Microwave Dried Hibiscus Flowers

Living in Hawaii, I have an abundance of Hibiscus flowers on my property. I'd like to use them as treats if my chins have an appetite for them. Does someone have a prepping and drying technique using the microwave? I want to make sure I don't burn the flowers and try to preserve much of its vitamins.

Cage Occupants

I have a two story Critter Nation cage with two chins. Assuming I get future chins and they all get along in the cage, How many adult chins, excluding kits, can comfortably live in a two story Critter Nation cage?

Hello from a long absent member

Hello,

Just logged in for the first time since 2016! I was a very active member back between 2009-2014, but life has changed so much and I just don’t spend a lot of time on the internet. Any old timers still around?!?

In my former CnH Days I was a college/grad school student and mom to several chinnies. They’ve mostly passed away from various natural causes, but my sweet Latte is a spry almost 8-year-old (late January), who has seen me through many life changes. Started my career, got married, moved across country... the list goes on. Anyway glad to be back, going to try to stay fairly active. Cheers & Happy New Years!

-Brittany & Latte

Goldbar kits

Just out of curiosity, if a litter of kits are born Goldbar, what mutation are the parents normally?

Goldbar kits

Just out of curiosity, if a litter of kits are born Goldbar, what mutation are the parents normally?

PVC material

Is bare (not covered in fleece) PVC safe around chinchillas knowing their propensity to chew everything? I'd want to to use a big 6 " diameter PVC elbow or straight pipe as a loft for my chins. Any advice?

Hi! new to chinchillas just a couple questions.

Hi there I just recently got my chinchilla and took him to the vet his name's puff(weird name for a male I know:hilarious: but anyway I had taken him to the vet and he has a parasite. I'm in the process if treating as of today. I've noticed that as I burrito him(which is already difficult) he begins to shake and become quite stressed. He tends to sleep outside his hide and balls up on top of his hide alot is this normal? Also I have a new cage as the one given o me is kind of small for him is the stress of medication a new home and a new cage too much? Idk if I should wait till the medications been done to move him? Sorry this is so long but.i love this little guy to pieces and want to do right by him so he can have the best quality of life possible:)

New Chin Dad

Hello everyone! New dad to my two girls, Pip and Squeak. Living in Hawaii has its challenges especially when regulating my chins' living space for temperature and humidity. Looking forward to chatting with everyone and getting feedback/input. Have a Happy New Year!!!

Jumping out of the cage

Hi guys I'm new here and a new chin owner.

I got a 4 month-old mosaic male chin about 2 weeks ago. His name is Kumo, which means "cloud" in Japanese. I think we bonded quite well these 2 weeks. He let me scratch him on the head and neck. I kind of trained him to go to the spots I tapped. He sometimes sleeps on his side, which I read on this forum that it means trusting.

I placed Kumo on the top level of the 2-story cage because the breeder said he is still young so having one level for now can prevent him from over-exercising. Also it's easier for me to check on him as I'm only 4' 11". Whenever I open the cage to clean it or just put my hands in the cage, I would use my body to block the opening just to keep him in the cage. But he would always try to find any gap to squeeze in, trying to get out of the cage.

Just not too long ago when I opened the cage to clean it, Kumo tried to jump off of the cage. Knowing that he may break his legs if he really did jump off, I used my forearm to push him back into the cage. After that he made about 10 medium-pitched squeaks within 10 minutes. I know that bond we built is now broken as he stayed in his hideout then.

Anyone with chins that like to jump out of the cage (from the upper level)? How can I stop him from doing that for now? I really don't want him to hurt himself

Chinchilla got WET

I just came home from college and my chinchilla with a history of teeth issues is entirely soaked under her chin. My mom seemed unconcerned with this and said it has been going on a couple says and that she didn't think it was important to me because I was "coming home in a couple days anyway."

My vet isn't open until Monday, and the fur appears to be partially matted and a mix between freshly wet and dried.

I have a blow drier and a towel, but can I cut it? What can I do to ease the issue before Monday?

Tips for DIY Cages? -- Use of Plywood in Exterior

Hi! I made an account on here just for this purpose, ahaha. I'm preparing for my chinchilla (which I'm picking up on Saturday) and plan on building my own cage. I've done plenty of research but I'm on a tighter budget than what a lot of DIY tutorials suggest.
To cut a long story short I was thinking of using plywood for the outer shell of the cage. I've read in most places that the glue in plywood is unsafe but since I'm simply using it for the exterior I figured it might be okay? For the record I won't be using plywood for the shelving or anything like that. I'm a first time chinchilla owner so I'd love for one of you more adept chin-parents to help me out. Thanks so much in advance!

-- Shania

Flying with my Chinchilla

Hey All,

I currently live in California and my chinchilla has been living in Illinois with my parents. I am looking to fly her back to California with me. I miss her tons and want home to have her with me ASAP!!!

Does any know what the restrictions are on flying with a chinchilla and the best airlines to fly with? Can I carry her on the plane with me?

Any help is extremely appreciated!!!!!!!!!

Thank you

Bath house

I am looking for a more contained bath than the fully open top one we have. When Chico & Chino roll in, they splash sand all over (especially with the tail). I saw this picture on Pintrest featuring an Ikea jar, like in this picture: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/e0/4d/00/e...4b446dce98.jpg
Does anyone here have experience with this jar? I am concerned it will be too small for fully grown chinchillas, especially when the two of them will certainly try taking a bath together. What's your opinion about this jar?
Thanks!

Need Help with Soecial needs Chin

Hello!

I recently adopted a second chinchilla, and it turns out he was very stressed and has some issues I’m trying to work out. He does not chew his fur but he chews his tail fur, it’s growing back and I’ve only seen him do it once since being here - that was right when he got here.

He is a HAM! He loves his chin to be scratched, always comes up to us, but he does not like to be held or picked up at all. He is 3, and I let him out twice a day for an hour (alone, keeping my chins separate forever, don’t want babies or think he should be caged with another chin at all or have babies at all, he needs healing).

But when he is out he is so active, running like a mad chin, loves coming up to get head scratches and treats. He even climbs up on us the odd time. When I got him they tried to tell me chins get most water from fruits and veggies and only dust bath once a week. Now I never give Madison any fresh fruit or veggies, I was under the impression it is to watery for them. He is eating and drinking fine, I really think he will make a speedy recovery!

But I do need help, Madison is so loving and let me handle and pick her up since day one, but no luck with Giz! Last night I got very concerned about this because my boyfriend went to go put him back and gizmo lost a lot of fur. When I put him back he is in his litter box so it’s easy to put him back, but I really need help with how to get him back in the cage without getting terrified and losing fur if we try to pick him up. He just let us start petting his back inside his cage earlier this week which shows lots of trust growth. I just really need help with some methods on how to get him back after playtime and get him used to being picked up.

Question

I choose not to handle my chins, they absolutely do not like it and they tremble and panic when picked up so I choose to respect their feelings. We do have a lot of contact tho, I just don’t pick them up or pet their backs. Anyhow, I noticed both of their fur on their lower back above their tails is getting messy looking! Any suggestions on how to brush that fur without scaring them? If they won’t allow me to brush it, should I go ahead and pick them up and brush it (which will obviously stress them out), or should I just leave the fur alone? Any advice would be greatly appreciated:)


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Wooden Chew Christmas Tree

Hello all!

I am looking to replace a wooden Christmas (chin chewable) for a FN cage. Flexible on the size - wondering if anyone out there makes them?
Thanks! :)

Hello

Hello guys, I'm the newest member of this lovely community. Please welcome me. :)

Question

What are some store names and/or websites that sell organic non treated wood of the more exotic variety like pear, apple, willow, cholla, cottonwood, ocotillo, etc.? My chinchillas are super picky and don’t like almost anything I buy at the pet store, and the only items them like are crazy expensive and they go through them crazy fast.. so I need to start buying wood and making my own safe wood chews for them, BUT, I can’t find any store in my city that sells these kinds of wood, and I’m struggling to find websites that offer these kind of woods organically. I even went to Menard’s and had them look up every kind of popular (&safe) chin woods, and NOTHING, and they said they couldn’t order it for me cuz they don’t carry any of it period, not even online. So my research is coming to a dead end. But I KNOW I’ve seen people talk about the woods that their chins love... where do you guys get it from? ANY suggestions would be a HUGE HELP! Please and thank you!


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Hello from Nimbus, and looking for some advice?

Hello, everyone!

I'm not sure how active this forum is, but I'm here to give it a shot!

I have one rescue chinny right now, his name is Nimbus, and he's my first chin! He is 3 years old, and seeming to be healthy. He's about 650g and eating healthily, good teeth, (I have him on Oxbow chinchilla food ((approx. 2-3tsp a day)) and timothy hay ((as much as he wants)).) He doesn't appear underweight or scrawny, but I can feel his backbone and ribs. Thoughts?

He's very skittish, and doesn't like to be grabbed in the cage, but if I lure him into his carrier (a small cat carrier), he actually likes cuddles, and will tolerate combing. In the cage he likes chin scratches, but if I touch the top of his head or anything behind his shoulders he spooks and barks and runs away. He's also terrified of fast movements and noises he can't see the source of. Advice?

Also, I don't know much of his history... I got him from a lady who rescued him from someone else, and Nimbus had had an incident of fur slip on both hips before she got him. She had had him for several months after that before I rescued him, and other than a tiny layer of dark grey fuzz, it hasn't grown back. I don't believe he chews it, but I couldn't say for sure. Thoughts?

I intend to get Nimbus a brother from a good breeder when I have the money. I think a more laid back chin would be a good fit for him. If everything goes wrong though, I can just separate the double ferret nation I have, and close off the opening. Unfortunately I inherited an old 142 with clanky, warped trays and panels and screws that i doubt would survive another take apart.

