two nights ago, December 13th, 2016, I went into my chinchillas' room for treat time and to sit in there while they use me as a gym; they love to cuddle with me. I called them for their treats, and because they are so familiar with my various routines, they are always readily available at my lap (I sit on the floor) as soon as I call their names. That night, when I went in there to give them treats, only Charlie came, something I knew meant serious trouble for Clarence. I decided to seek out Clarence, an action of which resulted in me locating Clarence inside of one of his gym enclosures surrounded by blood. I immediately panicked, but maintained my composure enough to load he and his brother Charlie into their travel cage for a trip to the animal hospital. The reasoning for bringing them each to the vet is to prevent extreme nervousness exhibited by Clarence when he is alone in my vehicle(s).

Upon arriving to the animal hospital, they immediately took him into the back and I awaited in the waiting room for twenty minutes. When they called me to one of the procedure rooms, I was informed that this was likely a urinary tract infection (UTI), something I knew was entirely incorrect, as Clarence had visited the animal hospital five times in a six week period. I requested that the doctor perform some sort of imaging (X-ray) and she agreed to do so. Clarence was very unhappy about the stranger handling him, but sat patiently whilst the vet completed her procedures. The X-ray showed a mass in his bladder, which was a bladder stone.

The following morning I contacted my chinchillas' vet, an exotic animal specialist and surgeon. We made an appointment for the following morning, December 15th, 2016, to follow thru with Clarence's surgery. Upon that morning, this morning, I nervously carried Clarence into the surgery center. I then patiently waited for two hours to be informed that the surgery was a success, and it was entirely uncomplicated.

I now have Clarence home, and have created a new living quarters in another spare room within my home. The aforementioned statement is due to his and Charlie's room being filled with dust, gyms, and dangerous, for a post-op chinchilla, living conditions- toys, gyms, and multilevel cages. He is doing fine at the moment, and even eating small amounts of Timothy hay, but will not drink his water. I have removed all alfalfa containing products from the diets of each of my animals, in an attempt to prevent this sort of ailment from once again occurring.

If anybody else has had their chinchilla undergo this sort of procedure, would you please provide your input? What was the healing time? When did your baby begin to consume water? Is there anything I should be aware of?

Thank you for your time.

Best Regards,

Sleeis


jeudi 15 décembre 2016

Hello :)

Been reading and trying advice iv read from this forum for a long time, always find it so helpful and i finally decided to join. Chinchillas have been in my life for many years since i was a child, my mom raised them and i got "my" first chinny when i was 9, even though id been around them in our home for many years before that, nothing compares to that first little ball of fur lol. Few years later my mom had decided to raise hedgies and got out of breeding chins and only had a few retired females and males that stayed. I got the first hedgie born and again, fell in love lol. Years later when i was no longer living at home i was breeding chins for a bit too, had ferrets, many fresh and saltwater fish and 2 sugar gliders that i also bred but i started getting sick and was unable in my opinion to be able to spend as much time with them as i personally felt i should be, lucky for me, over so many years of dealing with other chin lovers i was able to find homes for all my chinnies and my 3 ferrets but kept my suggies. My mom a few years later had decided to retire breeding altogether and kept a few of her older females, with starting to feel i was having a handle on my disabilities and with a supporting partner who loves animals as much as i do and really missing my first hedgie after he passed not long before, i had taken on one of them, Amphy, she was with us until about 3 years ago, id love to one day have another but it was a very hard loss and still not ready to bond with another hedgie yet. With the last 5 years having a better understanding of my limitations and a partner who is so devoted to animals and helping me we are able to give a great home to our fur babies and our ones with scales too. We only have 1 chin named Sabbath, hes full of spunk and loves to snuggle and im in the process of a new cage design for him and in hopes within the next year possibly get a second and hope to one day have them as cage mates but that is neither here nor there yet but for now, Sabbath has his current cage to himself and soon with the new cage on its way, a ferret nation to himself. Im a huge animal lover, always have been, even though i have support from my partner, its just not the same as that feeling u get from a loving pet companion. My limitations often leave me feeling helpless and not needed and even though it seems like a simple task to feed, snuggle and just spend time with a pet to the average person, those little things help me feel needed :)


mercredi 14 décembre 2016

Manna Pro SmallWorld Chinchilla Food

Has anyone tried this?
SmallWorld is a sub-brand of Manna Pro I suppose. I didn't realize Manna Pro was into making chinchilla food at all.

http://ift.tt/2hOEueT

Crude Protein Min 20.00%
Crude Fat Min 3.00%
Crude Fiber Max 18.00%
Calcium Min 0.75%
Calcium Max 1.25%
Phosphorus Min 0.50%
Sodium Min 0.01%
Sodium Max 0.50%
Vitamin A Min 15,000 IU/lb
Vitamin E Min 100 IU

Dehydrated alfalfa meal, wheat middlings, soybean meal, soybean hulls, feeding oatmeal, cane molasses, vegetable oil, dried whey, yeast culture, calcium carbonate, monocalcium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate, salt, dl-methionine, ferrous carbonate, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, manganese sulfate, zinc oxide, zinc sulfate, cobalt carbonate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, niacin supplement, choline chloride, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, propionic acid (a preservative), active dry yeast, dried aspergillus oryzae fermentation solubles, dried bacillus licheniformis fermentation solubles, dried bacillus subtilis fermentation solubles, dried bacillus amyloliquefaciens fermentation solubles, dried trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation solubles, dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried lactobacillus


mardi 13 décembre 2016

Lethargic, small feces and apetite lost - Help!

Hello guys,

Since Saturday night my Chin is acting a bit strange. He is lethargic and with very small droppings. He lost his apetite and does not eat anything I show him.

I've read some familiar posts but none of them said what happened afterwards.

The breeder said I should give him a antitoxic and a medicine for gases. It seems to work ok, now she is less lethargic and walks a bit more (not 100% still).


He will go to the vet in the morning. Any tips? Someone here went through something familiar?

Thank you very much,


lundi 12 décembre 2016

Worried Chin Mama

I have a girl chinchilla thats about 1 1/2 years old and recently she's been wedging herself in the back corner of her cage and almost getting stuck, barking a lot more and recently I found something that looks just like blood in her cage. Her feet are fine and she still eats, drinks, plays with toys etc, but I'm worried about this sudden behavior. Could something be wrong?

Thanks!


Water bottle

Hello all, back again with another question! Today I went out and purchased an 8 oz. glass lixit bottle, is this large enough for a single chinchilla? Or should I go out and purchase a 16 oz.? (Sorry if this is in the wrong topic area, I wasn't sure where else to post it)


New hedgehog owner help

So I just got my hedgie today from this woman in Craig's list.i.named her snow she's a full white with red eyes only problem is snow is scared and quills up when I pick her up.im picking her up like you would all hedgies by scooping her up from under by her belly.she seems happy but not when i try to pick her put and interact with her.she seems to be 2 months or so the lady had no idea how old snow is but she looks half grown not too big so id say 2 months.


