Chinchilla killed inside of its cage

Hi everyone, My girlfriend and I own three chinchillas (two boys caged together and a female caged by herself). We recently went out of town for 3 days and when I got back monday night I found Paprika (the female) dead inside of her cage.

She was at the very bottom of the cage with two large open wounds on the lower half of her body. Her head was slightly pushed out of the cage bars as if she had been possibly trying to escape. Her body was also abnormally flat and much hair had been lost both near her and just outside of the cage.

Were both very devastated and can't figure out what even happened... there was no blood outside of the cage and practically none inside even. Whatever it was that got inside her cage (assuming thats what happened) had to have been small enough to slip through her 1inch bars. We have left town multiple times before leaving the chins plenty of food and water, and even have someone who swings by to make sure theyre okay, nothing like this has ever happened.

I would love to know if anyone has ever had something similar happen to them, I can only assume that it was a mouse/rat or something but I'm baffled that a rodent would kill a chinchilla over just eating food from the kitchen or trash can... Please help me figure out what happened so that I can determine whether my other two chins are safe or not.

RIP Paprika you were the sweetest little bean

Chin sounds

I'm sure this is already a thread some where, so sorry for a repost. My chin has been making a sound I can't seem to find anything out about and was wondering if you guys have heard this as well. It's a soft whistle sound that seems to come from her noise. It's not all the time or constant. It seems when we are playing together she will come and sit on my shoulder or my head she will make it. It's only every once in a while, but I haven't been able to find anything out about it. I know her barks and her little chirping, but this sound is completely different from the others. Maybe one soft whistle per breath a couple times and then she stops. She has no signs of any respiratory problems, and breathing is fine. Maybe some kind of contact call?

Two Chinchillas need a loving home- OH

Hi all,
I am looking to find a new home for my Chinchillas. Due to unexpected circumstances, I can no longer give them the care they deserve. They are very sweet and I hope to find someone who can dedicate their time and love to them. Nala is a standard grey female who is 3yrs old. She is very sweet, loves to roam, loves her raisins (1 per week or less) and loves to be groomed. Chewbacca, is a white mosiac 3yr old male. He loves to lay in funny positions, loves his dust bath, and even though he is a bit more shy- he loves chinnie rubs. Their cage is divided and they must NEVER ever be housed together! I do not want them to be used to breed and they do not tolerate each other. We remodeled/ made their cage earlier this year from an old tv hutch. They have wheels, hammocks, and houses. The bottom of the cage has linoleum flooring that I cover with fleece and a slab of marble. Please see the attached pictures to see the cage. As most of you know on here, Chinchillas require certain husbandry and care.
I am asking for $400 due to the cage and supplies. For the right home, the price is negotiable. They must be picked up because we do not have large enough transportation. If necessary, we may be able to find a way. Location is East of Cleveland, Ohio. If interested, I can give your their play pen the is 4ftx4ftx4ft made out of pine wood for an additional $40.
Please email me or send a message. Thank you!
lrwood14@gmail.com

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Chinchilla laying on her side

I’ve had my chinchilla for about a week now and she’s been acting normal but for the past few days she’s started laying on her side randomly for a few minutes at a time and I’m worried something might be wrong with her. She eats/drinks/pooping like normal otherwise. I’ve never had a chin before so I’m not sure if this is normal behavior. Any help would be appreciated!

Runny eye/discharge?

Hey all! My boy Barkley has been having some runny eye issues and little eye boogers. I've been doing nothing differently, so I'm not sure what's causing it. I'll add imgur links because I'm on my phone and it won't let me attach images for some reason. I'm planning on calling the vet and making an appointment for this weekend, but if anyone has any idea what this is I would appreciate some insight. I know eye discharge is usually an awful sign, so I'm kind of freaking out.

Here's the imgur album,
http://ift.tt/2xpcczV

Looking for a boading in Bay area

I'm going out of town for about a month during the holiday season. So I'm looking for a boarding in Bay area for my 2-year-old male chinchilla. I found two small animal boardings online, both of them charges $25 per day and $35 for holidays. That's a lot for a month...

Anyone knows any good boardings with reasonable prices?

Loofah Seeds?