Tysm for reading! Have a good day! ;)

Just rescued this poor baby

Hi, so i dont usually post on forums but this is new to me.
A little background, I have owned 2 chins in the past, but neither of them ever got sick or matted so im new to the whole health and hygiene issues.
I rescued this 1 year old female chin on Monday from a girl that was selling a "cage" online and told me when i went to pick it up that shes giving me the chin too.... ohkayyy i thought no big deal, i go see her and one of her eyes had a hugeee red bump near it (near the tearduct) her eye was completely crusted shut and her ears are dry and peeling, as well as her feet her fur is terribly matted and this girl refused to bring her to the vet or anything.
I decide okay fine ill see if i can help this baby, scoop her up and the lady gave me the chin and everything for free so I took her straight to the vet, vet didnt say what it could be but we settled with antibiotic injections 1x a day for 10 days.
We got her eye cleaned up and by nighttime it was crusted shut again. I dont want to stress this poor baby out too much by cleaning her eye 3x a day and trying to get her fur back to normal but I desprately want to see her move around normally (since practically her whole underside is matted and crusted with urine)

How can I go about getting these huge mats out? ive gotten most of the ones on the top out, but am really struggling with her whole underside and I dont want to ruin any chance of gaining her trust.
Is there anything I can put on her ears and feet to help with the dryness?

So sorry for the huge scrambled rant, I just still cant believe the shape she is in. She also seems really underweight, i can feel every rib and bone perfectly.. as if shes literally just skin, bones and fur.

Any advice is greatly appreciated, and ill post a couple pictures later.

Father Chinchilla and kit

Hi All,

I've browsed this forum a few times and decided to register. A slightly long post, but just a bit of background. I'm a sort of new chinchilla owner. I bought my first chinchilla - Kiyoshi - male in June, at 5 months old, he is a White Mosaic and then Amaya - female - In September, who I believe is a Hetero Ebony at 4 months old, at least this is what the owner I bought her from told me. She may have been 5 as well. Both are from the same owner, who mentioned that it would be fine keeping them together, and they would only breed if she is ready which I've read online many many articles are usually around 8 months.

Amaya recently gave birth to a single kit, both mother and kit are very healthy and active, 10 days old now and gaining weight. I've separated Kiyoshi and Amaya for the first week after she gave birth as suggested by many forum posts and articles I've read. I've reintroduced the two and they get along well during play time. Kiyoshi most likely mated again with her.

After introducing the two and getting along well I decided to introduce the kit, first play time went well, Kiyoshi was more interested in mounting Amaya but also seemed fine with the kit, he sniffed the kit and the kit even went to him.

Tonight, I've let them have some play time again for the second time, with all three running around, this time Amaya went off and the kit was running around, watching the interaction between Kiyoshi and the kit carefully, Kiyoshi seemed like he was grooming the kit but then kind of pulled it closer underneath him and what looked like being a little more aggressive in grooming, the kit made few noises and as soon as this happened I separated him from the kit. Put both of them down again and this happened again. Separated again. The kit is unharmed, as I was watching closely what Kiyoshi's behaviour is like around the kit.

My question is the following: given the behaviour, with the users on the forums experiences, do you think Kiyoshi will harm the kit?

My thoughts are to keep them separate until the kit is weaned and then put Kiyoshi and Amaya back together in the same cage.

Thanks for reading this long post, and hope to get few answers :)

Handling new chinchillas

Me and my wife recently got two 10 week old baby chinchilla males.

We have been trying to handle them everyday, and I was just looking for advice on how often to try to handle them. I don't want to stress them out but I also want them to get used to being handled. the more skittish one will bite me every now and then when he's stressed out but not hard enough to break the skin I think he's just telling me to put him down.

I had a mini Rex and every time they bite you you're supposed to eeep!! Real loud and they'll stop biting you. I was curious if something similar applied to chinchillas or not?

Any advice would be great thank you so much!!!

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DIY Q: Chew toys

I am so happy! Hubby had finally cut the piece of wood we had bought (<$2 for 8 feet, I think it was 1" by 2"). It was labeled at the store as spruce, which I figured is OK, and weirdly enough stamped as W-Pine (white pine?). It was also stamped KD-HT which I now know means Kiln Dry, Heat Treated. So, cut into several small geometric (stick-like, rectangle, triangle...).

Chico sniffed it suspiciously, nibbled and than grabbed it and carried to his hideout. He seemed happy and interested, but was willing to share with his brother until I gave them another piece.

However, they lost interest pretty quick. I am planning to buy cool aid tomorrow, as I have read somewhere that they like the flavor (and the color). From your experience, which flavor of cool aid is the best?

Thanks :-)

Honey question

When I was a proud chinchilla mom 15 years ago, I remember buying chinchilla treat sticks and as far as I remember they contained honey. A quick search to check my memory showed similar hoeny sticks exist on the market today, like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Forti-.../dp/B009ETMXQ2

Since I became chinchilla owner again not long ago, I started reading forums and posts again. I noted people now write that honey (even as flavoring or "glue" such as in "snak shak") is bad for chinchillas.
Is this based on research? Is it based on personal experience of breeders / owners? Both?

I an curious to learn more about this, as I remember how much my chinchillas loved their treat sticks 15 years ago. Can any of you help me find a reference to a research or a book (or a post) elaborating on this question?

Thanks!

Chinchilla Companion?

Hello!

I'm new to this forum but I had a bit of a long winded question I was hoping you could help me with.
So to start from the beginning I found my chinchilla. He ran across the rode and I almost hit him with my car (I live in Canada where chinchillas should NOT be outside). But long story short I was never able to find out why he was out on the streets and I ended up keeping him.
Fast forward 3 years I fear he may be lonely and was looking into getting him a companion.
Here are my questions,

1.Generally does this sound like a good idea? He is at least 3 years old (I think around 4 maybe 5) and because I have no idea where he came from I do not have any clue as to his socialization skills. He seems to have no fear what so ever and will go right nose to nose with my 60 pound dog and even try to catch his tail through the cage bars. Is he too old and been alone too long to try and introduce another Chinch?

2. What are the general rules for gender pairing? I am pretty sure he's a he (but after looking at sexing pictures I am not so sure.) he does not have a pronounced space between his anus and "junk" which makes me feel like female but he has a very long and pronounced penis looking thing so I can't really tell. Could anyone help me with that?
Do males get along with males? Will a female companion always end up in babies? If I find he is actually female are female partners easier to introduce?

3. Should I look for a Chinch around his age or get him a younger partner (baby?)

4. Am I just over reacting in assuming he's lonely and he's probably fine?

Thanks so much for reading and for helping! I got thrust into Chinchilla motherhood and did as much research as I could but I needed some help with this topic.

Heres a cute picture of him(her?)

Attached Files

IMG_5093.pdf (281.6 KB)

Friend for charlie

Debating on getting another chin to keep my current chin company. Charlie is around 5-6 years old. Is this a good idea?

Getting off CC/EFL

Hello,

I've read most of the posts in the archives about getting a chinchilla to transition from critical care back to pellets/hay but am still at a loss.

If my chinchilla will take a sliver of shredded wheat or other hard treat, do I assume he can eat on his own? and I can keep reducing the soft food mixes?

This week I am mixing up 1 teaspoon of EFL in the AM and late afternoon on a small plate. It's probably only 15ml of water added per feeding. I also give him a smaller amount later in the evening. He's not losing weight but he is holding out despite gradual reductions over the past week or two. He started drinking water out of a small bowl (finally!) once I started this.

Oddly enough, I bought a new type of pellets (Sherwood) 2 weeks ago and he went right for it immediately. Was the first pellet he ate in ~45 days. He was also nibbling on some hay a few nights but that all stopped after what I assumed was residual dental pain overnight. But who knows.

Do I need to just accept he's going to be hungry and let him lose some weight?

Thanks

Cage construction and size

Me and my wife were considering getting two baby chinchillas.

We had a mini Rex and I built a three-level huge hutch for him. I was considering building a 2 ft wide 3 foot long and 6 ft tall cage out of untreated kiln-dried pine.

I did some research and found that you can use canola oil and vinegar as a natural mixture to seal the wood. I was just curious if anyone had any suggestions or reasons this would not work. Actually any suggestions would be fine LOL.

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Hay

What brand of hay do you guys feed your Chinchilla?

I have been feeding my chinchilla timothy hay since I got him as a baby, but he won't eat any hay in the past 6 months. I have tried different types of hay from Oxbow but still no luck. He tends to just play with it and throw it around.

I have to take him to the vet about every 2-3 months to get medicine to help him pass because of his lack of fiber.
The vet also says he has dental disease that he gets treated when necessary.

Help!

Bonding

Hello!

Right now I have one chinchilla male. He is 1.5 years old and he is extremely sweet. I currently started a new job and tend to be a little bit busier than I use to be. I started to feel bad because I haven't spent as much time with him as I use to. I was thinking of getting another chinchilla for him to bond with but I'm not sure.

Is it best to get another male or get a female? My chinchilla is still intact.

He plays with me about a 30 minutes - 1 hour a day. I am about to move to an apartment and that will give him more time to run around freely for longer but I don't know if this is good enough.

Should I get another chinchilla?

dust bath

Will a dust bath take care of any urine on my chinchilla's fur or feet? If not, is there another way to clean urine?

Cage liner as a “poo guard”

Hey everyone, this is my first time actually posting on here so I hope it actually works! I saw on Chewy.com that they have a “Sheer Guard Bird Cage Skirt” and it says the material is nylon. I use fleece bedding for my chins, but you know how they make a mess anyway. I was wondering if I could get any opinions on if the bed skirt would be a good or bad idea. Any response is appreciated, thanks!

