Swollen male genitalia.

I hope someone can give me an answer if this looks normal or not. We just got our male Chinchilla - his old owner had him in a starter Chinchilla cage and on wood chips. We recently upgraded him to a Ferret Nation 182 and on fleece. Just last night my daughter held him and I noticed how red and swollen his male bits were. I'm wondering if this calls for a vet visit.. Any help is appreciated.

Questions

1• Best hay brand? I'm thinking about switching to Small Pet Select Timothy hay or Oxbow

2• Playtime? Is it better to let my chin out for a long period of time once a day or a couple shorter periods of time a day?

Pretty much it! Is it normal for her to run around then take a break during playtime? And repeat?



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Solitary Chin lonely? Please help me brainstorm solution.

Hello,
I have a 10-12 year old male chin that has lived alone all his life. He's had two owners prior to me, I've had him about 2 years now.

He has started calling out behavior when for nearly a year and a half I never heard hardly a peep out of him. He calls at night, while he's half asleep. During play time he sits on my window sill while my window is open and calls out into the night.

I try to give him a lot of attention and play time. His cage is in my bedroom and since I need to rest frequently I'm always talking to him or reading to him while he's awake.

I made a stuffed cuddle buddy and he won't use it. Whenever he runs across it in his cage he seems to get angry and throws it across the cage.

He has a large three level cage with ledges, chew toys, two houses, a hidey nest, hanging chew toys. He gets Oxbow pellets, timothy hay and others, organic whole rose hips and organic rolled oats for treats and about 8 chew sticks a day. His water is Poland Springs and his last check up 2 months ago shows he is healthy. His vet said not to worry about him being lonely for another chin, just make sure I spend time with him.

Also he started humping my arm or leg whenever he's out, this started a few months ago...about the same time he started getting more vocal.

Is he lonely? I really believe he won't tolerate another chin living with him. What can I do to help him?

Thanks for reading my post. :)

Rescue Chins being bred by Petting Zoo

I was as at event this weekend and was approached by someone who had 5 chins in a cage and was getting more shipped in from Calgary Zoo. They want to have all 7 in a cage together. Males and females. There was the original 2 and the rest are the offspring.

They have males and females together and their current chins were "rescues" and the chins in Calgary were "dumped" on them.

I emailed the zoo and they feel it was a misunderstanding. The person who runs the petting zoo was clear about adding new bloodlines to their chins. The zoo doesn't seem to care.

Maybe if these were endangered chins it would be different but they are rescues.

The petting zoo says that they are a shelter. I say they are not much better than backyard breeders.

Pregnant Chin

In december I got a "male" (actually a female) chinchilla to keep my actual male chinchilla company. Well like I said turned out to be a female and they've been caged together since December. If she got pregnant as soon as I put them together her due date would be sometime this month. I do know she is pregnant since she has nipples and has gained weight and been laying on her side. The problem is, is that I know you're supposed to put her into a baby-proof cage. But when I switched her over she started jumping on the walls of the cage and trying to get out, and I read that stress can lead to the babies dying. Sorry this was so long, but any suggestions of what I should do?

Bonded Females near St. louis Mo? Possibly fl?

HI, I'm looking for a pair of bonded females, preferably one being a standard and the other either dark ebony, pink white, or light beige in color. Willing to travel reasonable-ish distances depending on prices. I am making a trip to Fort Walton Florida late may and am open to chinchillas in that area as well. Any age.

What type of food is best

What type of food is best for older chins my chinchilla have been eating vita craft vita natural mixed with a forge mix and he enjoys it more then when I would give him a food with just pellets I was told that oxbow was good but I don't think he would eat it most of the pellet wind up on the floor is there another type of mixed food that is good too ?

what is the best food for chins

My one chinchilla don't like pellets and just throws them out but is the best type of mix food. I am using vitakraft vita natural mixed with a forge mix. He seems to enjoy it and not as much out the food is on the cage floor. I would like to know what is the safest food for him .
thanks

Facebook Page for chinchilla owners, breeders etc

Hi guys,

Song was browsing Facebook pages the other day and noticed that there aren't many that allow people to come together and ask for or give advice on chinchilla owning, breeding, care etc.

I don't know if any of you noticed this but I was surprised to only really find pages for buying and selling chinchillas.

Anyway I have made a page for all chinchilla parents so that we can ask for advice, give any tips, share chinchilla stories etc and come together as a community.

At any of you are interested then the link to the page is: http://ift.tt/1VPYJZT

I hope this page can bring people together

Thank you

LOUD? Hard for chin to sleep??

So recently, my dad is working on renovation downstairs. And, it just so happens that the renovation is REALLY LOUD. It can be hear quite loudly upstairs, where the chinchilla's room is. I don't know how to keep her calm. I put a fleece blanket on top of her cage, so she wouldn't be too worried, but otherwise, I don't know what to do. I did close the door that lead downstairs, but it's still really loud. Any suggestions on what to do? Any help is appreciated.

Easter Babys!

So the time has come and i have at this moment one little baby chinchilla waddling around its mother cage, im normally up this early anyways ((10AM)) and i sat down at my computer and turned it on to her hear chirping and i figured she was wanting my attention like she always does in the morning and i look over and see her leg is wet as she sits in her corner, then thats when i see it, this wittle baby face poke out and i swear to god i squeeed. pictures will be provided asap but i can't tell if she is having a second one cause the baby is still kinda wet.

housing 3 chins together

Hello everyone, I am new to this forum, but have had a chinchilla about 4 years now. He has always been a single, but I used to have plenty of time with him, now I don't so I have been thinking about getting him a friend to make up for the less time I spend with him so he is not so lonely. I have found one for him, but he is even coming with another chin(she wont sell one without the other) which is fine, but I live in a tiny apartment so I only have room for one cage. I wil have a double unit midwest critter nation cage which they will all eventually have to share. I know introductions take time so a second cage is possible but only for short term. Anyway what I am asking is if I can have them out for supervised play longer and give them plenty of space to hide away from each other in the cage do you think that that cage will be big enough for them? I just want to make sure everyone has enough space to live comfortably

urine drinking

Should I be concerned if my chinchilla tries to drink her urine? She is recovering from a spay so I have her on fleece in a small cage. I just witnessed her pee and immediately beginning licking it as if she needed to clean it before it soaked in.
Is this a sign of illness or could she just be trying to keep her small space clean? Has anyone ever noticed their chin do this?

Bird perch safe?

Just wondering if or how safe this perch would be. Thanks!

http://ift.tt/1q8IZ8m

I know some people purchase bird toys for their chins. I haven't done that yet but to me this looks just like wood a loofa, unless I'm missing something.

Teeth issue? Turning pellets into powder

My chins are at my parents house while I am at college. My dad does a great job with them and I don't worry about their level of care so I don't think that is related to this issue but when I came home yesterday I noticed that one of the cages' food bowl was mostly powder. I had noticed this a bit before but figured he had just finished off a bag and it was from the bottom. But with this, they have literally taken the food down to the a powder, everything in the bowl. I checked both girls' teeth and they aren't pointy or excessively long. I gave them both a treat to try to see who it was and I think I know. Her bottom teeth are a bit longer than the others but she is able to eat and doesn't appear uncomfortable so I'm not sure what to do. Could she need them filed even though they're not pointed or curling in? They have plenty of wood, louffa and lava chews but ran out of lava a while ago, which I just stocked up on. I don't think that would have led to the change that fast though? Just looking for thoughts and experiences. Again, she's eating, doesn't appear to have lost weight and has access to chews. Thanks!