I recently purchased a bag of whole unbleached loofah from a bird toy dealer on Etsy. I had seen people make their own slices out of whole ones. When the package arrived I noticed a lot of seeds in the bag. Upon further examination after cutting one open, I found tons of seeds inside the loofah itself. I’ve never seen this, the ones I had seen didn’t seem to have these seeds. I am now extremely hesitant to give these slices to my boys as I’ve read most seeds are unhealthy if not dangerous.

My question is, is this normal? Are they safe for them with seeds? If not does anyone have a suggestion for removing the seeds (I attempted picking them out, but they were in layers and was very difficult).If these are not safe I have no problem scrapping them, but if they are usable I’d obviously like to use them. Has anyone else encountered this?

My girls won't let me pick them up

Hi! So, I got two female chinchillas about two months ago now, and while they can run up and down my arms inside the cage without a problem, they won't let me pick them up. My room is impossible to chin-proof, but transporting them from my room to the playpen in the other room is really difficult. I have to use their dust bath, but one of them has started not trusting the dust bath so I had to stop that method. They won't jump into the carrier on their own.

It's also worth noting these girls were already 2 years old when I got them and weren't the best socialized chinchillas in the world. I need to be able to pick them up sometimes for practical reasons and I'm starting to get discouraged. I'm at a loss. Can anyone help? :(

Chin got foot stuck

Hi there,
My roommate and I got a chinchilla about a week ago (neither of us have had one before) and everything's been going great so far, but today she got her hind foot caught in the bars of her cage and struggled for a few seconds before getting it out. She's been hopping around and eating/drinking like normal, and we let her out for a bit to roam around the apartment and she wasn't limping or acting weird. I also looked at her foot and it seems to be fine, but I'm so paranoid that she might have gotten hurt. I know that chins can break toes/legs really easily, so I'm not sure if it would be reasonable to take her to the vet or not. Any advice would be very appreciated!

Rescue Chinny Health Issues

Hi everyone! This is my first post so please bare with me as it is a little long. I got my first chinchilla about two months ago after a lot of research. I moved out of my parents into my own place which could not have dogs or cats. I was so upset. I never thought I would love an animal as much as a dog. Then I met Pickles. I found pickles through a wonderful women who breeds/rescues chins. Pickles was one of her litters. Unfortunately for her he has a kinked tail and was not able to show. I adopted him when he was 10 months old. After a lot of reading I decided to adopt a second chin as he was used to having cagemates. They are currently in their introduction process (yes I’ve done my research). I adopted Poe. He was rescued from an abusive home. He had a very severe ear infection which she treated him for as soon as she rescued him. Unfortunately it was too late. He now has permanent damage. Poe has a lot of balance issues and frequently runs in circles. I’m just curious if anyone else has a similar situation. He’s super sweet and friendly so I’m just trying to give him the best home I can. He has his first vet appt next week. I’m hoping maybe they can do more for him. Does anyone have any tips? Attached is a picture of my sweet boy Pickles 😄

Confusion about dust baths

Hi! My roommate and I brought two three-month-old chinchilla's into our apartment almost a month ago and I have read conflicting information regarding the frequency of dust baths. One site had said you should give a dust bath to your chinchilla quite frequently while another said to not surpass twice a week. I only found this site the other day, so I have definitely been trying to make myself as educated as possible! Any advice on the subject would be greatly appreciated!

Female Chinchilla For Sale

Hello everyone! My name is Lexie. I have a standard grey female chinchilla for sale in the Tampa area. I have been her sole owner for about 5 years. She is a loving and very sweet little girl. It breaks my heart to sell her, but I have several chronic illnesses that have taken a toll on my body and I can no longer care for her to the best of my ability. She will come with her cage (Ferret Nation double unit with metal pans on both levels) with all of her toys, food, Hay, Dust,fleece covers and travel carrier. She is a healthy girl with some tangled fur towards her behind. A nice grooming should easily take care of it. I am offering her at $299. A loving home is more important to me than money, so price is totally negotiable. Please message me if you are interested in Chili :)

Is this cage safe?

Hey everyone i was thinking about getting teddy a new cage and i saw this and i thought it was sooooo cute but im not sure if its safe http://ift.tt/2l8Jem4

Thanks 💕🐭

Kansas City Chinchilla Owner

Hello all!