Greetings :-)

Hi there,

I used to have Chinchillas many years ago, before my kids were born. Had them for about 4 years. Regretfully, I had to re-home them as we were moving to Canada.

For many years after we moved to Canada, it was clear to me I should wait with the chinchillas, fearing the interaction with small kids will not be healthy for the chinchillas. Over the years we had guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, fish and an adopted gecko. Now that the youngest kids are old enough, I was lucky to buy (re-home) two brothers. Chicco is a standard gray, restless but very friendly. Chinno is beige, calm and cuddly. Thanks to their prior owner, they are not only potty-trained but trusting, curious and friendly. They are a year and a quarter old, seems healthy and energetic. And they came with a amazing cage that exactly fits in our living room.

The kids love Chicco & Chinno and play with them a lot. I have less time to interact with them but we play mornings and most evenings. They are adorable.

I was amazed to find out all the developments that happened in the last 15-20 years in the field of pet Chinchillas... I love the fleece bedding most of all.

We live in Port Moody, BC.

I am planning on making them lots of toys, have several questions to ask, will do so on a different thread.

Thanks in advance,

Ornit

My female is to the huge obvious pregnant

My female is pregnant. You are able to visually see kits rolling around and kicking. I was able to get a 3 minute video of all the action. I counted and today marks 110 days since with my male( did not know he was a Male, was told female) shes in a clean and kit safe cage. Vet on stand by just in case. So my question is. How much longer do you guys think she has?

chinchilla smell

Hello, occasionally my chinchilla will abruptly bark(?)/mating call noise and emit a bad smell. Should I be concerned? I don't believe its me because he'll do this when I'm not even touching him. He's eating and drinking properly, his droppings look fine, and he's urinating normally.
Thanks

Eating (and swallowing) wood

So I have not been able to find anyone else experiencing this but, my chinchilla seems to actually chew and swallow everything she bites.

She has always been strange in terms of behaviour and I have tried to get her out of the habit. She stopped chewing her rock and various wooden objects for a while so I started encouraging her again because her teeth were overgrowing.

Does anyone have any advice on how to train this out. It does not seem to mess with her digestion so far but it definitely does not sound good.

Unexpected Baby Chinchillas

I thought I had two boy chinchillas, the father and son. Turns out its father and daughter. The daughter(Cheerio) just gave birth to two baby chinchillas this morning. This is Cheerios first litter of babies since she was born this past January. Im not sure if she is nursing the babies or how I should set up the cage?? Cheerio is really active, running on the wheel, jumping on top of things, so I took the wheel out and she seems really aggressive towards me and was trying to get out of the cage when I was taking her wheel out. Ive been doing a lot of research and the babies are fine, eyes open, squeaking, cuddle with eachother, and walk around but mom just keeps moving away from them. On the bottom of the cage I put some hay because before I had those tiny water absorbing woodchips and I also bought that cotton bedding stuff from Petco and put it in a little box for the babies. Should I not touch the babies? I read that mother chins wont reject their babies if a human touches it but im not sure. Can I leave the dust bath in the cage?? should I not have much in the cage? I also have a little hut for the chinchillas to go inside of in their cage. Also is it okay that they are technically inbred babies? Do you think mom is too young to have had babies?? Mom was born Jan 1 2018 so shes not even a year yet. How do I properly care for the babies and mom?? Help!

Hello

Hi,

Recently adopted an 8-month-old female Chinchilla. She now a member of my family which include 1 chihuahua and 12 guinea pigs. I have been researching how to properly care for her as she is my first Chinchilla. Joined this forum in hope of getting advices from experienced Chinchilla's caretakers. Thank you for allowing me to become a member of CnH.

S.

Attached Images

Sasha Chin_2.JPG (37.7 KB)

1 hayrack for 2 chins?

Hello,

We are currently trying to bond my chin a 1 year old male with another 5 year old male. So far things are going good, if this continues they will eventually stay in the cage my current chin is in. I do not have the money to buy an entire new clean cage or make an entire new interior (the entire inside is custom made and took quite a long time to make).
So I plan on deepcleaning the cage for when they move in together (any cleaning solutions recommended?). My chin is currently with the breader of the other chin, so he is in a different cage atm so they will be placed in his old cage together after a couple of weeks.
But do I also have to rearrange the entire cage or some shelves enough (and can I change it back after a while?). And I do plan on buying an extra waterbottle and pellet tray, but would it be possible for them to share a hay rack? It is accessible from 3 sides so they can each eat on one side of it. Or would this cause issues?
Also in the weekend I go to my parents house and always take my chin, never had any problems with it he is used to it. But if I put them in another cage in the weekend could it ruin their bond? Even if I take the same precautions as their "main cage"?

Thank you in advance.

Crinkle cut paper?

Hello!

Can I put crinkle cut paper (such as this one-https://ift.tt/2SgmnRb) in the chinchilla's cage?

I am hoping to put it into a box for digging, and chewing.

Thanks!

Advice for putting away a cage

Hiya I'm new to this site and new to owning chinchillas. I'm still learning even after having my boys for two years. Its time for a change from their cage because I made the decision to get a CN without reading up on its more fragile bars. Since I'm not 18 nor living by myself I had to ask my mom about switching to the FN. She isn't a fan of the idea because its only lasted a year (due to my poor choices, like the wheel and my ledges being too wide), so some of the bars have snapped and the cage is growing louder and rickety. But the main problem for her is storing the cage. Taking it apart is an option but its worse taking it apart than putting it together and I'm afraid she'll stress and give up on me. And we both feel like its a waste of money to keep it in the basement. I was thinking of recyling it but I don't even know what type of metal its made of aside from the coating. I just want to ask
if there other suggestions I might not be taking in, aside from selling it. Nobody deserves nor wants that cage in its current condition. And if there isn't anything else we'll just put it down in the basement. Thank you!

Looking for a white female

I am looking for a pet white female chinchilla in the Boston area. Thanks in advance for any connections! I am wondering if anyone knows anything about Pionee Valley Chinchillas, TMJs Chinchillas or Forever Feisty Rescue? Looking for a reputable breeder.

Thanks!

Bella is a dusty girl!

I've had my female Chinchilla for about a month now (yay!) And she LOVES dust baths. My only problem is she is sooo dusty after and everything in her cage gets covered in dust! Is this normal? Or is there something I can do to prevent this?
TIA!

Hair Loss

I have a 1 year old chinchilla that started with hair thinning on the tip of his nose. It hasn't been red or flaky. He also hasn't been itching it and is acting normal and eating and drinking normally. I took him to the vet and had the ringworm test done and it came back negative for ringworm. The vet said his teeth are good and is in good health.

He did manage to come in contact with another chin and he has hair loss on his nose now. His hair started to thin a couple days after the contact. Hair is growing at the base of his nose but he his losing hair further up his nose. The other 2 chins are fine so it seems to be only a contact thing.

I have cleaned there cages with hot soapy water. They all have their own cages. Not sure where to go from here.

Good chin vet in NYC?

Hi All!
Don't have need for a vet at the moment, but would like my boys to be registered with a reputable one in case they ever need to go. Does anyone have any recommendations -- preferably in Queens, NYC? Thanks in advance!

Choking motion when syringe feeding

Hi,
Recently took my 15 year old chinnie to the vet and she had her teeth trimmed. She was taking critical care okay for a few days, but now makes a choking/gagging motion when she's swallowing (not every swallow necessarily.) I make sure I feed her slowly, so not sure what this could be? Ideas??

Wood for making huts?

I was wondering if the common board wood at home depot would be safe for chinchillas. http://www.homedepot.com/p/1-in-x-12...8503/100322335

4 year old chinchilla can't jump and is uncoordinated

Hi all,

Has anyone had a chinchilla lose its ability to jump and become uncoordinated after dental surgery?

My Otto had an abscessed tooth removed and was put on antibiotic for 7 days. A follow up visit to the vet for his lack of coordination showed he had lost weight from decreased appetite from his meds and my inability to force feed him enough critical care. Otto had a seizure on the 3 hour drive to the vet for his follow up visit which the vet said was likely due to lack of food. But I could not get him to eat that morning before the drive. Vet said he does not have an ear infection and suspects he's just weak from poor nutrition. So I have worked many tricks to get more critical care in him and it's been 2 weeks. He has regained weight and is fairly active besides still being very uncoordinated and easily looses balance. He's also been recovering from constipation from all this so I'm having to encourage him to drink more water via syringe per vet instruction. He's not up to healthy poos yet, but he's showing improvement. He has had a couple of falls in his cage but he fell no more than 6 inches. I have since confined him to flat land when unsupervised and hope that he doesn't break himself. During playtime I've watched him attempt to climb onto a shoebox and he barely makes it.

I'm wondering if my Otto will ever recover fully to be able to jump again or if he's permanently crippled.

Herb question(s)

So I have noticed that people have said not to mix certain herbs together when giving herbs to your chinchilla. I am not sure what this means and was hoping for some clarification.

Thanks!!

Granite Tiles for Bedding

I have seen many people use granite tiles to line the bottom of their chinchilla cages and I am interested in how it works.

Does this only work well for potty trained chinchillas?

I read that people get the tiles sealed in order to make clean up easier. Is that true and how do you do this in a safe way for the chinchilla?

Also, where do people get these tiles?

Are ceramic tiles better or worse to use?

Are there any other negatives or things I should know before switching to this method.

Thanks!

New etsy shop

Hey there! Super excited to say my Etsy shop is now open for business. If you could give us a quick look it would be awesome! Below is a list of items we now offer as well as future things to come.

