Moving to AZ - Help please!

Hi Everyone, it's been awhile since I've posted on here. I'm writing in hopes you all will have some words of advice/help me with my anxiety over this siutation.



I currently live in MN with my chin, Juanita, and (it's not 100% official) but it looks like I will be attending Arizona State University for graduate school. The program/funding are great but my biggest worry is the heat! Coming from MN I'm used to hot summers, but not AZ hot...and more importantly, neither is my chin.



So my question/concern/etc is mainly...can I keep her alive/safe and thriving/happy in AZ? I have a portable AC unit...though I've seen Swamp Coolers mentioned (no idea what those are really, aside from what I've read). I'm 100% comfortable paying a big bill for electric (if anyone has thoughts as to how much I should expect, that'd be a nice heads up lol) if it means she can keep cool, but for those of you in hotter temps, with an AC on are the temps manageable? I know there are planty of people who own chins in hot climates...I'm just paranoid when her temp hits 75 (F). Ideally I'd love to be home every time it's blazing hot outside, sitting next to her with my car keys ready to turn my car into a freezer for her, but I need to know generally how she'll be since realistically I'll be in class sometimes and can't always be home. Maybe I'm worrying too much about this, but I just want to know that I'm not going to be putting her in danger!Also, if anyone can speak to this, I've been questioning whether or not I should get a 2 bedroom apt so she can have her own room so the AC can blast in there - but I'm not sure really how to go about all this!



Any thoughts/words of advice are GREATLY appreciated. I want to be excited about scholarships and potentially attending, but I just am so full of anxiety and worry over her safety and the heat!

Thank you SOO MUCH in advance!!

- Mikaela :)

Hi! New in Fl.

Just bought my 1st ever inside pets and my best friend helped me pick chinchillas! I have 2. My 7 month old boy Chalupa is very sweet and my girl is very agressive :banghead: Hoping to learn here if there is anything I can do here to help poor Gordita. She has been mistreated and I really hope to help her out.

Getting my first chinchilla tomorrow

Does anyone have any advice/tips on me getting my first chinchilla tomorrow. I am picking her 9:30am tomorrow morning. Does anyone have any tips on bringing her home, or getting her used to my house because I know that she will be stressed out because of the change of environments. I already have the supplies, and the breeder is giving me hay, food, treats and some other stuff with her. I also have almost 10+ granite slabs which I ordered/got for free because I ordered "sample" tiles from builddirect.

New Chin Baby

Hi! My name is Amber and I just got my first chin, a 7 week old standard grey named Meeko. I brought Meeko home 3 days ago and he seemed to really love his new home almost immediately. He's already mastered his cage and really taken to a few accessories I have in there. He always greets me when I open his cage door and even hops up on my hand/ legs to explore a little. He seems to be eating fine (pooping a lot) but prefers hay over his pellets and he's been peeing but doesn't seem to drink very much water. Is that normal for a chin in a new environment? My main question is, he gets in these night and day moods where he'll be bouncing off the walls hyper, then will get in a somewhat lethargic mood and gets really still. I know they can sleep with their eyes open but it worries me when he gets really quiet. Is that normal too? Is he just get tired from romping around so much? Sometimes it looks like he's breathing kind of hard too. I know he isn't overheating because I have it 70 degrees in his room. I'm probably just worrying, but any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!



-Amber & Meeko

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Hello from Minnesota!

Hi. I have owned rats for 10 years and hand feed the squirrels in my yard. They press their noses onto the patio door begging for hazelnuts... So a friend of mine knowing my admiration for rodents asked if I would take her daughters chinchilla because she didn't give him attention. I am his third and last home and they guessed he was three years old. I immediately ordered him a large cage and chin spin wheel and good food. He has been very calm and if I rub behind his ears he sits very still. I am totally smitten by his charm and curiosity. I have already gleaned fabulous advice from your forum as his care is nothing like my rat omnivores! So glad to come across this resource! Simon thanks you too...

Rescue Advice

How do you choose between your heart and what's right? We have had several hedgehogs die on us in our lives, and are still heartbroken.



Currently, we have the opportunity to obtain two different hedgehogs.



The first hedgehog is from a co-worker, who does not have the time to care for her. He purchased her several months ago, and I've been giving him and his wife tips/advice on taking care of her. They have agreed to let us meet her, and take her to the vet for a full check-up. With this hedgehog, we know her history/health, and can be confident (or as confident as anyone can be with a living being) that she will be healthy for a long time.



The second hedgehog is a hedgehog that is at the humane society. She recently came in, but is extremely shy (she hisses/balls, and bites). Her estimated age is about a year. Her previous owner had her for three months but gave her up because she doesn't have the time for her and doesn't know how to take care of her. The vet has given a quick check, as she would not un-ball. Our concerns about getting her is that we are not fully sure of her age (we want to have a lot of time with our hedgehog) and she has had low appetite and did not urinate for one of the days she was in the shelter. We know this could be because she is scared and in an unfamiliar situation, but we are also concerned that this could be medical. We were especially concerned when we were spending time with her, and she would not eat the meal worms provided (she did eat one or two, and they were freeze dried). The woman assured us that she would most likely not be euthanized (they only do that to dogs/cats that are un-adoptable because of a threat to humans/themselves), but she did indicate that her price has been discounted and that she would most likely go from satellite to satellite location. I do not want her to go to a home in which she will be returned, or spend the rest of her days going from location to location. I also do not want to break our hearts if she does have an underlying medical condition (or is much older than what is believed) and only lives shortly.



From my post, I realize that I sound selfish, but I also live with someone who cannot handle a loss of a hedgehog so quickly. I also realize that we do not want two hedgehogs at one time.



I am thinking of visiting her in the humane society today. I'd like to buy her a new wheel, some live meal worms, and some prepared toilet paper tubes. I have put on an old t-shirt (although it's clean), hoping that just a little bit of time wearing it will be enough to make blankets out of it so she knows that someone cares about her.

Mastitis?

What does mastitis look like? I have a nursing mother with a 2 week old kit. One of her tits is enlarged. It isn't red or hot and doesn't seem painful to touch. The kit is nursing and gaining steadily.

Chin Spin for Sale

I have a chin spin for sale, missing a little paint on the rim.

45$



Will be going to the Atlantic show April 18th.



if interested, pm me.



tks

Idk what's wrong :'(

My chin Scrat needs to go to the vet. They dont open until monday. Is there anything I can do for her?



I keep thinking i chin proof my living room but she keeps finding everything I've tried to put away or cover with toilet paper tubes over cords.. Stuff like that.



Friday night cleaning her cage i seen her poop wasnt completely round. It was pinched at the*end of her poop.

This morning her poop was twice as large than it normally is.



:cry3:



Theres so many different things online to tell you what to do. I dont want her to die please help me :'(

Bumble foot

When I took Tigger to the vet, she mentioned he may have a slight case of bumble foot, but wasn't serious where he was given anything.......not sure why as all his surfaces are flat, but I'm going to clean them tomorrow. What can I do for his feet?

Is bumble foot just when their feet get dry or is it an actual infection, I haven't heard much about it before, so don't know what it is.

I've done a quick search on here and see people recommend bag balm, does this just help, or get rid of it?

Thanks.

chin bedding

i have two chins i researched for 6months befor i got them most people said news paper was fine to use as bedding but the my female started eating it so i looked more and removed it is it safe everyone has a different opinions and i dont want to hurt my babys

New Introduction

Hello,



I accidentally posted my introduction as a reply on someone else's thread. Oops!

I am a happy parent of a 9 month old, rescue. He is an ebony male named Chibi Quesachilla.



I think he is adjusting well to his new home. I love him, but he doesn't trust me quite yet. That's okay though. Oh, he also also going through puberty so he keeps giving me an attitude which is just as cute as it is annoying.



Happy to be a member!

I'll post pictures soon. :)

Dog whistles?

Can chins hear dog whistles?

Funny/Cute Pics Of Chins

They never fail on not making me laugh ☺

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Quarantine pasteurella?

So we are going to go meet a lovely older male chin on Sunday. He's been at the local small animal shelter for awhile and sounds like he might be a good fit for my Darwin. I have one concern that I have to clarify with the shelter but I want some other opinions. Being a small animal shelter they do have rabbits. I'm unsure whether he's come in contact or been in the same area as them which is what I will clarify. If he has come in contact with pasteurella will the 30 day quarantine be enough or is there still a risk to Darwin? My boy has had such a rough life prior that I really want to be careful with him. He would really benefit from a friend though. I would like to give it a try. And the shelter chin is so cute. We are looking forward to meeting him. So any thoughts would be appreciated.