My name is Alexandra, I have four chinchillas...so far :)

I own:

Puka, F, 'Extreme' Mosaic
Paka, M, 'Extreme' Tan/White
Koto, M, Ebony/White
Cachi, F, Mosaic

Just came on here to obtain and retain information and to see answers for questions I may have!

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Chinchilla with microphthalmia.

I have been working on rehoming 50 Chinchilas these last months. A family member passed away and left her husband with 50 chinchillas. He did not know what to do SO I step in. I kept 7 for myself. I only have 3 chins left that need homes. So I am happy about that.

Here is one of my females I named her Pig she is very fat and looks to have microphthalmia she has one small eye. At first I thought it might be infected but it is clear, no crust, not runny, no discharge. I am pretty sure she is blind in that eye but it does not bother her at all.

I just need to get her weight down and she will be greats. I have been letting her out to explore and move around. She lives in a big cage with 4 others mellow females in a double critter nation she uses the whole cage.

Is microphthalmia common in some chin lines?

Meet Pig.

Her good eye
Pig by Sarah Ireland, on Flickr

Her little eye.
20171018_215948 by Sarah Ireland, on Flickr

Chinchilla Checklist ✓ Am I ready to own one? Help me out!

Hi all! As you can see, I'm new the forums here and new to chinchillas in general. I do not currently own one nor have ever owned one. I actually didn't start getting interested in them until a couple months or so ago. When I got to hold one, I fell in love. That being said, I didn't want to make a hasty decision so I've been doing research. I also have many other pets including a bearded dragon, leopard geckos, toads and fish. I've been wanting something soft and furry for a while now. First, I have a list of all the things I need to buy for my future chinchilla. I plan on getting one next month if I don't decide to get a turtle instead. So more or less, I'd like everyone to be as blunt and honest with me as they can and tell me if everything is correct or if I should reconsider.

Here is the list:
http://ift.tt/2kWyozq
NOTE: I'm still deciding on a cage. Feel free to rec me one if you don't think the ones I picked out are good enough.

PLEASE tell me what I shouldn't purchase or what I should purchase if its not on the list. I want to make sure I'm thorough. Bonus points if you can tell me cons about something thats bad.

Temperatures
Lets talk about my room temperature. This is something I was concerned with and took into consideration when I thought about getting a chinchilla. As I've said, I keep reptiles and fish all in my room. I live with my mom and I am 23 years old, working part time at a store with my own transportation. Rules are that all my pets stay in my room. Which is fine. However, I worry about the temperature.

I did a few tests of my room's temp and how it changes. My beardie's tank/heat lamp makes my room a bit hot, especially when the air is off.

• With my beardies tank on and the ac OFF, the room temperature can get to about 80 degrees.

• With my beardie's tank off (at night) and the ac ON, the temperature drops down to between 70 and 65.

• With regular room temperature (no heat lamp OR the AC on) my room seems to stay at a constant 70-73 degrees at night. During the day, its a bit warmer.

• With both the AC and my beardies tank on, especially if left running all day, it stays between 70 and 65.

• During the summer, my AC never turns off. The room stays at about 76 degrees or lower.

• Overall, I am able to keep my room below 80 degrees.

Those are all the temperature gradients of my room that involve my beardie. Now, I rarely turn off my AC. And if I do, its for no longer than 20 minutes just to let it rest for a bit, then it goes back on. If my temperatures are an issue, I don't mind getting a lower wattage bulb for my beardie to make it less hot, or just getting an under tank heater for him instead. And if that still doesn't cut it, I am willing to get a colder ac unit OR a portable ac that blows next to my chinchilla to keep it cool 24/7 that way I don't have to worry about it. On days where I know for a fact my room isn't cold enough, I can put my chinchilla in a much colder room where the air conditioning is cooler and then bring him back to my room at night.

