Sick chin? Tooth problems?

Hello! I’m Erin and I’m the owner of a 4 year old chin named Samwell. I got him for my 17th birthday (he was a surprise, which most people know isn’t usually the best idea) and I love him very very much but didn’t really know anything about chinchillas when I got him I’ve tried to educate myself but I made some mistakes along the way I’m sure.
My problem that I have now, and the reason why I’m asking in this forum, is that for a while now, Samwell has been seemingly having tooth issues. After some research I’m pretty sure that’s what it is, but he has been (and I’m awful at explaining things so this might not make sense) opening his jaw wide as if he has something stuck in his mouth? And it makes a sort of clicking noise?
He seems to be eating normally (I think, it’s hard to tell because he’s a picky eater and doesn’t eat much to begin with) and he has the same amount of energy as usual, but he’s also been drinking way more water than normal. Like, I try to refill as often as possible but usually he still has water in his bottle after a few days. Over the past few days it’s like I need to refill every other day because he’s drained it dry.
Then there’s the issue of the very smelly pee... which could be because I did change his food recently, and I’m going to go back to the food I used to give him to see if that’s a cause.

Basically I have anxiety and I constantly feel like I’m doing a really bad job of raising him and I have this feeling that he’s sick but I’m probably overreacting... just want to see if anyone else has had these issues? My mom and I have already contacted the nearest vet (an hour away) who deals with “exotic animals” and it seems that an initial checkup and possible tooth filing could cost up to $450, not to mention if there’s something else wrong... figured I would get some tips on here first.

Sick chin? Tooth problems?

Hello! I’m Erin and I’m the owner of a 4 year old chin named Samwell. I got him for my 17th birthday (he was a surprise, which most people know isn’t usually the best idea) and I love him very very much but didn’t really know anything about chinchillas when I got him I’ve tried to educate myself but I made some mistakes along the way I’m sure.
My problem that I have now, and the reason why I’m asking in this forum, is that for a while now, Samwell has been seemingly having tooth issues. After some research I’m pretty sure that’s what it is, but he has been (and I’m awful at explaining things so this might not make sense) opening his jaw wide as if he has something stuck in his mouth? And it makes a sort of clicking noise?
He seems to be eating normally (I think, it’s hard to tell because he’s a picky eater and doesn’t eat much to begin with) and he has the same amount of energy as usual, but he’s also been drinking way more water than normal. Like, I try to refill as often as possible but usually he still has water in his bottle after a few days. Over the past few days it’s like I need to refill every other day because he’s drained it dry.
Then there’s the issue of the very smelly pee... which could be because I did change his food recently, and I’m going to go back to the food I used to give him to see if that’s a cause.

Basically I have anxiety and I constantly feel like I’m doing a really bad job of raising him and I have this feeling that he’s sick but I’m probably overreacting... just want to see if anyone else has had these issues? My mom and I have already contacted the nearest vet (an hour away) who deals with “exotic animals” and it seems that an initial checkup and possible tooth filing could cost up to $450, not to mention if there’s something else wrong... figured I would get some tips on here first.

Fur Chewing/Fur Biting/Barbering. Any Hope?

Sigh. I've done far too much research on this fur chewing! Let's start from the bottom and build up, shall we? I have two female chinchillas, both who live in a Chinchilla Mansion, with not a lot of shelves, a hiding box, and a running wheel. We do not have constant chew toys out for them, we give them a few days a week, or sometimes none at all. Their diet consists of Small Pet Select 2nd Cutting Timothy Hay, Alfalfa Hay fed at one handful for both chinchillas twice a week, and Oxbow Meadow Hay. Their hay mixture is 2/3 timothy hay and 1/3 orchard hay, and twice a week the orchard hay is swapped out for a handful of alfalfa hay to share for both chins. Their treats consist of a sliver of an almond, a sunflower seed, a goji berry, a tiny piece of dried mango, OR a tiny piece of dried apple every three months. We pick one of the things on this list to feed to them every three months. Their pellets are Oxbow's Premium Chinchilla pellets.

The first chinchilla is Violet, a two-year-old Violet Wrap Carrier who was bought from a breeder and has no fur biting in her genetics. She is the dominant chinchilla and is very playful, very intelligent, and extremely protective. Diamond is the second chinchilla, a year and 3/4 old, who was bought from the same breeder, a Standard Gray, and has no fur biting in her genetics. She is not the dominant chinchilla, is very shy and skitterish, anxious, and not very bright.