Smelly chinchillas

Hello,

My friends cousin has to get rid of her 2 chinchillas. They are super cute, ages 4 and 2 and they're father and son. She brought them to my house today to introduce us and they smelled so bad! She said sorry they're dirty I need to bathe them. Well, dust baths to my knowledge are not for scent they are for removal of dirt and oils. They smelled like poo. So badly that the smell of poo stuck to my hands and shirt after holding them and they also had some clumps of hair come off on my shirt. She didn't bring their cage but told me she uses fleece lined cage so I was wondering if that could be the cause? She also said she feeds them table food which made me even more so nervous. I want some chinchillas but how can I remove the smell from them? And should I be worried they are sick or is it most likely lack of cleaning cage? Any advice would help. I have not taken them yet so I don't know if it would be better to go buy my own at a young age, then again I feel bad if these chins aren't properly cared for!


samedi 10 décembre 2016

Christmas Chinnies 2016

Feel free to post your Christmas-y photos here too!

Eli says; Don't forget to leave cookies out for Santa! ;)



New here

New here to the boards but not a new chin owner. I took two in a little over a year ago from an owner who could no longer keep them. Oh my did I miss having chins! Previously, I had been owned by one when I was in college and into my late 20's. When he passed I was too broken hearted to get a new one until these two little guys. I found this site really because I plan to be relocating in a few months and I believe I will be needing a lot of advice when it comes to moving these two guys. Oh these two are FAR FAR more sensitive then my other little guy ever was. They even hold a grudge when I clean their cage! The one, Gizmo, gets so upset with me! So this move his going to be rough! I'll be looking to find the easiest way for them to make the transistion and how to handle transporation. I wish I could give them valium! ;-) I know I will be needing it worrying about them!

Glad to have found this place! So much has changed since I had my first chin baby so many years ago!


Hay & cage biting

Hi my chin Yoshi won't eat eat his hay I've tried all kinds. And now he has starting to bite his cage bars at night what can I do to help him or what's wrong with him?

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk


Improper care of chinchillas!!

My fifteen-year-old daughter is in 9th grade and has animal science. A family donated a cage with two chinchillas to the science class. My daughter has showed me pictures and the cage I personally wouldn't even house one chinchilla in its small, has a wire bottom and there's no running wheel. The poor chinchillas are so stressed that they are chewing their fur and missing patches of fur. I recently upgraded to a double stack ferret Nation and offered to donate my old cage which is like 3-4 times bigger then the tiny cage their in! Apparently the teacher rolled her eyes at my daughter when she showed the teacher a picture of my set up and my offer of donating a larger cage. I work for a pet supply store so I have donated different items to the class like Apple sticks, and chew toys. Which the teacher has apparently refused to give the animals. So the poor little guy have nothing in there cage to chew. The kids just reach in and grab them they stick them in balls to run around in. I guess at least there getting some exercises but from what I understand the balls are bad for the chinchillas. I'm sorry I'm venting but I'm very bothered by this and not sure what or if there's anything I can do. Thanks for listening.


vendredi 9 décembre 2016

Chinchilla unexpectedly passed away?

I have 3 chins. One three year old who is in a cage alone (smokey), and two four year olds in a cage together (whitey and diesel). I got smokey from a friend and I got whitey and diesel on Craigslist. The owners did not take good care of them. When I got whitey and diesel, they told me they almost died over the summer because they didn't know they had to be kept at a certain temperature and they also informed me they were only ever taken out of the cage for dust. However I took excellent care of my chinchillas, and I woke up to diesel not moving.. He passed away sometime between 5am-11am. He was fine last night, active as usual. They had food and water. The room was the right temperature. He didn't show any signs of illness, and whitey seems perfectly fine just a little distressed over the loss of his buddy. He is still active and eating and drinking. I just want to know what could have possibly happened to diesel? He is only 4. And if he is dead, why isn't whitey? If he had an illness surely whitey would have caught it as well. Please any information will help, I am devastated and want to make sure my other babies are safe. There was no plastic in the cage either. Thank you


Introducing 3 chinchillas

I have 3 female chinchillas who are not related. They have been living next to one another for almost a year. There has not been any fighting at all through the bars of the cages. Could all 3 live togeather in the biggest cage, which is 4 feet tall, 3 feet wide and 2 feet deep? If so, how would I go about introducing them? Should I do it 1 at a time or all at once?

Thank you for any help:)


Chin with Conjunctivitis, Won't Eat

Until recently, I had two chins, 9.5 year old Smudge and his 4.5 year old son, Mr. Kerfluffle. My husband and daughters moved to Japan in August. When I had to go to Japan for 6 weeks I left the chins with the vets assistant. Out of the blue Smudge got rectal prolapse (like 5 inches) and had to be euthanized, just days before my return. She didn't notice any change in behavior prior, and indeed the vet had seen him just a few days before and thought he was in excellent health.

I have been back caring for Mr. Kerfluffle for 6 weeks. In the first couple of weeks I was home I noticed things such as he didn't make a complete mess out of his hay like what used to happen when he shared a cage with Smudge, so I had no way to gage if he was eating more hay or less hay than normal (so much waste before). He seemed to prefer pellets. He didn't seem to do any activity in his cage other than chew his wood toys and again I thought it was because he was alone.

Then 10 days ago I noticed discharge in his eyes and that they were not fully open, with his left being far worse than the right. I brought him to the vet and he started Tobramycin eye drops, and probiotic. Within a couple of days he stopped eating and the eye got worse to the point it was crusted closed every morning. There is no drool, no mouth smell, no pawing at anywhere on his body, no sneezing, etc. But I brought him back to the vet for x-rays. The vet said the x-rays show a lot of gas/colic but he didn't think there was any malo or root elongation. No abscesses or spurs. He prescribed baytril, along with the eye drops, and added in meloxdyl once per day. He also got intravenous fluids.

In the last 48 hours, neither the pain meds or antibiotics have helped his appetite. He won't eat or drink on his own. At first he lost a bit of weight, but since then I have been able to maintain it by hand feeding critical care 4 times per day a total of 1.5 Tbsps dry mix which is about 4.5 tbsp prepared. At first I could get him to take it from the syringe without having to burrito him, but now I have to wrap him. I get the meds and eye drops in easily and he likes the probiotic. When I have him out, he will hop all over my bed and act seemingly normal, not fatigued. But he doesn't want to come out of the cage, all he wants to do is sit in his house. He seems to poop in spurts that seems to go along with how I feed him in spurts. The poops have gotten to a better size since I started critical care.

I bought simethicone drops yesterday, and today I asked his dr to prescribe the cherry flavored sulfa medication everyone recommends on here, which I started this evening.

I think the x-ray maybe shows root elongation. I will attach them here. None of the chins I've had over the years have had root elongation or malo. Definitely not Smudge, his dad.


What is the best food???

We are getting 2 new chin babies on Saturday and I want the best for them. I am not an inexperienced owner, but not a pro yet either. I will take all the advice I can get and welcome it!

I have read and researched and seen so many different opinions on what they should have and shouldn't have that I think that I am more confused than when I got my first chin...

If I read no dried fruits and nuts or whatever then I see my friend is feeding hers just that and he's doing great... Makes no sense!

Thanks in advance for your help!

