Bye bye Bubbles

My baby died tonight! The vet found a tumor last week and now he's gone. I'm glad he didn't suffer. We miss him already. I'll be burying him tomorrow morning. This sucks :-(

70th Annual colorado State Show

Attachment 22628

Attached Files

COBranchECBCStateShow2016.pdf (338.8 KB)

1 or 2 Hedgies?

Currently I'm looking into the idea of getting a hedgehog. However, I'm looking all over for what is available on information. Been learning quite a bit. I was curious if anyone can answer my novice quest of.. Can you house two hedgehogs? I'd figure you might be able to do female? or are they strictly solitary creatures?

Special Condition- Prolapsed Penis

My male chin, Jack had prolapsed penis for almost 2 months now.




Visited exotic vet several times, did anaesthesia,

Did urine analysis, sample collected and sent to the lab,

Small cut made on penis to figure out what's happening




So conclusion was, there is a small lump made of white fibrous tissue

On base of his penis thus penis can't retract back into the sheath.




Theoretically, there is possibility that the penis could retract back when the lump is removed by surgery

but they never tried or seen similar case thus they can not suggest it and can not be certain that it will actually retract back after the surgery.




However, vet said, he have a special condition now that his penis is prolapsed
And his penis cannot be pulled out for full length.

But he seems healthy (eating.drinking.urinate.poop all fine. No dental issue, no hair ring) and his penis seems ok to be prolapsed according to the vet.





Problem is, I think friction on penis occurs when he moves around.

I found a scab today on his sheath.

Vet said lubrication is not necessary, but can be helpful

thus I lubricate it daily or once in two days.




I don't really want to let vet do the surgery as they never did it before

(They are only vet that can do the medical check for chinchillas in my region)




But is it better for him to do the surgery?




I will include the pic of his penis condition.

Attached Images

IMG_1167.jpg (157 Bytes)

Prolapsed penis

My male chin, Jack had prolapsed penis for almost 2 months now.

Visited exotic vet several times, did anaesthesia two times,
Did urine analysis, sample collected and sent to the lab,
Small cut made on penis to figure out whats happening

So conclusion was, there is a small lump made of white fibrous tissue
On base of his penis thus penis can't retract back into the sheath.

Surgery is possible to cut the lump and there is possibility that the penis retract back theoretically but they never tried it thus they can't suggest it.

However, vet said, he have a special condition now that his penis is prolapsed
But he seems healthy (eating.drinking.urinate.poop all fine. No dental issue, no hairring) and his penis seems ok to be prolapsed according to him.
And his penis cannot be pulled out for full length.

Problem is, I think friction on penis occurs when he moves around.
I found a scab today on his sheath.
Vet said lubrication is not necessary, but can be helpful thus I lubricate it daily or once in two days.

I don't really want to let vet do the surgery as they never did it before
(They are only vet that can do the medical check for chinchillas in my region)

But is it better for him to do the surgery?

I will include the pic of his penis condition.

Rabbit food

Hello everyone,

i am from israel and sadly, we have only bad food here (no oxbow/mizuri or anything on the same scale, most food is just full of treats).

we were wondering if this food may act as a good subtitue:

versele laga cuni fit pure

http://ift.tt/2dtiF7z

ingridients:

Analytical constituents
Crude protein 15%, Crude fat 3.0%, Crude ash 8.0%, Crude fibre 15. 0%, Calcium 1.20%, Phosphorus 0.64%, Sodium 0.25%

Nutritional additives
E672 Vitamin A 10000 IU, E671 Vitamin D3 1200 IU, 3a700 Vitamine E (all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate) 80 mg, E1 Iron (Ferrous sulphate monohydrate) 100 mg, E2 Iodine (Potassium iodide) 2.1 mg, E4 Copper (Cupric sulphate, pentahydrate) 10 mg, E5 Manganese (Manganous oxide) 75 mg, E6 Zinc (Zinc oxide) 70 mg, E8 Selenium (Sodium selenite) 0.20 mg, Technological additives pro kg: E310 Propyl gallate 2.5 mg, E320 BHA 10 mg, E321 BHT 10 mg

Technological Additives
E310 Propyl gallate 2.5 mg | E320 BHA 10 mg | E321 BHT 10 mg

also, does anyone know about a good place we can buy good food with international shipping?

thanks in advance

Excessive Licking

Our 1-year old chin has begun to lick herself constantly. She is soaking wet down her front legs and paws as well as from her chin all the way down her belly. I keep drying her off with a towel and a hairdryer on low. We worry she will lick her fur right off. The vet has determined there is nothing medically wrong with her. He suggested more interaction and stimulation. She has plenty of things to chew on. Any other pearls of wisdom? My 13-year old old is on the verge of hysterical.

Sealing bottom of wooden cage...