Violet has a severe case of fur biting and has bitten every part of her she can reach and isn't the prettiest sight to behold. That is until she snuggles up in your lap. Diamond has mild fur biting and has lightly chewed her hips. Violet started her fur biting around the time Diamond arrived, and Diamond started maybe a month or two ago. I have narrowed the search down to either boredom or stress. They live in the quietest room in a household of four children, where the children do not frequent often. They also have an outdoor cage that they spend most of their time in (in a very shady and cool environment), that is about 1 -1 1/2 foot tall, and very wide. They have cardboard boxes that they shred (NOT EAT) in there with holes cut out in them so they can hide in them.

I've read many times that once a chinchilla starts bitting their fur, it's 99% impossible to stop. I've come to accept Violet as a fur biter, but I can't bear to imagine that Diamond's beautiful coat will now look like Violet's. Help! Is there any hope for my two girls?

- the Essay Writer XD

Stress or Sick?

Hi! I am new to this forum and decided to join when it came up as a result when I was researching symptoms with my chinchilla.

I have 2 chinchillas, Lilah and Luna, that I've had for a little over 3 months now. I got them from a shelter, so I'm not sure how old they are.

Anyways, I had to leave for the weekend so I had to transport them about 30mins to ad from a fellow chinchilla owner friend.

Now, 4 days later (the first night I've been home) Lilah started to sneeze a lot. I googled that, and somehow ended up at a lot of malocclusion articles. This lead of course, to hours of observing her every move.

She seems to biting at her fur, and grinding her teeth. She also occasionally grabs at her mouth. Lastly, she lays on her side more than usual, but will hop right up when I open the cage door.

She isn't drooling and is eating/drinking fine, and has the same amount of energy when I go over to the cage. I know its probably been a stressful week for her and I'm paranoid since I left her, but I don't want to pass everything off as such, in case she's in pain. Does it sound like I should go to a vet?

Thank you for you time!!

Em

My New Hedgehog

I just got a new hedgehog and this is my third day with him. The first day i left him alone to do his own thing and get used to it. The second night i had to quickly take him out to fix his cage up and i had some difficulty picking him up. He kept moving around trying to get away from me and after i picked him up i fixed up his cage and picked him up again to put him back in the cage. As i was slowly moving to put him back in the cage he bit me. I set him down and he ran away from me. I know the second night was probably really to early to pick him up but I needed to fix his cage. How long do I wait to pick him up? Was the second night to early? He is acting normally, eating normally and running a lot on his wheel. Is this just because he doesn't know me?

What can i feed my chin?

I am a new chinchilla owner and I have had my boy for a little over a month now and I have been feeding him the pellets everyday along with treats once or twice a week but can you feed them any fruits or vegetables? I've googled and got answers but i feel like this is the best place to go for questions about chins so i am wondering what fruits and vegetables can chinchillas have? How often can they have it and how much do i feed to him at once?

Considering a new cage

I’m considering getting a new cage for Ripley. I was looking at the Ferret and Critter Nation 2 Level. I’m leaning toward the FN because it bolts together and seams sturdier. (Ripley currently is in a cage with 1 inch spacing & that is fine)

Couple questions:
1. If the FN bolts together, then can I unassemble and reassemble a couple times a year? (I spend a couple months a year in another state)
2. Is the cage ready to go after you buy it or are there accessories that I’d need to purchase or modifications that need to be made? (I have her water and food things-I mean for the cage itself.)
3. Is it better to use fleece liners with these than bedding? Seems that the bedding would just go out the sides of the cage onto the floor. If so, who sells them and how often do you need to change them? Ripley drinks/pees a lot!

Thanks!

I have a question about chinchillas being together

I have one chinchilla named Merlin, he's around 2 years old and he lives alone in his cage. I know chins are supposed to be in pairs but he is right beside my bed and gets constant attention he's never alone except for when I go out in the day. I am getting a hedgehog and I know that both animals temperatures are very different. I don't wanna get rid of him so unfortunately I need to move him out of my room and into a different room in my house. I refuse to leave him in a new room by himself because he will get very lonely so I'm looking for into getting another chinchilla for my merlin but I don't know if I should get a male or a female. Merlin is a male and I don't want baby chins but if I get a male I don't want them fighting. I need help!!