Attached Images
File Type: jpg Babies2.jpg (157 Bytes)
File Type: jpg chin food pic.jpg (27.2 KB)


Sources of Vitamin B / Thiamine

I was wondering if people had any advice about good safe sources of vitamin B (thiamine) for chinchillas who need a bit more.

I’ve been told wheat germ is a good one. But more recently it was suggested to me that a dried flat pea might also be a good source, or a pinch of dried carrot and bell pepper.

After all the reading I had done here, I was surprised that someone was suggesting any type of dried veggie for a chin. Do you think it would be safe in extreme moderation to get a bit more thiamine into the diet, or is wheat germ a safer source provided it is carefully monitored so that it does not go off? Does anyone have any experience supplementing sources of thiamine?


mercredi 7 décembre 2016

new chinchilla owner

Hello,
Does anyone know if dried baby's breath is bad for chinchilla's? My chin managed to jump on top of the desk and ingested some...
Also, she will climb/jump on me but she won't tolerate me touching or picking her up. She will squirm, cry, and clean that area when I pet her. The breeder allowed her kids to play with her and she was pretty accustom to human hands. Therefore, I am very confused why she won't allow me to do that.


Sick Chinchilla Acting Strange After Vet Trip

My chinchilla had the sniffles the other day, which is a sign of an upper respiratory infection, so I took him to the vet. The vet gave him an antibiotic (Convenia) and a steroid shot. The vet said he should be feeling better in a few days.

Today his sniffles have gotten better and is eating again and is much more lively. But, he has been sleeping on his side and there are a lot of times where he goes to stand up but he sort of stretches or sprawls out first, and then stands up. It seems almost like he is putting pressure on the area where they gave him a shot to alleviate the pain.

He normally does not sleep on his side, but ever since he got those shots yesterday he has been sleeping on his sides. I put a little fan near his cage that I have been turning on and off throughout the day to try and keep him cool in case the antibiotics are making him a little warm, but he still continues to sleep on his side.

Eating habits seem fine, he's drinking water, and he has been pretty active.

Any suggestions or ideas of why this may be? I am a worried chin mom!


mardi 6 décembre 2016

Trying and failing to bond. Please help!

I've had my standard grey (Nibbler) since he was 3 months old. He is now 8 months old. I thought he seemed lonely so I bought my mosaic (Squishy) who is almost a year. They have separate cages that I have placed next to each other. They aren't aggressive through the bars but when I bring them out to play (in a neutral area) Nibbler gets aggresive. Squishy seems to want to bond. He will walk up to Nibbler in a friendly curious way and Nibbler will relentlessly chase Squishy and Squishy now is scared of him. He will chase him and nip at his fur. There have been fur slips but no blood drawn. I'm starting to fear my boys will never be together. It's breaking my heart. Is there any hope?


General Chinchilla questions

Hello all, I am new to this forum and chinchillas and I have a few basic questions for the more experienced chin owners out there. I have been doing as much research as possible for the past few months now and after all that, I have a few oddly specific questions. My first question is how much do you recommend feeding a chinchilla on a daily basis? Some sites I've read have said 1 or 2 tablespoons a day, but others have said free feeding is best. I'm just curious which you would recommend. My second question for now is how long can you reuse the dust in a dust bath? A few days? A week? Thank you in advance! I will be getting my first chinchilla in two months or so and want to learn all I can to offer the best possible care to him/her!


new hedgie, never sits still - bonding trouble

So I adopted a 1.5-yr-old little girl about two weeks ago. She's very healthy, very active, everything seems great - except I'm starting to feel awful about handling her. She hisses/spikes if I move near her cage. She constantly hisses, pops and balls/spikes when I pick her up. She'll uncurl pretty quickly once I set her down on my lap or bed, but then she immediately starts to run away. If I move even the slightest bit, she hisses/pops/spikes again. She never voluntarily comes near me or shows interest in sniffing me, just tries to get as far away as possible.

I've tried covering her with a blanket - she burrows around in it til she finds her way out and is off again. I let her dig around in my quilt but again, she doesn't just look for a spot to settle down, she just keeps on the move. I've tried putting her in a snuggle sack, but that just upsets her and when she uncurls, she just roots around to find the opening so she can run away again.

I really want to bond with her and help her trust me, but it seems impossible when she won't tolerate being around me. I don't find a lot of online resources for taming/bonding with hedgies helpful because they all seem to assume she'll just curl up in a blanket and sleep. She won't sit still or just curl up in a safe warm spot, so it's always a struggle. And I've started feeling bad because she's SO upset by every interaction, I feel like I'm torturing her by handling her.

Any suggestions?
She also doesn't seem to like ANY treats (I've tried chicken, eggs, veggies...).


Is rat food a no-no?

I got my first chin a week and a half ago. He seems happy with the food I'm giving him (it's specifically designed for chins), but I have a question. Before I owned Bentley I had two rats. The rats died of old age and I still have some of their food left over in an airtight bag. Would it be safe to give this rat food to Bentley, or should I toss it out and let the squirrels have it? Any help y'all give me will be greatly appreciated; I love Bentley and I don't want to make him sick with the wrong food, but I also want to give him a little variety so he won't be bored with what he's got.


Free - Purina Rabbit Chow Show & Timothy Hay - So Cal

I bought 50lbs of Purina Rabbit Chow Show & a flake of timothy, which is a little much for 1 chin so I just figured I'd offer some of it up locally. Free, just pick it up.

I'm in Glendale. I travel to La Verne every couple weeks so if you're between the two, we can probably figure something out.

Or if anyone knows of a chin rescue in the area, I'll happily deliver it to them.


lundi 5 décembre 2016

Introducing two chins- is this aggressive or normal??

Hi everyone,
I've owned chinchillas for a year and a half now. I originally adopted a pair, but I unfortunately had to have one put down due to malocclusion in June. About 2 months ago, I adopted a new chin from someone who had to rehome her. They are both females.
Rory, the chin I had originally, is 3 years old. Boo, the chin I adopted recently, is 4-5. They have been living next to each other in separate cages since I got Boo. I tried one introduction by opening both cages, but Rory went right for Boo and grabbed a chunk of her fur, trying to bite her. I immediately separated them and they have been just neighbors ever since.
Now, when I let Rory out for playtime, she'll run over to Boo's cage and try to bite her nose whenever she sniffs her. I want to introduce them in their play area, "neutral territory", but I'm nervous Rory will go right after Boo again. They're so fast, I don't want Boo to get hurt! Is Rory being normally territorial, or is she just plain aggressive?? Opinions and advice is appreciated. I would be ok with them being just neighbors,but it is a big pain to have two separate out of cage playtimes for them.


Protein Powder?

My chin, Chloe was diagnosed with dental disease about 3+ months ago. She went in for her 3rd filing today. I've been trying really hard to get her to eat more hay to grind her teeth down and I do limit her pellets because she eats more hay that way. The vet said she has muscle wasting and needs a protein supplement. I'm guessing it's from the decrease in pellets as that's really her main source of protein. If that's the case then she may be deficient or in danger of being deficient in some other nutrients that she mainly gets from pellets. I will bump up her pellets (maybe mix in some mazuri or something), though I hope it doesn't decrease her hay consumption. Her weight is unchanged from the past year essentially.
My question is, does anyone have any experience with protein powder supplements? I don't know if I've heard of a chin on protein supplements. My gut says to just up her pellets and call it a day but obviously I am no expert and she is my first and only chin so I have no experience to compare it to.
Thanks!


vendredi 2 décembre 2016

Minneapolis MN 3 chins need new home

Hi, I have 3 male chinchillas each with their own cage. I am new to the area and am not able to have my chinchillas at my apartment. I do not want to part with them. I didn't know if there was anyone who can board them and if not then I would like someone to adopt, they don't have to stay together. Thanks


Did oxbow change thier pellets?