Tips for buying hay locally?

My chinchilla is a bit of a picky hay eater. I have found she does like the hay from Sweet Meadow Farm, but they recently had to change how you order their hay online (I can no longer order just one or two bags of hay because of a change in how they are charged for shipping--it's too expensive). I got a contact today for a farmer within about half an hour of me who has organic alfalfa and he suggested I should come see what he has. He said it is last year's alfalfa and is quite coarse, so that worries me--Dezzy may not like it. He says he will be cutting alfalfa again this spring.



Also, I know I can't give her only alfalfa due to nutrition and I don't know that this farmer has timothy hay or other grass hay. I suspect I may have a hard time finding timothy hay locally, but I will find out when I meet with him.



So, what tips do any of you have for buying hay directly from a farmer? What should I be looking for? I am mainly concerned about where the hay has been stored and if it has been protected from the elements. Any tips? Questions I should ask?



Thank you!

Nicole

12 year old chin losing weight consistently. Need advice!

Hi all,



I desperately need advice on what might be wrong with my gal - Faith.



Faith started drooling in late Nov 2014 and was sent to a very experience vet for teeth filing. Vet commented that the teeth aren't that bad, just 2 spurs to remove. After the visit till now, she still drools badly on certain days and is ok on some days. She has since been eating minimal hay and doesn't appear to eat much pellets.



I have been handfeeding her critical care mixed with grounded AK pellets (more than 1 tablespoon of AK pellets) each day. However, she is still losing weight, nothing seems to stay on her.. :( I weigh her everyday, she is consistently dropping a couple of grams each day, and within a day, she can be 490g at 6am and drop to 470g at 10pm. She was about 560g last Nov and about 470g now.



Other than the consistent drop in weight, she is otherwise totally normal, very enthusiastic during her feed (finishing about 20g of thick paste-like pellets/critical care when being fed), poo size is normal, runs around, play as usual, asked to be scratch, willing to take Vitakraft Nibble Rings (which is definitely harder than the AK pellets) etc.



My vet has been closely monitoring her teeth using this 'scope' that she puts into Faith's mouth. There is no bleeding or cuts on Faith's tongue or side of mouth, nothing to suggest that there is a teeth issue. So we are uncomfortable about putting her through a GA to examine her teeth. My vet and I are totally clueless of what might be wrong.



Any advice is greatly appreciate. If anyone has similar experience, pls kindly share if you had a diagnosis of what was wrong with your chin.



Thank you.





best regards,

Juan

How much critical care?

I went to the vet because she stopped eatting and the vet wants me to feed her 10 cc a day - 5cc every 8 hours. Is that enough?



This happened once before, several years ago and that vet had me feeding her several times a day - 5 cc each time.



The vet I went to yestrerday is supposed to be an "expert" on small and exotics where as the other vet knew very little of chinchillas.



she also gets 1/2 a notch of bene-back every 12 hours and some other medicine every 12 hours. Not sure what it is bu its in pill form and I open the pill and add water to it. All i know is, the remainder gets refridgerated.



She is more active but still no poop or it is very small and thin.

Chinchilla squeaks

My female chinchilla is making tons of squeaking noises at night. She is kept in my bedroom and right when I shut the lights off she started making a very fast, repeating squeaking noise followed by a very low and slow squeaking. She has never made this noise before. I checked on her to make sure she wasn't hurt or anything and she didn't appear to be. When I was at her cage petting her, she stopped squeaking and enjoyed the pets. I've gotten up about every 15 mins to check on her and I've repeated the process about 5 times. Help!! I feel like she's trying to tell me something ):



Her diet, drinking, exercise and bathroom habits are all good and normal.

Litter Training and How to Build Pine Litter Boxes

Hi everyone! After litter training most of my fluffs and making progress with a few others, I decided to write a little post about litter training. A few weeks ago, I transformed my existing pseudo litter boxes into actual, tangible boxes that encourage litter training. It has worked for a few of my fur babies, and is made from safe materials and kd pine. The 'How-To' guide is here: http://ift.tt/1y7mded in case you were thinking about litter training or building a non-plastic box for your chins! This is a great starter box with an absorptive replaceable cardboard bottom that tracks progress and if adhered to the cage properly, is entirely safe. I'm not selling anything, just sharing a post about my boxes and how I made them.

Do I need to do anything to Apple sticks?

My mother has a baby Apple tree and Ashe trimmed done branches of and gave them to me for Pikachu, but I've always just bought sticks for him. Do I need to do anything to them before giving them to him? She doesn't use pesticides or anything. Thank you.

Is this too much for a neuter?

I'm ready to get my boy chinny neutered so I don't need to worry about more babies while I'm in college. As much as I enjoy it, it takes too much time.. My vet here in Dutchess County of NY is asking for about $350-$400 for neutering my male chinny. Do you think that price is high or reasonable?



Thanks!

Pile of Crushed Pellets?

I've noticed that my female chinchilla tends to have a pile of crushed pellets next to her food dish. She's eating the same amount as always (about a tablespoon a day) and I feed the Oxbow pellets. She doesn't eat hay - I still give it to her. She only eats the bark off of the sticks, and doesn't chew on her ledges. I'm wondering if this is something I need to keep an eye on or a hint that she might have a tooth issue? She's about 2 1/2 to 3 years old. I had posted previously about her being underweight when we first got her and started tracking her weight. We've since stopped as she looks and feels healthy. She has a metal Flying Saucer that she runs on every day.



Any thoughts? Is this normal?



Thanks!

Hi everybody!!

Hi from Lumi, Kivi, and I!!!:)

Excited to show picture of the girls!!!

...when I figure out how haha

Moving overseas unsure what to do with my babies

I have a male and female chinchilla, caged separately, ages approximate 8 and 6 years old respectively.



I love my chinchillas greatly, and when I got them I never in my life imagined that I would be in this scenario. I have to move to Europe shortly and I am conflicted what the best solution for making certain my chin-children are in the absolute best scenario for their well being.



My male suffers from malocclusion and must have an exotic vet trim his teeth regularly. I had a great trouble even finding a vet willing to do this and I've been unable to find anyone I personally know whom is willing to continue with this extra responsibility.



So I'm at a bit of a dilemma and need some advice. I've not been able to find any suitable adoptive parents and there doesn't seem to be any chinchilla specific rescues in my area (South of Cleveland, Ohio).



I don't know if it would be less stressful or cruel to take them far away to a possible rescue and leave them to their own fate at the risk of my own infinite worry, or to chance trying to ship them internationally with me?



Are chinchillas even viable for such a long journey? They would have to be shipped as cargo..with like the checked in luggage, and then on top of that spend two weeks in quarantine with goodness knows even whom if they could be cared for at all properly.



I know chinchllas don't travel well and die of fright so easily and are overall very distressed with change and general business in their environments so I would feel incredibly awful if i ended up killing them in transit. Or will it be better for the chinchillas to just rule this out completely like I initially had? If so, does anyone know of a chinchilla haven in my general area?



Sorry for the long and rambling post, my nerves are quite high at the moment.

Thank you for your time in reading

Not eating - help

After a cage cleaning the other day, I have noticed that there are hardly any poops accumulating and she is not chewing on her lava bites or wood chews anymore. She also did not want to come out of her cage while it was being cleaned either. She dosen't look sick but her behavior tells a different story. Plus she did this once before. I left her in someone else's care for 3 months and when I came back she also wasn't eating or running in her wheel. I took her to an emergency vet, was charged $300 and the vet said "I don't know anything about chinchillas". They did give her stuff via an IV since she wasn't eating or drinking. Took her to another vet and was charged $500 and also told that they were not familiar with chinchillas. I was told to force feed her that oxbow stuff which she hated and after about a month of fighting with her to eat it, she finally started eating on her own.



Fast forward 3 years and she seems to be in the same position she was in then and I was never given a diagnosis. Could her teeth be too long or growing oddly? She has tons of ledges to chew - both pumic material and wood.