I am also willing to compromise for when the winter comes. I hate the cold, but I have asthma so I cant get too hot either (SIGH). So of course, no heaters on during the cold months. I should probably mention that I live in Louisiana (what is winter? lol). I'm not worried about my fish or reptiles getting too cold, because I can provide them with tank heaters to keep them warm (or they'll just go into brumation). Please let me know if my temperatures get a pass~ :thumbsup:

Questions
I've done a fair amount of research on chinchillas, but I still have a few questions.
1. Are they prone to any illnesses? (Respiratory infections, mange, etc?) Do I need to get them any shots?
2. Are they curious prey animals like cats? Do I need to make sure my chinchilla doesn't bother or try to get at my reptiles/fish?
3. Lets say I wanna cuddle my little guy. Since their fur coats keep them so warm, would it not be advisable to let him sleep in the bed with me? Would it get too hot?
4. Is ok to walk them on a leash/harness, or would carrying them in a bag be more preferable? What about hamster balls?

Concerned about Chinchilla

I'm so nervous about what's happening to my chinchilla. I've had him for 1 month and everything seemed fine. Now he is lethargic or sleeping all the time, doesn't eat, and has soft poops. The vet didn't know what was wrong and put him on anti-biotics. They don't seem to be making a difference. I don't know what to do to help him.

Concerned about Chinny Eye

Hello All,

I am very concerned about my chinny's eye.. She is a rescue and does not like to be handled so I am concerned about the trauma of taking her to a vet. Is her eye severe enough to warrant the trip to the vet? She has gotten watery eyes on and off for the last few years but this is the worst i have ever seen her eyes. She's her usual adventurous self and is not showing any behavioural changes.

your advice would be greatly appreciated!




Thanks!

Chinchilla coughing/sneezing or hiccupping or gagging?

Hi everyone,

So I'm just looking for a bit of advice on my 5 year old male chinchilla. For the past 2 days he's been occassionally having what I thought were "coughing fits" that last for about 4/5s, it's kind of hard to tell what the sounds are but he sort of repeatedly makes little squeaks/sneezing sounds. His whole body goes kind of stiff and straight like he's coughing, or choking, or gagging - it's hard to tell. It happens maybe once or twice an hour. He isn't drooling and his eyes/nose are clean. He's not wheezing or struggling to breathe other than when he has the little coughing spasms. Other than that he seems fine, he's eating and drinking, I think he's pooping (though he has a cagemate so hard to tell exactly). He seems to be maybe a little less energetic than normal but he's pretty much his usual self. I looked online and the closest example of the sound I found is this one (about 10s in.. Poor little chinchilla): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhRn...ature=youtu.be

I took him to the vet today and he checked his lungs and head, and thought his breathing sounded fine. He also thought he seemed healthy and energetic and his weight was about normal though it's been a while since he was weighed. The only thing was that he was extremely stressed out (he doesn't really like being handled, he tolerates me for a little while, so let alone by strangers) so the vet didn't want to stress him out any more by trying to take his temperature etc. So his advice was that he thought maybe he just had an irritated throat, and if it was just a mild respiratory infection, then he wouldn't want to use antibiotics unnecessarily. His advice was to see how he is over next couple days and see if he gets over it, and if he gets any worse to phone and they'll prescribe antibiotics.

I'm keeping an eye on him and he's still eating/drinking. And if he gets any worse I'll contact the vet immediately. I was just wondering if anyone had any advice & second opinions. I'm also now wondering is there a chance it could be a dental issue? He's not drooling or anything but I have noticed a couple times he does the coughing thing when he's eating (but maybe that's because his throat is sore). I've also noticed he does seem to be being more careful/delicate when chewing his wood toys. Should I call the vet & take him back for an x-ray?

If it is a mild respiratory infection, does it warrant antibiotics anyway or is it ok to see if he gets over it on his own?

Any thoughts much appreciated!

Elder care....

So I kept the old ladies from my rescue. I have 5 females all living happy together. 3 are older one is very old and missing a foot. the other 2 one is young and healthy the others is old and FAT! Mima is the oldest female missing a foot and her bff is Fluffy who gets around really well at too cute together. Mima I think has arthritis so when she trys to take a dust bath she can not turn. So I have started to give her hand bathes.

How do you care for elderly Chinchillas? does anyone have any Old chins that are over 13 years old? How are your old ones holding up?

Besides my 5 females I have 2 males in another cage. when you have 50 chins to pick from you are going to fall for a few. It would have been more but I let some great ones go off to awesome homes.

These ladies are all part of a breeding herd that never had the run of a room or a large cage. Now they have a double critter nation to play in; but they like to all stay together in the bottom cage. Some go into the top part but not for long.