Warm Feet

So my female chinchillas Bijou’s feet are nomally cold, but I noticed this morning they’re warm. They’re not red, bleeding, or cracked just a little warmer than usual. Is this cause for concern? I’ve also noticed sometimes when she sits she tends to sit back on her heels so that the front of her feet aren’t touching the grounds is this normal or is she in some kind of pain? I’ve got wooden shelves in her cage, a lava ledge, we’ve got a fleece floor and a brick to help her wear down her toenails. So she’s got a variety of safe surfaces, I’m going to go to the pet store and invest in some bird perches to give her some variety and less flat surfaces to see if that helps but in the mean time is there anything I should be doing?

HELP! my chinchilla is on his side

I have a chinchilla named merlin and he is about two years old. I have noticed 2 times now that my chin is going on his side and I don't really know why. I know chins can overheat but the temperature in his cage is always 67-70 degrees. It was 69 degrees when I saw him on his side and being a new chin owner I quickly rushed him over to the ac. From what I know 69-70 degrees is an ok temperature for chins and then i thought maybe he just likes sleeping on his side but then i touch him and he's warm. Please help i don't know what to do.

Chinchilla Kissing each other?

So I just got a new chin and have been introducing them for the past week and a half (Putting cages side by side and putting them in neutral areas etc.) I finally let them together and the look like they are kissing?? Are they kissing? is it good or bad? They are like touching their noses together.

Breeding Advice

I'm looking into breeding chinchillas but I don't know where to start, any advice or tips would help! I want to be the best that I can and be educated about it

Please help! Urgent! Chinchilla won't go back in cage!

someone please help me my 2 year old chinchilla decided that she didn't want to go back in het cage. it's been 5 hours now and i've tried treats and dustbaths. i even tried to block off the hiding places. i have school tomorrow and i can't leave her roaming. someone help please:cry3:

X-rays of a 17 year old chinchilla.

I keep forgetting I have these, last year Roy, my now almost 18 year old chinchilla, got full body X-rays done to check to see how he was aging. I thought I’d post them for everyone to see.


My files apparently are too big so I’ll have to post a link to my tumblr since I don’t have access to a computer to resize them.

http://gecko-garden.tumblr.com/post/...-thing-drferox

Chinchilla: weird ear lump

Hi I just got my chinchilla about a month ago and a couple days ago I saw this lump on the end of her ear. I thought it was nothing and was just a little bit of dryness. It still isn't gone and tried to gently get it off but it won't budge. Does anyone know what it is?

Picture: https://gyazo.com/6291c72745f4aba6564207d81f5f44d3

should I use 2 different water bottles for 2 different chinchillas?

Im bought my chinchilla this morning and was wondering if I should get 2 different water bottles because I have 2 chinchillas. Same with the food bowl.

Are there any dwarf chinchilla breeders in south or central Florida?

Hello everyone! I recently into my own house and after doing some research have decided to adopt a chinchilla. I am most interested in dwarf chinchillas, and was wondering if there were any in south or central Florida, and if not where I can get them. Thanks in advance!

Ferret Nation w/ Custom Bass Equip Pan, Flying Saucer -COMPLETE CHIN SETUP- Chicago

Hello CnH!

I have for sale a complete starter chinchilla setup! My chins were very spoiled, and I want someone else's to be too!

I am asking $300 for everything listed below. This set is all inclusive for the price, and I will not be shipping, so local pickup only please in the Chicagoland area! The cage does come apart and fold flat-ish, but both of our lives will be easier if you can pick it up with a truck! :dance3:

Let's take a look! Here is an album with images of everything!

1. MidWest Deluxe Ferret Nation Double Unit
   
   This is the two story Ferret Nation that has perfect bar spacing for chinchillas. It comes complete with two original plastic pans. The bottom plastic pan (with no cutout) has a small section where the plastic has been chewed away at the edge. This should not affect usability if covered with fleece liners. The pan with cutout is in very good condition. The cage also comes with original (never used) 2 shelves/ ledges as well as 3 wire ramps, but these are NOT appropriate for chins. They'd be fine for ferrets, I think, though.
   