The other thing is - she will NOT eat food that has the pellets in it. She never did. She will throw the pellets out of the cage and eat anything else in the food that is not pellets. Even if I don't refill her food dish, she still won't eat the pellets. The only stuff she will eat are the "shapes" in the carefresh chinchila food or the non-pellet foods in Charlie chinchilla food. Yes, I know that food is horrible but she won't eat anything else.



We are going to the vet tomorrow and this one is supposed to specialize in small animals but they informed me that chinchillas are "exotic" pets and therefore not their speciality :banghead:



Suggestions?

New cute Eli pictures!

As the title says.. ;D



Resting on a tiny pillow-





This one is my fav-





"I smell a treat"-





"I'm not fat, I'm fluffy!"-

Hola from Twiggy and I

Hi everyone :P It's come to my attention that I'm on multiple forums for all my exotics pets except for my new(ish) chin, Twiggy. She's a 4 month old baby girl, I named her after the model cause she's so purdy XD. Pictures to come!:crazy:

Fleece Cuddle Buddy Wanted

Can someone please recommend a good supplier for fleece cuddle buddies?

Chin has urine stains on fur

hi,



I recently decided to switch over to fleece liners for my chins cage. I have noticed that the urine doesn't soak in immediately and my female chin ends up getting urine all over her pretty white fur. How can I remove the urine stains?



Also, I have a litter pan in the cage (with pine shavings).. she uses it sometimes, but often she will pee in other places. Is there any tricks on getting your chin to pee mostly in the litter pan?



Thanks!

Looking for log bridges, custom length

I'm looking for custom length log bridges (unsure if that's the term commonly used). I've looked online, and options seem slim.



Does anyone here make them or know where I might order them?

Dilema! Homemade A/C?

A little history first. Recently my husband was diagnosed w/ stage 4 colon cancer( no longer able to work) and I lost my job last week! The only money we have coming in is his SSI check. He gets cold very easy now and we cannot afford to keep the house cold enough for our chins(1 girl, 1 boy in seperate cages) they are in their own room. I cannot afford to buy or run a window unit for them in their room. My question is could I use a swamp cooler in their room to keep them cool? Would that put to much moisture in their room? For anyone who doesnt know what a swamp cooler is its a cooler w/ a hole on top and one on the side, you put a fan on top hole and a piece of pvc pipe in the side hole, put ice in the cooler and turn it on, then the colder air blows out of the pvc pipe. I live in South east Missouri so it gets pretty hot in the summer upper 80's and 90's. Please help I dont want to have to rehome my babies but if I cant give them the proper care then I will have to rehome them. I have chin chillers for their cage, I have heard of people using frozen water bottles, but I am affraid that they will chew on the plastic. Any help is appreciated. :hmm:

My new baby chin Bane

breeder in/near northern New Mexico?

I'm looking for a breeder reasonably close to the Santa Fe/Albuquerque, New Mexico area. Specifically, we're looking to purchase a pet-quality young male, preferably non-standard coloring.



We're able to drive as far as a day away if necessary. I know there are great breeders near both Denver and Tucson... but those are pretty far away and I'm wondering if there's anyone closer to us.



Thanks!

New chinchilla experiencing diarrhea

My two-month old chinchilla has been with me for six days now. He has acclimated well to my house and is very social and trusting. About two hours ago I noticed he started having loose stools, but is not lethargic or acting any differently. I read that I may not be giving him enough hay, so I placed a good amount in his cage. I also read that it is a good idea to temporarily remove his pellets (the Kline diet). So far he has eaten some hay, so his appetite isn't shot. I have been meticulous in caring for this little guy, I am just worried that he is ill! The only stressful thing I can think of that's happened to him lately is that I moved his cage today. He was staying in my bedroom, but he is too noisy at night to be kept there and the room he's currently in tends to stay cooler than my bedroom.

Cat Furniture for Chin Playtime?

I was just wondering, could you use cat furniture, like the towers and "mansions," for your chin's playtime? Just so that they're not just wandering around, maybe for entertainment? It seems like they could have fun jumping around the levels....



Thanks! xx

Chin has urine stains on fur

hi,



So i decided to switch to fleece liners for my chins cage. I noticed that the urine doesn't soak in immediately, and my chin ends up getting urine on her pretty white fur. How can I get the urine stains out of her fur?



Also, I have a litter pan in the cage (with pine shavings)... she uses it sometimes, but often she will pee in other places. Are there any tricks on getting your chin to pee mostly in the litter pan?



thanks

Adding chins!

I was given the opportunity to add a bonded pair to my family, they are 2 1/2 and 3 year old standards. (I only have one single 7 year old mosaic chin right now) We're going to have all boys, I'm double checking too- I don't want any unplanned kits! I know some people have made mistakes before. I know the two new boys need a month of quarantine before joining Yuki in the chin room, separate room, washing hands, etc. I'm planning on everybody staying as they are- I'm not even considering a trio or intros until I know the two new chins much better and have bonded with them myself. I'm planning on bonding with them like I did Yuki- be around a lot in non-threatening ways. Like sitting next to the cage reading and be quiet and still and stuff like that.



Just wondering if anyone had any tips or tricks for new quarantines or new arrivals. Anything you wish you knew before going in?

Cut on tip on toe

Hello! Hopefully this is not an emergency, but...I noticed the tip of my chins toe on her rear foot has a small amount of dried blood and a little swollen. Looks like she broke a toe nail or something. I will include a bad photo of it, best I could get at the moment...she despises being held. Any advice would be great. Thank you.

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What does raising butt in air mean?

Petunia has started raising her butt up in the air recently. It's tail up all the way ,and has only started doing it since she was introduced to another Chinchilla (also female, confirmed by the vet). She is acting absolutely normal besides this; eating drinking playing. Just haven't noticed it before. Does anybody know what it means? Could it be a dominance or mating behavior?

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Help sexing kit

I'm really bad at sexing young kits. Im not sure it can be determined with the angle of the picture but best guesses would be helpful. Kit is not quite a week old so if I have to wait longer to try to sex so be it.

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Wheels: chin spin and flying saucers

I have several wheels for sale.



1 chin spin. Like new, barely used

1 metal flying saucer BRAND NEW with hardware.

1 metal flying saucer gently used-- have to see if I can locate hardware.



$75/ea plus shipping

Wheels: chin spins and flying saucers

I have several wheels for sale.



1 chin spin. Like new, barely used

1 metal flying saucer BRAND NEW with hardware.

1 metal flying saucer gently used-- have to see if I can locate hardware.



$75/ea plus shipping

Owner, Breeder, or Admirer?

Just curious! There seems to be a lot of each. :))



I am just a chinny owner & lover! I don't plan on showing or breeding in the future.

Chinchilla paralyzed

Help!

My 10 year old was playing with his chinchilla, and has said she has fallen.

She wont move her tail or her rear legs at all. She seems fine (other than that), and will eat/drink. Shes quite young. We are going to take her to the vet soon. We suspect her to be paralyzed, as when I squeeze her paws or move her tail, she doesn't feel it. She might be in pain, or could slightly feel it, as once i moved her tail, she bit me, (which she never done before)

What should I do? How is this normally treated?

Was this a seizure?

This has only happened once before a few years ago.



I just looked up at my chinchillas cage and he was sleeping in his little wooden house with his head kind of hanging out. He was laying on his side sleeping and just started shaking/rocking. I went over to wake him and he did not respond to me talking to him or petting him. He stopped shaking and honestly I thought he died, I lifted his house up and he woke up suddenly and started to hop around. He acted completely normal afterwards and after a few snacks he has gone back into his house to make his bed and start sleeping again.



I remember something similar happened a few years ago, he was laying in the same house sleeping and started to shake and rock but when I called out his name he woke right up. This incident seemed a little more serious than the last one.

Hedgehogs- fleece?

I'm planning on getting a hedgehog in the future (not soon, though) and I have some questions // curiosities about fleece



~Do hedgehogs chew on fleece?// try to eat it.



~If they choose a spot to pee all the time, is it okay to place a litter pan there?



~Will they get stuck on the fleece (nails)?



Thanks so much!

Wet belly??

Hello, I adopted my chin about a month ago. We believe he is about two. everything has been going well but when I woke up this morning and went to check in on him I noticed from his stomach to groin area was very damp. I also noticed he would nibble where he was wet as if he was grooming the area. What could this be from??

Also his water wasnt leaking.

Tiny rip on paw

Hi everyone!