I've read that they changed packaging, but my chin seems really fussy about this last bag. I don't know if I'm imagining it, but the pellets seem smaller.

I've fed him Oxbow for years and I don't recall him ever exhibiting this behavior.


Very new and looking for advice.

Hello! I'm beruset and my wife and I just adopted two chinchillas that were in a University behavior study. I think they're about 3 years old, and they spent those first three years individually housed in small wire cages. Since we've adopted them less than a week ago, a lot has changed for them. They're currently still housed separately in larger cages than they're used to, but still not quite as big as they need. We're doing research daily to make sure we're handling this properly, but of course info from other owners would be very helpful, especially if any of you have experience with rehoming research animals.
My main concern is that they are both hiding all the time, and not eating much. Our dog is curious and goes up to their cages a lot, which I'm sure isn't helping. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, and thanks for reading! I love that communities like this exist :)


jeudi 1 décembre 2016

Pet Carrier Training

I wondered if anyone has any tips on training chins to go into their pet carriers on their own accord.

I realize chins generally only do what they want to, when they want to, and training them like one would a dog is very unlikely. But I wondered if there were some techniques that people have tried that have worked?

We've invested in 2 carrier cages from John Hopewell (really great travel cages for those of you in the UK - much better than anything you can find in pet stores...). We've been working with the chins, holding the pet carrier up to the cage, encouraging them to explore, rewarding them when they go in, and then gradually closing the door, having them stay in for a few minutes or so at a stretch to get them acclimated, and rewarding them upon 'going home'. We've also been leaving the carriers out and open at playtime so that they get used to hopping in and out when they feel like it. So they've definitely gotten more used to them and don't seem to think of them as a bad thing, although one is definitely calmer than the other about being in a more confined space.

However, the problem is really when we need them to go into the carriers during the day when they'd rather being dozing. They're generally willing to come explore in the evening/night, but during the day, there was really no budging them.

Any tips on encouraging them?


mercredi 30 novembre 2016

Sonoma County Vets?

Anyone know of a good vet in Sonoma County?

My chinchilla is having an ultrasound tomorrow ... open pyometra is suspected...
If she has to be spayed I want to be sure it's done well!

I do see on other posts that adobe animal hospital is really good, but it's kind of far for me to take her... ?
I live in Santa Rosa , CA - any other recommendations?
Thanks everyone !


Im going on vacation for the Holidays and I have questions.

I live in Hawaii and I will be visiting my family on the mainland for three weeks. My chinnie, who I have owned for a year, will be staying at a reliable and experienced petsitter which turns out was quite expensive but my baby is worth every penny. Since I will be gone for nearly a month I am afraid my baby (Poofs) and I will not have the same bond when I return. Is this something I should worry about? Do chinchillas forget about you if you are gone for a long period of time?

This might be a stupid question but I was hoping to get some insight. My relationship with him is very important to me and I want to make sure that it will stay intact.

Advice Please. Thanks


Adopting My First Babies!!!

I am adopting two chins from a family that can no longer care for them and are basically throwing them to me because they don't want them anymore. I have always wanted chinchilla's and I have done my own research over the years but there is only one question that has never been answered completely and clearly to me. I am adopting a male and a female with their rather large cage. They have been kept in the same cage for quite some time and nothing has ever seemed to go wrong. They are a breeding pair which I'm still learning more about but my true question is if they are okay in the same cage at all times. Some people say yes some people say no, i would like to have a full answer backed up with experience please:idea:


mardi 29 novembre 2016

Exhausted chin?

when playtime was over squeaker went into the bath house and I put him in his cage. But chewy realized that play time was over so he wouldnt go into the bathhouse. So I had to chase him around. I don't pick them up because they don't like it so I use the bathhouses to transport them from the cage to floor when I finally caught him and put him back in his cage he just kind of collapsed I got scared I opened up the windows and turned on the fan thinking that he was overheating is normal was he just exhausted? He was fine 20 minutes later. I only ever see him lay on his side after play time.


lundi 28 novembre 2016

Storage containers for hay & pellets?

I know that chinchillas love the fresh smell of hay, and usually refuse to eat it if it does not smell good (correct me if I am wrong). And I also know that pellets go bad after time. We have a ton of oxbow hay unopened bags, and we have a half-finished bag of oxbow pellets. Could anyone recommend any storage containers they use that would keep the freshness of the hay and the pellets, if any at all? We want less storage place, his toy parts and food is taking up a bunch of room.


lovin my chinchilly, and need some guidance!

Hi everyone! I'm new to posting on this forum, although I've seen lots of posts when I've had questions and gone searching online! :-) There is lots of great info here, and I'm so glad...
I'm a big fan of Fuzzies Kingdom, and have gotten lots of goodies for my chinchilly from there. I sent an email to them asking for some guidance, and they suggested I reach out to all of you to get some help!!

I have a 3 year old female chinchilla. Her name is Sapphire, but that's way to formal of a name for my little chilly! I have all kinds of cute nicknames for her, all of which are a little embarrassing because they are way to cutesy - haha. I'm sure you understand...
Anyway, we got her when she was first able to come home- so she is very bonded with humans (mostly me ;-) ) yea me! She is super sweet and lovable, and actually likes to cuddle up in my lap while I pet her :-) I'm actually pretty flattered by it, and consider myself really lucky to have the honor of being loved by my little chilly.

I need help though! Does anyone know of a good vet in Santa Rosa, CA??? (or somewhere in the North Bay?) I have a vet, but I'm not sure if he's the best one for her, so I thought I'd ask...

I've had to bring her in a few times this past month- I suspect open- pyometra... Hopefully someone reading this knows of someone!!

In a nutshell she's been to the vet a few times- recently.
First time was because she was always licking her privates. - then I noticed some whitish discharge- no smell to it. The vet put her on an antibiotic ( I forgot the name of it, but she LOVED they way it tasted)... It didn't really work much. No loss of energy, seemed happy.
Then she developed diarrhea / soft smeary poop. UGH. Still licking- and some discharge- still no smell. I took her in for the second time- Dr. got a fresh sample of her poop, and checked it out under the microscope. (checking for giardia and parasites, and other stuff...). Found nothing- only lots of yeast...He put her on another antibiotic- Metronidazole. (she HATED that one...!) Just to be sure, he sent it off to the lab in case he missed anything, and said that if they did find anything, that this antibiotic is most likely the one to use. Lab results came back- all good.
Antibiotic maybe helped the diarrhea some- kind of off and on- but better. Still whitish discharge. So, I called the vet again. I brought her in the day after Thanksgiving for the third time. Dr. took her blood- said that was the next step. Her weight has gone down some- she has always been small- but is skinnier. Energy is ok- little more lethargic- but nothing drastic. Blood test results are due back tomorrow (Monday). I can tell something is going on...