WE HAVE NOW:
- Rose Hips (Crushed & Whole)
- Marigold/Calendula (Whole & Petals)
- Nettle Leaf
- Dandelion Leaf
- Chamomile
- Homemade Treats

COMING IN THE NEXT WEEK:
- Pumice Stone Chews
- Apple Wood Sticks
- Willow Sticks
- More Herbs & Flowers

COMING IN THE FUTURE:
- Handmade Chew Toys
- Handmade Chew Garlands
- Fleece Hides & Houses
- Fleece Liners
- Misc Items
-
ETSY SHOP: https://www.etsy.com/shop/xCritterCreations
FB PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/xCritterCeation

COUPON CODE: GRANDOPENING (15% Off $10 Or More)

SHIPPING: $3.50 for the first item and $1 per item for anything after that.

We have kept our prices as low as possible and currently have some of the lowest prices on items for small animals on Etsy! All our herbs and flowers are organic and home grown, they come from friends and family. Thank you for reading this and maybe checking us out.

New etsy shop

Hey there! Super excited to say my Etsy shop is now open for business. If you could give us a quick look it would be awesome! Below is a list of items we now offer as well as future things to come.

WE HAVE NOW:
- Rose Hips (Crushed & Whole)
- Marigold/Calendula (Whole & Petals)
- Nettle Leaf
- Dandelion Leaf
- Chamomile
- Homemade Treats

COMING IN THE NEXT WEEK:
- Pumice Stone Chews
- Apple Wood Sticks
- Willow Sticks

COMING IN THE FUTURE:
- Handmade Chew Toys
- Handmade Chew Garlands
- Fleece Hides & Houses
- Fleece Liners
- Misc Items

ETSY SHOP: https://www.etsy.com/shop/xCritterCreations
FB PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/xCritterCeation

COUPON CODE: GRANDOPENING (15% Off $10 Or More)

We have kept our prices as low as possible and currently have some of the lowest prices on items for small animals on Etsy! All our herbs and flowers are organic and home grown, they come from friends and family. Thank you for reading this and maybe checking us out.

Hey There!

Hiya there! My name is Mandee, I’m from Rochester Ny and am the proud pet parent to...

Chinchillas:
Peony: Female Standard Grey Chin (2 1/2 Years)
Pippa: Female White Chin (1 1/2 Years)
Peanut: Female Beige, Freckled Ear Chin (3 Years)

Bunnies:
Hutch: Male 4 Years Old
Dutch: Male 7 Months

All of them have been rescued animals!

Peony came from a home where they purchased 2 chins and were told they were both female...WRONG! She got pregnant and had a kit a baby boy. They then sold both the baby and the father leaving her alone. She was stuck inside a Midwest guinea pig cage with a dust bath house and one ledge...no toys at all. She had bitten off all of her fur she could reach due to the stress and boredom. Some days they neglected to feed her so she was underweight as well...I’m happy to say I have had her for over a year now and she is doing fantastic. She was afraid of people but now comes right up to greet you. Her grew back though sometimes she does still chew.

Pippa and Peanut came together but had never been introduced or housed together. They got them both as babies through a breeder, I was told they were getting rid of them due to moving but when about a week after adopting them I noticed peanut had some drool...turns out they had never given them anything to grind their teeth so her teeth were severely over grown and causing issues. They have since been trimmed and both her and Pippa are doing great!

After very slow introductions and moving toys back and forth between cages, all three of my girls now successfully live together in a DCN.

Throughout my life I have had many pets such as guinea pigs, rabbits, mice, rats, hamsters, dogs, cats, frogs, lizard, and fish but chinchillas are by far my favorite.

I also currently have started my own Etsy shop full of healthy treats for your pet!

ETSY SHOP: https://www.etsy.com/shop/xCritterCreations
FB PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/xCritterCeation

Hello, My chinchilla is having nutrition isses after dental work

Hi all,

I just joined because there seems to be a lot of helpful information here. I owned a degu for nearly 10 years. After my degu passed I adopted a rescue chinchilla I named Otto. He was almost 3 years old when I adopted him and have had him a year and a half.

My poor Otto had to have an abscessed molar removed and has since struggled with nutrition. The antibiotic caused him to lose his appetite and he refuses to eat much of his critical care. I've been working with my vet on this.

I had been getting Otto to eat critical care using a piece of dried papaya to entice him, but this trick only lasted a couple days. From what I've read, fruit isn't good for him anyway, but it was the only way to get him to swallow the critical care from the syringe. I hope the other flavor of cc I ordered is something he'll like. He's not quite up to healthy poos...is constipated and dehydrated. Although he grazes on timothy hay constantly and drinks water whenever I give it to him. He doesn't eat much pellets (Mazouri/kaytee) I have him on the Kaytee food because it's the only brand I can get locally when I forget to order.

Since I'm syringe feeding him, I have gas drops, but don't want to give him too much. At most I've given him 0.3ml in the evening before playtime. He's not very active anymore so I thought it may have been gas.

Since the dental work, he doesn't jump and is very uncoordinated. My vet said that is a side-effect from not getting enough food after surgery. It's been 3 weeks and slow progress.

Raised and showed chins 15 yrs ago; how much has changed?

Hi all!
I used to raise and show chins 15 years ago and have been wanting to get back into this. Looking around online for the chinchilla forums I used to be part of (chins-n-quills) and can’t find it. From what I am seeing, the chinchilla community now is nothing like it was. There used to be a huge demand for chinchillas and numerous reputable breeders in my state (WA) and now it is hard to find any. I recall numerous classified ads being put into the forums on a daily basis and this was the primary way we found homes for the ones we sold.

My question is- do many ppl attend the local shows these days? Are there still local shows through MCBA? Is there still a market for top quality pet or breeding chinchillas? If the forums are not the primary way of connecting with other breeders, how do you all network and advertise? Or is there another forum that I have not found that is more popular?

Thanks for any feedback!! Things sure have changed!
Rachael (formerly Applewood Chinchillas)

cleaning chinchilla

Hello, my chinchilla got some yogurt on his foot (hopped over the bowl). Is there a way to clean him? I'm not sure if a dust bath will do the trick...
Thanks

Bald spot on nose- is it a fungus?

Hello, today I noticed a bald spot on my chin Choco’s Nose. I got her about 3 months ago, and have not had any problems. She lives with my other older chin Mimi, and they get along great, no fighting. I have been on a 1 week business trip, and just came back. I left them in my parents’ care, as I usually do during business trips, and I haven’t had a problem. Mimi does not have any balding, only one broken whisker, which I think she did herself by being rambunctious.

They have an appetite, move vigorously, and are over all acting the same as before I went on my trip. If you guys can please take a couple of minutes to look at the pictures and let me know if you think it’s a fungus or not, it would be greatly appreciated. I personally did not see the skin as being red or irritated.

Thank you!

https://ibb.co/ne1ZDV
https://ibb.co/cuEbSq
https://ibb.co/dNBO7q

Chinchilla dominance

Hello, my chinchilla continues to assert dominance over me (how I see it). Occasionally he'll attempt to hump my forearm, which according to online resources is a form of dominance. Is this an issue? He also nibbles my hand as well, but I'm unaware if this is to assert dominance. I usually just allow him to nibble me.

Aventura Cage?

Hi all,

I have two 4 year old male chinchillas I've owned since babies, and I simply want to upgrade their cage soon. I live in the UK so FNs and the like aren't really around here and I'm not willing to spend hundreds on shipping. I've found this Aventura cage which seems quite spacey and is all metal, so if the ladders got taken out would it make a good upgrade?
https://www.littlepetwarehouse.co.uk...illa-cage.html

Thanks!

Chinchillas got into massive fight when Dad got reintroduced to Mom and Baby?

So my chinchillas had a baby. It's been about a week, and I finally got to putting the baby and mom back with the father. They looked like they've been miserable without their company. (They've been together since they were first born... I know it's messed up that they are siblings, but they've been together for around 6-7 years and the baby was really unexpected.) I baby-proofed the cage, and everything was going good. It looked like the mom was trying to teach the baby to jump up to the short little platform I placed. It looked like it was going good, when all of a sudden the baby unexpectedly grabbed ahold of the mom's nose.The mom started making super loud noises.
Then all **** broke loose.
The mom and dad started fighting, the baby was sprinting around everywhere, and fur was flying everywhere. neither of them would let me grab them, so I pulled the shelves out so they'd stop jumping around(they're still fighting, the baby is still scared and sprinting around,) and all of a sudden I don't know if it was the mom or the dad, but one of them started peeing everywhere. I grabbed the dad and put him in the spare cage with food and water. What the **** happened? What should I do? Please help? Are they both still in heat?
(P.S. Since the fight around 30 min ago, the baby stays as far away from the mom, and the only good relationship now is between the baby and the father...)

Chinchilla cage setup

Hello, recently I've upgraded the cage of my 6.5 month old chinchilla. The flooring of both floors are metal bars, which I understand can cause bumble foot. Currently I'm placing towels in his cage, but I've seen owners wrap a solid surface with fleece. How often will I need to wash fleece and how well does it absorb urine? Are there preferable options out there?

Switching feed

Hello guys

I was hoping to get some comments on experiences with switching foods cold turkey.

My chinchilla recently decided to stop eating pellets. We ran her through the vet, got her teeth checked out, stomach x-rayed and so on. Turns out the sneaky rat was just protesting her current food (had it for 3 years) and the vet said she just seemed plain bored of it, as weird as it may sound.

I got her a new brand (very similar in nutritional value) and she immediately attacked the food as if she has not eaten in months. (it was pellets and no treats mixed in)

I tried to mix in just a few with her regular feed but she just picked the new bits out and is completely ignoring the old food, trying not to starve by eating hay all the time.