Not sure if this is considered an "emergency" or not. My chin has a tiny tear on her front paw (the bottom). It's not bleeding yet but she keeps biting at it. I put a bunch of new twigs/sticks in her cage to hopefully distract her from it. Is there anything I should be doing? Or do I need to just wait and see? It's obviously bothering her because she is definitely favoring the other paw and not using the hurt one too much. Any advice would be great. Thank you!

i'm a chin grandma!!!!

Hi

I just wanted to share, my TOV Cleopatra and white mosaic Cassidy are proud parents of 2 adorable kits! I'm a first time chin granny! they were born 3/15/2015! Once i reach enough posts i'll show them off.

Thanks for letting me share!



:)

has anyone gave these willow twig toys to their chin?

One is small animal chew sticks and the other is a small animal nutty stick ball with peanuts inside (in shells)

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chin breeder in Utah

I would like to get a female chinchilla of breeding quality that has a pedigree. I haven't been able to find any Utah. Does anyone know of one in Utah? Or a reputable breeder that would ship to Utah?

Is my chin sick? Please help me :/

Hello everyone,



Yesterday at night I noticed that my chin wasn't moving around like she usually does. I thought maybe she was tired so I shrugged it off, then this morning I noticed she hadnt drank the water I put in her cage nor eaten the food, furthermore she didn't respond at all to the fact I opened her cage. I picked her up and she feels very limp.. I'm not sure how to describe it. She just doesn't seem alert. I tried to get her to run around she ran slowly until she reached a random corner then layed down asleep. She's still pooping but no pee. I have only managed to giver a tiny bit of water and a very small amount of yogurt (she refused everything else). I checked her teeth they are yellow and straight. Her stomach does not feel hard or distended. I usually feed her the chinchilla food I find at my local pet store, she always has cardboard or a chewing block for her teeth. I clean her cage 2-3 times per week and always give her fresh food and water. I should also add that I'm currently facing an extremely bad financial situation right now. Both my parents and my sisters have health problems and I'm a university student. In terms of money we can barely afford food anymore so to pay for a vet if I'm lucky only next week. I'm honestly at loss she was fine until yesterday...

Malo Question

Hereditary or Environmental...is there a way to tell the difference? Signs? Symptoms? Age? Difference in treatment?

Silver Surfer vs ChinSpin

Hello!



I was wondering- do you prefer the ChinSpin, or the Silver Surfer wheel? Or should I get a Flying Saucer? Because the Silver Sufer is approximately 20$ cheaper, but 1" smaller. And the Flying Saucer is about 15$ more than the ChinSpin. Which is best, in your opinion? And which is worth the money?

Eucalyptus Wood

I know this wood is toxic to chins. However I was going to order some for my sugar gliders. I read today that the oils and different things in the wood can be poisonous to other animals. Does any one know if this wood could harm the chins even if the wood is kept in another room? Thank you so much.

Hello

I have one chin of 8 weeks, just got into the chin scene. I live in Utah and bought the chin from a local breeder but would like to get a pedigree breeding chin pair eventually. Any suggestions for breeders like that in Utah? (or a reputable breeder that will ship?) I haven't been able to find any in Utah.

Something is very wrong.Help

Ok I'm Jackie. I have a standard male chin(Max) who is about a year and a half old. The past four days he has been lethargic, first two days i thought probably the heat because the past few has been the first time it's gotten in the 80's out this year. Last night I realized something was quite wrong. I have a lot experience with rabbits but he is my first chin. Currently i have no way to get him to the vet.



His symptoms:

*Lost weight

*doesn't run when i try to get him out of his cage

*Very small poop

*Little appetite



Symptoms he does NOT have

*sneezing

*runny nose

*hard abdomen

*diarrhea

*change in fur



He hasn't had a food change or been out of water at all and had plenty of hay. He ate a few raisins and most of an almond, tried giving him dandelion heads and wasn't interested. I have wild chamomile at my house should i give him some? What liquids should i give him, bottled water, water with electrolytes, i heard pineapple juice and papaya juice?



Please help Max and I. I can't loss my little Wild Thing

The new cage.

This is the cage I built to accommodate Hummus's disability. It has no ramps because soon after he came to us he tripped on a ramp coming down and got his foot caught and I don't want it happening again.



( Please bear in mind that there's still a lot of work to be done. )



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The cage itself is 2'x2'x4' and I put casters under it to allow for ease of movement for when I vacuum around it.



The cage walls are made from a wire playpen, the surround is pvc moulding and the ledges are kd pine, extra wide.



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The cage door swings up so there is no trip hazard. I know the exercise wheel is plastic, but I inspect it when I clean the cage to make sure there are no bite marks, first sign of chewing and I'll have to figure out something else to stand alone - perhaps order one from the net since none of the 3 pets stores in the area carry the metal ones.







One ledge is made from the leftover playpen panel so I can hang toys from it so hummus can reach.







The extra wide shelf is accessible from the top of his hay box and another ledge at heights he can jump to. ( The hay box is not in the picture because they get their fresh hay at bedtime. I had just changed the fleece in the picture, I use their playtime to do the cage cleaning. )



As stated in another post, I just got rid of the fabric tunnel because it had a brittle wire in the support frame. I'm making my own with no wire, I don't want them cutting their gums.



It's still a work in progress, but it safe and secure.

Hello

Hi everyone, my wife and I are 2 year chinchilla owners of 2 rescued and 1 surrendered chinchillas. We have an separate Instagram account just for our lovely pets @petsofva. Feel free to follow, like, and comment. :-)

Hello from Volo, IL

Hi there!! I have had my oldest Chinny for 3 years, his names is Pickles. About 6 months later we got him a Chinny wife, her name is Juicy. That's when all the real fun started!!



Litter one: 1 boy Butta and 1 girl Gherkin

Litter two: 1 boy Vlassic and 1 girl Claussen



See the theme?? Currently we still have 5. We adopted out Butta, to a little girl that has tics and a few other issues. By receiving Butta, she is able to control her tics better and has improved greatly!! We keep in touch via Instagram and Facebook and I can tell he is very loved and gets LOTS of attention!



We also have 3 dogs that love to play with the chinnies, two Rottweilers and one beagle. They are all great friends!



It's nice to be here and looking forward to chatting with you all!! :)

Bringing Home My Baby Chin Tomorrow!!!

Good evening everyone!



I am bringing my ten week old girl baby chinchilla home tomorrow! Yay! I cannot wait, I've been waiting about six weeks for this, so I am SO excited the day is finally here! We will start our eight hour round trip drive tomorrow morning, so I really should have gone to bed about three hours ago, lol. Oh well...



So my question is do any of your have any tips or advice for bringing a new baby chinchilla home for the first time? Of course she will have plenty of food, hay, chew toys & water. There are also places in the cage she can hide away if she's initially scared. I also plan to give her space and only put my hand in the cage, talk to her & if she allows me pet her all while she is in the cage. Then after a couple days or when she seems to be comfortable with me I will let her out of her cage for no more than five minutes, since as far as I've been taught baby chinchillas can get too tired if given more than five minutes at a time while they're is so young.



I was also wondering if you all think a glass bowl like the one below would be okay for a dusting bowl? Or should a get something more like the second image? Both are about a gallon in size but I know that they need a pretty large flat surface, so maybe neither are ideal? The first I was thinking I could tip over for her to get inside, then tip it right side up. I figure the second one may be slightly better but I already have the first one. So I guess I will work on getting the second one but is the first okay for a little while? I just want to make sure all the choices are the safest for her.



Thank you!! :)



P.S. What do you all think of the name Chloe? She is a white mosaic. I promise many photos to come. I know I will have a better idea for a name once I have her. :hmm:

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Help! Bonding 2 females.

I have 2 female chinchillas. Lucy is about 2, and Chimichanga is about a year and a half old. Chimichanga came to me from a different home about 2 weeks ago. They are currently in 2 separate cages, next to each other. They've had some play time over the past couple weeks, the first time they were both very unsure, but smelled each other. There was some urine spraying, as i was expecting. Nothing major happened. They would touch noses, and then run away from each other. Today when they were together, there was much more chasing, and a lot more urine spraying. At one point they were both standing on their hind legs, looking like they were about to wrestle. I immediately separated them, and now they are each in their cages, peacefully sleeping after eating some hay and a dust bath. I am stumped on what to do, and not sure if they will bond, or if its a lost cause. I have a close friend who has wanted a chinchilla since she met Lucy, so she would be happy to take care of Chimichanga, is that a better option for both of them? I'm so discouraged. Help!