That's why I'm thinking open- pyometra. I know this can be very serious, and I'm worried about her. Fortunately if it is, it's open and not closed......I'm planning on calling my vet first thing tomorrow- and pressing the issue- Baytril? I know if it is open- pyometra having her spayed may be the only option....
Any one out there who can give me some guidance or help me find a vet who specializes in exotics or knows chinchillas? Thank you !


Staph Aureus Skin Infection in Chinchillas

Hello,

Does anyone have any advice for dealing with a Staph Aureus skin infections in chinchillas?

I have 2 male chins housed together in a double Ferret Nation cage.
The older male began to have whiskers & fur loss near nose. Skin was slightly pink. Also skin dry, flaky (later crusty). This happened very gradually (over a week perhaps) the first day I noticed his nose hair thinning/the pinkness, I thought it was just irritated from pushing through the bars to get hay. I had just recently started using a bass equipment hay feeder on outside of cage.
Then, the younger chin housed with him began to have hair thinning & pinkness. I made appointment with vet the next day. Younger chins became worse quickly and by the vet appointment the next day he had crusting behind ears and his nose was red. Since then have noticed redness and crusting on feet, inside ears, on base of tail, near genitals, and on skin of back (close to ears).

I have consulted two exotic vets and they basically both went through the same diagnosis process. Stated that the skin infection was likely either: 1) Fungal, 2) Bacterial, or 3) parasites (mites). Also possible to have a secondary bacterial infection caused from scratching at mites, fungus, etc.

Treatment process:
Clean cage as often as possible (every day or every other day). I've been nearly always cleaning cage daily using hospital-grade disinfecting wipes. Occasionally I have to work late & clean every other.
Fleece laundered daily. Wash twice (1st wash tide & 2nd wash health grade laundry cleaner). Run bleach through washer after.

Treated with ivermectin in case of mites. (2 injections, spaced 1 week apart)

Treated with sulfur in dust bath in case of fungus. (2 weeks)

Treated with antibiotics for bacteria. (SULFA for 1 week but little improvement, so switched to Cipro. They have been on the Cipro 2 weeks. Cipro is much harsher & they are getting supplemental feedings of Oxbow Critical Care & probiotics (BeneBac). Give probiotics twice a day, a minimum of 2 hours before/after antibiotic is given.

Initially, cause was unknown so treated for everything (treatments listed above).

Since then, culprit is believed to be Staph Aureus bacteria - supported by swab & cocci appearance under microscope. Do not have staph strain information because don't want to risk chins worsening if off of antibiotic for 3 days to get a sample for culture (if they are on antibiotics culture results won't be accurate). Suspected it's not MRSA because abscess on one chinchilla's chest has shown significant improvement in response to Cipro.

Problem is that this staph seems to predominately clings to hair follicles & is hard to get to with systemic antibiotic. Try to use topical treatment on feet, ears, etc. but it's difficult to get to their skin due to their dense fur. Also, they hate topical treatment and remove it as fast as I can apply it.
The topical items I have include: Blue Kote, Silvadene, Trichloro 4 wipes, and Tresaderm.

Any advice for treating skin infections in chins (particularly Staph)? Is there any antibacterial powders for dust baths?! My vet had not heard of any and said they would look into it. Hoping someone here may know?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Attached Images
File Type: jpg thumbnail_FullSizeRender.jpg (157 Bytes)


Getting a friend for my Chinchilla?

This is my first chinchilla, and I've had him for about a 2 years now, he was 10 months old when I got him. I don't think his previous owners knew how to take care of him, because he doesn't act how a normal chinchilla would (I've seen videos, my sister had chinchillas). I thought maybe getting him a chinchilla friend would help him adjust easier and make him not as lonely. The only problem is that I don't want to just buy him a friend and find out he isnt interested, the only thing I could think of is a chinchilla play date to see if their compatible, but where would I find a breeder or store willing to do that? (I live in southern california) I am lost for what to do and am open to suggestions


Staph Aureus Skin Infection Chinchillas

Hello,

Does anyone have any advice for dealing with a Staph Aureus skin infection in chinchillas?

I have 2 male chins housed together in a double Ferret Nation cage.
The older male began to have whiskers & fur loss near nose. Skin was slightly pink. Also skin dry, flaky (later crusty). This happened very gradually (over a week perhaps) the first day I noticed his nose hair thinning/the pinkness I thought it was just irritated from pushing through the bars to get hay; I had just recently bought & started using a bass equipment hay feeder on outside of cage.
Then, the younger chin housed with him began to have hair thinning & pinkness. I made appointment with vet the next day. Younger chins became worse quickly and by the vet appointment the next day he had crusting behind ears and his nose was red. Since then have noticed redness, crusting on feet, inside ears, and base of tail.

I have consulted two exotic vets and they basically both went through the same diagnosis process. Stated that the skin infection was likely either: 1) Fungal, 2) Bacterial, or 3) ectoparasites (mites). Also possible to have a secondary bacterial infection cause from scratching at mites, fungus, etc.

Both stated clean cage as often as possible (every day or every other day). Ive been nearly always clean cage daily using hospital-grade disinfecting wipes. Occasionally I have to work late & clean every other.
Fleece laundered daily. Wash twice (1st wash tide & 2nd wash health grade laundry cleaner). Run bleach through washer after.

Treated with ivermectin in case of mites. (2 injections, spaced 1 week apart)

Treated with sulphur in dust bath in case of fungus. (2

Treated with antibiotics for bacteria. (SULPHA 1 week but little improvement so switched to Cipro. Been on Cipro 2 weeks. Cipro is much harsher & they are getting supplemental feedings of critical care & probiotics (minimum 2 hours before/after antibiotic given).

Initially, cause was unknown so treated for everything. Since then, culprit is believed to be staph aureus bacteria - supported by swab & cocci appearance under microscope. Do not have staph strain information because don't want to risk chins worsening if off of antibiotic for 3 days to get sample for culture (if they are on antibiotics culture results won't be accurate). Suspected it's not MRSA because abscess on one chinchilla's chest has shown significant improvement in response to Cipro.

Problem is that staph clings to hair follicles & is hard to get to with systemic antibiotic. Try to use topical treatment on feet, ears, etc but it's not as effective in chins since they try to get it off immediately.

Any advice for treating skin infections in chins?

I have blue kote, silvadene, trichloro 4 wipes etc. but it's so hard to get liquids/ointments on their skin because of their dense fur. Also it irritates them & they work to remove it faster than I can apply it. Is there any antibacterial powders for dust baths?

Any advice would be appreciated! My vets have been great this last month but I'm hoping for more insight if anyone has it.