I wanted to know what could go wrong if I just go for a switch. Maybe as she is still eating hay, trying to keep her on mostly hay and an increasing amount of pellets could be better? I am really not sure but I know she will not touch her old food.

Any information or advice is welcome.

Angry chinchilla wants to chew on unhealthy object

Hello, a few days ago my 6.5 month old male chinchilla managed to reach the foam filler in between the wood. I continued to place my hand where he was attempting to chew, gently moving his face away. He was evidently annoyed, barking and making interesting noises. I'd rather live with an angry, healthy chinchilla than a sick one, so I continued to place my hand on it until he eventually gave up. There were plenty of chewing sticks around the room. The next morning he was loving and playful as usual, but how can I avoid situations like this in the future?
Thank you

chinchilla ears are too red?

My chinchilla enjoys sleeping on my lap while I work. I notice his ears become a hot pink color and veins are visible on the back of his ears. He makes happy squeaks while sleeping (on his side or in a ball). Is this normal? I know he enjoys sleeping on his side even when he isn't too hot or cold.

Chinchilla not pooping

Hello there! I am new to this community but have had my chin babies for about 6-7 years now. I just noticed this morning that my boy chinchilla is not pooping at all. Also, he hasn't eaten anything but drinks his water here and there. He is being much lazier than he normally is as well. Overall, he looks healthy, there is no oozing of anything anywhere, eyes are clear and ears aren't red. Although a few times i noticed that he would make this tight heaving position and look strained with his ears down and make these tiny little noises. There is no way I can get him to the vet, I don't know what is wrong with him, if he is constipated or what. What can i do to help him

Thank you so much in advance to any help or guidance

Chins, cage and supplies for sale

I have 2 female chins approx.1 year old. They are dark gray. They have been on a good diet and well taken care of. I am selling both chins with a 3 tier cage, food, bedding, bath and dust for $140 OBO. They love attention and like to jump on you when they are out of the cage. Please send me a message if you are interested or have any questions.

Chinchilla pee/bedding smells?

I recently got two chinchillas, and this is my first time taking care of them. When I bought them, I received FreshNews recycled paper cat litter. It helped absorb the smell however I noticed the chinchillas eating the litter. I changed the litter to CareFresh the paper bedding but then the cage smell seemed much stronger. I'm not sure why, but I'm suspecting that it may be their pee. I'm not sure whether it's normal but I read online that their pee should be odorless but there's a strong odor smell coming from their cage. I just changed their cage yesterday but the odor is already strong. Please help! If I do use different bedding besides fleece, what should I put underneath? And would you think it's because of the bedding or their actual pee? Thank you!

help asap about new chin behaviour

Hello. My chin is about three and a half months old and I got him about two weeks ago. He is housed in a tall cage but he only as two wooden levels as he is so young. At night he makes a calling noise repeatedly (the “oo oo oo” noise) and then begins to rattle his cage and climb right to the top of the cage £(which is about 5ft) and falls to the bottom then does it again. He has plenty of toys to gnaw and always has fresh hay pellets and water. Could anyone please help? Should I purchase a wheel for him or add more levels to his cage? I took lots of the levels away from him as the Internet recckmended me to.

Baby puffs as treats for Chinchilla?

Can you use baby puffs (https://www.googleadservices.com/pag...hoC2W8QAvD_BwE) as treats for chinchillas?

My chins suddenly became really fearful

So I’ve had my chins(1 male 1 female) for more than a year now. They love to get handled in the past and would run and climb around me during playtime. However, recently they suddenly got scared and would bolt away the moment i open the cage. Also, when i do catch them to put them back into their cage after playtime they drop a ton of fur. I’ve now kept them in the cage without playtime for 2 days but whenever i do come to the cage to check them out and greet them they would run into their hideouts. I’m scared as i don’t know what happened to the two of them. What should i do to help them calm down or rebuild our bond we had in the past?

Note: i do not have any other pets

Death of cagemate, signs to watch for, bonding a trio or senior to a new chin

I lost my sweet Lilly on Sunday. It was very sudden, appears that she was eating out of the food bowl and passed. As she was a rescue as an adult that had changed hands several times, I am not aware of her age, but think she was about 15. Heartbroken, but we have put her to rest and I am now concerned about ensuring the happiness of Cindy, her cagemate of seven years. She appears to be doing okay, she's eating, moving around the cage, showing interest in scratches and treats, etc. She was also a rescue and I believe is older than Lilly, so her activity level is not a huge indicator as she was not much for running on the wheel or popcorning around the cage even when she still had her "sister" with her, Lilly was always the more active one and Cindy was the pleasant observer.

What I'm wondering is what I should watch for in her behavior that might indicate a negative impact from this. I honestly would prefer not to get another chin, but I will if she needs another partner.

And related to that, if it does appear that she needs companionship, I'm curious about the possibility of creating a trio with my other two girls. They've been next to or above/below each other for many years so they are used to each other's scents. There was no spraying or signs of aggression when the cages were next to each other. I have never tried a combined play time though so I don't know how they would react to each other.

If that doesn't work, I've heard it's best to bond an adult with a kit, but is that always the case or would I be better off finding her another senior? She and Lilly were both adults living as single chins when I bonded them and that process (using the side by side/split cage method) went very smoothly!

Any advice is appreciate! Thank you!

Chinchilla not wanting to go out in playtime? Is this normal?

Hi,

So I have two chinchillas, both female.

Lola - more stand off with people (doesn't care to be pet and is more jumpy)

and

Zoey - likes to have chin scratched and isn't very jumpy around people

I am a bit worried/confused about Zoey.... Lola loves to run around the classroom (I have a pen that I put around their cage and have a little step set up so she can come and go as she pleases). I normally let them have the option of going out once everyone has left, or if we are just reading or doing something very quiet.

Zoey on the other hand never wants to come out! If I do take her out (she will let me pick her up if she is in the cage) she just sits in a space under her cage and only moves about a bit, where Lola is running around everywhere. I also find that she hides a lot more than Lola. Lola prefers to sit on top of hides, while Zoey wants to go in them.

I am worried about Zoey not wanting to go out in playtime, is this normal? I just find it strange that she appears to be the less skittish one while in the cage but its polar opposite for when it comes to going outside of the cage, Zoey wont even try to go out and Lola goes in and out quite a bit.

Sorry if this is nothing to be worried about, I just want to make sure I am not missing any signs in case there is anything wrong with her!

rehome

i have a chinchilla needing to be rehomed .

What is the correct cage for a 3 month old chin?

My chin is just over three months old and I have him in a ferret nation style cage with 5 levels and a hammock. He has been sleeping in the hammock at the top of the cage and has levels/stairs to get on and off and is doing fine with it/hasn’t been running jumping around too much and usually just stays on either the bottom where his chinchiller/hide out is or the top with his hammock. I have read online today that at this age they should still not have many ledges. Should I take some off him? I am unsure about what to do would like to know everybodies experiences) thx

Hello All

Hi everyone! I started my Chin story about 15 years ago. I got a female chin that had been badly neglected, she was about 6 years old at the time. I was totally in love. She never cared to be messed with but I made sure she had a good life (she lived to be~16)... At least from the information I learned and knew at the time. I'm now a chin mommy once again and see there is so much out there now and still SO much to learn. I'm happy to have found a place that I can ask questions and see that others may be experiencing the same things.

Face Injury, Very Painful and Not Eating

Hi, looking for a bit of advice to help my poor 8yr old boy Pedro.

On Monday he was out for playtime, I didn't hear or see anything strange but when he went back into the cage he had a line under his left eye, not bleeding or broken skin, just a line in his fur. Thought a bit odd but he didn't seem too bothered by it so I didn't either.
The next morning he had nearly all of his food left in his bowl but seemed chirpy and had a bit of shredded wheat for bfast. Thought he'd maybe just filled up on his new hay.

By Wednesday he'd barely touched anything 'hard', I soaked a bit thinking maybe he was a bit sore from the possible bang to his face. He ate a bit.
Thursday wouldn't touch anything, even a bit of soaked shredded wheat (his fave). I gave him some metacam hoping may perk him up a bit and help with any pain. And started syringe feeding as worried he wasn't eating.
And got into the vets as he looked a little swollen around his eye.

The vet advised to carry on what I'm doing and I picked up some more Oxbow Critical Care. Was worried about doing an X-ray as he's not been eating and has lost a bit of weight, and possible head injury as has obviously banged it pretty badly to be causing these problems. He said he's not as responsive in his left eye as in his right one. Will go back in a few days if not improving.

His face/eye area on the left has swelled more over the last couple of days, yest looked terrible but looking a bit better this morning.
He's on the highest dose of metacam I can give but still looks quite miserable and not really wanting food. Will lick a bit of CC off a spoon but I'm having to force feed as nowhere near what he needs.

When I'm holding him he acts normal (a mad man! Hates being held!) but when he's in the cage acts very sad :(
I've never dealt with head/face injuries with chins (teeth probs yes), I can imagine the swelling's very sore and if he's had a bang to the head prob not feeling his best. Also guessing it has to get worse before it gets better as it's an injury/bang that's causing swelling.

Very worried though :(
Just looking for a bit of advice from anyone that's possibly dealt with anything similar? Feel terrible for him but really don't know what happened.
I'll carry on what I'm doing but should I let him out for playtime to cheer him up? He was out for 30mins on weds and was really happy running around like normal and having a bath. He just seems very depressed and not his usual cheery self. Must be in pain/feeling rubbish from meds/head and face injury. Just want to do what I can to try and get him through this :(

Sorry so long, thanks for reading.

Possible eye infection?