Can I polyurethane the bottom of one of the levels in my chin cage?? I had 3 chins then another was given to me....he came with a 2 level cage. The bottom half is a glass aquarium n the top is made of wood n mesh. The previous owner has had this set up for many of years. The plastic liner pan they had in the bottom of the wooden section has been chewed n really is no longer doing any justice to keep urine and water from soaking into it. Idk what to do.....? I now have 5 chins bc one of my females recently gave birth. I wanted to build a new cage bc I have them in all in 2 cages at the moment but Buddy's cage is starting to smell n I'm constantly changing bedding in both cahes to avoid this but its not working..... help please!!!

Chin shedding & Allergy

Do mosaics shed more than the standard grey or black?

I am allergic to cats and trying to see how that would. W.

For me, education before purchase!!

Male Chin Question

I have seen several websites stating that males clean their penis' quite frequently and it could seem provocative. Is this true? Only reason I ask is because this will be for my children, who are 8 (a very mature 8), and 14.

Thank you for any and all responses.

New Here

Trying to get some more information before we bring in our new family member!

Looking to buy 2 chins.

Hi, i'm new to this forums and after a lot of research i was hoping to buy a couple young chinchillas. I live in Canada, Halifax ,Nova Scotia to be specific. I couldn't find any breeders in the province and i am not really sure where i could buy them. Is there any sites that sell, or would getting them shipped to me be an option. Any help appreciated thanks! : )

Hay holders and fleece?

What do you find works best for holding hay?
I don't like throwing it on the cage floor because he's more likely to pee on it. I used one of those cheap wooden ones forever ago and he chewed the **** out of it, keeping me awake. I've also tried fleece, but I'm undecided how I want to make it if that's the way I go.

Speaking of fleece... Who all sells liners? I know there's Fleece for Furries, QualityMutationChinchilla sells them. I want to compile a list in case I have any specific fabric that I am looking for. :]

Should I be worried???

Wondering if I should be concerned at all or if this is normal...

I have two brothers, who are now about 4 months old (approximately). The last three mornings, one of them (Dash) has been spending a lot of time "cleaning himself". The chinchillas I've had in the past have done this of course and I had one who was prone to hair rings so if he was too attentive to his penis, I was always concerned. This guy doesn't seem stressed out or like he's working too hard, but instead is very relaxed (almost looks half asleep) so perhaps he's just enjoying it??? Is that a thing? This is new with them, but I know they are still young so they might just be discovering it? It's become so consistent and like clock-work... every morning at 9:30am I find him like this. I haven't done a full hair ring check (simply because they are still not comfortable being held too much yet, so I'm trying to give them time to warm up) but I have looked at the area and it seems to be fine - no redness or swelling, etc.

Any thoughts???

Toys and Entertainment

I'm looking for good ways to keep my girl entertained.

I'm always very careful what I give my critters, and I see a lot of people recommending bird toys since they're sensitive to different things like chinchillas are, but no one seems to have pictures or examples of what to get them. When I'm in the store there are so many different materials that things are made out of and I just wonder what is really safe for them to have.

I try to avoid anything dyed or too unnatural, so right now she gets things like apple branches, willow wreaths and willow balls, loofah, seagrass balls, etc. Does anyone have recommendations for stores, both in Calgary (If anyone is in the area) and online, that have a good selection of healthy, natural and safe toys and products for chins?

I am likely overly paranoid, we run a rabbit rescue and see how many flukes happen with different toys and items. So I am constantly looking at things and trying to see what ways they can possibly hurt themselves before I consider buying something, and I figure what better people to ask then the folks on here with so much chinny experience! I would just love to be able to give her more variety and ways to keep herself entertained.

Unique or do it yourself ideas are appreciated! Thank you in advance!

URI? Esophagus blocked? X-rays and synesthesia? Panicked.

I posted this a few days ago:

http://ift.tt/2cHLQ78

I had to be away for the weekend so I had him boarded at the vet, where he received the antibiotic (azithromycin) and Critical Care.

When I picked him up, he seemed ok at first, but his breathing is still shallow and if he gets excited he begins to wheeze/grunt again. The vet said that they finished the azithromycin (in less than a week? does that seem right? last time he was on Baytril for at least 2 weeks). They said they don't think it's a URI, but possibly something obstructing his esophageal area that didn't show up in the x-rays (he was sitting, and they were only partial, of his lungs — the other areas were not visible).

To try to confirm what it is, the options are:

• Get a CT scan at the only vet within hours of here who has the capability and machines. This vet also has a bunch of trainees, is known to push procedures and meds when not sure of prognosis, and that alone could cost upwards of $1500.
• Have him x-rayed again for the other areas at my usual vet. But, to keep him still enough, they're saying they'd need to use an anesthetic and are worried about the effect that could have. They said they'd speak with a chinchilla expert and would find out how they do.
• Even if either of these methods are used and he does ok, my vet isn't able to do the endoscopy. I may have to go to one of the extortionists in my city who care more about money than animals.
• There's also a concern that he might suffer from/during the endoscopy...