Thanks!


dimanche 27 novembre 2016

Fur Chewing

Hi everyone,

I have come to this site to ask a question about fur chewing. My chinchilla has been fur chewing for about a year now, and she is only 3 years old. When I researched it after she began, one of the factors that could contribute to fur chewing was stress and another was boredom. She has plenty of toys that she loves to play with and chew, and she hasn't experienced any crazy stress from environmental changes or other factors that I know of. When we took her to the vet, he checked her skin and fur, and she did not have any mites or infections. She has recently begun to chew her tail fur as well, exposing a small part of the tip of her pink tail. Does anyone know what could be causing this? Is there anything I could do? I don't want this to affect my chin's emotional well being, so I am hoping to help her in any way possible.


vendredi 25 novembre 2016

Hi Everyone :)

Hi, my name is Monica. I have had a wide range of fur babies throughout my life and recently I finally purchased chinchillas. I have wanted chinchillas for over 10 years because, not only are they incredibly cute but they also have huge and complex personalities. After lots of research and time spent debating purchasing or adopting chinchillas, last year I purchased 6 month old twin brothers that I absolutely adore. They have completely opposite personalities. Remmy bonded to me immediately and is outgoing, rambunctious, smart, and brave. Chewy however took until recently to warm up to me, he is more for food and chew toys. He likes my presence and some butt rubs but other than that he is more independent. I have been looking at threads for quite some time from this forum and really should have signed up sooner. I am constantly researching their behavior and how to best care for them.
As of late though my Remmy has had a 180 in his behavior that has really stumped me. A week after his wellness vet visit (which he was perfectly healthy at) his behavior suddenly become cautious and unfriendly towards me. His weight, eating, drinking, and activity level are close to the same but he no longer wants much to do with me. His normal self would greet me at the cage door and want to bounce all over the place and climb up and down me, but now he just wants to sit at the top of his cage with his head tilted to the side slightly, almost like he is glaring. He will usually come out if I sit far from the cage in the play space but he acts jumpy and skittish if I move at all. As far as I know nothing has changed in his environment, my behavior has not changed nor has any traumatic event happened with me present, and his health when last checked was very healthy. I can't seem to find any answers for this behavior change and I would appreciate any suggestions! I love my babies and would love to correct whatever has changed. On the upside his brother Chewy has become much more friendly as Remmy has become less friendly.


My chinchillas behavior has done a 180

I have two brothers that have always had distinct personalities. Remmy bonded with me immediately where Chewy has been slower to warm up. After a year with me Remmy has suddenly stopped liking me. He saw a vet about a week prior to the behavior change and he got a clean bill of health. He's eating and drinking and somewhat active. But his behavior is worrying me. Normally he would meet me at the door everytime I would come in the room. He would also show a lot of excitement for playtime where now he has become very skittish and mostly just sits at the top of his cage with his head held tilted and looks like he's glaring. The environment hasn't changed nor has there been any traumatic events (that I'm aware of). This has been going on for two weeks and I'm starting to really worry. If anyone has any suggestions or tips they would be greatly appreciated!


Do you switch hay brands slowly, like with pellets?

I know if your switching brands of pellet, you need to introduce it slowly. Can the same be said for brands of timothy hay? Or if they like it, it's fine? Thank you!


jeudi 24 novembre 2016

Weird fur?

Hey everyone! Just had a quick question. So when I came home tonight my chinchillas fur was kind of hard and crunchy in some spots and is kind of sticking together? Idk how to explain it. But before I left she was totally normal and when I got home not even 3 hours later her fur was a mess. Anyone have any idea what might have happened? I'll post a pic of her before and after so you can see what I am taking about. She had a dust bath the night before if that matters. I have had her for 3 years now and this has never happened before. The inside of her tunnel kind of feels and looks weird too. I'm thinking maybe she peed herself? She is litter trained though and only normally pees in her litter

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Midwest Critter Nation?

Hi everyone and happy thanksgiving to those who celebrate it!

I tried to search around here, but I just came up with kind of general support of Midwest Critter Nation (which is the same as Critter Nation right?) and that it's worth the price. I found specifically this cage on Petco http://ift.tt/2gpTAIp because I'm looking for a cage that's better quality than my Kaytee ferret one. I was on here asking about the Prevue I think it was called a while back, but then heard about the downside of the metal or whatever it's made of I forget, which is possible rusting. I can't quite figure out what the Midwest is made of and why exactly it's so much more than other cages. Also, my chin does a number on the plastic shelving, so that's why I'm trying to find something that can't be chewed. I had gotten a second Kaytee cage, but I'm not doing this a third time and every other year for 20 years because he wants to chew it lol. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Especially with potential Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals or other holiday deals around the corner. Thank you!


mercredi 23 novembre 2016

A little concerned with weight & fur slips

Good afternoon, all.

I adopted Gizmo less than 2 months ago I believe. Me and my husband adopted him from a shelter, and in the paperwork it said Gizmo weighed approx 485 grams, and on another sheet it said 500 grams. (I'm going to assume the 485 is most accurate out of the two.) In the paperwork, it also stated his age, so today gizmo is about 1 yr 4 mos old.

At the shelter, there was another chinchilla right beside him, and it was also male, and it look considerably bigger than Gizmo did/does. When me and my husband did the adoption interview for Gizmo, we brought up our concerns about how our little guy looked way smaller than that other chinchilla in the room. The adoption counselor said that she believes when Gizmo was a kit, his previous owner did not feed him alfalfa like he was supposed to, in order to make him grow, and therefor is as small as he is. Gizmo also came into the shelter with a hurt bloody leg, which had completely healed by the time we saw him.

A few days ago, my husband and I finally received the digital kitchen scale we ordered online, and it was a hassle to get Gizmo to stand perfectly on it. it kept saying he was in the 200s (which is very unlikely, he would be skin and bones), and finally settled on 470 grams. According to the paperwork, it said he weighed 485 grams, so I am very concerned. He ALWAYS pigs out on his food. and for the record:

We are feeding him Oxbow pellets, and Oxbow hay.
For treats, in our care, he has ONLY EVER GOTTEN rosehips, oats, and clovers. (though for the most part, rosehips; and his treat isn't daily).


We are first time chinchilla owners, and to me, other than being concerned about his weight, he looks completely healthy. He loves the both of us, and loves to be petted and will coo all night long while he gallivants on his wheel. But being that we've had him for 2 months, we have been trying to pick him up, all without any luck. One of the times he actually had a fur slip, and he was shrieking and twisting around so we let him go. And just recently, he had another one (although not nearly as much fur came out.) Only 2 fur slips have occurred to my knowledge. the rest of the times we'd try to pick him up, he'd bark and hop away. This last time, when he had the fur slip, he walked away like he was fine and came up to us again (he was out of his cage for his playtime).

I am really rather confused. Part of me wonders if Gizmo thinks trying to pick him up is a game, because of the way he acts. Only once did he act TRULY UPSET and had that huge fur slip, but the rest of the time he will just bark once and stay where he is and let me continue to pet him, or he will hop away and then seconds later come back up to me. He's actually barked from it, and then a couple seconds later started cooing multiple different instances. This little guy is confusing.


Is there anything wrong with his weight? should he be weighing more? I don't feel his ribs when i touch his belly, and he always pigs out on his food, but should I be trying to get him to gain weight?

****and yes there are a few plastic things in his cage, but we have kept a very close eye on him, and he has no interest in plastic as of yet.









New Chin Momma :)

Hello everyone!

I recently made the decision to become a chinchilla momma! I have been wanting one for months and finally made the jump! I am going to pick up my first boy, Oliver Bobbie (Ollie for short), on Thanksgiving!