A while ago I noticed that my chins right eye looked wet like she had been crying. Whenever I noticed this before I would just tidy up her cage and she'd be fine the next day. But now it's been a few days and it hasn't gotten any better. Last night she let me remove a bit of eye booger (she's still a baby and we're still working on trust) while she ate and when I came home from work today there was even more boogie than before and it looks a little pink. Her left eye is also slightly wet but for the most part it looks normal. I've read up about malocclusion and I don't think it's because of her teeth. She has plenty of apple sticks at all times and even a few wooden rabbit toys. Heck, her cage is hand made out of wood and the little bite marks are proof that she's got enough to gnaw on. She's never greasy, I make sure she gets clean dust all the time and I deep clean her cage every week. Her poops are normal and she gets plenty of food and water.
The only thing I can think of is that the light from my turtle is irritating her. I was thinking about hanging a sheet up between the two but I don't want to put holes in the walls if I don't have to. The way the two are set up makes sense because the eye that faces the tank (she always hangs out in the same spot) is the one with the problem.
Saga is my first small fuzzy pet and since she's still a baby I'm really new to this. None of my dogs have ever had problems like this or at least something I couldn't Google easily lol. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Air travel with chinchilla

Hi. I have to relocate to Boston from Houston at the end of November and I would like to bring my chinchilla with me. The only way for me to do so is to fly her with me. However, researching all over internet and looking through many airline restrictions, it seems that none will allow chinchilla to be in the cabin and all of the airlines that have direct flight between the 2 cities won't even allow chinchilla to be in the cargo section. My choice is so limited now so I am wondering if anyone here have any suggestion or experience as to how I can fly or ship her to Boston. Many thank!

Fleece over ramps

Hi guys, I’m trying to put fleece over Wilbur’s cage but I don’t sew and I’ve tried binder clips which don’t work with his cage.. it’s a Percy animal cage. Any suggestions or thoughts ?

New chin owner :D

Hi guys, my bf and I are new to owning a chinchilla. We adopted a 3 year old male who came from a home with two little girls who manhandled him from what I saw. Wilbur has now moved to a big leveled cage and is being fed just Timothy hay, pellets and water with oats as a treat. He seems to be adjusting well, we have given him time to adjust to us and get to know us through talking and occasional pets and scratches when he’s been willing, we also just recently picked him up for play time not wanting to handle him too much until he’s ready. Today he seems grumpy and hiding in his cage not wanting any attention. I’ve read before that Chins can be moody.. does anyone have any advice or insight on this??

How much pumpkin is safe?

Hello,

Does anyone know how much unsweetened canned pumpkin is safe mixed with critical care? Can I do 50/50?

Thanks

Chinchilla had a Kit unexpectedly

I've had Sasha for around 2 years and their cage mate, Mort, for about a year. When I got Sasha I was told they were a boy, same for when I got Mort. I even had the person at the shop double check that they were male.

Well, yesterday my wife found a dead Kit outside of their cage. Apparently a part of it was uneven and left open, which I fixed right away.

Sasha hadn't been letting us hold them/pick them up the past two or so months, and my wife thought they had been getting bigger, but we didn't think anything of it. Everything else was normal and they still let us pet them.

I'm calling the vet as soon as they're open to get more info, but for the time being I need advice on how to care for the mother Chinchilla.

I have them separated from and I know not to give them dust baths for at least 10 days. Im giving them things for calcium as well, 1/4 of a tum.

Sasha has been acting loving and is letting us hold her again. She's moving and running around as normal as well. I just want to make sure I'm doing everything right. I'm only posting because when I went to search online I kept finding things for taking care of the kit instead of the mother.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Is Goji berry wood safe?

Hello, I have 2 very large goji berry bushes, and was wondering if the wood from the bushes is safe fro them.

Thanks!

Chinchilla breeders near me

Hello! I have been looking for chinchilla breeders, and saw AZ chins, I was wondering if they were still breeding chinchillas. If you know of any breeders in Utah, Arizona, or Idaho, could you please tell me, I am having a difficult time finding breeders near this area.

Thanks!

Greetings!

Greetings! I am not a chinchilla owner (yet), but I am hopefully going to get one soon! I have joined this forum to learn more about them!

My chin is soo sick please help!

Help! My chinchilla has a really bad cold and every vet around me absolutely refuses to help as they are not familiar with chinchillas. I clean her nose out and I’m giving her water through a dropper and making sure she is eating. She is so sick. How can I help her stay comfortable and help her feel better

High Pitch Squealing in Chinchillas?

So my female chinchilla has been abruptly squealing extremely loud and high pitched. It only lasts for a second or two and tones down like a squeaky toy near the end of the squeal.

I have read a few posts on here and blogs etc. on other sites but nothing seems to be fitting for what my chinchilla is doing. I have taken her to the vet twice and nothing has been found to be wrong with her.

I got her about 5 years ago as a rescue, she was presumed to be young maybe 3 years old, so possibly now around 8. I think she was fixed as I got her from the SPCA but I honestly haven't been able to tell over the years. She is always energetic and I do not have a male around her.

So what has been happening has been for about 2 years now. Its not often, maybe once or twice a month if even that often. Sometimes though it will happen a few times pretty close together, within 10 or so minutes. It mostly happens when she jumps down from one ledge to another.
What confuses me is it sounds like she is in pain, but doesn't act like it at all. She will just happily jump around afterwards. She hates her hips being touched but also doesn't seem to actually be in pain, more like it tickles and bothers her. And the vet said with xrays nothing appears to be wrong with her and she has fine mobility.

I read it can be because she wants attention but that also doesn't seem to be the case. A lot of the time she will just jump around or go sit in one of her houses afterwards. Anyways it appears to be common but I don't know if I should still be as worried as I am after all this time.

Thanks for any info :)

chins history

I like chins...

Chinchilla lost in appartement

Hello all,
Sunday when me and my girlfriend were taking a nap our2yo female that we had since june managed to escape from her cage. We followed the little poops she left behind and to our horror found out she went under the kitchen counter. We also found out that one of the plank from the floor under there was broken. We also saw with a phone taped to a broom that she went in there because of the poops. However, we do not hear her and she won't come back. We tried making the hole bigger so that she can jump through easily. We put treats and fresh hay next to the hole. She usually never eat anything that is not dry so nothing has a strong smell. Any tips on how we can find her/ make her get out of there?

Swollen genital male parts

Hello,
I just registered here bc i am concerned about my chin. I have a male chine who just turned 1 last week.
I noticed today that his genital parts were swollen. There is no exotic vet in my country and i dont trust the ones we have so i thought i would ask here first.
I am attaching a pic so u can tell me if its normal or if not, give me some advice on what should i do.
I have searched for an online vet but I haven’t had any problem till now.

Attached Images

9CB3E88A-8A8C-40EC-AC15-3966B29F5ED7.jpeg (9.3 KB)

Tooth/Gum Injury

I have a 14 year old chinchilla who has been lucky enough to have avoided teeth problems so far.

Two nights ago he was eating hay and immediately started to act like something had irritated his mouth. He was pawing at it and a lot of other behavior to let me know there was a problem.

He wouldn't eat or drink that night so I gave him critical care via a bowl and offered him supervised water via bowl a few times. He drank quite a bit on that first night.

We went to the vet the next day and they looked at his mouth but no x-ray and he was not put under. She could see a red mark where something might have poked his gums. Teeth are straight and flat. We're on meloxicam now.

He isn't accepting any of the water via bowl anymore but is eating critical care on his own. It's hard to tell how much because we're not doing it via syringe since force feeding him creates other problems, including potentially irritating his mouth. He is still peeing and pooping, albeit far less than normal.

Does anyone know how long this type of injury takes to heal? He's still occasionally grinding his teeth and is definitely not himself. He begs for treats (shredded wheat) but ultimately doesn't eat it.

I put a cam on him 24x7 so I can play back what's he's doing when I am not there. He's not attempting to eat pellets, hay, and he only tried his water bottle once for a second. Last night, I woke up at 3AM and he was hungry enough to eat critical care. He hopped out of his cage to come get it.

We're about 30 hours in... and very concerned. I am regretting not doing an x-ray to be sure whatever caused this isn't there for sure.

Catching chins when play time is over?

So I am on week 3 of having my two chins. They are 2 weeks old and I had gotten them from a lady off of kijiji.

So I’ve been letting them venture out this week into the classroom once the students have left. I started with opening the bottom door to see if they were interested. Them seemed to want to but the jump was high so I used a dust bath to transport them out (they do not like being picked up, and I don’t want to chase them around the cage).

Now I have found a way to use a mini chair as a step for them on their way down, so I open the door after the students are gone and they come out when they are ready to.

But it’s getting them back in is what the problem is....

One of them I can use the dust bath trick (she still freaks out and bites me a bit when I cover the front but seems fine once she is out). But the other one seems to be learning the trick... she will only stick half her body into the bath! I tried to scootch her bum in but the exact opposite happened... she panicked tried to get out but hit my hand and then got so scared of me and wouldn’t go near the dust bath again... it ended up with her in a little cubby barking at me while I was trying to get her to go back in. I have never felt so bad in my life. I could tell she was scared and after almost an hour of trying a combination of letting her calm down, getting treats and out smarting her I got her. But I knew she was not a fan of this procedure. Once I got her into the gate she seemed fine (even grabbed a snack). And once she calmed down when she was on the floor she would come and sniff my fingers and stuff so I don’t think she scarred tooooo much. Or I hope not anyways.

My point is, I don’t know what to do to get her back in... and I don’t want to deter her from dust baths. But she really does appear to enjoy going out of the cage... especially since she makes the journey her self.

Any suggestions?

Got my new chin, and thinking whats normal and whats not.