I've been crying at work all day, trying to hide behind my monitor and keep distracted. I don't know what to do. Whatever happens is going to be thousands of dollars in procedures which may not even work. I have to go feed him his critical care now and I'm terrified that I'll come home to him having given out. He has been so good the past few days, like he knows he needs help.

I've been giving CC mixed with pedialyte for hydration and acidophilus to keep his gut flora going. He does like those ridiculously expensive raspberry chewables. :facepalm:

I know the advice is always "go to the vet" but I've done that and I just get the sense every time that none of them know what they're doing with chinchillas. Even the vet I like. It's always "maybe it's respiratory, here's an antibiotic and go home." I just hope maybe someone here listens to those recordings and maybe can help narrow it down or something.

Here's further info about his symptoms:

• Wheezing
• A bit lethargic (mostly after the AB)
• Eating less but trying a pellet every now and then (also after the AB)
• Still interested in treats, dust baths, chew toys, etc. last I saw (last night)
• Shallow breathing
• Occasional wheezing/grunting, especially when excited/active
• Eyes a bit watery
• Listening to his chest/breathing, I can hear something like "clicking" inside. The sound changes. Really seems like something could be obstructing his nose/airflow.
• Nose has been flaring quite a lot. Poor kid is really trying.
• Less adventurous than usual. He's not usually one to sit around on my lap for more than 5 seconds. But now, it's like he wants to be held more and seems to be responding positively to me trying to help him.

He's maybe 8 or 9 years old. I think I've been friends with this furry guy for longer than most humans. This whole thing is really disheartening.

New to the young chiny

So here's my situation:
My boyfriend has had a male chin for 5 years, he's estimated to be around 7. His name is Pete. Well Pete was neglected from the first owners before my bf, and so he doesn't like attention outside of the cage. However in the cage he's totally friendly. He won't come on to your hand or anything but Pete sure does love his scratches and treats. I've been with my bf for 3 years so I've been taking care of Pete too of course. I understand how to care for him, but I never had to try to bond to him or anything.

A few days ago I brought home a 7 week old chin. I had been talking to a woman online who had a few babies unexpectedly and was putting up for sale. And that they wouldn't be ready for a few weeks. She let him go at 7weeks and after more research I'm wondering if he really should have stayed longer. I've named him (or her, I am unsure..) Nimbus. Or Nim for short.

When I met this woman and her family they were obviously doing very well with the chins but they also weren't breeders and were doing the best they could. We are taking Peter and Nimbus to the vet for a check up soon. My boyfriend made an appointment.

I was originally hoping we could eventually keep Pete and Nim together, as long as both are male. The first two nights I had Nim in a separate room. For a couple days now he's been in the same room as Pete. It seems to be going okay. I don't have the cages too close, just far enough that they can see each other but Nim doesnt feel the need to stay away.

I give Pete attention before I give Nim attention, to be sure that he doesn't feel forgotten. I don't give Nim treats, but the past owners gave him dried apples. Nim also eats his pellets without any issue. He ate them at his old home too. Nim loves to hang out my shoulder, and run around my neck and he seems really sweet. I think he might be even perking up to his name. Nim has pretty much the same size cage as Pete, of course with wheel and hidey hole, platforms, marble block at the bottom of the cage, water bottle and food on one of the platforms.
Since putting the chins in the same room, I've seen Nim popcorn a bunch! I had to look it up because it scared me at first. And even Peter has started to do it and my bf said he's never seen him do that. They seem happy. I can't wait to get them together. I'm just concerned that Nim may have been a bit too young to bring home. And I just want to make sure I'm doing everything I can to make sure he's alright. He seems to be eating plenty of food and drinking water just fine. Seems a little itchy though.

I'd like to know how I could get Nim a little more used to his name. And also if I posted pics would anyone be able to sex Nim for me? I am unsure and I hate that I keep calling it a him for ease of conversation lol.

New mom

My two new babies. They are from the pet store I work at. They have been with us for several months and I could no longer resist them. Not sure of their color being a new mom I'm not quite sure. They have been with us for 3 days and seam to be adjusting well.

Attached Images

IMG_5838.jpg (157 Bytes)

Should i pick him up and get him out of cage

Hi, I am looking after someone's chinchilla whilst they are selling their house. I have to say that I am completely in love with little Frodo who is 8 years old. I have been reading that they should be let out of cage for about an hour a day to exercise..now I don't think he has ever been put of his cage..I was wondering if I should get him out and take him into the bathroom to run around, that was my initial question. Also I am gaining his trust...first he wouldn't let me anywhere near him and now he sits on my hand and lets me tickle his tum and head. Do I just go for it and pick him up?

Are dowels safe?