For reference: Lucy has a large critter nation cage with multiple levels, lots of toys and huts, and multiple granite slabs. Chimichanga has a fairly large cage, about 4 and a half feet tall. Hers also has multiple levels, with lots of hide-aways.

Proud new chin owner!

Last night I picked up two chins from Mt Zion Chinchillas! I would recommend Barb to anyone as a very knowledgeable and trustworthy breeder. The light ebony is named Nitro, it fits his personality. The dark ebony is named Casper because is he is shy, but still very friendly.



I just wanted to show them off! At first Casper was afraid to leave the oat container that was with them in the carrier on the way home but Nitro was click to explore and within the hour was doing laps. Within 24 hours they are both out and about, found the food,water, and hay, and are even using the litter pans! Im pretty sure I'm lucky on that one haha. I pretty much spent the entire night with them just talking to them and Ive been using their food and also pieces of chew sticks as treats. They already come up to me when I come to their cage and have even voluntarily jumped into my hand so Im pretty sure the bonding is off to a great start but I likely will not try to pick them up for about a week.



Anyway heres the cage and some pics of them! I have the bearing on the wheel tight right now so it can't spin because they are only 10 weeks old.



Lets just say I am beyond exited :)

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Do hedgehogs eat vegetables?

I was just wondering, do hedgehogs eat veggies? (I don't have a hedgehog yet, but I'm very curious) If so, what vegetables are safe for them? Thank you! :cute:

Hello! I'm Snapdragon!

Hello there!:yellowbounce:



I'm Snapdragon (but you can call me Leah) I love animals, photography/filmography, nature, sweets, art,& YouTube! My absolute favorite genre is sci-fi! My favorite color is mint green. I like twurtles! I play acoustic guitar & keyboard! I am obsessed with crafts & interior design! I'm a proud vegetarian.



I have 7 pets *not including snails



(If you'd like to know about them please let me know! :) )



I'm very interested in hedgehogs and chinchillas, but I have none at the moment. I want to adopt a hedgehog from a USDA certified breeder in my area!



b'bye for now! <3

Concerned about breathing

I have noticed no symptoms of illness lately but a bit unusual breathing in my chinchilla for the past 1 day. I don't usually pay much attention to this unless I notice some kind of symptoms but now I did and (call me paranoid) I saw that it is really uneven. I looked at her side and he took a few quick breaths (maybe even slightly deeper), then normal ones and then a quick inhale again. She had just woken up and it might be just this. I'm only wondering if this is common or if it is a sign of some sort of respiratory infection. Better safe than sorry.



And also, I would really want some opinions before I take her to the vet because if it is not so urgent I might save her the 1-2 hour trip (which tends to make everything worse, especially in the cold weather)

What do people use for a litter pan

Title says it all, was looking a john Hopewell pan, but have read of people just using a Perspex tray?

Possible Bumble Foot?

I just noticed one of my chins calluses were a bit swollen and red, and dry and cracked with small scabs. I touched to see if it was warm to the touch and it wasnt warm. Im kinda of worried that this can be serious and if it is bumble foot i would not want the infection to go to his bones or other extremeties. If you guys would want a picture i can take a couple tomorrow. I do have alot of shelves in his cage. And he sits were he pees sometimes. I just dont want this to be serious. i have been searching for a knowledgable chinchilla vet but most see rabbits and guinea pigs and none havent seen any chinchillas. And if the vets ive found have seen chinchillas they have had 4 in the past couple of years. And idk if i should set for that vet or i should keep looking

FN - one or two levels for one chin?

OK... you guys and your FN's have swayed me! I like the fully opening doors of the FN and the solid bottom (I want to move from aspen shavings to fleece). I have bought a chin spin from Quality Cages and my boy loves it, but I'm not to keen on the wire bottom floor (yes, yes, he would have ample resting spots) and the smaller doors (for cleaning and rearranging purposes). He's mostly litter trained, in the bigger cage, I'd get him a bigger litter pan.



He is currently in a Super Pet cage with 2 shelves; with the floor, he has 3 levels. It measures 29.5" long x 17" deep x 30" high. I'm thinking he will be sad if I downgrade him into a one level FN which is 36" long x 25" deep x 38.5" high (but the cage itself is only 24" high). The double cage (#182) ends up being 62" high, 2" higher than me!



Do you think he would be sad in "downgrading" to the one level FN? Or should I just get the two level and be done with it and just be extra careful if I need to move it? At night, he loves to sit on the top level and chill out.

*Emergency* Chin With Broken Arm. No Vet Open.

Hi everyone. This is my first post. Sorry for being so frantic.



So right now, my Chin (Olive) has what appears to be a bit of bone sticking out from her arm.



I've called numerous vets, and the only places that are currently open do not have anyone to take care of exotic pets.



My girlfriend currently has the wound wrapped in gauze. Olive isn't crying, but there appears to be some blood on her hand.



I'm not sure what I should do.



I greatly appreciate any and all help and suggestions!



Thank you,

Paul (posting for Khrystina)

Shocked Chinchilla?

During playtime Roxy was just staring at me for a minute with her mouth open. I have no idea why, but it was adorable and I couldn't resist taking a picture! Viper is just trying to figure out why I was laughing.

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Well Looks like the boys had fun today...

looks like i`m going to be cleaning this up for a long time

Pine Bridges

I was wondering if anyone makes pine bridges? The ones with no gaps between the slats. I would love to buy one. If anyone makes them could you tell me how much one would be and how much shipping would be as well? If you have any pics I would appreciate it too.



THANKS!!

Holy Pellets!

I'm sure this is a familiar scene for all of us. The chin's playtime is over, they've been corralled for the night and the first thing you do is grab the broom and vacuum to clean the play area of all visible signs of their excitement of chasing one another and having a grand romp out.



Something has changed in our house however. Our newest member, Hummus doesn't only produce pellets, that's like saying you might find a bee or two in a hive, he produces mounds of pellets; at least twice as much as Pita does.



The pellets are solid and dry and his appetite is healthy ( he loves his hay ) and he's drinking well. He just seems to have an astounding capacity.



Should I be worried? Or should I be worried about Pita's lack of pellet production?

How do I upload an Avatar?

I've been searching for the Upload Avatar link/button, but I can't see one? I really want to put Ryu up as my Avatar, but cannot :(

Chinchilla Cancer?

So I have a friend who has had two chinchillas that have died from cancer (she has a new one now). These chinchillas were not related, not the same age, and she didn't even have them at the same time, but they both got cancer in the jaw. This she knows because she took them to a vet and the vet diagnosed it saying it was probably hereditary, but that isn't really possible. (I own the mother of one of the chinchillas) I'm wondering if it could be something in the cage or room, that's the only constant factor. It's a big cage (metal with tight mesh floors) it has plenty of bird toys, a wheel, a little chewing log, etc. What could have caused this? Has anyone else ever heard of an occurrence like this? Thank you.

Chromium in a chins diet?

Has anyone every heard of/dealt with chromium in a chins diet before?

My vet was mentioning it in regard to issues with chico. He has sticky urine again likely from the high glucose in there. They urine sample also showed crystals in the urine.

Yum Yum!!

My Galen's Garden chinchilla forage order arrived today, and included in it was a lovely organic edible flower mixes which I've not tried my boys with before. Within seconds of putting a small pinch in for each chinchilla, every one of my lads were up and munching happily. Verdict "it's yum yum, thanks mum". They've also got organic raspberry leaf, cactus flowers, and organic plantain (which several of them beg for), but those are for another day. :wink2:

Hedgie not pooping

My hedgehog River hasn't been pooping (as far as I can tell). Our room is always about 75 degrees, she runs on her wheel every night, and I think is eating a little less and drinks the same amount of water. I'm going to start kibble-counting tomorrow.



She did throw up a couple times about two weeks ago, but that was after a very short car ride <4 minutes. We have gone on 5 hour car rides multiple times and she has never thrown up before.



We don't have decent vet in our town, and I don't think it's quite time for a visit yet.

My bored Chinchilla

So... backstory (short version!). My daughter decided once a few years ago that she wanted a Chinchilla. I heavily advised against this, but despite my concerns the Chinchilla was acquired. She took care of it for a few months and then lost interest. I had to step in and take the Chinchilla for myself.