Anyone near Abilene, TX?

I've been doing research on chinchillas. Now that I'm ready to buy I am having a hard time finding chinchillas near me! It seems that most the sites I click on are expired or don't even work. Like all of a sudden people just stopped selling or breeding Chinchillas in Texas. It's weird. Anyway, looking to buy one if anyone has information on a breeder near me. Thank you.

Can chinchillas eat Readigrass?

My local pet shop has got a bag of this in and I want to know if it's safe to give my chin? I thought it would make a change from her meadow and timothy hay, which she's getting rather bored of.

Looking to rehome my lonely boy, Andy (Chicago area)

My girl has passed away (she was in the cage next to him), and I think my boy is lonely now. His name is Andy. He is 12 years old and seems to be in excellent health. He eats Oxbow pellets, hay from Kleenmama's, and gets organic apple twigs daily. He's in a double Critter Nation, so he is quite comfortable, but I do feel sorry for him being all alone.

If anyone here would be willing to take him so he could have a buddy or two, I think he would really love that. I love Andy, but I want the best for him and don't want him to be lonely :(

waddling after spay

Talia was spayed yesterday. She came home last night and has barely moved from the corner except to pee and once to eat a few pellets. When she walks she actually walks, one foot then the other. Not like a normal movement. I've had two prior spays and they both had to stay over night and cane home the next day. Those two both acted as though nothing happened. They would try to get out every chance they got and hopped around normally. For that reaso, I'm concerned about Talia. She eats when I give her food by hand and drinks when I put the water bottle in front of her. Her poops look good. It looks as though she thinks about moving, but then her tail moves slightly and she decides not to move. Where my first two spays abnormal or is something wrong with Talia? I don't want to bring her back and forth to the vet while she's recovering unless I have to. Any input is appreciated.

She's on .2 cc(1.5mg/ml) metacam once a day and .2cc (22mg/ml) baytril twice a day.

putting two boys together near a girl?

So as some back story, I have two chins. Chester is a male and Charlie is a female. Charlie was originally purchased as a friend for Chester, as I found her in a pet store and they weren't taking very good care of her at all so I felt like I had to get her out of there, and they told me that she was a boy so I thought I'd take her home and eventually try to introduce her to Chester. (This was a long time ago, I was around 13 at the time so I didn't exactly think to check while I was there) Anyway while Charlie was still in her 30 day quarantine I noticed she was a girl, not a big deal as I was fully prepared to keep them separately if need be anyway. Chester has always been an exeptionally friendly chin though, and Charlie not always so much. I've been thinking about getting a third recently and while they may need to all be kept separately in the end anyway I'd love to pair them with either Chester or Charlie. It seems to me like Chester would probably be more receptive to a cage mate though, but I know that male chins will fight in the presence of a female. Now I'm pretty sure I've seen people who keep pairs of boys and girls in the same room but wouldn't they fight? Would they have to be kept in a separate room from Charlie? I may end up just getting a girl in the end anyway but I'm just wondering for now. Sorry for the long post!

Greetings!

Hello everyone! I am a new member to this site (although I've come on here multiple occasions to stalk out info in secret ;) ) and I just felt like introducing myself. Sorry in advance if I ask a lot of questions (although I should be able to contain myself) :thumbsup: .

Oh yeah and P.S. I named the thread "Greetings" only because I feel like "Hello" was being a bit abused :biglaugh:

Chinchillas

I have 2 chinchillas about 4 maybe 5 years old my one chinchilla is having problems with his teeth took him to the vet. The vet put him on antibitic for two weeks he got a little better keep him on the antibitic for another too weeks. He has good days / and bad so days he eats some days he don't I have been babying him and hand feeding him I don't want him too lose any more weight then he has all ready have what can I give him to help him gain weight please help thank you for your time

A New Friend

I got a new chinchilla today for my birthday and now I have no idea how to properly introduce her to Visenya. I have a critter nation cage so currently I closed off the ramp from the top to the bottom and I have played Nami in the top portion and Visenya is in the bottom. Visenya seems genuinely interested in her new friend, every time I peek in on them she is standing on her back legs with her nose up against the ramp. Nami on the other hand he behaving as I would expect any new baby, she's staying in corners and under hides.

So where do I go from here? Do I try some introductions in a neutral place? Do I let them stay that way a week or so and then let the ramp down? I would love some input. Additional info wise... they currently have seperate food bowls, water bottles, etc. Its basically top and bottom are their own cages at this moment. Visenya I purchased in November, she is less than a year old I know, but this little babe looks about 3/4 of Visenya's size. >,<

New chin

Hello everyone, so coworker found a small chinchilla behind our bulging. She took him home to take care of him because the poor baby's tail was bleeding. The tail is fine now but unfortunately she couldn't keep the baby chinchilla due to her dogs and birds didn't welcome the new addition with open arms. I offered to take him in.
For the first few days we didn't really paid much attention to him, would take him out once a day to play because his cage is very small (12×12) He was very active once outside. I've had him for a little over a week.
Today I noticed that he's not as active as usually. I gave him a dust bath Friday and he rolled and rolled. Today however during his bath, he just rolled to one side and he stayed there, as if he was asleep, when I touched him, he moved and rolled again, but again he just laid there. When he got out he walked around, I noticed that he wasn't putting his left back paw all the way down, I wonder if he hurt his paw due to the small cage? ( is a possibility ) he lets me touch his paw and it doesn't seem to bother him.
He eats good, drinks lots of water and eats lots of hay. Poops and pees alot as well. Everything else is good, besides his lack of activity, and he wants to cuddle alot. He walks around for a bit but when he sees I'm on the floor he looks for me right away.
Also, he seems very young, don't know his age but he's defenetly a baby.
I bought him a bigger cage but thanks to the delivery delayed with amazon it won't be here until Tuesday, as for now I moved him to a big area ( non cage like) but he has lots of space to move around and safe. He sleeps alot, but it alternates. (He's sleeps then wakes up... sleeps again...)
I've never had a chinchilla before, so I welcome any advice. My kids named him Dallon.😊

Thx guys

Minimum cage size for two females after group separation

Hello, I hope someone can help. I currently have 4 chinchillas - one male and three females (a mother and two offspring). The females are housed in a two-tier stacked cage with each tier measuring 2x2x3 that can be separated by a bared partition - the remaining 80% of the floor space is solid.

The mother and one of the offspring are very "clicky" indeed, and have been pretty much since the girls were born (I've had them since they were 8 weeks old,) whilst the other sibling is much more independent and seems to be quite content to be alone in her thoughts as it were.

A couple of nights ago I had a lot of trouble sleeping and went downstairs to watch a movie. I checked in on the girls and noticed that one of the siblings was hunched in a corner and appeared to be in a lot of discomfort. I took her to the vet the following day and we discovered that she had a pretty nasty wound on her inner thigh/groin, for which she was prescribed suitable antibiotics and painkillers - She has a further check up appointment on Monday evening.