I was at menards today, and I noticed their large selection of wooden dowels. I new that they would make fun ledges that would give my chins something other than flat surfaces to walk on, but I wasn't sure if they were safe. After looking on their website, I found that they were either made of oak or poplar. I know oak isn't safe, but is store bought poplar ok? How would it have to be prepared?

Thanks!

My chin ate paper I'm worried

About 2 weeks ago my chinchilla climbed threw the back of my dresser and got in the drawer. I later found out he ate some paper and the corners of a photograph. Yesterday he was out running around today he is very still he's not making any weird noises he's not chattering his teeth I picked him up today which was unusual because he didn't fight me. I rubbed his belly it doesn't feel hard I felt his brothers belly and they feel the same I just don't know what to do. he's not taking treats from my hand and I have not been able to see him eat from his bowl or drink any water. But he looks the same size. Should I be worried or is he just tired?

Mites? What is this?!

So someone that I follow on instagram posted about how their chins had mites and they've been getting revolution(every 2 weeks for over a month) but it's not improving. I've been under the impression that mites cannot survive in their fur so I questioned it.

They own piggies as well who the vet got positive samples from, then I believe the mites made their way over to the chins(Housed in the room I'm sure).

Here are the photos that I was just sent. The first one was when it was just starting, the other is now.



That poor little chinny nose, it's so sad to look at. Have you guys seen anything similar? I've never seen something like this in a chin so I'm stumped, which was why I thought I would post here. This is all the information that I have, if you have specific questions let me know so I can send them over to the owner.

EDIT::::: Okay so that was an older photo. Apparently about half of his chins had mites, that particular one has healed for the most part. He says some are still infected and he knows the mites are still there. He says he walks in and he can feel them bite him.

I've never dealt with anything like this in chins so any recommendations would be great.

Hello!

My name is Jessica and I live in the Lansing area and in Sterling Heights. I've had my male chin for about 3 years now, he is 4 years old. His name is Dumbo.
:)

Concerned chin isn't getting enough nutrition

I have a 3.5 (ish) year old male chinchilla. I am very concerned he's not getting enough nutrition. I have tried several different types of food but he continues to pick out the dried veggies or colorful pieces and leaves all the pellets. He does not eat much hay even though there is always fresh hay provided to him. Currently I'm am feeding him a mix of VitaNature chinchilla food that is a "balanced high forage diet" and chinchilla food from Oxbow Animal Health that consists of only pellets. As stated before he leaves the pellets from both types of food in the bowl and only eats the stuff (for lack of a better word). I also provide him with botanical and orchard grass hay.

Any suggestions?

Help!

My male Hedgie (Quillbert) is about 3.5 months old. About 1 month ago I got him a wheel in his cage and he used it all the time(obviously when we were fast asleep). Well about a week and half ago I accidentally cut his nail to short after his bath.(and he bleed) He hasn't used the wheel since except maybe once. I cleaned the wheel right after his bath and normally within a few days its covered in poop and is messy. Well its been pretty clean since then, like maybe he ran on it once. He is eating and drinking like normal. I don't see as much poop in his cage but still see some. We don't always get him out every day, but I did tonight and his lower abdomen looked swollen, after feeling around I found two lima bean size "objects" I had not felt before this time. I am assuming is his testicles, but with what seems to be his increased in sleeping (assuming from his lack of wheel running) I am worried about him. He awakes easily, and walks around like normal. I did find poop caked on 2 nails which I removed, but didn't see any signs of infection ( I am a nurse.) Not really sure if they go through growth spurts, if he is sick of his wheel right now, or something else is wrong.

Chinchilla not walking in a straight line

Hi, I've had my two chinchillas for 2 months now and they are 5 months old. Before I start I will be taking my chinchilla to the vets tomorrow I just want some advice in the mean time or to know if any of you have experienced this so I'm a prepared for what might happen tomorrow and if I might lose my chin. She is a female and recently when I let her out of the cage after a while she will fall on to her side and is unable to walk properly she panicked and rushed to her sand bath but stumbles about everywhere and falls to her left side continually while trying to walk, when I pick her up to put her in her bed she is limp and does squirm which she usually does as she prefers to just be running around. After about 15 minutes she is back running around again, this has happened about 6 times now. Is it a mini stroke? Or just something as a simple as a sprain? Thank you for any replies I get and like I said I will be taking her to the vets tomorrow I just want to know if I should be prepared for the worst. Thanks

Chinchilla - Possible URI

Hello,

My chin woke me up two nights ago when I heard him wheezing/crying. And not the "normal" variety when they're having nightmares or something — it sounded awful.

There was nothing open at 3 am when he began, so I held him and petted him for a while. He calmed down and the wheezing stopped. I took him to the vet in the morning; he wasn't wheezing but his breathing was labored. He got x-rayed; unfortunately inconclusive. The vet gave him a shot (in case of heart condition, which could also cause breathing issues if it's not a URI) and sent us home with azithromycin and critical care. (Hope the azithromycin works out better than Baytril, which he didn't do well at all with. I never want to put him on Baytril again unless it's a last resort.)