I will post photos of my little old ladies. well all but rose are old.

Hurt tail

My chin accidentally got his tail between the door to his cage when I shut it. I realized when it was halfway, enough to pinch him but he did not let out any noise. Picked him up and he was bleeding some but not bad. He let me touch it no problem and did not even flinch. (Makes me think it’s not broken). He’s still eating and running around. Was extending and curling his tail which I don’t think he would be doing if in pain. I called the vet and they were not super helpful but said if he’s acting normal he might be fine. Anyone go through something similar? He’s my baby so I’m kimda freaking out, but not rushing him to a vet due to his stress being moved. He does not like cars and doesn’t go to the vet cuz he is very healthy otherwise. So I don’t wanna stress him out more if I don’t need to.

Looking for prescription med for my sick baby

So, the short version of this post is, I need a refill on Prednisone for Elena, and I don't know if any of these online pet pharmacies are reputable ... And it's apparently an unusual concentration that has to be ordered if you want it from Walgreens or Walmart, not one they keep in stock. (Also what they charge for it is unholy.) It would probably be less confusing to go back to the vet, but that's complicated too.

The long (and sad) version....
I took Elena to the vet a month or so ago because she was losing weight. Absolutely no change in behavior, eating, pooping - just seemingly causeless weight loss. After the exam and x-rays, the doctor says there's no blockage or stomach issues, her heart issue (previously diagnosed) is not worse, her teeth are fine. They took some blood. Apparently they try without anesthetic first, but they got like half a drop. Not enough to do a full chem panel or whatever they call it... But enough to tell that her white blood cell count was really, really high.

The doctor says this is a really prominent indicator of lymphoma.

A follow up visit indicated even higher levels of white blood cells.

They gave me the Prednisone, but it's really just to keep her comfortable... She could have weeks, or months, or longer, no telling.

I feel so helpless. And somehow sad and glad both that she is still running around her cage, snatching treats from my fingers, making a huge mess of her hay, enjoying playtime... She has no idea her time is limited.

They told me when she stops doing these things, it would be time to come back for the "quality of life" talk.

So... My baby will be going, sooner or later, to join her brother Tseng. At least when they are together again, they'll have each other to snuggle with (they always used to sleep squashed together so you couldn't tell whose limbs were whose). I'm just trying to make whatever time she has be normal and enjoyable.

Which brings me to the Prednisone. My vet is over an hour from me. And open exactly when I am not available to go there. I mean, if I have to leave work early, then I will do it, but it's something I'm trying to avoid. I was really hoping I could just order it from somewhere and have it shipped to me. But it's turning out to be much more of a hassle than expected.

I am going to call them tomorrow and see if I have other options. Maybe they can ship it to me, or leave it at the desk for me to pick up after hours (they have emergency services there after hours).

I just want my baby to be comfortable, and to go on not knowing.

Anyway, if anyone has any experience with pet pharmacies, I'd like to know what you think of them, for future reference.

I'm going to miss my furball.

Going from Sunburst to Oxbow

Hi there! I'm a new chinnie owner. I'm sure this question has been asked a multitude of times, but I couldn't really find the exact answer I was looking for on the forums here.

When my boyfriend and I got our chinchilla almost a month ago, the pet store person told us they were feeding her the Sunburst Gourmet food, and me being the idiot I am went and bought it since I thought that's what she'd be used to. She's almost out of food now and I went to go and order her a new bag, but over the weeks I've been noticing that she pretty much just picks out the treats from the bowl and leaves both her hay and pellets fairly untouched. She's a very active girl and poops like no other, so I'm not worried about any dietary problems, but I don't like the fact that her food has all these extra things in there and I feel bad for more or less giving her all these treats for a month and not giving her the diet she deserves.

I just went ahead and ordered a bag of the oxbow pellets and both the timothy and botanical hay from amazon (the latter I'm using as a treat), but I want to make sure I switch her over properly without causing any upset. Is there a sure-fire way to do this? She's warmed up to us very quickly so I don't want to do anything that would make her dislike us.