At first we assumed that she must have injured herself in the cage, though I can't for the life of me figure out how - there certainly isn't any sign of blood on any of the fixtures. I then started to consider the possibility that she may have been attacked by one of the other females. Having said that, it seems like a very peculiar place to have been bitten and I can't see any blood at all on any of the other girls' muzzles - so it may be a red herring.

As aforementioned, the other two girls get on very well, and I've never witnessed any fighting between the three. I'll hear occasional grumblings and grouchy squeaks as one of the girls disturbs another whilst they are asleep but certainly no physical signs of fights such as missing fur or any other injuries.

I'm currently keeping the injured girl in the top tier of the set-up with very little substrate as to avoid getting the wound dirty and also so that I can observe as to whether any stomach issues develop due to the medication. The other two girls are being housed as normal in the lower tier and seem to be getting on fine. I've noticed the mother reaching through the bars of the partition a couple of times, to which the injured girl didn't take too kindly and would let out an annoyed squeak (I am unsure whether this is benign contact or a form of aggression) but so far everyone seems to be OK for the most part - the injured girl is healing nicely and is already moving around much, much better.

I'll try re-introducing once the vet has given the all clear but, for arguments sake, if it did transpire to be an inflicted wound rather than an accident, and the cages needed to be partitioned off permanently, would a single 2x2x3 tier be suitable for two VERY chummy females or would I need to invest in another cage altogether for the injured girl? I would worry about separating the injured female entirely as I would hate for her to get lonely. The male is housed alone but his cage is only 6 inches or so away from the one the females share - they often all communicate through the cage bars. There isn't room for a third cage in that part of the house so I would need to house the injured female in another location away from the other three.

Sorry for the rambling, it's been a long week and I am very tired.

All the best,
-Dan.

hedgie home in working progress

it's still in working progress.
need a ramp for him.
i have a heater attached to a thermostat.
i put a black water proof mat on the bottom, that's from B&Q.
a fleece for the floor, a flying saucer for his wheel.

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can hedgie climb a ladder

http://ift.tt/1TXoesq just wanted to know if the hedgehogs can climb a ladder.
not got my little one yet, but i have a 5 foot by 4 foot pen and i have just put in another level will he be able to climb a ramp.
i have not added the ramp yet.

Surprise St. Patrick's Day Babies

Hello Everyone!

My seven year old chinchilla just had kits - two seem healthy and one was still born. I haven't been on this forum in years and I do remember how some feel about back yard breeding, but this was an accident and I already separated my (apparently) father from Izzie. I did have a few questions that I was hoping some more experienced members could help with? Unfortunately the larger kit fell from a four door high shelf before I realized the kits were there and could but them in a baby safe cage (luckily I was home and actually the father, Fire, alerted me something was up), and appears uninsured but has not been able to open his or her eyes yet. The other kit's eyes are open (they're both hopping about now, yea :)! ), and I believe I read a long time ago that you should gently open the eyes with a warm wet towel if unopened but I wanted to make sure. I found the kit about seven hours ago and I believe he or she was born shortly prior as he or she was still damp. Yes, I warmed the little guy up in my bra because he was freezing!!

So, anyway, mommy and babies are in a small baby safe travel cage (small spaces bars, no shelves, right?), with food, water, and hay for mommy ( I also gave her a bit of plain oats about six hours ago, I don't know if that was right), on clean fleece with a nesting box and nothing else. Is there anything else they need for the night? I have apple sticks and such for mommy but I wasn't sure if that was too distracting.

Thank you so much for your help!!

How Can I Get Two Females To Get Along?

I have two female chinchillas I am planning to breed to my 1 year old male once they are 1 years old, well I have 3 different cages for them all and It would make it 100 times easier if I could get my two females in the same cage. I let them out together and my youngest female doesn't normally start anything but my older female will randomly attack her. (not drawing blood or hurting her) she just pulls fur. I need them to start getting along so I can tend to them at the same time rather than 3 different cages, and also their cages are taking up the room lol. Any advice?
Also on a side note, where might I be able to find out where to buy cheap breeding runs or can someone give me the info on how to make one and around how much it would cost? I have all of the collars for the females just can't find any breeding cages around me that have runs in them. (I live in Louisiana)
-If anyone has information to help me, I don't normally check this website so if you think you can help me, please email me at me.shaina97@gmail.com
Thanks!!(:

breeders/chin shows in/around British Columbia?

I've been doing a lot of reading on breeding lately, I don't have any plans to start or anything but it's just something I'm enjoying looking into for now. I'd like to get to know a bit more but I don't know many chin-knowledgeable people in the area. Does anyone know of any reputable breeders or chin shows in the area? Could go as far as Washington or Alberta as well. Mostly out of curiosity at this point! Sorry if this is the wrong section, not 100% sure!

Curly willow

Has anyone fed their chin Curly Willow wood? I know white willow is not safe but have read that other types of willow are ok.

a lot of clear discharge

My chin had a large amount of discharge (looked like she peed on her shelf) but it is clear and does not smell. My vet is out until Sunday. The best closest vet won't be open until 8am tomorrow and I've never been there and don't know how often the chinchilla vet is in. I have a number for another place, but haven't called yet. If there is no smell could it be just a heavy heat cycle?

clear discharge

My chin had a large amount of discharge (looked like she peed on her shelf) but it is clear and does not smell. My vet is out until Sunday. The best closest vet won't be open until 8am tomorrow and I've never been there and don't know how often the chinchilla vet is in. I have a number for another place, but haven't called yet. If there is no smell could it be just a heavy heat cycle?

Chinchillas in Southwest Michigan (Kalamazoo)

These guys and gals are in Kalamazoo Michigan

Healthy chinchillas available. We are moving across country and cannot take our chinchillas with us. They are available anytime in the next two months if you are not able to get them now. The come with a Salk supply of wood, food, hay, bedding, and a water bottle. Cages are available. Small rehoming fee applies to ensure they go to a great new home.

If you are interested please email me and I can send you a picture of whom you would like to see.

First person who responds to adopt gets a free veterinary quaility pet scale.

Available chinchillas:

1 male (Gizmo): approximately 4 years old. Mosaic male. Friendliest easy going chinchilla I have are met. Comes with smaller one level collapsible cage from Quality Cage Company. Loves to play out of cage on bed. Very healthy and happy chinchilla. Comes with stuffed chinchilla cuddle buddy.

1 female (Anita): approximately 3 1/2 years old. Standard gray. Comes with a travel cage only. From a breeder. She is a petite chinchilla who loves her shredded wheat. Likes to watch people. Good at hiding in cage. Has a cute hop when she comes out for playtime.

1 female duo (Ada and Grace): 6 and 5. Hetero Beige. Ada has spotted ears. Ada is the wise mother of Grace. Ada is calm and sweet. She enjoys to be petted and scratched. Grace is our largest chinchilla and very smart. She knows how to get extra shredded wheat. They need to go together since they are mother daughter. Critter nation cage can be include.