This morning the poor kid started wheezing again. :( It's the saddest thing; I wish he could tell me exactly what's wrong. I held him again. He doesn't normally like sitting still for a long time, but now he seems to understand and likes being comforted. He was very good at the vet, too.

Anyway, I recorded the sounds and am uploading them. I'll leave these here as a resource for anyone looking for sick chinchilla sounds.

http://ift.tt/2d0upx9
http://ift.tt/2cJNwtn
http://ift.tt/2d0vm8I
http://ift.tt/2cJN5il

Listening to them again is horrible :(

Just curious if anyone else has heard this before; maybe that could help narrow it down? I'm also going to send them to the vet.

PLEASE HELP, prolapsed penis for male chin

It can be a quite long thread to read, but please help me out.




I have 1 years 4months old male chin, Jack.
It was a month ago, when I first noticed his penis is prolapsed.
I got info from internet that lubrication can help penis to get back in
thus I used 100% petroleum jelly for a week.

It didn't seem to get any better, and lump appeared under his penal area.

I visited exotics vet straight after I saw a lump. (01/09/16)
Doctor told me it is an abscess and he never saw abscess on penal area before. And prolapsed penis can be a result of an abscess.
(no enough room for penis to get back in)

Pus was removed by incision
and little stitch was made to keep the penis back into the sheath.

Stitch was not successful, thus I re-visited vet on (07/09/16)
Doctor told me stitch was blocking penis to go back in.
Then he removed the stitch and penis seems to get back in.
He told me he is being well healed and no second infection.


---

while this time period, he had pain relief(Metacam) for 5 days
and antibiotics(Entrotril) for 7days.
He completely lost his appetite when he was taking antibiotic,
but he got his appetite back after stop giving him antibiotic.

there were no urinate issue or any other issue.

---

On Monday(12/09/16) night, my chin licked his penis for a long time thus I checked his penal area and I found out that it is very red color and swollen.

I visited vet again on the next day morning, yesterday, and doctor said anaesthesia and urinalysis is required to find out the reason.

Penis was not prolapsed, but sheath not normal appearance.
(it was inside the sheath, but sheath seems swollen. It never have been normal appearance since a month ago when I first saw prolapsed penis)

Finding from anaesthesia is
----
his penis would not protrude its full length, due to a small mass at his base of the penis. This small mass opened and examined and it revealed a white fibrous tissues possibly created during a healing process of the abscess before it was removed.
---

doctor said he can not remove the mass because he don't know what it is thus he cannot do anything about it.

During procedure, cut was made thus penis was prolapsed again due to a swelling. Nurse told me as swelling decrease over couple of hours, penis will go back into the sheath which is not happening right now.

However, main concern is even if penis get back into the sheath,
he will get a special condition due to a lump at his base of the penis which possibly not disappear and it will make penis to keep prolapsed often.

---
He have to take antibiotic(Enrotril) again for 7days and different pain relief for 5days(Tolfedine) starting from yesterday

Lubrication required if it is prolapsed.
---



Did anyone heard or had similar situation?
PLEASE, PLEASE, help me if you know or had an experience.

Sudden Aggression

Hi All! I've had my little buddy now for almost three years. So we get along pretty well. He hops all around on me and basically uses me as his jungle gym. However, recently (the past four months) he's become aggressive toward people he's been around. Specifically my roommates. When they come in the room to sit with us he bites them! He never bites me anymore and it's shocking to see how he behaves around people. He starts moving very quickly and erratically and starts sort of running a diagonal path toward them then lashes out and bites. He hasn't broken skin yet but he's biting hard enough to shock them.

Any ideas? Have you guys seen this behavior in any of your little guys? I hate to think of him acting like this because we get along so well now!

Chin sitting

My neighbors (a married couple) have agreed to give the chins fresh hay while we are away for 4 days. I don't know how much money i should offer them. Does anyone have any input on this? Also, my chins have never gone more than two days without out of cage time. I'm a little concerned about them getting stir crazy so if anyone can ease my mind that would be great =]

Temp vs. Humidity

I have been having issues balancing temp and humidity in the chin room. The issue only occurs at night. I use an AC and Dehumidifier. During the day, the temp is between 63-66 and humidity 47-50%. I do not adjust the settings on either the AC or Dehumidifier, but some mornings ill wake up and the room is up to 72 with 50% humidity. Last night, i only ran the AC and the temp went up to 68 with humidity rising to 53%. I kept the dehumidifier off until about half way through the day when the humidity rose to 63% temp 61.

My main concern is that i am going away the 27th-30th and my neighbors will come by just to give fresh hay. I do not know if i should keep the dehumidifier on while we are gone and risk the temp rising to 72 (50% humidity) at night or keep it off and risk the humidity getting well over 60% (low 60s in temp) during the day. What would you do?

Who has a Feisty Ferret cage?