I actually didn't mind this too terribly much because even though I would have preferred to never have the responsibility, I was happy to take over. I bought a much bigger cage for him and things were going fine.



With four kids in the house and three dogs Chinchilla was never bored. Lots of action. Heck, maybe too much. The Chin really enjoyed teasing those dogs.



Another long story short... Human separation has happened and now the kids and the dogs are gone :(



I've been left with the Chinchilla... which is fine with me! But now... this once busy house is quite empty. With just me and Wiz.



He likes me fine and we get a long great but I worry about him being so bored. I work 8 hours a day and am frequently gone for a few hours at a time. He must be so so so bored. I try to interact with him as much as possible but I'm sure its not enough.



Should I prop up a TV for him to watch at times when I'm not here? Radio?



I've considered getting another Chin but with no guarantees they would hit it off... or is the cage even big enough (see pic)?



My poor guy I don't want him to be sad. He's happy a few hours every other day or so... but jeez I bet this guy is depressed a majority of the time.



I would estimate Wiz is alone in silence for 15 hours (or more) a day 4 days a week. Sometimes more maybe.



Well whatcha think?



Another chin a possibility? Make the best of it? Local pet store in town (locally owned by a nice lady) has 3 black Chins they are small. My chin is huge (I think?).



Anyway also this is my first post. :) So here's Wiz and his cage.

Wetness around eyes?

I have a 4 year old chinchilla named Penelope, and the past few days I have noticed that she seems to have wetness around her eyes, almost as though she's been tearing up or something. However, she is still acting fine and perfectly normal, jumping around and running on her wheel and wanting lots of attention, and she's eating and drinking and eating her hay fine, so? I'm just concerned, because this has never happened before. Any thoughts, please and thank you?

Spike lost his appetite???

Hi,



Spike is turning 3 in two weeks. He suddenly has lost interest in his food.



This is strange as he has been on the same food his whole life and never had any issue. The food was recommended by the hedgehog farm he came from. It's called Spike's Delight Hedgehog food and is high protein low fat. Spike always eats his whole food allotment (1 tbsp).



Last week there was a night where he left a few uneaten pellets in his bowl, but enough to alarm me since he never has leftovers. Then last night he left almost all his food untouched (I'd say 90% was remaining the next morning).



He may be a little more lethargic but it also could be in my head.



He is drinking water and does not appear to have an issue there.



I am very concerned about the sudden loss of appetite. Please let me know what to do.



Thanks,

Nicole

Please help

I was cleaning my chin's cage when I saw there were dry, white spots. I don't know what they are; I tried looking online for some type of explanation, but I couldn't find anything. Is this normal? I haven't seen it in her cage before. :eek: Please help me if you can; this is my first time owning chinchillas.

Water concerns..softeners...

Hi all,



Please excuse me if this topic has been covered...am still trying to perfect the searching and such on the forum...



I am anxiously looking forward to purchasing my first pair of chins this spring/summer. I am researching and purchasing supplies now.



I want to keep them as healthy as possible, of course, but this water issue is driving me batty...



We have well water. It is filtered. It has a UV light treatment, which would deal with Giardia. Problem tho, it then goes through a softener and I heard the extra sodium would not be good.



From what I have read, the only way around the extra sodium would be an RO system. I dont want to put an additional cost and filtering system in our house. None of the faucet filters would remove the sodium apparently...



So...the questions...

1. Opinions on the softened water..? and

2. I am willing to purchase bottled water, but again, confusion...purified bottled, RO bottled...have not shopped for bottled water at all, not sure what to pick if I go that route.



Thank you all for your patience and time in replying.



Anxious mommy :)

Danielle

Hi from PA

Hello.. My name is Danielle I am excited to join this group :) I am eagerly looking forward to purchasing my first pair of chins this spring...So I am researching, preparing, and purchasing now :)



I do have at least one question...guess I will go and see if I can hunt up an answer before I post :)

Emergency Kits

Hi! I understand that most people have an emergency kit for their chins? Here is my question: did you buy all the supplies together? Or did you buy everything in your emergency kit separately? I used to go online and sometimes see pre made first aid kits - blukote, bag balm, the usual all packed and shipped together for a discounted price, rather than buy everything separately. But they stopped selling it, so now I'm wondering how to put one together. Is there any stores or people on here that sell pre made first aid kits?



Thanks, and if I posted this in the incorrect section, please go ahead and move it!

Bonding 2 Females. Fighting.

Hi, i've gotten a new chinchilla, Haru, (3 years old) and tried to bond her with my current chinchilla, Genie, (11 months old).



I've already quarrantined Haru for a month in a different room.



So i tried the neutral playtime method, but it didnt go so well.



Genie was the aggressor. This was such a shock as Genie's normally such a sweetheart.



Haru was pretty meek and just let Genie groom her, but Genie didnt heed her barks at all and tried to dominate i think? Tried to mount and groom. And she chased Haru around after.



Then they started barking at each other and Genie sprayed pee at Haru. Then both started fighting.



They did try to bite each other, but i broke them apart before anyone got hurt.



I tried the neutral playtime again the next day, but they recognised each other immediately. There was chasing and both stood on their hind legs and they tried to bite.



This time, Haru managed to end up with a mouth of Genie's fur. No wounds or bleeding.







Im not going to attempt bonding them again until 1 month later, to give them time to forget about the fight.



I will be trying the cage in cage method.



I've heard that people usually use a show cage as the smaller cage. Does anyone know the size of a show cage? Im getting a small wire cage around 35 x 25 x 30cm. Would that size be okay?



Also, im planning for them to live together in Genie's current cage. The cage area excluding the stand is around 120 x 91 x 60cm. If they dont get along eventually, im planning to split it into 2 and they can live separately in the cage.



For the cage in cage method, i understand that the big cage should not have any scent belonging to either chinchilla.



Is it okay if i split Genie's cage into 2 now, scrub the top half clean and clear it of the wooden ledges and accessories? In a months time, it should be considered okay for the large cage in the cage in cage method right?



I will be putting in brand new wooden ledges so that it wont have the scent of either chinchilla.



I've also read on this forum about a member bonding a difficult pair of chinchillas by switching the chinchillas in the small cage and large cage in 8 hour shifts for a week. Couple that with vanilla extract on the nose and butt as well as trimming of whiskers, how high are my chances of bonding them?



I am fully prepared to have to keep them separately, but i wish to try my best to bond them first before giving up. :(



Has anyone had the cage in cage method fail on them before?



Sorry about the wall of text.



Thank you! :)

How to train without treats?

Hello everyone!



I will be bringing me home my ten week old chinchilla a week from today & I am so excited!



I just have a few questions because I would like to train her how to jump up on my shoulder & eventually other tricks. However everything I have seen online is where people train their chins while using treats. I know that only rose hips & whole oats are generally safe for chins but she cannot have those until she is six months old.



Therefore what have you all done in the past for rewarding good behavior & training how to jump on your shoulder & other fun things with your chin? I would like to be able to work with her & teach her as many good habits as possible while she's a baby. I know six months old is still a baby but is there anything I can do before she's that age?



Thanks in advance! 😊



Sarah H.

Hello from Colorado!

Hi everyone!



My name is Sarah & I am very excited to join the community of fellow chinchilla lovers! I will be bringing him my baby white mosaic chinchilla a week from today & my husband and I can not wait! We don't have a name for her yet, so I'm hoping you all may be able to help with that!



We are purchasing her from Cornillia Kern at Cuddlebug Chinchillas which I am sure many of you know because she speaks very highly of all of you! She has been very informative & helpful and I know I will be bringing home a very happy, healthy & social chinchilla from her that I hope to enjoy for the next twenty years 😊.



My chin will be about ten weeks old when I bring her home & I cannot wait. The picture below is her at about four weeks. I know she's going to be about three times bigger when I see her next week!



A little about myself is that I am twenty two years old, happily married & my chin will be our only family pet (so you can imagine how loved & spoiled she will be). My sister tells me I'm nesting as if I'm having a baby & that's because I will be bringing home a baby! Just not the kind she's referring too 😉.