1 female trio (Snowflake, Drizzle and Storm): 2 1/2 years old. White violet, ebony, and homo beige. Drizzle is the chewer and loves wood. Storm will climb out on your for treats. Snowflake loves to cuddle with her sisters. They are from a Michigan breeder and are show quality. They need to stay together since they are sisters. They come with a Quality cage that will last a life time ($375 value for free because I want them to go to a great home).

Black spot in ear

Hi guys,

In about August of this past year (2015) I found this black spot in my chinchilla Roxy's ear (adopted but assume roughly 8 years old std. gray). I took her to the vet and she examined it, and had no idea what it was. She emailed this same picture to a specialist at the Colorado State University Vet lab. That person said it was nothing he had seen, nor knew about. We then proceeded to do a small needle scrapping biopsy and it did not appear to be cancerous. However, in December the spot has now multiplied. There is a second spot next to it. I again took Ms. Roxy to the vet and we are unsure how to proceed since anesthesia can be traumatizing and there is the question, if we do find that it is harmful, what do we do then? take her whole ear? I also, checked with a breeder friend of mine that has never seen this before.

I guess I just thought if some one on here had seen anything like this before or something similar that it might make my upcoming decisions a little easier. I am attaching a picture. Please note that this spot does not have a white peak (like a zit) it is simply a dandruff spot that is stuck on it in this particular picture. However, it does have a mountainous, built-up shape and is definitely thicker than the rest of her ear (according to the vet).

Thank you
Roxy's Mom

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Dark spot on penis, what is it?

Hello,

When my 3 1/2 yr old male chin was playing tonight, I noticed he had something on his penis. I thought it was at first a hair ring but when I looked it's a black spot on it. Wondering what this is and if I need to take him to see a vet.

Mite treatment??????

Hello guys!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just have a question about the treatment I have to give to to my chinchilla Pocky.

I just got Pocky recently and noticed she was scratching a lot and had some dryness (kinda looked like a scab) on her ear. I brought her to the vet and she was diagnosed with mild mites. The vet said he gave her a shot and then told me that two weeks later I have to follow up and put revolution (dog and cat flea/tick/mites prevention) on her skin. The way it was explained to me I have to part her fur and put it on her skin. Now I usually don't question the professionals except nowhere online that I have searched does it mention anything about treating mites in chinchillas with revolution.

I read online and it says to give them dust baths because it helps. And so far everything looks A LOT better than when I first got her. I don't have any current pictures so when I get home tonight I will upload before pictures and then take one currently so you can see the difference.

I was told to put the revolution in the 19th so the date is coming soon. Should I take Pocky to a different vet? Or should I not put this stuff on her? I know their coats are VERY dense so I just don't want to make this situation worse by doing something she might not potentially need at all.

Thank you guys for all your help!


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Eye watery

My chin has got wet fur around her left eye no other symptoms any idea what cld b causin it? Thanks

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Hello everyone!

My name is Isabel and I reside in FL with my chinchilla. Her name is Pocky, she is a standard gray female. I was not planning on ever having a pet, but when I saw her at the pet store I fell in love and I just had to have her! I didn't know a lot about chinchillas at the time but I sure have learned tons and tons. I brought her home the night of February 19th. She is the only pet on my home. Unfortunately I am not sure of her age, the pet store I got her from did not know and could not provide me with anything but just an estimate that she was under a year old (one of the staff said possibly 6 months old). Anyways we have been bonding very well, and I just love her so much. I decided to join since I've learned so much from reading posts on here. She is very energetic and loves to explore.

I just have a small concern about part of a treatment that I have to do for her. She had something on her ear (what looked like a scab) when I asked the staff they said it was just a small injury she had on her ear and that she would be ok. Throughout the days I noticed that my baby was scratching and that the "scab" wasn't really going away. I decided to take her to the vet on the 5th of March and was informed that she had a very mild case of mites. They said she probably got it in the pet store. They gave her a shot and she is currently doing way better! I was also given a application of revolution (flea/tick/mite prevention that is usually given to dogs and cats) to apply to her 2 weeks after her visit, so on the 19th. I usually listen to doctors and professionals HOWEVER I am slightly concerned about applying anything on her coat since I know they can fully dry and they can get fungus. I read online dust baths helped with mites so I've been doing that with her 4-5 times a week. And it's helped a lot she has not been scratching and her ear is pretty much back to normal. Have you guys heard this to be a normal treatment of mites? When they looked at her they said they didn't see much just a little bit. They said they looked under a microscope. Any advice would help and perhaps put me at ease since the 19th is approaching. The way it was explained on how to apply is to part her fur and apply directly on her skin. Should I just take her back to ensure that step is not needed? Or should I just put it on? Or should I not since it has basically cleared out??


Other than that I apologize for any typos I am doing this from my phone. I appreciate any help and advise you guys can offer. Thank you!

-Isabel



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Young chin behaviour

Hi,

Well my chins Lilo, Angel and Nani have been great since Angel and Nani have their own cage and Lilo also her own cage.
Lilo is a great chin, she loves to be petted and attention.
Nani is finally getting used to me and starts to enjoy petting too.
Lilo and Nani sometimes even seek attention from each other through the bars.
The cages are far enough apart for them to be unable to touch each other.

But Angel, who is together with her mom Nani in the cage is going completely the opposite way.
She is around 14 weeks now.
When we got her together with mom at 9 weeks old she was a bit scared but accepted to be picked up and I could touch her without a problem.
They spent the first few weeks in an emergency cage as the new cage took much longer than expected after I found out Lilo and Nani do not match together.

The last few weeks I had them settle down in their new cage and gave them food, water and hay daily, and the occasional small treat 2-3 times a week.
They finally seemd to bee settled and enjoy their new large cage.

But the last days out of nowhere she starts being very dominant but not agressive to her mom.
Standing on her hind legs and chasing her for 15-20 seconds, and after that all is good again.
She makes a lot of, what seems to me, angry noises.
But on the other hand, most of the time during the day they are just sleeping and cuddling on top of or next to each other.

She does the same when I try to approach her with my hand, standing up and screaming at me...
A few times she even bit me, but not hard and no biting wounds whatsoever.

When I just keep my hand in the cage for a few minutes and am petting Nani Angel will ease up and I can give her some treats.
But she literally rips the treat out of my hand while the other 2 are so sweet with taking it from me.

Can this be something like puberty, does she need extra playtimes or is it something else?

Is it a hair ring?

Alright, so Pip was cleaning himself for the second time in the 4 weeks that I've had him. Or that I've seen anyways. It's about 2 AM for me at the moment, and this happened hours earlier. But as he was grooming himself it looked like his penis was red and had what I can only describe as a "knot" at the top. I don't mean a knot of hair either. I plan on taking him into the vet later today to check for a hair ring because I'm not entirely sure how to and he won't hold still for me to try and examine him. Not to mention he hasn't really been here THAT long, so I don't want to stress him out. He hasn't been frequenting that area much, I've been keeping an eye on him. He's eating and drinking fine, sleeping hasn't changed. But I was also told that Chins tend to not show a sign that anything is bothering them unless it's extremely severe. Was Pip just enjoying himself or does this sound like there's a hair ring that needs to be removed? He's between 6-8 months old. He's the only chin I have, so there's not a chance that breeding could cause the issue. I just want a little advice. I don't have a problem taking him to the vet. :D But when I saw him grooming himself I didn't see any hairs, but I know that doesn't necessarily mean that there isn't something very thin there. He doesn't seem uncomfortable. When I had Charlie some years ago, I never heard of hair ring and he never groomed himself to where I'd see it. So any tips on how to get little Pip to hold still so that I can check as well would be great! :)

Wheels?