I ordered a Feisty Ferret for when my little girls come home with me. But now, looking at it more closely, I see that only two doors open, so I would imagine that will make it harder to clean than if all four opened. I'm thinking I'll have to maneuver the pans out.

Advice?

Suggestions for names?

It's been a while since I've been here, and frankly, I didn't think I was going to get a chin. Well, I'm not. I'm rescuing TWO girls from Mt. Zion Chins. :-) I won't be picking them up for a few weeks yet, so I have time to think of names. I'm looking for more suggestions, since I'm not set on any of these.

If I stay with the alphabet (already have A B and C cats, though B has passed), I was thinking
Delia & Emma (just because; no meaning)
Danica & Erika or Erin (race car drivers - since chins are so speedy)

Then if I start at the end of the alphabet,
Zoe & ???? (can't think of a Y name I like - any suggestions?)

Or girl duos, like
Thelma & Louise (has already been used in the family)
Lucy & Ethel (eh)
Laverne & Shirley (eh)
suggestions?

Then there's going with Downton Abbey -
Violet (one of the chins is a violet) & Cora or
Countess and Lady?

Another duo I thought of that would have no meaning to anyone but family members - Agnes & Betty. (Sisters who are old friends of the family; Agnes will be 100 in November)

Or going with something else with no meaning, other than liking the names. All suggestions welcome! I'm sure there are many names I'm not thinking of.

I will probably keep a few choices open until I actually get them and see what I think fits them.

Thanks!
Trish

Adopted a new dog

Hi all!

My husband and I adopted a golden retriever/labrador mix, who is 6 years old. The dog freaks out (barks, cries) when he hears the chinchilla metal wheel. He also whines/stares in the general direction of the chinchilla cage (we separated the 2 into different rooms). Anyone with dogs experience/rectify this type of situation before?

We've had the dog for a little over a week. When we bring the dog upstairs to our bedroom for the night, he can still hear the chinchilla on his wheel through the door and whines at night.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Eye crusted shut?? Help!

One of my boys has a very bad eye that is completely crusted shut. A greenish goo is surrounding the closed lid and white crust is on the fur surrounding the eye, I'm assuming from grooming too much. He doesn't seem to be in pain and he's acting completely normal. I'm making a vet appointment for him tomorrow to go in sometime this week. In the mean time, is there anything I can do to help him? I know for some issues, human antibiotics can be prescribed in small doses. Is this the case in this situation? I also know pink eye was in my family this week. Could he have gotten that from one of us? Any other suggestions? Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Out of cage options?

Wondering what everyone does for out of cage time. I used to have a spare room just for the chinchillas (I have 2), but that's no longer an option. I'm wondering if anyone has tried the playpens or if you have other portable ideas? I'm looking for an option that I can use in any room and preferably something I can take down after playtime. But still good quality and beneficial to them. Advice (and pictures!) appreciated.

What's your experience using Uhaul furniture pads?

Hello everyone,

I used Zorb fabric for my first batch of cage liners. They work really well, and I can go perhaps a week before needing to change them out. Which is good because I only do laundry on the weekends :-) I think it was a total cost of $95 for the Zorb with shipping from Amazon, and I got (8) liners for my FN out of that 8YD shipment.

So, while I'm quite happy with the performance of Zorb, I need to find a cheaper alternative. Now I'm looking into the Uhaul furniture pads. When I averaged out the cost between the two materials, the Zorb cost $1.70/sq.ft. while the furniture pads cost only $0.16/sq.ft.

I'm wondering if any of the DIY'ers in this community have used the Uhaul blankets for the absorbent layer of their fleece cage liners? I like that they are made out of recycled denim... just wondering about how absorbent and how resistant to odors they are. Not to mention how they hold up to multiple washes!

My thanks in advance for any information you could provide.

Teppi, Taro & Toby

You can check us out on Instagram!
http://ift.tt/2c8XLKW

Any suggestions for pee smell?

We got chins again, after not having them for 3 years. We have fleece on the bottom of their cage and a litter pan with pine shavings. I have seen them pee in the litter pan, but definitely not all the time. There's obvious pee stains on the fleece. I cleaned their cage last night and it already stinks like pee again today. Has anyone found any solutions to this? Is fleece not the way to go? I thought about doing a tile bottom with the litter pan but since they don't always pee in the litter pan, not sure how that would go? HELLLPPP! :)

Messy, stained bum??

My new chin has a messy looking bum. Like she had diarrhea, yet there is no diarrhea to be found. In fact, I know her poop is normal because she pooped all over me last night and it was just her normal, dry little poops. Does their bum fur just get stained sometimes from pee? I have fleece on the bottom of her cage with a litter pan of pine shavings.