So, me and my wife got a chin a month ago. We never had one, but she had a rabbit for a while. Oh and we named him Goku :D According to pet store workers hes around 5months old.
So, after we got him, we did read almost everything on this forum, it was very helpful. So when we got him, gor a first week he was always barking when we approached him. Then he settled down. Now he almost doesnt make any noise, except for squeeking. As always the pet shop gave us crap food and wheel, because thr wheel was only 11". The food was only balanced chin food, which is different pieces. Had no problem with getting the proper food here in lithuania, but theres nowhere to get a 14-16" wheel. But found a guy who will make it for us.. anyways, we just got a bigger cage, with more room, and more stuff to do. And now hes not as active as he used to be in a small cage with only a house. He often sleeps on the side or on the stomach, not moving when wr try to pet him (he did used to move and sniff the arm), its as if hes playing dead. He always was active from 00:00 too 9 in the morning, but now hes sleeping almost all the time. On play time, when we let him out hes active as always, but its different when he gets in the cage. Could it be that he doesnt like the cage, or hes not used too?
We feed him only hay grains, hay, and from time to time we give him oats as treats.

Treats? Bananas and raisins?

So I just got two chinchillas two weeks ago from a girl on kijiji. She was giving them bananas and raisins as treats, however I have been learning that she really did not know much about chinchillas... So I am wondering if giving them 2 banana chips a week, and 2 raisins is too much? Or if these are even okay treats to give?

Thanks!
Christina

Not eating much

Tuesday I took my chinchilla to the vet because he was chewing on his tail and had a bald bloody spot on it. The vet said that she thought it could have been heat that caused him to get stressed and chew on his tail (unfortunately for a few days the AC stopped working and it got hot in the room, and on the third day the tail chewing began) and just to be safe she gave us an antibiotic "sulfa/trimel" 0.2ml twice a day, and a pain medication "meloxicam" 0.15ml twice a day. (syringe feeding meds). She also said he could have gotten a parasite, or fleas/mites/etc and also prescribed some feline flea medicine for once a month for 4 months.

His poop has been a little small for the past 2 days, especially today. and last night he didn't eat much of his hay, pellets, or drink much water. He ate some, but not much. So I was handing him some hay today, and he only seemed to be interested in the brown thin pieces of hay, not the green thick pieces. He was eating the brown hay that I handed him, so I have a little hope. But there is not much of the brown hay in the hay I have.

I am concerned, because although he ate/drank a little bit last night, he always completely goes through all the hay in the container I put it in. But last night as I said, he only went through/picked through a little bit of it. And as I also said, his poops are smaller and less frequent than they are supposed to be. Also some of them are a little bit soft (not diarrhea).

He has been extremely stressed out, because my husband has been having to pick him up in order to give him his medicine. We feel horrible and heartbroken but we have to pick him up, he won't eat the medicine in his cage. He makes angry sounds at my husband, he has sprayed my husband with pee (today). His last dose is Tuesday morning. His wound on his tail keeps scabbing over, but for some reason he keeps ripping the scab off. He also has been ripping off his tail fur (without it bleeding) and eating it. I think that is due to stress that my husband has to pick him up and he is terrified of being picked up.

Should I start trying to feed him critical care? Or is it too soon for that? Only last night he didn't go through all his hay, but his poops have been small for a couple of days now, and today they have been less frequent. He has been eating some of his pellets, but last night he ate barely any of them. And he did not drink much water last night.

Sorry for being redundant I am just all over the place and worried about him. Also, he eats farm Timothy hay 1st cut (meant to buy second cut but got 1st cut) and he eats Oxbow pellets, and for treats a dried rose bud. I am thinking his appetite is either gone due to stress (of being picked up), the medicine (it smells very fruity and sweet so maybe he wants only sweet foods, or as a side effect), or I don't know what else.

If we need to start feeding critical care, how much should I give? Can I home make it? If so, could you please list the ingredients/what to do in detail?


Thank you

Hay feeder ideas!?

So I just got my two chins two weeks ago as a class pet for my grade 5 class. Things have been going pretty well! I had a wooden hay feeder for them but they’ve already chewed the entire front off of it! All the feeders at the pet stores around here (Manitoba, Canada) have either wooden ones or plastic ones, or once’s that say the material is plastic and wood mixed?

I don’t really know what to do as I don’t want to have to buy a new hay feeder every two weeks but I am nervous about getting a plastic one...

Accidentally got syringe medicine in fur

I have been having to give my chinchilla antibiotics and pain medication through a syringe to his mouth, and I accidentally got a little bit of it on the top of his head on the top of his fur. I quickly gave him a dust bath and now it is dried/crusted. What do I do? How do I safely get it off, or will it work its way out?

Not sure what spooked her?

Hi!

Still relatively new chin owner just looking for anyone who might have any answers before I freak out and take her to the vet.

I don't know if this can be explained with "she's in heat" or not. I tend to want to think something spooked her but I watch her like a hawk during play time and otherwise the only visitor to my room occasionally is a sleepy old dog who doesn't even know she exists and that my chin has been pretty used to.

A couple days ago my normally very excited to play chinchilla stopped wanting to come out of the cage. If it's bath day she'll come out for a quick bath and then run back to the cage but even still she looks at the bath like she's wary of going in it. When she comes out she sniffs a bit too and twitches her tail back and forth very sharply & I'd say irritably.

I don't think she's afraid of me. We're pretty chummy and she's always excited to see me. But all she wants to do is get me to come over to the cage so she can perch her front paws on my shoulder from the safety of the cage and groom me a bit, but mostly stay alert for something that's bugging her I guess that I don't see, and get pats and comforts.

She's even become strange about shreddies. When I give them to her now she thinks about it for a long time before taking it and once taking it she puts it in her mouth and dances around and looks around like she wants to eat it but she's too nervous to or something.

I'm starting to think she's seen a ghost. But more than that I'm worried if I should be thinking about a vet visit or not. She's eating pellets fine, drinking water etc.

Anyone have any idea what could be up with her all of a sudden? She has never ever ever skipped out on playtime before.

Violet Male and Beige female

Violet male, 2 years old. Very friendly and handable. No pedigree but from JAGS lines. $100 pet only.

Beige female. 3 years old. Very friendly and handable. No pedigree. $50 pet only.

Located in Chicago suburbs. Willing to drive a little to meet.

I can email several pictures on request, I’m having a hard time resizing them for this site.

HELLLPPPPPP Fungal infection or rough housing?

Hi I'm not sure if my chin has a fungal infection or not. I have some pictures in the link below. There's some discoloration in the whiskers of one and now I'm noticing a few have broken off. This chin is definitely the more passive of the two but I'm worried it's a fungal infection. I don't see any hair loss in the surrounding area and no pink areas or patchy skin. The only indications I have are the discolored spots on his whiskers and some that have broken off. Please help.

https://imgur.com/gallery/3iDCr4R

Fungal Infection or rough cage mate?

Hello,
I have two boy chinchillas and I originally noticed some discoloration in the whiskers of Thumper my more grey- white mosaic. Today I now see that a couple of his whiskers are broken. His cage mate Kiko has long lovely whiskers and I haven't noticed this discoloration. I'm not sure if I should treat them both for a fungal infection and clean everything or if it's just the two of them rough housing. I don't see any pink spots or flaky skin and no changes in behavior. I know Kiko is the dominant one between the two of them and he's pretty vocal about it. I'll attach pictures so you can give some advice. Please let me know what you guys think, I'm worried.

My Chin's Behavior is Confusing Me

Hello everyone! I am new to the forum so nice to meet ya'll.

My name is Alicia and I currently have four chinchillas. Here's some important backstory for my chinchilla family. A little under a year ago I adopted two chinchillas from a friend who could not care for them anymore. Their names are Alfa and Rosa. We were under the belief that Rosa was infertile. She is approx. four years old and during that time shes had two owners besides me: a breeder and my friend. With the breeder, she never conceived any kits and that is why the breeder sold her. My friend adopted her and a male chinchilla (Alfa) under this impression. Fast forward a year or so and I adopted them. Fast forward two months ago and there was a huge surprise in the cage. Rosa had given birth to two kits!

With my very limited knowledge, I sexed them as boys. They both have a definite gap between the cone and such. Some recent events are worrying me. I have mom & kits in a separate cage than Alfa at the moment to prevent any more surprises. While cleaning Alfa's cage today I thought it would be OK for them to hang out for a little bit. Well, I witnessed Alfa mounting the kits multiple times (They are nearly 8 weeks old now).

As they are near weaning age (I think), this worries me because I had plans on keeping the kits with Alfa when fully grown. I don't want them fighting.

Could anyone offer some advice?

Chin Afraid of Hammock

Hey everyone,

So- my wife and I just took a chinchilla from a pet shop in Poland about a week ago. We definitely weren’t planning to take a pet while we are here (I play basketball and this season I am playing for a team in Poland) but we saw him sitting in a bad cage in a pet shop in the local mall and he looked so depressed for two weeks as we walked past him each day that we decided we really wanted to give him a better life. He’s a bit tentative around us but he’s been warming up very well over the first week we’ve had him. The only thing that has really confused us is he is morbidly afraid of the hammock we got him. When we try hanging it up he barks and runs in his home and doesn’t come out for a long time. Nothing else makes him act like this, just hanging the hammock up. Is this a common behavior at all or could it be from conditions he was in before we got him?

Thanks for any help!!

Hiya

Two of my favorites in one photo. Elle the hedge with a strawberry on the side. :bump1:

Attached Images

hedgehog.jpg (25.8 KB)

Looking for female chinchilla in St Pete FL

Hi I am looking for a female mosaic, white or light silver female chinchilla prefer between 3 to 6 months old. If you or anyone you know has one contact me at Angiekins23@yahoo.com she will go to a good home as I am a Certified Vet Tech and have experience with Chins. Thank you

How long should I wait?