Do you guys keep wheels in your cages? When I was looking into buying a chinchilla, I was getting a lot of different answers. Personally, I have a flying saucer and I keep it in at night but take it out during the day. If I forget to put it in at night, my chin will let me know, she'll bite the cage and rattle it until it's in. She hasn't lost weight from it, she's perfectly fine. What do you guys do?

Fur problems, need advice

Hi,

My 2 1/2 yr old chin has all of a sudden begun thinning/loosing his hair. There has been no change to diet, environment or really anything that would make him stressed that I can think of. I'm wondering if this is shedding or something I would need to take him to the vet. I tried to my best to take pictures of it. It's on both sides.

http://ift.tt/1pi94B4

Advice please!

Hi there, I from the uk, and my chinchilla Obi seems to be having a few issues lately. Just for a bit of background, he is 6 years old (7 in November), and hasn't had any prior health issues till around 2-3 weeks ago. I noticed that his poops had started to become quite soft and sticky, so thinking nothing of it I stopped giving him treats and that seemed to do the job.

4-5 days later it started happening again (still no treats), so I gave him mostly hay but he hasn't been eating it for a while other than the occasional nibble, so when I saw he wasn't eating it I upped his pellets again. It was still happening so I called the vet and took him in. It was also around this time that he was becoming quite inactive (not lethargic) - he was chattering away to me when in his cage and was always eager and waiting for me to come home from work so he could cuddle, but it got to the point at night during his run that all he wanted to do was cuddle with me or sit in a corner.

The first visit to the vet, he checked him over and weighed him, looked at his teeth (which are fine), checked his stomach for bloating and made sure he was in good general health. He suggested that he possibly might have caught a virus, so prescribed medication.

The medication worked and his poops became harder (but he was still Only cuddling). Once the course of treatment was done, (5 days ago) everything was fine poop wise, till 2 days ago, when I noticed that they were soft and sticky again. I also noticed that he didn't seem to be eating as much anymore.

I took him to the vet again earlier today, and he checked him over once more. His teeth are still fine, and there was some greens in the back of his mouth so there was evidence he had been eating something, but when he weighed him he told me that Obi has lost 10% of his weight since the last trip. So he had given me some liquid fibre supplement that they use to help herbivores gain weight called "Recovery", that I have to give him 4 times a day. We are hoping that it will put some weight back on him and help him improve the state of his poops.
I was just wondering if someone could perhaps shed some light on to what may be wrong with him, as there doesn't seem to be any underlying illness.

A friend of mine seems to think that perhaps it's because it's down to him missing me in the day when I'm at work (i work irregular shifts - mostly in the day time but the occasional nights, which a family member will look after him when I'm on one), but that doesn't really make sense as he's never done this before and I've been away at night before.

I appreciate any advice or help you can give me :)
Thanks guys!

P.s. I do apologise if I don't respond till tomorrow, ive more than likely fallen asleep on my iPad after a long stressful day at work and the vets!

Travel advice!

I'm going home for Easter on Friday and realistically there isn't anyone to look after my two chins so I just wanted to know if people think it will be okay to take them with me? It's a three hour journey, and they haven't travelled anywhere in their travel box before. I would be staying at home for about three weeks.

They are generally pretty chilled but I just want to make sure the journey will be okay for them. I know that they need to be kept cool but what do I do about giving them food and water during the trip?

Any advice would be great!

Some breeding questions

Hello, I am still a very newbie breeder and am currently trying to build my foundation herd. I hope this is the right section to post this in.

When breeding mutations back to standards what phase standards should you look for? For example I have a lovely mosaic male and am getting a female for him. The person I am getting her from says she is a medium to dark standard female. What would you get if you bred an extra dark standard to a mosaic? I understand that the difference in standard adjectives is the veiling but how does veiling affect mutations?

I am primarily interested in ebonies and mosaics right now. What phase of standards do you recommend breeding them to?

Also, how many generations for ebonies do you wait to breed back to standards?

P.S. The mosaic male was shown and received a Reserve Class Champion at ECBC Nationals. I am a new breeder but trying to do things right. All of my animals are pedigreed and have been shown,so I know they good quality to start my herd with.

Chinchilla Cage Tour

Hi everyone!

So both of my boys are finally living together happily, and are officially sharing one 3 level critter nation cage.

I have been constantly upgrading the cage, but decided to go ahead and do a cage tour because if I wait until it's PERFECT, I will be waiting forever…because there will always be improvements to be made in my eyes!

Haha.. anyways, I would love if some of you would watch the video and give some feedback (positive or negative are both appreciated).

My channel is called Chintastic Chins and the link to the video is here: https://youtu.be/hs0p1cSCCuI

Can some of you also post links to your youtube channels? I would love to follow you!!!

-Sandra

Chinchilla desperately trying to escape

Hello,
My chinchilla has started to develop an unwanted behavior. Every time I open his cage door, he tries to escape. He will start scratching at my hand and doing everything to push his way out of the door. It's starting to make feeding him and other things difficult to do.

I'm trying to open his door more to just pet him, but he still seems interested in just running around the house (I don't have issues getting him back in the cage after play time). Any suggestions on how to reduce this behavior?

Hand feeding

I'm new to chinchillas and am hand feeding a 3 week old. I've hand raised other species before but this little one has me a bit concerned. She's thriving - eating great, active, and pooping, but I haven't seen any urine. I tried stimulating her, lined her cage with paper towels so I could see any urine, but nothing. I've had her for 3 days. Do they still need to be stimulated at 3 weeks?

Bratty chin?

Hi, I'm Sarah. I've had 2 chinchillas from a previous owner since June of last year. The older one, Belle, is around 4 or 5. She's getting very comfortable with me and will sit on me and sleep, accept scratches most of the time (occasionally she'll squirm away), and doesn't mind being held-- AFTER I manage to pick her up. (She hates that part!)
The other one, Auroroa, is 2ish. She's kind of a brat and I'm just wondering what the best way to handle her is? I don't pick either of them up much, because when I try they run away scared. Auroroa is practically impossible to catch. She also tends to bite (pretty gently, but definitely not just a nibble) if I try to pet her, or sometimes she'll run up to my hand and bite my fingers for no reason. I always tap her lightly on the nose and say no after she bites, which I've read you're supposed to do, but this seems to make her even more scared of me. She still runs whenever I move around and doesn't let me pet her and squirms if I manage to somehow catch her to pick her up. How do I get her to stop being terrified of me?
(She will hop over me and sit on my lap so long as I sit mostly still and don't try to touch her. )

do they need wood to chew on

ok, not sure if i need to put wood in the house for hedgie to chew on, do they need to chew to keep their teeth in check.

3 y/o f- poss mammary tumor in pelvic region

Hello, please read all the way through before commenting. Thank you in advance!