   The cage itself is in like new condition. The castors are all intact and fully functional, and there is no rust or damage anywhere. Everything has been recently sterilized with white vinegar and a small amount of dish soap.
   
   
2. Bass Equipment Custom Galvanized Steel Pan 3"
   
   This is a 3-inch deep stainless steel pan custom-sized to fit the Ferret Nation. You can use it on the bottom half of the cage or on the top half if you're dividing the cage into two separate sections. The deep lip is great for keeping hay and shavings in the cage! As you can see from photos, there is some rust and discoloration in the bottom of this pan, although it has been recently scrubbed and disinfected. The marks are permanent. My favorite way to use this pan is to wrap the entire thing in a pillow-case style fleece liner.
   
   
3. Flying Saucer Wheel- Standard Size
   
   This is the standard size (13 3/4" in diameter) Flying Saucer perfect for a chinchilla. It comes with all hardware necessary to mount to the Ferret Nation. It's in great shape, and spins smoothly! Both of my chinchillas adored it!
   
   
4. Untreated Pine Wooden Play Accessories
   
   A variety of awesome pine shelves and accessories! I can't for the life of me remember where all these items came from, but they work nicely inside the cage! As you can see from the photos, many of these pine items have been chewed on, which is what they're for! Everything has been thoroughly sanded down in order to sterilize.
   
   1 mountable tunnel with chin-chiller inside (the top functions as a ledge)
   
   1 giant cube with round cut-outs
   
   2 corner shelves and 2 normal square shelves
   
   1 "daybed" with cute fleece pillow
   
   2 suspended bridges
   
   1 AWESOME squiggly bridge that mounts to the back length of the cage!
   
   There is also a custom-built (by me!) graduated ramp that allows the chinchilla in the top section to climb up and down out of the cage! My boy learned to use it easily!
   
   
   
5. Fleece Liners & Cage Accessories
   
   An awesome assortment of fleece items! There are 3 fleece liners total; 1 for the top, cutout portion of the cage, 1 for the bottom "normal" pan, and 1 pillowcase-style that can encompass the entire steel Bass Equipment pan. They are recently laundered and in "okay" condition. There is some permanent discoloration on one, but nothing terrible.
   
   Additionally:
   
   1 fleece-lined tube that can mount to the side of the cage (chins love these!)
   
   1 half-circle fleece-lined ledge that also mounts
   
   2 pillows for the daybed that can clip to the bars
   
   1 round "cup" style bed
   
   1 hanging fort hideout with fleece pillow
   
   4 fleece hay-holders that can be clipped to the bars
   
   2 large hammocks that hang from the top of the cage.
   
   All hardware necessary to mount and hang these items is included!
   
   
6. Other Accessories
   
   1 very nice metal carrying cage in great condition. This is necessary to own for vet trips, ect!
   
   1 Pyrex pan to be used as a litter box. I used these in top and bottom sections, and my experience is that males pee in them about 90% of the time, and it's nice to relegate your Aspen shavings just to the litterbox pans.
   
   1 plastic dust house (not to be kept inside the cage!)
   
   1 extra chin-chiller, and 2 large square marble tiles. These are great for holding down the edges of the fleece liners!
   
   
7. Miscellaneous Toys and Treats!
   
   1 plastic drawer system. (You may take or leave this, but I found it super handy for storing all my chin supplies!)
   
   1 working gram scale that is perfect for weighing chinchillas.
   
   An ARRAY of hardware- large washers, wingnuts, metal carabiners, round clips & more! There is MORE than enough here to mount everything included.
   
   1 half-full container of Blue Cloud dust. This is the best dust I've ever used!
   
   Miscellaneous treats including rosehips, and unopened shredded wheat, which is great as a crumbled treat.
   
   1 bottle of Blu-Kote (never used)
   
   1 syringe dropper (never used)
   
   2 small ceramic food dishes that are the perfect size for daily pellet allotment!
   
   1 plastic mountable food dish. This is very hard plastic, and I've found that if chins have enough other enticing things to chew on, they leave it alone.
   
   1 GIANT box of appropriate chewing woods. All woods inside are specifically Okayed for chinchillas! There are rings that you can string up into a hanging toy, logs that they can carry around, ect.
   
   1 bag of apple twigs- a great treat that they love!
   