I look forward to making many friends along the way on this forum & learning as much as possible! Hope to talk with many of you soon!! 😄

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She doesn't like me

I got my chinchilla in October 2014 and she bit me recently and barks when I try to pick her up. She will take raisins from my hand but she doesn't want anything to do with me so she spends a lot of time in her cage. I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

Chinchillas and Chronic Illnesses

I'm trying to decide on what to do. I'm struggling with a chronic illness and trying to keep my chinchilla. My parents are convinced I need to rehome him but I'm so attached. He has already had 5 different homes and finally has a home where he is in a heathy environment and having his needs met. I just don't want him to ever go without again.



Sometimes he don't get out for playtime every single day, or he has to play by himself when I can't. He is starting to cry a lot. I was thinking about getting him a friend to play with. But that means more frequent cage cleans. Sometimes his cage goes a few days over then it's suppose to when I can't clean it. But other than that he doesn't go without.



I guess I'm hunting for advice on what to do. I don't really know, just want what is best for him. And if anyone else is struggling with health and keeping, or had to rehome your chinchilla, feel free to share your stories and experiences. Any advice is appreciated.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

collodal silver how much/how often??

Okay sweet little Pooh has a fairly large wound on his chest and I need advice. The wound is in the same location as the one he had last year! I never cold find out how/what he in the cage he injured himself on, so after he healed up he went into a new cage with all fleece no wood ledges or anything. I alteady have him on chloramphenicol,pain med,and probiotics.Cleaning the wound with dilute chlorhexide solution then covering with non-adherent bandage secured with vetwrap. Someone here recommended colloidal silver so I found a bottle @ GNC. How do I apply it to his wound(spray directly on wound, dab it on with sterile gauze,etc) and how often. Can I cover the wound with telfa then vetwrap as I have been doing? He has his e-collar on,still eating hay from a hayball( I only use this when animals are wearing e- collars) and he started eating his pellets from his bowl this am! Yay!!!!! The wound still is open raw skin for the most part with some thick scabbing and I just want to help without hurting. I did use manuka honey last time, but it was so sticky on bandage changes that he would actually scream in pain. Thanks for anyone's suggestions who have used it or remember someone that I can get the info from.

Looking for the Straight Scoop

I think I have found the best forum for my question...



I have been researching these little guys because I am (a) interested in one as a pet and (b) want to offer the best possible products for them on my website.



I'll be honest, I am not new to pets. I have all kinds from fish to feathers, but these guys look a little daunting to care for... diet considerations... temperature... dust baths... yikes.



So I want to go straight to the people who actually own them and care for them for my advice...



What are the basic must haves to care for these little guys? I'm not looking for brand name suggestions, just more what you look for when you choose food, etc., so I can make good buying choices for myself.



Best, Linda

owner, http://ift.tt/1NxrS7i



ps. enjoying the pictures of your Hedgies!

Will they ever be friends :(

I have had a male for 7 years, Tippy. He had two other housemates that passed away, but years ago. He's been alone since that time. I bought him a ferret nation and let him have the whole thing to himself while I waited on getting a new chin! Then I got Shadow. Well i sectioned off the top, leaving the grid flooring open, so they could get used to each other. They were barking and making noises and sniffing each other, then they started making nasty noises. They were calm for a while and sitting near each other, so I let them out together. It was okay at first, but my new chin is very aggressive. He was riding my other chin around the bathroom like a horse! And then they started fighting. Tippy bit Shadows nose and gave him a little cut. I then tried the cage in a cage method, Shadow in the smaller cage he had lived in previously to me adopting him, and he seemed to want nothing to do with Tippy, who was looking to bond. After a week and a half I sectioned off the top again because I felt bad and he seemed stressed. Tippy has always been submissive in pairs, and Shadow is very aggressive. Idk what else to do!!! Will they ever be friends, or will I always have them separated 😢

My Chins Kai And Johnny

I finally got my two chins bonded =) they have been together for a couple of weeks now and they really enjoy each others company ( i am re-doing their cage so i will post up pics when it is done =) )

Bonding?

I currently have a 1 year and 5 month old male Chinchilla. In a few days I will be bringing home another chinchilla, which I am hoping will be male too.

After Quarintine and after the new Chinchilla has settled again after being moved into my room, I would like to try and bond them. I have seen articles on bonding Male and Female, but none on Bonding Same sex pairs.

My idea is when they're bonded, buy them a HUGE Cage (Skyline Universal Flight Cage) for them.



Any ideas on how I would even bond them? I have heard of putting their cages together and starting to hope for the best when I put them in a neuteral space or squishing them together in a tiny space...



The big issue would be the fact Ryu hates to be held I have never managed to hold him without him drawing blood, ever. And this one will be the same (Pet store Chinchilla's). It would be difficult for me to just put the two in a nuetral space at the same time... (I was told if you put one in, and go back for the other, that is now the first ones Territory.)



I'm sorry if this is confusing.

It's Getting Better and Better!

I've been letting Zulu, my little beige rescue chin have some exercise time out of his cage over the last couple of weeks. He's now confident enough to let me gently handle him. This morning, during his run out, he began to popcorn and bounce like a chinchilla should, and then hopped up onto my shoulder while I was sitting on the floor with him, snuggled up in my fleece and began to groom me and croon to me. It's like a dream come true, thinking back to how he used to be. :woohoo:

Brytin?

Hello - I was wondering, is Brytin okay for chinchillas? Has anyone on here tried it?



It is from chinchillas.com, here's the link:



http://ift.tt/1APO7LL

Water questions

I have a vet appointment in the morning so ill be going over all this with them as well as a few other issues with my chins.



But in the past few months iv had a good bit of medical issues with my boys. I have 3 girls and 2 males. They lived with me in NJ for a number of years. I moved over to PA after my dad died in march 2014.



My oldest male chico had developed sticky pee back in NJ. With high glucose levels they said its likely diabetes. I switched his food over to American Pet Diner Alffy and his sticky urine issue went away.



Now two or some years later, here in PA Chico had developed some blood in his urine. He was treated for a bladder infection and seemed to be better. During this time chico and his son houdini were each separated to a single level of there double FN cage. (Chico also had a urinalysis test and xrays for stones which were negative)



A little while after that incident, i noticed little bits of blood in houdini's urine. So i put both males on a antibiotic regiment at the same exact time. As soon as houdini started the meds i stopped seeing the blood. A few days after the meds were done i saw a blood pile of urine from him again tho. Then nothing. No signs again for nearly 6 weeks. Then i started seeing little bits of blood in the urine again. - At the same time Chico has started developing his sticky urine issue again. Once it begins to dry a little it gets overly sticky. You try and wipe it up with a paper towel and it will shred the towel.



Now at the vet tomorrow, i want to get a urinalysis for them both, as well as xrays for houdini to see if he has stones.



A bit of a back story there but it brings me to my water questions. It was something that the vet mentioned the last time i was there for the blood in the urine. She was asking about the calcium and the hardness in the water hear.

At the time i had no idea. But i got some water samples sent out for testing. One from the same town in NJ where i was living (city water) and one from where im at right now in PA (well water). The house in PA also has a filtration system and a UV zapper thingy for all water coming into the house. I also made sure that both samples were run through my PUR water filter as well.



I just recently got my results back. These are the results AFTER the water ran through the filter. NJ (PA)



pH --------------------------------------- 7.1 (7.8)

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est, ppm ------ 239 (334)

Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm ---------- 0.40 (0.56)

Cations / Anions, me/L -------------------- 3.7 / 4.0 (4.8 / 5.0)



ppm

-------

Sodium, Na --------------------- 47 (47)

Potassium, K ------------------- 4 (1)

Calcium, Ca -------------------- 21 (39)

Magnesium, Mg ----------------- 6 (10)

Total Hardness, CaCO3 ---------- 78 (139)

Nitrate, NO3-N ------------------ < 0.1 (SAFE) [< 0.1 (SAFE)]

Sulfate, SO4-S ------------------ 5 (2)

Chloride, Cl --------------------- 45 (101)

Carbonate, CO3 ----------------- < 1.0 (< 1.0)

Bicarbonate, HCO3 -------------- 145 (119)

Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 ----------- 119 (98)

Total Phosphorus, P -------------- 0.28 (0.18)

Total Iron, Fe -------------------- 0.02 (< 0.01)

"<" - Not Detected / Below Detection Limit



You can see that things like calcium and total hardness are almost double in PA then what they were on in NJ. So they might need a switch over to bottled water. Im jsut not sure which kind is safest. Iv read arguments against every kind of bottled/filtered water i have seen.