White Skon

Hi! I have a 7 week old little girl, and tonight I noticed a couple issues with her skin. In one spot her skin is white around a few of her quills. At first I was thinking dry skin? But I'm very new to this. I also noticed another spot where it looked like a sore, there was a little bit of dried blood as well. Almost like a quill came out, or there was an ingrown one. Any ideas on what's going on/what I can do to help? Thank you!

Cross Country Traveling - Advice please

Hi!

I plan on moving cross country at the end of the year from Ohio to California. I won't be stay at hotels, but I will be staying with family between states. I was wondering...

1. What would be an appropriate carrier for long distance travel? I have a small cat carrier I use for vet trips, but I've heard I should look into something different.
2. How should I have his carrier prepared? What should I line it with, how should i monitor food/water intake so he's not sitting in a soiled carrier for the whole trip?
3. Would it be worth purchasing a "starter cage" so he has some leg room when we stop at relatives homes for the night? I'm thinking he could be more comfortable than being stuck in a carrier for the entire trip.

I know for a fact traveling doesn't stress Cooper out. Just like my guinea pigs as soon as that car is moving he's out cold. But this will be my first major move with caged pets and I want to make sure he's taken care of when we move.

Also opinions please; my aunt has been telling me when I move cross country, to look into having my things shipped on a pallet (think like UPS). It is cheaper, and I have considered it (just haven't gotten a quote yet). But I was wondering... the cage. Should I ship it, or have it strapped to the roof of my car? I have a Prevue Hendryx 485 Pet Products Feisty Ferret Home cage. Putting it together was a hassle, and I don't want to tear it down. I considered selling it but I think it would be a hassle to sell it and set up another cage :hilarious:

Greetings from Cooper and Co~!

Hi all!

It's been a long time since I've done forums. One of them that I was on for a long time ended up dissolving due to inactivity, but I'm still in touch with some of the members from there.

My name is Zusa, and I have a handsome little chinchilla named Cooper. He was gifted to a friend when she made a comment about how cute they were, and a person in her circle of friends thought it was a *great* idea to gift her one.

She had Cooper for a year, but due to her health, family life (mom of four busy babies) and personal preference (dogs) she decided to rehome him. She contacted me because she had seen me post pictures on facebook of my guinea pigs and thought he might do better with someone that has caged pets. I took him in since he was free to a good home and had ironically considered getting a chinchilla earlier that year. He's spoiled rotten and after a few months of having him, I've finally won him over! He's still hard to catch when I want to take him out of his cage, but he runs up to the side of cage I'm on when I call for him and lets me rub his chin and chest.

He's a standard gray, approximately 2 years old, maybe 3 at this point, and a standard gray. I've been told by many people that he's "rather small" for an adult chinchilla. I suspect this is because in his previous home he was fed a poor diet (cheap chinchilla food) and may have come from a backyard breeder.

Litter Training

How young can I start litter training? My boys are just over 3 months old, but they seem consistent with the corner they choose to pee in. Is that too young to put a glass littler pan in to start training?

Advice/Thoughts | 3 Month Old Baby - Sleeping in pee?

About a month ago, I got 2 baby boys, so they are now just over 3 months old. A couple of times now, one of them (Dash) has seemed to be covered in pee. (At least that's what I'm guessing from the smell!) Is this normal behavior for a young chin? I've only ever had adults, so not 100% sure what to expect. His brother (Twitch) doesn't seem to do this, but Dash will sleep anywhere and is constantly rolling around everywhere. I give them dust baths every other day, but with him doing this, I almost need to do it daily.

I'll be honest that I'm a little paranoid that they are going to start fighting and need to be separated (because that's what happened with my previous set of brothers), so I just want to make sure he doesn't look like a total mess because he's getting beat up by his brother and that it is, in fact, just him sleeping/rolling in his pee.

I'm hoping I can start to litter train them soon, but not sure how old they should be before I start.

Any thoughts? advice?

Chinchilla Making Weird Noise?

I have had my 9 week old chinchilla for about almost 2 weeks now. Today when I she came out to play, she was acting strange. She was very timid, and running around, as if she was very nervous. Then she would freeze, and make a noise. I can't really explain how it sounded so here is a link to a video I recorded of her making it. She had done it multiple times. Maybe she sensed my dog on the other side of the door scratching and sniffing? And maybe she was irritated or nervous about my dog being on the other side of the door? I don't really know! If anyone can help it would be great for future reference! Here is the link of what this noise sounds like: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wYYfaDRYHD4

If you can please vote for Bauer :)

Hi Friends!!!

My pet volunteer dog Bauer is in a contest to be a part of their yearly calendar and we need your help to vote!! If you can spare 30 seconds to vote for Bauer it would mean a lot to me. Thank you for your time all. Have a great day!!

http://ift.tt/2cxJuGm


Many thanks

Alannah and Bauer xo

Difference between Mosaic and white ebony?

I didn't see a color forum started yet, and I have been trying to find an answer on different breeder sites, but can't seem to. From what I'm understanding, the only real difference is that a white ebony carries ebony gene. I don't see a significant appearance difference but please correct me if I'm wrong! Is there any really trait differences between the two? Or does one just carry the ebony gene? Thanks in advanced!