My 3 year old female hedgie (Penelope) has a tumor (1 inch in diameter) in the pelvic region, close to her vagina and anus. I took her into the vet yesterday; she was a "model hedgehog" for her examination, the vet was able to palpate her thoroughly, and suggested we do radiographs to try to determine where the tumor was originating from. It appears to be from the connective tissue, possibly a mammary tumor, and it doesn't appear to be involving any of the organs. Right now it is not causing her any pain, however, I've noticed decreased activity in her wheel, which she loves running in. The vet suggested I remove the wheel as it will cause increased discomfort and irritation. I know it bothers her when she walks.

Here's my dilemma- The vet gave me the option for surgery; risks include: death (obviously), not being able to remove all of the tumor, high risk of another tumor forming, and it's pretty expensive. It sounds like it's very risky with these little guys/gals and they're better off in some cases not to have to undergo surgery. I want her to continue to live a good quality of life. I'm still unsure of whether to do the surgery or not. If I choose not to do the surgery, I can do the wait and see approach. If I do not do the surgery, it will only get bigger, which may impede her movement even further, may obstruct her ability to urinate/defecate, and may get so big that I no longer have the option to remove the tumor.

My vet is being very supportive in whatever decision I make, and will continue to be helpful if I have any further questions, which I know I already have. I want to get an idea of success rates. I'm posting this here, and also with Facebook (I went to vet school, and have many veterinarian friends) I'm looking to see if any of you have faced this specific situation for your female hedgie in the past, if you had your female undergo the surgery (or not, and why), and if the surgery was successful. I'm not looking for your opinion on if you think I should or shouldn't have the surgery performed if you haven't been in this situation. Sorry to be blunt, but I think it's my own decision to make on what I believe is best for my Penelope, and if you haven't been in this situation, it's easy to say what you think you would do, but when the time actually comes, that's what really counts to me.

Thanks for taking the time to read this! :)

The mystery is solved... Giardia

The exotic vet popped in before I left work and she let me know that the fecal came back positive for Giardia.

He hadn't had any diarrhea, so she said there was nothing to really do about it. This, I know is not 100% true, because I know that chins are often prescribed metronidazole when positive for Giardia. He is going back to work with me for a recheck next week on Monday or so, when I will pester her about getting him on different meds. I'm unsure if the treatment for this varies based on symptoms since I have zero experience with Giardia in chins.

He's been on the following:
Buprenorphine- .05ml finished last dose 3/6/16
Sulfa Trimethoprim- .15ml currently taking
Bene Bac- 2grams total, also finished
Simethicone- a dropper given twice daily, sometimes a few drops during other feedings.

The only symptom had been the weight loss and his lack of appetite(which is now picking up because he is showing some interest in food, but he's not really touching his bottle). I believe he ate about 2-3 grams of food, which is definitely an improvement since he wasn't touching it before. He's also regularly eating alfalfa hay, but he won't touch the timothy. Cheerios and other treats are also taken eagerly.
Everything else(urine, blood, xrays) came back fine so I'm hoping that this is the only issue.
Now for my questions...

Where do I even start?
What is the proper method I should use to sanitize the cage(note - no hoses available)?
Can the ledges or hanging toys be spared?
What method should I use for washing the fleece, tile, bowl, etc...?
Any other information would be awesome... I just want my little dude to get better.

None of the vets I've been to knows what's wrong with my chin

Hi,

Sorry if I'm going to be long-winded. I'm really desperate. If anyone has the time and patience to read all this, thank you so much!

I've got a chinchilla, Egon. He's thirteen years old. I've been to over a dozen of different vets all over Sweden and no one understands why he has trouble eating. It's so frustrating and he's getting worse every day.

Background
Five years ago, he started to crumble some of his pellets when he was eating. He pawed at his mouth but kept eating. We noticed his top-left incisor was curved and white (the others were yellow and straight) so we took him to the vet, who trimmed it down. We did this every 3 months or so.

Over the years it got worse and we started to give him metacam. His regular vet said his back-teeth are worn down and not aligning very well. She said chinchilla teeth don't grow forever and that they might not grow back. We took him to another vet for an x-ray and they said he has malocclusion and that there's a high chance he was going to be dead in 12 months. This vet is one of the most reputable exotic vets in Sweden. That was 4 years ago.

Recently
Egon stopped eating on his own. I had to mix down his pellets with water and he ate that with delight. He's still very energic and doesn't seem to be in any pain as long as he's not eating. He's started to chew on cage-bars more often which is odd to me - wouldn't that hurt?

My regular vet says he's got a foul smell from his back teeth and that it might be an infection. He was perscribed antibiotics but suddenly he got a lot better and started eating on his own again so we never gave him any antibiotics. His left eye was wet from time to time and his breathing can be heard like he's got a cold.

I've been to four vets during this time and no one can see any issues on his respitory system. The vet which diagnosed malocclusion says it might be his airways are getting pressured from the roots?

Now
Egon has stopped eating anything but very thin Critical Care mixed with lots of water. He's got a lot of appetite on that but struggles with anything else. He paws (and sometimes he sneezes) when I give him his metacam. His left eye has also started to water itself.

We went back to the malloclusion-vet and they did another x-ray. They say his malocclusion has gotten worse and that we're not allowed to leave the place before we make a decision, either put him down or let them put him in for surgery, which is only a temporary fix anyway.

We left anyway and went to my regular vet and they found a scratch on his eye. He was given eye-drops (with antibiotics) - which I've been unable to use yet because he struggles when I try to. My regular vet says from what she can tell he's in good shape except for his back teeth and the fact that he's getting old. She can't figure out why he doesn't eat.

He's still very very happy, chirps and runs around. But I've noticed he sleeps more. Is there anything I can do? Could there be a crack in his front tooth? He's a cage-bar-chewer.

I've attached both x-rays. Thanks a ton for your time.

/Steve

X-rays 2010


X-rays 2016

Chins grooming me?

Hey all!

Was just wondering if any of you have experience with your chins "grooming" you. My boy Mojo has done it to me for a pretty long time, but definitely more so as he got older and bonded with me more. Often if I start giving him neck scratches he'll start grooming me in return. And by "grooming" I mean he'll nibble lightly all over my hand and then scoot in close to my hand and basically cuddle me before starting the process over again. Usually I respond by returning the favor with some neck scritches or lightly rubbing his head/face which he seems to enjoy! This can go on for 10-15 minutes at a time too and he seems to really enjoy it. Just wondering if this is common among chinchillas or if I just have a special chinchilla xD

(It was very cute today too-I was doing that with Mojo and Eli, my other chinchilla who lives with and is bonded to Mojo, saw and he came over and started copying Mojo and grooming me as well, and while Eli groomed me, Mojo groomed him and it was pretty cute overall! So clearly chins can learn it from each other, just not sure if it's universal or not!:hmm:)

How do I give my chin eye-drops?

So my chin closes his eye when he eats and the vet said my chin has a scratch on his eye (they did the color-test), and I've been given eye-drops with antibiotics (Kloramfenikol) and he's supposed to get them 2-3 times a day for 10 days.

I asked how to do it and they told me to wrap him in a towel to prevent him from moving. They showed how to do it but they were two and I just can't do it. He always manages to get out and when he gets out he's really stressed.