   1 wood branch that mounts
   
   1 large pumice rock
   
   1 pink pumice triangle
   
   2 willow (I think) braided ring toys
   
   1 bag of pumice/ lava rocks with holes that can be strung up
   
   1 bag of cardboard rings and toys
   
   ~12 loofah slices
   

---------------------------------------------


As you can see, it's a lot of stuff, and encompasses many of the essentials you'll need for proper chinchilla husbandry! The cage in particular is the gold standard for chins, as you're probably well-aware if you're reading these forums! :chin4:

Please feel free to DM if you have interest or any questions! Payment can be cash, Paypal, or Venmo. Thank you for looking! :wave:

Lethargic and in corner

So last night my Chin of 2 years Luna was fine and active looking for attention as always, today she came out, took her bath, drank a little water and since then has been laying the corner and not active at all. She's yet to be sick since getting her and now I'm very worried since I know things can get very serious very fast, I called the specialist and made an appointment but it's not until tomorrow morning. I'm very nervous that she wont make it because I dont know what it could be out of all the possibilities. I'm trying to just give her space for now but I really dont want to lose her over night. She gets unlimited hay and also is given a little bowl size of pellets and he treats are crunchy rainbow colored pretzels meant for Chins. She gets plenty of run around time this seems to have come out of the blue. Any information is greatly appreciated

NWI Chinchilla Adoption

Hey! I was wondering if anyone can help me out with the rescue center "nwi chinchillas" I've called them, emailed them, filled out an adoption form but no one is replying. Does anyone know if they shut down or currently not available?
:tantrum:

Getting another chin?

I've had my chinchilla, Fluffy, for two weeks. He is my first chinchilla and he has settled in really well. We were advised by the owner to get him alone as he viciously attacked another chinchilla when he was very small. I want to buy another chin at some point because I don't want him to feel lonely, I spend a lot of time with him and he hasn't showed any abnormal behaviours but I feel bad when I'm not there for him since he's alone. I don't want to buy another chinchilla and have him attack it. (If the worst happens what should I do?) I don't know when the best time it is to see how he interacts with another chin, he is 6 months old.

Introduction

trimax here.

I have three females chinchillas.

Finished a cage for my daughter and granddaughters and their 2 males (24 sq. feet surface area-2 floors -72 cubic ft., volume.

Having a slow go at getting the two males to bond. It has only been a week, however.

Building a cage for my girls. Expect it to be 8 x 2 x 4.

My girls are, light gray and white, beige, white.

I live in TN.

One or Two male chins available for adoption in Los Angeles/Orange County CA

I rescued by three chins (brothers) from a biology classroom breeder, and the middle chin, Rory, who is my favorite, of course, is being beat up on by his older brother Rob. Rob and the youngest, Roland get along very well, but Rory has gotten three bloody injuries since I adopted them in May of 2017, and it's breaking my heart. I'm looking for a new home for either Rory or Rob and Roland together.

The boys aren't into being held, but are friendly due to the circumstances of their birth and nurture (lots of teenagers around with lots of Doritos). I give them the best of everything, and want to make sure he/they go to someone who can also provide for these darling boys.

I'm also open to adopting all three out, as long as Rory isn't adopted to be a single-chin, he's too used to having chinchilla company. Trying not to cry. :cry3:

Tail wagging--what does it mean?

Hello! My new chinchilla has been settling in well in the past week she has been here. She comes out to play and run all over my legs when I'm cleaning her cage. One strange thing she does is sit on her food bowl, squat down, waggle her tail, then she'll leap forward. She looks like shes playing around, but if it is a sign that shes agitated, I don't want to cause her any stress or upset her. Anyone know what the tail wagging is all about?

Thanks!

New to Chinchillas, Need some help

Hi there! I'm a soon-to-be owner of a chinchilla, and was hoping someone would be able to help me.

I wanted to know, what stuff can be gotten commercially? I work at a pet store that I know unfortunately doesn't have the best reputation. But if I can get at least some stuff through my job, that would be ideal.

So far I've already acquired a cage, a Pervue Rat/Chinchilla cage that I took the metal grate out of the bottom and slid the pan up so it sits flush on the bottom. I live in Southern California, but have already solved my heat/humidity issue (one $270 portable air conditioner/dehumidifier later).