Here's our sweet girl below, hanging out with her new fleece liners I had made :dance3:

Potential constipation and hairball

Hi. I need opinion whether any treatment is needed for my chin, Candy. Last Tuesday, I found that she chewed through my vacuum's electricity cord (not plugged in at that time, she somehow got to it when the vacuum was placed on top of the cage). So I've been monitoring and weighing her everyday. She seemed fine until earlier this week when I started to notice a decrease in poops and slight decrease in appetite (she also lose about 12g over 1 week). However she still ate and drank and was very alert and energetic during playtime. Nevertheless, I was still quite concerned so I took her to the vet for the first time (she is 11 months old). She got whole body X-rays to see whether there's any metal or cord remains in her GI tract. The radiology report has come back and the radiologist concluded the following: large amount of amorphous soft tissue opacity filling the small bowel and cecum. Cecal impaction should be considered. The amorphous soft tissue opacity within the stomach may represent a hairball. Symptomatic treatment for a hairball and cecal impaction could be considered. In the past two days though, her appetite has seemed to come back and she is definitely pooping more now. My vet (she is not a certified exotic animal's vet) has suggested that lubricant such as oil can be given orally to Candy to help her. I am not sure if, at this point, any treatment is needed or whether giving lubricant is safe for chinchilla. I plan on calling the vet tomorrow to ask more details. Any suggestion or recommendation is strongly appreciated! I want to make sure that she is 100% healthy! Thanks!

Bonded Pair Passing- Cage alterations??

To break down our situation:
I've had a previously bonded pair for 6.5yrs and back in July I lost one of my boys about 2 weeks before I had to move. Things have settled now and my remaining boy, Riku was never really the affectionate type, but I've been monitoring him for any serious changes or signs of lonliness.

Riku has always been pretty adventurous and has seemed generally resilient although there are some behavior changes. Riku was never particularly treat motivated and took to his wheel immediately but has since shown the reverse where he isn't interested in his wheel much, but has taken to just sort of lazing about the cage sometimes even on the floor and is super motivated by rosehips and other chin safe treats. He eats frequently, has great poops, and has just barely become more affectionate coming up for scritches maybe once a day for a few seconds. Playtime has never been an option for us really, particularly because he has always been reticent about humans due to his previous history before I got him and doesn't re-enter his cage easily which is stressful for us both.

I'm actually wondering if maybe his cage is just too spacious for him without his brother.

Has anyone else downsized and found that the increased nooks and crannies of a small space make their now single chin feel safer?

Sad batch if elderly rescues.

I have my last and saddest batch of Chinchilla rescues. These are rescues for sure. Most are OLD like 15 or 18 or 20 I don't know she was breeding since the 1990s.

Let me tell you about the sadness. I just got them all yesterday.

1. So One has matted fur really bad I thought abut cutting it or shaving him. His eye is always dead or looks dead not sure what will save it I am looking for a vet that will see chins. I have one in town that will do minor stuff but not sure this eye can be saved. I was told by the daughter that this chins eye looks the way it does due to a fight that happened years ago. I was also told this chin no longer takes dust baths. WELL HE LOVES dust baths so I am not listening to them.

2. I have a female that is thin and looks to have some white hard small blockage in her lady parts. Not sure would to do. Or what it could be.

3. I have a male with a swollen foot that is raw and bloody. I washed it as best I could and have him on clean fleece only. Just trying to keep it clean. This chin is OLD too.

4. I have a male who's weewee will not go in. I am thinking hair ring problem but I have never done the hair ring thing and when I tried I got no where I have some people coming over Saturday that are going to help me with this. Not sure any other reason for his weewee to stay out.

5. I have a big fatty. This chins is huge I have not flip it over to check the sex. At first I thought she was due with 3 kits so I did not want to handle it much. Or it could just be a very fat old lazy chin. I need to check the sex.

I have 3 or 4 others very old Chins. When I got this batch out I was so sad. Our aunt would never have let her babies get like this. She loved these little things. She has been gone for a year now and well no body cared but me. When I tried to help a year ago when she was still alive the family said " It is too soon" Even after she passed I said can I help with the chins it was still too soon. So the chins suffered because of human grieving.

Here are a few photos of what I am dealing with.

bad eye and next to him is the one with the penis problem.
20171011_170724 by Sarah Ireland, on Flickr
20171011_170659 by Sarah Ireland, on Flickr

This is the fat one.
20171011_170602 by Sarah Ireland, on Flickr

Very old Chins. They took a dust batch and are doing a little better.
20171011_170809 by Sarah Ireland, on Flickr

I need to get photos of the foot.