Is it really this difficult or am I doing something wrong? This is terrible. :(

Clogged water bottle

Hi,

I have made a silly mistake :(
I bought a new water bottle for my 4 chins. The water level seemed to not gone done by much (nearly nothing at all) in 6 days...
It was working, but turned out to be difficult from them to drink for it.
I reintroduced the old bottle again and they went into a drinking frenzy.
They were still eating normally. Noticed poop was hard.
What should I do? Now they stopped drinking. They do not look lethargic. looking normal.

Still worried....

thanks

Male neutering/re-introduction

This isn't exactly about breeding...but I had my male chinchilla neutered exactly a month ago today. He has been kept separate from the female and he is completely healed and back to normal.
I know it is usually recommended to get same sex pairs, but I adopted these two as they already knew each other and had bonded. (she's definitely not pregnant)
I want to know whether now it has been a month if they can be together again?? I've read around and some people say wait 4 weeks, others say wait 6? They are both getting more depressed the longer they are away from each other, so that's why I'm asking!

Hedgie Breeding Question

How much does a class A breeding license usually cost initially? I know it is needed when you are breeding 3 or more females and selling the babies...and I also know that the ongoing license price is based off of .5% of gross income from sales...but does anyone have any clue how much that initial license fee is through the usda??

Would you take them in?

Well I was browsing a certain listing site and there are a pair of Chins on it in central nj. A male and a female in a plastic cage.

I am up to four chins, in three cages. I quite honestly don't have the money time or space for more, much less possible kits. And 150 is... Well... I'm sitting here adding up a dcn, more of everything a chin needs times two.

But then I wonder about them going to someone who doesn't know what they are in for. And they used the cutest saddest please take us home picture ever.

I think I'm just looking for reassurance that I don't have to save them. Cause who is gonna save me??

On a side note, depression sucks. It makes me awful at house work, and at the same time gives me the maternal instincts of a bear. Not sure that's how it's supposed to work, but that's me. Can someone remind me why I don't want to take in these chins?

what toys do you give your hedgehog

hi just wanted to know what you all give your hedgehog as toys to keep him happy.
i have ordered a wheel, but what else can i give him. not got him yet as he's still a baby, so just getting his home ready.

Essentials for Life

I went to order more since my little guy has decided to finally take to something, but it says that they are out of stock until the 18th... Does anyone have any on hand that they have available? I do have CC on hand but he really seems to prefer the Essentials.

Please PM me if you do!

Hello!

My name is Keaton and I'm from Utah, USA. On the day before Valentine's I got my first chin, a female, 3 years old. I renamed her Jerry. She is mostly the standard dark grey with a gradient from the leg area being lighter and the top being almost black. Her tummy is white with little bits of light grey. I assume she had fur biting in the past because the previous owner said the original owner (the 1st owner, me being the 3rd owner) didn't take the best care of her. We got a great deal, $75 for a pretty decent cage, super friendly chin, some food and dust, a ledge, food bowl water bottle etc. We got her a really nice metal 14" wheel called the chinchilla treadmill.

Few questions:

•Her bedding was hay. The bottom is solid plastic and it was covered in hay. We replaced with aspen shavings. We thought this was gross, walking and peeing and pooping in your food. However, I fear she may get bumble foot or sore feet or something because it's not as soft. She has many things to sit on besides it, but I was wondering if there was something soft and safe I could use instead, like a fleece pad or something?

•Hay. The hay the previous owners used was scratch grains for chickens. I have never seen this used for chins and I am worried if this could have caused health issues. However there is a lot left but I think I should get 2nd cut Timothy hay because that seems to be the best. Where could I get this? Online? Pet store? (Nearest pet store is a PetSmart, pretty close)

•Plastic. I have read to never get plastic things for chins because of chewing. However, her house, ledge and bottom of cage are plastic. She has had these for a long time I assume, and they have never been chewed. Hopefully by the end of the year I will get a new cage (hopefully the Critter Nation double!) and I will replace the ledges and hopefully by then the house.

•Pellets. Old pellets were Kaytee Fortidiet Prohealth, new oxbow essentials chinchilla deluxe (she really likes these!). Just starting to integrate new from old gradually.

Her current cage things are: 46" x 23" x 24" cage plastic bottom wire every thing else, wheel I mentioned, some cut open cardboard toilet paper rolls, pumice chew rock, weird big tunnel thing, plastic big house, 6 chew sticks that she hasn't used in almost a month, big ledge, pellet bowl in ledge hole, hanging bird toy, bending chew stick thing, hay hamper/feeder thing, positive flow plastic bottle (hanging outside of cage), aspen shaving bedding.

Thanks! Any help appreciated!

-Keaton and Jerry

P.S. We give her small pieces of raisins for snacks and plain Cheerios. Chin-proofed the downstairs living room and let her out for at least 30 mins a day in there or my bedroom. She seems to have bonded pretty quick with me, and I'm glad!

P.P.S. The other morning she woke me up at 6:30 with what I found to be known as "The Short Alarm Call". Sounded kinda like a monkey or dog bark. I think it was because of a car door or someone's alarm clock, but only after a week or two. She also likes to grind her teeth. I have no idea why.

We giver her dust baths about every other day. Sometimes she will rub her nose, I think just from dust or something. We still haven't taken her to the vet, hope I can take her soon.


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Soft/Sticky Poop??

My chinchilla has been having soft/sticky stool. It's not overly soft and sticky but it's sticky enough that when I sweep it up it doesn't roll around. I stopped giving her treats and rose hips. Also some of the stool is sticky, not all of it. Should I keep giving her rose hips for her vitamin c? And any home remedies to get rid of the softness and stickiness? Her personality is fine, she doesn't act sick.

Chinchilla not peeing?

I changed my chinchillas litter box a few days ago and she hasn't peed in it once. She's been drinking but I don't think she's been peeing. I'm really hoping she's just having accidents (I have fleece so you can't really tell if she pees on it or not). She's been acting normal nothing weird. Should I get her the Oxbox natural urine medication?

Possible babys!

Been a long time sense i posted here, Mostly because I forgot my log in and such, but it appears i was lied to by a pet store and now i got a possibly pregnant chinchilla, Boco honestly didn't waste any time the little bugger.

Anyways I have 1 male and 1 female now who i caged together and because im stupid didn't check the others sex just trusting she was a male and went about with the introduction which went VERY well considering bocos anti social tendencies, at first they didn't seem to care much for each others but once i put a dust bath in there with them they got along just fine, ANYWAYS we decided to name our female Lily im not sure why but thats what my GF wanted and i just kind a left it at that, she is currently a year old while he is 3 years old. We think the breeding time is between November 15th and December 31st as we moved her in the 15th and just noticed she was a female around December 31st and im not sure what to expect i'v done my best to prepare the cage for babys or atleast half of it the other half is going ot be bocos home after she starts popping them out. but i could use some advice and what in general im suppose to do now

How often do you give Metacam?

My chin has been getting Metacam on and off for six years now. I've had it subscribed in varying dosages but the most usual ones have been 0.2ml (0.5mg bottle) and 0.4ml. One exotics vet said 0.8ml was fine.