Where do I go next? I planned on going with Oxbow Essentials Chinchilla food and Timothy Hay, and their line of Chinchilla Bath Dust. But I've been seeing some issues regarding exercise wheels with chinchillas.

I want to give my new chin the best possible life I can. So I need all the help I can get. If there's a thread that already has everything I need to know, please point me in that direction.

Hello all- new chin owner

Hello all! I'm Elie, a first time chinchilla owner. I just bought a standard grey 5 mo. female from Tiffany's Chinchillas in Roxboro, NC. She is adjusting well to her new cage, one my dad and I built ourselves. I've made sure she is safe and has all the necessities she needs for a happy, long life. Here are some photos of her and her cage. Is there anything I should change? I'd love to hear from some veterans in chinchilla care.
https://imgur.com/a/pHnZYrK

I am happy to join this great website, and hope to continue to learn lots about chinchilla care throughout my journey here. Also, any tips for bonding with a young chinchilla?

Thanks!

-Elie :bliss:

Ear injury

Hi everyone!

I’ve had my chinchilla Oatmeal for just over a month. He’s coming up four months. He recently injured his back foot, and I took him to the vet for treatment. We noticed there was also a small tear in his ear, but as it was small it initially healed well and the vet didn’t seem to be concerned.

I’ve just noticed that the tear has gotten bigger. It doesn’t seem to bother him particularly, and I don’t think it’s infected, but I’m wondering whether it’s worth revisiting our vet to see whether he can stitch it to stop anymore damage occurring.

New chin mom

Hi all, just introducing myself. I had absolutely no intention of getting chinchillas and rather got thrown in at the deep end. My first chin is Furby, a black velvet neutered male. I rescued him from being put to sleep because his previous owner was not prepared to pay for surgery to amputate his badly broken leg. Anyway he is now a very happy 3 legged chin. His previous owners then asked if I would have his brother, I was more than happy to take Bailey as it meant that they would be company for each other. I have bonded well with both of them. But Furby is by far more affectionate with me and barely waits for me to open the door before he is out on my shoulder. Of course I had to do a crash course in chinchilla care. I have now been offered their parents so it would seem that I am going to go from no chins to four of them in two months! I hope to learn more from all of you. 😊

Reintroducing chins

Hi all,
I currently have 2 rescue chins, they are both neutered males Furby is just over 1 year old and his brother Bailey who is about 8 months old. I had absolutely no intention of getting them but Furby was due to be put to sleep because he needed to have a leg amputated and his previous owners wouldn't pay for the surgery, they gave me his brother a week later and that re intro went well. In fact I just popped them both in the cage together, Furby was still in hospital recovering from his surgery. Now they have offered me the parents of my boys. Obviously a female and the male who is also neutered. I would like to know if you think it will be possible to reintroduce them to where they can all live together. I am a new chin owner so I am pretty clueless with regards to this.

Discharge... Again!

I have a female chinchilla, 10 years old. Poor little babe's genitals and tummy and wet today and it looks like the discharge is coming from her vagina. I didn't notice any smell when I picked her up to check her out. Looked a bit like translucent gray, but I'm guessing that could be from trying to dry herself in a dust bath.

This is the fourth or maybe fifth time this has happened. The first time was last June. Each time her appetite comes and goes but her energy is fairly normal. Antibiotics clear it up within days (thankfully) but within a few weeks or months, it's back.

My vet sees chins regularly but says it's bizarre to see such a large amount of white blood cells in the discharge but for her to be running around. We've discussed having her spayed but he would prefer to avoid it because of her age and because he's not 100% convinced it's a reproductive issue. He said that if it was pyometra I surely would not still have a chinchilla.

She'll be heading to the vet again tomorrow, but I'm just wondering if anyone else has gone through this with one of their chins? I'm so confused about what exactly is happening and why and frustrated that I can't seem to do anything to keep her healthy for very long. She clearly feels terrible once she starts the antibiotics and I feel awful that she has to keep going through that.

Bloating:Lethargic

Hi

I can’t see a Vet until tomorrow (I’m in the UK) and I’ve heard some of you recommend baby medicine for chinchillas who have bloating.
I need something quick :(

Can someone in the UK recommend anything please?
Or can anyone see if this is suitable?

https://www.boots.com/infacol-50ml-10006780

I’ve given him Loxicom and I hope that it will help him with any pain.

Thank you for reading