I live in Pittsburgh, PA but will be going to get him from a rescue in Tennessee that a good friend owns for bunnies. Yes, I am a bun momma as well to 8 gorgeous bunnies.

I like I've been all over the place when it comes to finding chinchilla information and my vet (Dr. Angie Keffer in Pittsburgh, PA) directed me to the forums to learn more.

I wanted to post an introduction post but will be posting some questions I have right off the bat as well!

--Should chinchillas have friends? Oliver is currently a single but my vet has a single lady that she had to do an emergency spay on and she thinks I should see how they do together since the girl is lonely.

--Are Cheerios really a good treat? What are some of the best treats you guys suggest??I know with bunnies there are a lot of treats that people give that aren't the best for buns and I'm trying to get a sense of what should be given versus what can be given!

I am planning on doing a set-up like this (photo attached) with a run outside of the cage also with stuff for them to get into during supervised play times. Thoughts? What are some of the best things I should add into the pen/cage?

Any other thoughts would be greatly appreciated! PS. My bunny vet is also a chinchilla breeder so I already have a great vet in place in regards to that!

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I Need Tips For The Cage

Hello Everyone! hope you all are doing good. I am having a hard time with my chinchilla "Stella". I recently adopted her, because the owner did not want her anymore. So, I told her I would adopt her, since they were just going to throw her out in a field. She has been doing fine, I changed her diet to Mazuri pellets and Oxbow hay always available. She has a chew toy in her cage and a wheel that she loves to run in. She had a cooling spot and two tunnels which she sleeps in. Am I missing anything for her? I am a newbie in learning. Stella is two years old, she is sweet. My only concern is that when she pees she sticks her little butt in the corner of the cage and pees, and the pees fall through the cracks of the metal cage and go all over the floor. The cage is beginning to rust and I was going to see if there is anything I can use as a guard to direct the urine flow into the liner of the cage. Does anyone have tips for me? thank you guys in advance.


mardi 22 novembre 2016

A Chinchilla's Winter Schedule?

I was wondering if it's typical for chinchillas to sleep more often during the winter months, or when there are less sunlight hours in the day?

I've only had my chins for about 3 months now, so I'm trying to figure out if a) they have just really settled in more, or b) the short days and cold, dreary weather is causing them to sleep more often [the house has maintained its temperature though].

When we first got them they were more active during the day and their brief periods of activity were longer than they are now. They seem perfectly healthy: they get up every few hours to pee and have a snack, but then it's a very decisive jump back up to cuddle/sleep with the brother.

I'm also wondering if because there are two of them, and they know they can romp around their cage at night together without my prying eyes, they are slightly less concerned with getting human attention during the day. They both seem to prefer chin-company to human company, which I can understand. I know they're super active at night because I wake up to a mess and loads of poo, but I sometimes get (most likely irrationally) worried at how little they move around during the day.

Is it usual for chins to sleep more in the autumn/winter months? And is it normal for a pair of bonded chins to keep to their own schedule more so than that of their human-companions?


Crusty Substance?

Hi All!
New chin owner here. We've had our little guy, Dobby for just over 3 weeks and he turned 3 months this past Saturday (Nov. 12th). Both my wife and I have done a ton of research thanks to this forum and the like. He has a very healthy diet of Oxbow Essentials Chinchilla food, Timothy hay, water, plenty of wood chews, and after play time we give him a small sliver of rosehip sometimes. Also, the occasional oats as well when we are trying to get him used to our hands more. Anyways, I noticed this yellowish crusty-like substance (see picture) in the very bottom corner of his cage. I don't know how long it's been there but we just changed the fleece on Sunday. I've read that Chins can't vomit so I have no idea what it could be. Any advice would be appreciated. As of this morning he seemed totally fine. Thank you!

Jay

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Hedgehog

I have a 9 month old hedgehog and just 2 days ago he started bleeding from his toungue and it was really swollen i took him to one of my dads friend whos a vet but he really didint know much about hedgehogs he said he probably injured himself while he licked himself and so he said he would ask his manager about it and will purscribe a medicine. 2 days have passed and the swelling went down but he only seems to be drinking water he hasnt eaten or pooped but hes been acting normal. I read that if its to cold they wont eat but i have him in a warm room now so its not cold anymore. I also noticed he might have lost some teeth he still has the two front ones but from the side he doesnt seem to have plz help


lundi 21 novembre 2016

Any research on UV light therapy for teeth and bones?

Does anyone have research they can share on the use of UV light to treat bone density issues/ teeth root issues?


dimanche 20 novembre 2016

Replacement pan for Feisty Ferret cage?

My chin has chewed through the plastic of my Prevue Hendryx Feisty Ferret cage. Does any place sell replacements or have a permanent solution for replacing the bottom pan?


duct work?

in lieu of a PVC pipe covering in fleece, what are some feelings about using (uncovered) ductwork as tubes in cages? i thought i saw it in someone's pictures in the Ferret Nation Club thread. it'd be a good option for cooling chins, like the chinchiller or granite slabs. just curious if theres a big reason not to use these.

link to picture of what I mean:
http://ift.tt/2fI4kUc


samedi 19 novembre 2016

forum not so busy?

is it just me, or does this forum not seem as busy as it used to be?

i've been a member for awhile (was a member of C-n-Q as well when it was in existence) but very on and off. i'll get active for awhile and then life picks up and brings me away from the forum for awhile. then a questions about the chins brings me back. i always enjoy reading thru the threads and getting help or advice from my fellow chin owners. i've been hanging around the past week or so, and i noticed there just doesn't seem to be the same amount of posts/responses that there used to be. is there a new forum that people have moved to? or a dip in membership? just curious.


cat forum?

along with my 5 chins and 1 hedgie... my house is home for 3 beautiful kitties. I'm curious if anyone here knows any good forums comparable to this one, but for cats?

thanks in advance!


Chinchilla refusing a bath!

Hello,

I am new to the forum and hoping someone could help. I have three chinchillas, 1 male and 2 females. Milly and chilly were rescued and introduced together and they had Lilly before chilly was neutered. All have been really healthy and have never caused me a problem until a couple of weeks ago. Chilly refuses to take a sand bath which is not like him at all. He will often sit in the bath then hop right out. There is nothing else obviously wrong with him... He is eating fine, drinking and using his wheel like mad!

I took him to an expert exotics vet who couldn't find anything obviously wrong. She thought she saw a couple of Spurs in his mouth but she wasn't 100% sure this was the cause as they didn't appear to be large enough to cause a problem. The only thing she could recommend was to anaesthetise him and check him over further. Obviously this comes with a risk for chinchillas and I don't want to do it unless needed. I'm just not convinced it's pain in his teeth as he's eating and playing fine otherwise. Has anybody else experienced this or can anyone offer some help?