But recently, my chin has gotten worse and he's no longer eating on his own. He's still very energic though and wants to come out and play all the time. :chin3:

I've observed that the pain-killing effect seems to wear off in the morning, and he's getting his dosage in the evening before playtime.

How often do you give your dose of Metacam to your chins? Are there any research on this, their metabolism etc? I've seen papers on dogs and cats but not chins.

I would like to improve his quality of life but I'm worried I might overdose or hurt him.

Female chin tail wagging

I read only about male chins wagging their tails. What about females? I have a 3 year old chin who wags her tail, mostly when she wants to be let out. Is she the only female to do this... o_0 What does it mean?

hello newbe here

not got my little one yet.
in the process of setting up the house for him/her.
i have a 6 foot by 4 foot pen which will go in the spare room. i keep lizards so i know about heater and thermostats, which will go on top of the cage.
i am not sure what to put on the bottom of the cage as it will be sitting on my carpet so i will need to protect the carpet and keep it clean and dry. any advice on what to use.
also i have read that the hoggies get dirty on the wheel, has anyone come up with a running board, like the one you use in the gym. just a thought. love these little hoggies. i have dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens, lizards and 3 aquariums use to have ferrets but sadly no longer with us. this looks like a great site and have enjoyed reading it. thank you for reading and look forward to all your great advice and help. :thumbsup:

Bond lost after surgery

Tinker and Tainga had a strong bond and had been cage mates for 5 years. Tainga had to be spayed about a month ago and i had her in a small cage, next to Tinker's, to restrict her activity. After a week she was allowed to play. I started out slowly. Giving her 15 minutes in a small space with nothing to jump on and increased her time each day. 10 days after her surgery, i let Tinker join Tainga in the hallway. Tinker nipped at Tainga, so i stopped the play time. The next time i tried,They sprayed each other. The third attempt, Tinker attacked Tainga from behind (no injuries). Its so sad. Tainga seems to really miss Tinker and since they separated Tinker has been on edge. I was hoping that Tinker just didn't recognize Tainga and that once Tainga got a bath they would be okay again. When they got a bath Tinker didn't really pay attention to Tainga, but Tainga was scared and ended up spraying Tinker and then Tinker nipped her (before the surgery Tinker would ignore Tainga if she sprayed her) I had to buy a new cage. Its so sad because they had such a great bond before and they both seem so lonely.

Has anyone experienced this before? Does anyone have advice on repairing their bond? Should i do anything differently for single chins who do not have a cage mate?

Chinchilla Car Crash

Hello, I was driving back to my parents home for spring break with my chinchilla when I lost control of my car on the ice and hit the median. The impact was not enough to set off the air bags and I was not hurt at all. I am wondering how to know if my chinchilla is okay and what signs I should look for if he is suffering from the trauma. Thank you.

I think chinchillas are fighting at night.

Hey guys!!
I have 2 little Chins fairly young. They are both female and seem to love each other very much! Recently I fell asleep on the couch and kept getting woken up by them running around the cage and cacking. During the day they sleep together, they eat together, and are generally very sweet. I'm just a little worried that they are fighting while I am sleeping. Is it normal for them to play around and make those sounds at each other?

MCBA Atlantic Chapter Show 2016

I'm going to post what information I was able to find. If you have any questions, PLEASE go to the Face Book page. It is listed under MCBA ATLANTIC CHAPTER.
If you do not have FB, just email me and I'll see if I can find the answer for you.

Here is what I know per Facebook web page:

Date for show: Saturday April 16, 1016.
Place: Cherry Tree Fire Hall
71 South Main Street
Cherry Tree Pa, 15724

Judge: Rich Ryerson

I'm guessing show hall is open at 6am. Just asked that question on FB in the comments section. Most show halls open at 6 am.
Have grooming and all paperwork finished at 9:30 as classification starts at 10.
FB page notes there will be someone there in the night for chin drop off. ( once again please go to their web pages to read)

Lunch is pot luck with donations.

chins and chicken pox

Hey, everyone. Has anybody ever heard of a chinchilla getting chickenpox? I was just diagnosed with shingles and need to know if they can catch the virus from me.

How to keep cage clean

Okay so my chinchillas cage is in my bedroom and the smell is awful! She pees in her bowl for that, but she will also pee on the hay, etc. Her poop is all over my floor which is so gross. Do you guys have any tips on how to keep her cage not smelling? And also what do you do to keep the floor clean?

We clean the floor and her cage every day with a vacuum already.

Any thoughts?

I started with 2 chinnies (Luna & Aurora) it took some time to get them to be besties but the eventually got there. However after 4 year Luna got sick and passed on the way to the vet and Aurora didn't get to say goodbye. Aurora kept crying out for her best friend more and more so we got a new chiny; Hope after about a month. Its been a year now since we lost Luna and got Hope but Aurora still isn't the same.
It seem like now Aurora would kind of rather just be alone. She isn't as affectionate as she used to be either towards us. While Hope is kind off doing her own thing. They get along for the most part just minor squeaks of hey that's mine or not so hard when grooming. I have a critter nation cage and most of the time one is up top and the other down below.
But does anyone have advice on how to help them get along better and maybe become besties? Could it have anything to do with that Aurora is very easy to handle and will come right out, while Hope you have to chase and then she is very nervous? Would getting a 3rd help or make things worse? Is Hope just still not adjusted to her home? What can I do to help them?

Chinchilla wagging his tail!

Hi, hello! New to this forum site. :> Not entirely new owning a chinchilla, just never seen this behavior from them before. I only have the one, his name is Pippin. We call him Pip! I got him from a pet store, I know, shame on me! But they said that he had been in there for about 2 months and everyone kept adopting out the babies and it broke my heart. Anyways! I believe he is 6 months old or around that age, he's not very big and looks like he has a lot of growing to do! I've had Pip for 2 weeks now, and he seems to be very content. We're learning his schedule of when he wants to play and letting him come to us. Well, around 7:30 this morning, he was awake and sitting by his cage door. We usually take that as, "Hey open this door! I want out to play!" Well, I decided to open the door, and he did his usual sniff my hand, run around, jump on my shoulder and back into the cage. Then he was letting me pet him. Then he started wagging his tail from side to side and making little squeaks! And a few hours before this, he decided to "charge" at my hand. As though he was playing and with the same squeaks. At first, I thought he was annoyed, but when he's annoyed or had enough, he just runs to the lower level of his cage.

Everywhere I have looked, it said that they do this when they want to mate. But other posts about it have been about two or more chins involved. Pip is the only one I have. He's not vocal either, he's very quiet. Very sweet boy too. So really, I'm just wondering why he would wag his tail and make squeaks at me for petting him. Surely he doesn't think I'm another chinchilla? Was he asserting dominance? He has never bitten any of us, does his little nibbles, but has never seemed angry. Any insight would be great! :)

Scabbed, swollen finger?!?

One of my boys, Lupin, has a scab on one of his fingers. I have no idea how it happened, but i noticed it a couple of days ago.

He has bitten the fur from around the area and it seems to have swollen a little more since I first noticed and the scab had gotten more pronounced.... He doesn't seem to be in any pain though. He was flicking the paw around a bit at first but seems quite normal now...

Any ideas what it could be? Should I take him to the vet and is there anything I can do to help him in the meantime?

Thanks!