Death after a week sold **advice needed***

Hi all,

Looking for some advice following a recent Chinchilla that I’ve sold. I’ve been breeding for 20+ years and Thursday 28th i sold a pair of males to a young family with young children. A beige and a grey. The beige was going to be for the little girl (approx 5) and the grey was going to be for the little boy (approx 9)

Saturday afternoon I had a message to say the beige Male was very quiet and wouldnt really move. I told them they were nocturnal etc and to see what he’s like later on the evening.

Long story short - they brought the beige Male for me to have a look at on Sunday and he was so weak he could hardly stand. He then started to spurt blood out of his mouth and eventually died in my hands after a couple of minutes.

In the 20 years I’ve been breeding I’ve never experienced a chin death like that and it was traumatic.

The grey Male was and is not showing any signs of illness and the beige males siblings are all fine. My personal opinion is that the beige Male has been grabbed too tightly by the little girl and has punctured an organ.

My issue now is that the family have asked to buy another off me which I’ve said I’m not happy to do as there’s obviously an issue in their care. To which they’ve now asked for a refund of the price paid for the beige chinchilla (£90). I’ve offered as a gesture really to give them £45 or alternatively they can pay for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

This is my first time selling a chinchilla to a family with young children and it will definitely be the last. I’m just looking for any sort of advice re the request for a full refund etc.

Any help is much appreciated.

Many thanks
James

Chinchilla vet near Denton, Tx

I am about to move to Denton, Tx and have no idea what vets in the area see chins. If anyone has any info that would be amazing.

Dust baths, Foot soaks and Bandage Application

Hi all,
My little Squid has some pretty bad bumblefoot from poor husbandry on the past owners part :banghead: So, the vet has directed me to give him an epsom salt soak once every 12 hours, followed by an antibacterial application and then cream (along with his antibiotics and anti-inflammatory/pain relief).

1. With such frequent foot soaks, should I increase how often I give him a dust bath? He currently only gets 1-2 dusts a week since I don't want his feet getting worse. Are there any precautionary things I should look out for with foot soaks? I know getting wet can lead to sickness in these little guys.

2. The cream doesn't absorb into the feet, so he vet suggested I hold him for 20-30 minutes while the cream sits. Squid gets grumpy just from 30 seconds of being held, let alone 30 minutes. Is there any way I could bandage his feet over the cream so he's not as stressed? Can I just apply bandaids? Is there a special way to bandage him?

Thanks everyone

Vet visit

I took my chinchilla to the vet last month after I found out his one top incisor had overgrown and so they trimmed it and said one side of his molars look great and the other side good, but could be slightly better but it fine. Well, less than a month later its started overgrowing again because he refuses to chew anything besides some pellets.

A friend helped and took him to the vet again yesterday and now a different vet is saying he has hooks on his molars and wants to put him under to file them.

What are some major flags or concerns I should have when dealing with chinchilla's teeth and what the Vet says/recommends?

My chin's appointment is tomorrow and I'm also getting an X-ray done this time to make sure things aren't more serious than the vet is making it appear.

Procedure list:

Sedation/Anesthesia Minor
Teeth Trim
Metacam Oral 1.5mg/ ml per ml
Radiology Exotic/ sm mammal 2 view
Enrofloxacin suspension 30mg/mL

My chinchilla is honestly not a huge chewer to begin with so I'm really at a loss on how to help promote him to chew on something besides just his food pellets. Also, I was planning on getting some probiotic to add to Critical Care cause of the Enrofloxacin.

How Do Dust Baths Work? (Edu Video)

I found this video very interesting, and thought I would share it with you!

Watch Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpEOWqEBW9k

Swollen Nose?

I noticed today that the top part of my chin's nose seems swollen. He is a 4ish year old male and he has lived peacefully in the same cage with another male his whole life. It seems that the area just above his nostrils is a little extra puffy. He was playing and eating normally this evening and he let me pick him up and look at it and his teeth. I don't see any signs that it is bothering him nor do I see any other abnormalities. Should I be concerned about this?