1 week after completing giardiasis treatment, showing symptoms again?

So on March 1st I finished treating my two lil guys with Metronidazole twice a day after a week. Poops were regular by the time the treatment was finished. Have cleaned the cage once every three days since the treatment was completed.



I'm scheduled to repeat the treatment starting March 22nd. But today, a few hours after cleaning the cage, I noticed that Dex (the one who tested positive for giardia in the first place) had runny stools that looked JUST like what I had seen pre-treatment.



What do I do? When it comes to diet/environment I've changed nothing. Should I go to a different vet and try to get a different medication? I've been super careful and I don't know why this is happening.

wood from hardware stores

So I've been reading a lot of threads recently about pine from hardware stores, and that you just have to check that it's kiln dried and is pine. I have been leery of hardware store wood, because you don't know if that tree was sprayed with pesticides when alive. Couldn't these still be marked as "untreated" because they weren't "treated" by preservatives or stains? I don't think the lumber company is thinking of pesticides. If the general consensus is that these untreated woods from hardware stores are safe, could you guys give me an opinion on some products from my hardware store?



poplar- http://ift.tt/1zVbRhh

there are more sizes as well



aspen- http://ift.tt/1zVbRhl

again more sizes possible



basswood-http://www.menards.com/main/home-decor/crafts/craft-specialty-woodworking/carving-block-large/p-2202121-c-12188.htm

http://ift.tt/1waVVME



balsa- package says kiln dried, untreated, and for woodcarving- http://ift.tt/1waVXEc

http://ift.tt/1waVVMI



all seem unglued and untreated and kiln-dried- if these are ok then I need to go shopping and start crafting. I would not use any wood stamped with a barcode in case of toxins in the stamp. There were birch and "yellow birch" products in the store I cant find online as well.

Chin Spin wheel

I've heard good things about the Chin Spin wheel. Is it recommended? I'm looking to get one for a 3 year old pink white chinchilla. Does anyone know where you can order one in Canada?

Is This wood safe?

I went to homedepot and asked for kiln dried pine. He hands me wood that says "Prime pine" and says that is the same thing...Any help here or am I in good hands?

Question about new account

When I first registered to chins n hedgies, there was a "breaking in" period where I wasn't allowed to post? I think? It was years ago so I can't really remember. I was wondering if anyone could remind me of what the rules were on new accounts? I am asking because I recently got a ferret and joined a ferret forum that is also powered by vBulletin but I cannot post anything and can't message anyone to figure out how and when I will be allowed to post.



I apologize if this thread is in the wrong topic, but I am so confused!

Thanks!

*sigh* Unsafe pine wood, right?

So, I was trying to make modifications to my chinchillas cage and I made sure to buy untreated pine wood for it.



But, looking back on this it appears that it needs to be kiln dried pine wood.



Any recommendations on how I could make this pine would safe, dry it myself/cover it in fleece?

Or potentially a cheap place to buy it online? (I need quite a chunk to cover up the grate on the floor, I'm worried it's too rough on a chins feet.)



There's also pine wood used on the outside of the cage, but I'm not too worried about this as I can just keep an eye on my chinchilla to make sure she doesn't chew it.

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bonded male pair

Hi, I have a pink white male bonded with a violet male that I am looking to rehome due to college and economic issues. They are very sweet, the pink white is 3 years old and the violet is 2. The cost for the pair is $150. Pet homes only, please pm me if you're interested :)



I am located in northern nj and willing to drive a little ways

My Favorite Thing

So, I have yet to get my own chin (I'm getting mine in the summer - yay!) but I still like to visit the local rescue page. There was one chin, who was four months old when I first saw her at a pet show (we have shows where rescues promote and show people where to go to adopt the animals). She was at the rescue for two years, and honestly, I thought she would never me adopted - she was there longest compared to all the others. Today, I went onto the rescue page to find her name and across from it - ADOPTED.



And yes, I don't really have a meaning for this thread, but I just wanted to share because this made me really, really happy.

help!!! :(

before i get started i want to say the chin is going to the vet, NOW...but im 17 hours away on work and my girlfriend is taking him in, but im freaking out...



Hershy is about a year old

Anna didnt see him in his cage (and hes normally the active on...we have 2) so she went and looked and he was in his wood house(they NEVER go in there) she said he is collapsing, when he jumps is falls, sometimes dragging his back feet, his hind leg area is wet from what im assuming is diarhea possibly urine. he will randomly arch his back, close his eyes... this has been going on for about 45 minutes(from when we noticed) he is in a huge cage, with all safe wood, cleaned often... only fleece, gets filtered water from the fridge and is on oxbow pellets with an unlimited hay/pellet diet. his "treats" are those half moon shaped horse treats that are flavored like apples, they only get to nibble on them for maybe 10-15 seconds then we take them away.... suggestions? ideas? please tell me some one has experienced some thing similar :( my girlfriend will be an absolute mess over this...



This sucks :( we just had to spend $500 on a tumor surgery for our 8 month old rat =\

Hay Holder Opinions

Just wondering if either of these two hay holders would be okay to get for my chin. He seems to destroy every other holder I buy him! Thanks!



http://ift.tt/1EiIRGb



http://ift.tt/1EiIThk

help :(!!!

before i get started i want to say the chin is going to the vet, NOW...but im 17 hours away on work and my girlfriend is taking him in, but im freaking out...



Hershy is about a year old

Anna didnt see him in his cage (and hes normally the active on...we have 2) so she went and looked and he was in his wood house(they NEVER go in there) she said he is collapsing, when he jumps is falls, sometimes dragging his back feet, his hind leg area is wet from what im assuming is diarhea possibly urine. he will randomly arch his back, close his eyes... this has been going on for about 45 minutes(from when we noticed) he is in a huge cage, with all safe wood, cleaned often... only fleece, gets filtered water from the fridge and is on oxbow pellets with an unlimited hay/pellet diet. his "treats" are those half moon shaped horse treats that are flavored like apples, they only get to nibble on them for maybe 10-15 seconds then we take them away.... suggestions? ideas? please tell me some one has experienced some thing similar :( my girlfriend will be an absolute mess over this...



This sucks :( we just had to spend $500 on a tumor surgery for our 8 month old rat =\

Wrote a violin piece about chinchillas :)

I was bored last night and made this song looping parts of garage band. Didn't know what it should be about...so decided on chinchillas Let me know what you think!



http://ift.tt/1DJCrMH

related breeding chinchillas

(please note, non of my breeding chins are related)

What im curious about is several people mentioned to me about breeding half brother to half sister? (if good quality) But not directly related like full siblings or sir/mum breeding.

Wouldnt this cause defects Genetically and possible mutated ill kits?

fighting back tears

Tonight Hummus's new cage was finally finished and safe enough for him to go into. ( I just have some cosmetic work to do on the outside and some playthings I want to make for the inside but it's sturdy and safe. )



I worked hard on trying to make everything accessible and interesting for him and was very nervous about how he'd take to it. After his exercise time tonight I placed him not in his temporary cage as he was use to, but in his custom new one and held my breath.



He was delighted with the ledges and the tunnel and spent a good, long time exploring and then he tried to popcorn across the floor. I've never seen him do this before. He was so happy that he was dancing.



I still have tears in my eyes that something so basic could make him so happy and It breaks my heart that some people look on these sweet little characters and only see profit to be made. He lived his entire life in a cramped little cage at a backyard breeder as a cast-off that couldn't be sold to a petshop and yet he somehow managed to remain trusting and loving and his delights at things I consider everyday necessities for Pita makes my heart overflow.



Things like the first time he ate a treat his eyes got huge and he wanted them all and tried to fit himself into the cheerio box and when I gave him timothy hay on the first night he came home he was so excited he rolled in it. The next night I made the mistake of filling Pita's feed bowl first and he stretched his little arms out through the bars of his cage, begging for some too.



How could anyone be so indifferent to these beautiful little souls?



Hummus cannot dance like Pita, his body won't allow him to jump and twirl but he can express happiness and it was beautiful to watch.

:cry3:

Chinchilla and Hedgehog Pet Portraits!

Hi everyone! :dance3:



I have opened a little Etsy shop for custom pet portraits, including chinchillas, hedgehogs, bunnies, cats, and more! These are mixed media pieces and very time intensive to make.



The link is http://ift.tt/1FG8Fuh and I hope you can stop by and give it a look! :heart:

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