Bath Dust in Eye

Hi, I'm a pretty new Chinchilla owner and I got her 12 days ago. I put her Dust bath in her cage because she seemed to like it in there last time she got her bath. She went to jump out of it, but me being stupid I put it at the top of her cage so when she jumped out it fell with her. I picked her up to make sure she was okay and she had a big clump of dust in one of her eyes. People say to do a saline solution but I don't have that and I wanted to know if it would be okay or if she could get an infection from it. At first when I let her back in the cage she was squeaking and rubbing her nose and eye, but now she seems to be sleeping. Is there anything I need to do to make sure she's okay?

Am I being impatient?

I have a year+ old female and a 9 month old male who have been together since he was about 3 months old. My female is pretty dominant so introducing them took some time, but now they eat and sleep together. I know male chinchillas sexually mature faster than females, and I was hoping by now they would have TRIED to breed. But I have not heard them (they are in my room), noticed any plugs or excessive hair in cage, nothing that would lead me to believe they have bred. I am constantly rubbing on my female's belly, as she loves belly rubs, and feel no change. Am I being impatient, or should I not expect these 2 to ever breed? I am fine with that if that is the case, but I would have thought by now they would have tried. Thanks in advanced for your replies!

Swollen Toe on a Chin

Hi,

I'm a pretty new owner, I've had my chinchilla for about a year and a half. I got a second chinchilla and so the two of them have been bouncing off the bars of the cages to try and get to eat other. I noticed my older chin had a tow that looked enlarged but it doesn't seem to be red, he's walking and jumping fine, and he doesn't show pain when it's touched. I am going to take him to the vet to get it checked out but should I be extremely concerned?

Here are pictures of his toe:

http://ift.tt/2c63aSf

http://ift.tt/2bVxFa2


Sorry for the dark pictures!

Teeth clicking?!

I got a new chin tonight and so far she is super friendly! She is not afraid of us at all and just loves to play. I expected to have to let her get used to her new home for a while and she is totally ready to be friends :)
Anyways, I noticed she was making a weird sound with her teeth which I can only explain sounded like clicking her teeth together. What is that about?

Got bit so hard today! First time

I experienced my first chin bite today. We went to a person's house to possibly buy a chin. She was a baby black velvet - SO beautiful. I believe she was around 10 weeks old. The owner kinda had to chase her around the cage a bit to get her out. She was kacking at him a bit too. He finally grabbed her and tried to hand her to me. I should've known that wasn't a good idea since she seemed a little worked up. She immediately bit my finger and would NOT let go. Finally I freed my finger but she really got me good. It was really deep and even went through my finger nail to the point where blood was coming up through my nail. Anyways, long story short we decided it probably wasn't a good fit. I was really disappointed because she was so beautiful and tiny and a good price but I just didn't feel good about it. I've never had a chin bite before. What do you guys think? Was she just riled up from being chased around the cage or do you think she just might have a bad temperment? Should I have brought her home and let her chill out for a few days and see how it went, or was leaving the best choice?

Metronidazle help

Morning All

Posted in the emergency section regarding Bunty my 22 year old chinchilla and very soft stool

She had giardia, the results of the test found. She has been given Metronidazle and thankfully the problem has cleared up

A new on has developed, whilst active, playful, eating and drinking, she is not going to the toilet at all

Any help or advice about this matter would be much appreciated

I have given her some fibreplex probiotic and criticial care last night, which you may deem odd given she is eating, I wanted to keep her system as active as possible

Please someone help me, she is my everything

Missing my chins :(

This is the first time I've been on the site in years. We had 2 beautiful chins about 3 years ago and gave them up because we lived in a small apartment and had just had a baby. We really regret re-homing them. We miss them so much!!! We're looking into getting new chins, but I feel like they can never be replaced in my heart </3
If anyone knows of any breeders in UT, ID any surrounding states, let me know.
Thanks :(

Whisker chewing

I have twin girl chinchillas that are 1.5 years old. They have been with me for one month. One of them has lovely long whiskers. the other has virtually none as the other one chews them off. It's not aggressive at all and they love each others company. Is there any way to stop the whisker chewing or does it not really affect them? I spoke to the previous owner who said they've always been short and she hadn't noticed why she just assumed they were naturally short. but they're defo being chewed as they've gone from an inch to nothing since I've had them.

safe wood for shelving

Hello,

I am looking to make my own shelving for my chinchilla cage. All I can find online is that I would need 'kiln dried untreated white pine' but nowhere seems to know what this is. b&q etc only sell redwood pine or spruce.

Rather than use the wrong type of pine, is poplar ok, such as this: http://ift.tt/2bHyiFy

Advice would be much appreciated as I really am having no luck so far.

Thank you

Rebecca