Thank you in advance. Alex


Blood on tail

A few days ago my parents told me that they noticed 2 small drips of blood on the floor in front of Marzipan's cage, and when I cleaned her cage 3 days ago I noticed also a small blood stain on one of her wood ledges, but didn't see any injuries on her. Now today, there are dried blood spots on the wall behind her cage and she seems to have blood dried on her tail towards the tip, and she also seems very bothered by it, all day she had been suddenly "chasing" her tail and spinning in circles and making angry sounds. She also makes angry sounds when we try and go near her. Should I be worried about it or has she possibly just cut herself and I just wait for it to heal?


vendredi 18 novembre 2016

HELP

:cry3: I HAVE SEEN MY CHINCHILLA TURN HIS HEAD TO ONE SIDE GRINDING HIS TEETH DO I NEED TO GO TO A VET WHY IS HE DOING IT


Do they ever refuse chew sticks?

Ok, I'm trying not to panic, but being a new chin mom of only 1 month, it's difficult.

Until now, the norm has been that I have to bring 2 sticks in simultaneously or they will both go after the first one in.

This morning JoJo refused an elm twiglet. I tried another one, still no. Last ditch effort, I figured if she doesn't go for the apple twig there may be something wrong. A big NO on the apple twig.

Note that they, or one of them, semi-demolished the stick part of a barbell last night. Daphne happily took an extra twiglet this morning, but I took the others out because I want to know who is chewing them.

Help!

Thanks,
Trish


jeudi 17 novembre 2016

Help, my Chin has Malo!

Hello everyone – from South Africa.

I need advice and support from someone who has been through Malo with their chin or possibly a vet?

Diagnosis: My female chin, Neela – 3yr 7mnth, has developed malo.

When: she started showing true signs about 3 weeks ago, but since she was about 2yrs 5mnths I noticed a slightly more ‘bumpy’ lower jaw than average. Here eye sockets are fine though.

Symptoms: She was not eating at all and dropped her pellets and possibly not drinking water. She has lost weight. She was drooling slightly and her jaw motion during her chews was very abnormal. Bloated and not pooping BUT no signs of any fecal pellets in her system. She passed the occasional slimy, sticky clear mucus from her bum. She was also sleepy and had no energy.

Cause: Neela’s mom, Lilly 6yrs 10mnths, is her companion – she has no issues or signs of malo. Neela’s father, Peppers, died September 2015 at the age of 4yrs 10 months, but he was a small chin and I’m assuming didn’t come from good genes as was below average size and his jaw bone was also quite bumpy. So this issue may be genetically induced or from her diet, but my other chin Lilly has no issues. So I am leaning towards genetics.

Feeding:
Nowhere in my country is Oxbow Citical Care available so, I was syringe feeding her (her pellets mushed up (with calcium powder) along with Nutrostim, a Vitamin B, high calorie nutritional supplement (0.2mls a day) made by Cipla Vet – I’m not sure if it is available in your country) I was feeding her about 9 mls of feed in the am and evening (as I work and not at home to feed during the day) 0.2mls of Nutrostim and 2mls of purified water.

Her diet is made up of a Chinchilla Mix called Tiny Friends Farm and here is the nutritional information:
Composition: Wheat, timothy hay, alfalfa meal, flaked peas, soya bean hulls, flaked maize, soya bean meal, extruded maize, wheat feed, linseeds, soya oil, dried carrot, sunflower oil, calcium carbonate.
Analytical Constituents:
Protein 16.0%, Crude fibre 15.0%, Fat content 3.0%, Inorganic matter 5.0%, Calcium 0.6%, Phosphorus 0.4%
Nutritional Additives/kg:
Vitamin A 20000 IU, Vitamin D3 2000 IU, Ferrous sulphate monohydrate 61mg, Calcium iodate anhydrous 1.5mg, Copper sulphate pentahydrate 20mg, Manganese oxide 32mg, Zinc oxide 87mg, Sodium selenite 0.3mg.

Bedding: She also has eragrostis and Lucerne. As well as a nesting box, ladder and polls to jump on, also a pine stump.

Bloat Solution: I was doing a hot compress twice in the morning and twice in the evening with small circular motion tummy rubs.

Solution: I took her to a vet (someone who I know has dealt with and treated dental issues in rabbits) and he said he did not like that fact that her lower jaw had ‘points’ where her molars start. I did tell him that it was an alarming issue for me and suspected she had dental issues. Before I visited the vets practice I had done quite a bit of research on my own so I knew what I was dealing with.
Unfortunately where I live, vets here have very little knowledge of chinchillas and also no experience, so it is very difficult for Neela and me.
So my vet had to call up a specialist vet and he reckoned that the roots of her molars were growing into her jaw and she wasn’t grinding down her teeth fast enough – of which this was my initial suspicion. And as per the specialist the temporary solution which would help only to a degree was to put her under anesthetic and grind/file all of her teeth down.
All this was done at R545.00 (about $38.00) which was affordable for me.

Recovery: Upon collecting Neela from the vet, while she was in her carrier she has passed a large fecal pellet, about 15+ times the size of a normal one. I’m guessing this is a build-up of food.
Also, quite a bit of clear fluid passed through her bum with the occasional wind passing through. And thereafter, her bloat has now disappeared – I’m so happy!
She attempted picking up her food pellets but she dropped it and didn’t pursue the chew. So I have had to continue syringe feeding her the formula. She is now a lot more energetic and is fighting the feeds but does take it though; I just can’t as much in at a time.
She is passing fecal pellets, but they are quite soft and I’m guessing it’s because I am giving her a lot of water (in her mushed up food through syringe and I am feeding her water through syringe separately)

Question:
What I am doing, is it acceptable?
Additionally, do I need to feed her electrolytes and a probiotic?
Does she need any other nutrients?
It is day 2 after her procedure and she is not eating on her own, is this normal?
I know malo will come back in a few months; do I need any more preparation?
She is dirty down at her bits area and her mouth, any idea how to clean her?

Your help and advice will mean a lot to me and Neela as South African Forums, self-proclaimed chinchilla whisperers and Registered Breeders here are not supportive and helpful.

Neela and I thank you so much for reading our story and for your support.:grouphug::heart3:Attachment 22653

Attachment 22654
Attached is a picture of Neela (Dark Brown) and Lilly (Light Beige)

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mercredi 16 novembre 2016

Troubled chinchilla...

Just got myself an ebony female chinchilla 3 days ago for the price of two regular ones, I was happy at first. It seem normal and curious before purchase, however when it's in the cage I provided, it started the cold treatment where it would only moves or eat when I'm gone; when I come around it would jump up on top of the dust box and stood there for hours like an owl... I had chinchillas previously and they weren't behave like this before. I :banghead:can't return it to pet stores so I'll be stuck with this depressing fellow for the rest of its life, so fraustrating.


Crusty Substance?

Hi All!
New chin owner here. We've had our little guy, Dobby for just over 3 weeks and he turned 3 months this past Saturday (Nov. 12th). Both my wife and I have done a ton of research thanks to this forum and the like. He has a very healthy diet of Oxbow Essentials Chinchilla food, Timothy hay, water, plenty of wood chews, and after play time we give him a small sliver of rosehip sometimes. Also, the occasional oats as well when we are trying to get him used to our hands more. Anyways, I noticed this yellowish crusty-like substance (see picture) in the very bottom corner of his cage. I don't know how long it's been there but we just changed the fleece on Sunday. I've read that Chins can't vomit so I have no idea what it could be. Any advice would be appreciated. As of this morning he seemed totally fine. Thank you!

Jay