I recently purchased a 4 month old chin male and he is getting adjusted to our home and was wondering how long before I introduce a female to him and should I look for a older or younger than him female I want them to bond and know to introduce slowly and all about breeding from being a CVT but was curious with other chin owners have dealt with and what their experiences were. I want to have the intro go as smoothly as possible. I have had 2 male and 2 females all coexist but they were close in age and already bonded. Thanks in advance

Chinchilla head tilt and walking in circles

I have a 4 month old chinchilla. He was born premature with a twin by almost a month and is about half the size he should be. He survived and everything was fine. He has the most active personality and was always bouncing around the cage. Yesterday night I went to check on him and he wasn’t hopping around and he was laying on him side. He got up and his head was very tilted to the side. And he was walking and circles around the head tilt. I picked him up and his head just kind of floped with little control over it. I can’t tell if he is in pain. He is eating but I haven’t seen him drink. I gave him antibiotics last night for an ear infection but he looks the same this morning. Should I have him put down? Any ideas? I stayed home from work today to see if I could get him into a vet but usually when I take my chins to the vet they are not very helpful and don’t give me clear courses of action or even really tell me what’s wrong. They use words like “it may be ...” any help would be great!

Chinchilla Mother Swollen vagina enlarged, with pus at times....

Hello all,

My first chinchilla, Kogi, (who is now a proud mother)gave birth to 3 kits! They all have the same birthday as me, haha which is pretty cool!

They are all quite healthy and Kogi is a very diligent and caring mother. Its so sweet seeing her care for her babies.

Fast forward now its closer to 2 months since Kogi has had the kits and I notice her vagina is swollen and the "hole" enlarged. Previously, I thought that this is probably normal and she just needs time for her to get back to her normal state.

I'm hoping someone can shed some light on this situation. Is this normal? Can I buy my own medicine and clean her up?

Here are some pics. Thank you in advance.

https://ibb.co/esF82U
https://ibb.co/jAKwp9

Not jumping

I am a new chinchilla owner and my baby girl Winnie won't jump and I don't know how to teach her how to jump from ledge to ledge in her cage all she really does is climb she might hop but she doesn't jump.

Reusing old cage for new chin

Our chinchilla died several months ago (we had her for over 19 years, so it wasn't a surprise). I think we're ready now to get another chinchilla and I plan to use the old cage. I was planning to clean it really well, but not sure I can really clean the wooden ledges. Are chinchillas sensitive to other chins smells such that the old wooden ledges would be a problem? I was originally going to purchase new ones but my husband doesn't think it's necessary and doesn't want me to spend the money on it. Thoughts?

How many treats?

Hello all!
I have a few types of treats I give my 6 mo. female chin. Does anyone know how much a day is a healthy amount to give her of each? I currently give her these three types of treats:

-crimped oats
-dried chamomile flowers
-dried marigold leaves

thanks!

9 YO male has started divebombing and nipping partner's feet

Hi there! I'm usually quite good at understanding chinnie language and cues, but I'm completely stumped on this one, plus, I've never had a biter!

The issue: For some reason, every month or so, my puff Stitch will have a day where he'll dart after my partner's feet and bite them, usually when they're walking. Not hard enough to break skin, but hard enough to hurt. It's definitely not a grooming nibble, and he's never done this to me or anyone else that I know of. He's extremely persistent with it, we have to put him back in his house to stop it because he will not be distracted! We can't figure out anything different on the days he does this. Most frustrating of all, we also can't figure out what feeling is behind it, even if it's playful or aggressive! He likes to play chase with me, but never chases me back. He's started doing this since I moved back in with my partner 8 months ago after Stitch and I were out of state for a few months.

Background info: My partner and I have had Stitch for around 3 years, we're his third home. He's very human social, and as far as we know, he's never been abused (though the family we adopted him from didn't know much about his original home). My partner and I have lived together since before we got him, with one aforementioned time. He's much closer to me, and I interact with him the most. He has a Flying Saucer wheel, tons of toys, a 2 story FN, and gets around 8 hours of out of cage time hanging out in our room with us. My partner and Stitch have never had any real negative interactions; he's ran into both of our feet while we've been walking a few times before and got a bump to his side, but we both have bumped him only once or twice. They're less confident with animals than I am.

Has anyone ever dealt with this? I'm so lost, I don't want to make him feel punished by putting him back in his house if it's a fear/insecurity rooted stuff, but my partner literally has to wrap themselves in a blanket to protect themselves if we don't put him in his cage when he's like this!

Any advice on what this could be and tips on discouraging it?

Litter Trained during the day, but not at night?

Its ben a month since I'm trying to swap from bedding to fleece, not fleece liners, just covering the bottom of the cage with fleece, but have a litter box.
Untill he is properly litter trained he is barebottom in case he has "accidents" and if he starts peeing on fleece, he might just start peeing on everything fleece. Maybe? I hope not.
The thing is, I only find urine outside the litterbox in the morning. The rest of the day, he goes inside the litterbox and pees there.
Its only when Im sleeping he rebels.

Now here is the tricky part, he doesnt just pee on a "night corner" he pees anywhere on the bottom part of the cage.
In any of the 3 corners as wel as the middle. I cannot predict where he is gonna pee at night, but again, he only pees in his litterbox when Im awake it seems.

Everyday for the past 2 weeks Ive ben taking paper to clean it and leaving it inside the litterbox, cleaning the spot with vinegar.

Im considering getting him a second litterbox in the meantime, but I just dont know where to put it.

Anyone else with a similar experience?

Oh btw, he is 6 years old now, but I believe old dogs can learn new tricks.

how to potty train a doggy with a bell

It in fact Works. Here’s How. If you’re working on the ring a potty bell education your canine, then ring a potty bell can be a suitable lifesaver. Teaching a puppy or grownup canine to ring a potty bell,” is extraordinarily convenient and without a doubt handy. In educating your dog to ring a potty bell to let you understand even as she desires to go outside, you ought to dispose of accidents (or, in the case of my stoic pups, the frightening silent potty stare).

For more info about how to potty train a puppy with a bell click the link below. :rofl::rofl:

http://dogstrainingtools.com/2018/09...y-with-a-bell/

:vomit:

Chinchilla kit help!!!

Hello, so I am a momma to 6 lovely chinchillas!! Yes 6! I need some help with my 2 baby kits. I recently got 2 baby kits today on 9/14/18 with both parents mom and dad ( I was originally supposed to be buying just a boy kit however the girl selling them couldn’t manage having time for them anymore so she gave me all 4. However I have noticed since I’ve moved the mom and babies out of the container they were transported in to a ferret nation cage with their mom they have not nursed any milk from the mom at all! They are only about 1.5/2 weeks old and it worries me because I know they needs moms milk till about 8 weeks. The 2 baby kits 1 boy & 1 girl get along very well and stay close with each other however the mom has not nurses either of them since being in the cage! The mom does sit near them however isn’t nursing them.
Question 1: How do I know if the mom isn’t producing any milk?
2: what’s a formula I can feed the baby kits?
3: how much can I feed them and when should I be feeding? Is it every 2-3 he’s?

A rather weird question

Will it be okay for the chin if i were to throw him in the air and catch him? Like an inch off my hand of airtime before i catch him.

Does My Chinchilla Have Bumblefoot?

Hi! I'm new to this forum but have been a chin owner for soon to be 10 years! Maybe I'm being paranoid, but ever since I found out what bumblefoot was, I'm worried my chin, Sesamee, may be developing it? Maybe they're just normal calluses, but on the top pads of her paws, the skin/calluses there are starting to peel a bit and I'm not too sure about her feet either, esp her left foot. It just seems worse than the right and I'm getting worried. Just need some advice/feedback. Thank you!

https://imgur.com/a/ios6ld5

Baby got out

Two weeks ago my chin had a baby, she hasn’t had one in about 5 yearss and never with this male so I was shocked when she had a single kit. I thought the cage was pretty baby proof but somehow he got out while I was at work and I have tore my house apart looking for him to no avail. ☹️ Guess my question is how long could he survive without moms milk/warmth? As I mentioned I was at work so not sure exactly how long he has been out but I’ve been home for almost 4 hours looking for him and haven’t found him ☹️ Is there a possibility he could be alive? Sucks so bad, I feel terrible

Unexplained Weight loss

I was wondering if anyone has experienced a heavier chin loosing weight on their own without illness? My vet said my chin seems healthy, but she keeps loosing weight. She is a little on the heavier side so it could be a good thing. My concern is why is she loosing weight? There have been no diet changes. She is down to 800g. This time last month (8/13) she was 829g and the month before that (7/9) she was 866g. She has no other symptoms and actually seems to have more energy and bigger poops. Should I bring her to another vet or let her be and just keep an eye on her for other symptoms? Has anymore experienced unexplained weight loss without an underlying illness?

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

Help! His fur is yellow.

Hello Everyone!
Recently I changed my chinchilla's litter. (This is only in his litter box, the rest of the cage is fleece) I don't remember the exact brand of his old litter but it was the litter from Petsmart that is made of a clay-like material and shaped in small little round balls. I changed his litter recently to care fresh after I noticed him trying to take "baths" on those balls. He still uses his litter box with the care fresh perfectly fine but now he doesn't sleep in it or roll around in it.

Recently though, I noticed some different behaviors in him. He will sleep outside of his litter box in the middle of the open. He also has been scratching his fur a lot more. (My hedgehog had the beginning stages of mites but was treated very early on, so I'm thinking of taking Chinzi to the vet to get checked.) Also, his fur near his mouth, chest, and hands are yellow. His fur is not soft here AT ALL. It feels like clumpy hair. I don't know what to do to get it out. I tried using a very small damp cloth but I feel like it made it worse.

Are there any suggestions to what I can do about his fur?