Applying ointment to chinchilla feet? Dry feet ointment?

My chinchilla who is now 10 months has been having really dry and red feet. I was just wondering about the best way to apply the ointment. Should I put it on an object and let them walk on it? Because he is pretty new so he doesnt like to be touched. Also, can I use vaseline instead of bag balm because the price of bag balm is through the roof. Just so you know I have skipped dust baths for a week now without seeing any changes. So at this point, im willing to try anything. THANK YOU

Chinchilla Seems to Sleep More than Usual

Hi All,

I currently have 2 chinchillas that I rescued. They are both female, and one is around 7 years old, and the other around 2 years old. They get along very well.

I had a question regarding my 7 year old chin, Mimi. It was actually my father who noticed it (since he can work at home), but he commented that Mimi seemed to be sleeping longer than usual during the day. When I feed her at night, she is always bounding out of the cage onto my lap to eat. To me, she seems healthy, as there is no discharge in her eyes, and her fur seems soft as usual. She likes to hop around the room for a bit before settling back into her cage. I understand that chins are more active at night, so it is not out of the ordinary for them to sleep most of the day. However, I am worried that if there is a change in her behavior (ie, sleeping more), it is due to an underlying illness. My father thinks that she is getting old, but I have heard chins can live to around 12 years or so, so this should not be the case. I will be taking them both in for a physical soon, but I wanted to see if anyone wouldn't mind sharing about what they think.

Also, if anyone had any recommendations about vets specializing in chinchillas in the San Jose, California area, that would also be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Chinchilla Stretching Weird, But It's Not Bloat!

Hello! This is my first post about my chinchilla and I am just out of answers! I explain everything below, but basically he’s stretching like he’s bloated, but it’s periodic (days or weeks apart), happens out of no where, his diet hasn’t changed and everything else is totally normal with him.

I’ve had my chinchilla (the second one I’ve owned) for 6 years. He's a super affectionate male mosaic chinchilla (named Raffael), and a couple months ago I moved from New York City to Boulder, Colorado (drove cross-country) and he did great! No problems at all!

*Quick background note: The breeder where I got my first chinchilla like 20 years ago told us that Timothy hay isn’t good for chins (which according to basically everyone, is wrong). But I never gave any to Raff.*

The vet here in Boulder said Timothy hay would be good for him, so recently I gave him a small amount of Timothy hay just once, and about a day later he started stretching out all weird. He would push his stomach downward and stretch his back legs out, and sometimes roll onto his back and stretch, and twist his body around.

I know this usually means the chinchilla is bloated (Tympany) however he was still eating normally, peeing and pooping normally, and had no change at all in his energy or overall behavior. And he stopped after about a day or 2.
I talked to my vet on the phone, but he couldn’t diagnose it, and he said it wouldn’t really help to bring Raff into the office because he’s all normal except the stretching.

I stopped giving Raff the Timothy hay immediately, and the stretching stopped for a couple weeks, but periodically he starts again! It's painful for me to watch cuz he looks super uncomfortable, but he doesn’t make any kind of pain noise, he’s perky and jumping around, and it doesn't hurt him at all if I rub his stomach or play with him same as I always do.

I have barely changed his diet or treats throughout his whole life, so there is no reason he should be bloated. And when I listen to his stomach it’s not making any popping or cracking noises that I read could come with Tympany.

I am totally out of answers, I have no clue why he’s stretching like this so randomly, so if anyone else has experienced this please let me know!!
Thanks, I appreciate it so much!!

3 Week Anniversary With My Chin!

Hi all!

I posted a fortnight ago when I first adopted my chinchilla, and things have been going really well - but now I have a few questions about chinchilla behaviour!

We have been letting our chin out in our living room, and she's really inquisitive and happy to bound around! Because she's 9 years old and was never allowed out of her cage, I've noticed she's not the best at jumping - but I think this is a skill she'll get better at?

She jumps onto the palm of my hands when she wants out of her cage - and recently she clambers right up my arm, onto my neck, and she just settles in and goes to sleep. She also likes to sleep in the crook of my elbow. She seems to want to do that more than anything at the moment! Is it something to be worried about? She's eating fine and is very active in her cage - she just seems to want to cuddle up to us all the time!

We're in the middle of changing her pellets actually, to Oxbow Deluxe rather than the UK petshop Pets at Home own brand - but she just ignores the new pellets at the moment. We're persevering (it's only been 4 days and she is quite fussy with food) and eventually I'm hoping she'll eat both.

I also got her on some scales today and she only weighs 350g. She's a small chinchilla, but I think that's very underweight even so. I've read that seeds/nuts aren't good for chins because of their high fat content, but could I give her some as treats to fatten her up? I can feel her spine and hips so easily when I stroke her :( She's so small. If not seeds and nuts, does anyone have any tips for bringing a chin's weight up?

I think she eats enough, but I can't 100% tell because she throws a lot of food out of her bowl and onto the tray below. I put about 4-5 tablespoons into her bowl and I would guess she throws about half of that out. (Side note: she eats very slowly, sitting at her bowl for an hour at a time sometimes - is this normal?)

Thanks for any help you can give! <3 <3

Does anybody know of any well-priced vendors?

Hi, I'm beginning to look for vendors that supply bulks of wood blocks, sticks, and other toys that can me used to make DIY kabobs and chew toys. Does anybody know of a well-priced vendor?
Thanks.

Safe wood for DIY ledges?

Hi, recently I visited Lowe’s who apparently have safe KN pine with no sprayed chemicals. The employee who helped me out claimed the Whitewood they had was KN pine, so I purchased a slab and constructed a few ledges with poop guards. Someone who used this in their cage recommended it. Does anybody know for sure if it’s safe? I want to verify before I put the ledges in their cage. If it isn’t safe I will wrap the ledges in fleece (my chinchillas don’t try and eat fleece).
Please let me know soon, I’m planning on gifting these ledges with the chinchilla I am returning from fostering tomorrow.
Thanks!

Is this a good chinchilla cage?

Hi, I'm might be adopting a second chinchilla soon and I'm searching for cages. Currently I have the feisty ferret cage for my chinchilla. The cages I'm most interested in are the critter nation and ferret nation. However, I found this cage being sold on craigslist. The owner has been using it for chinchillas as well. Is this a good cage?

Please tell me your opinions on this cage.
Thanks

Attached Images

pet cage.JPG (31.9 KB)

Abruptly Changing Chinchilla Diet

So I am taking care of my class pet chinchillas over the summer and I’ve done a good deal of research and now know what chinchilla foods are healthiest. However, my teacher who owns the chinchillas (I probably know more about them then him though tbh) says they like the food that has other stuff mixed in with colors and nuts and stuff. For the summer though I’d like to switch them to a healthier diet. Is it safe to abruptly change their diet with no transition period. Will they still eat and be fine? Also should I switch the food at all considering they are likely to go right back to their old food with no transition when I return them to my teacher in late August? Is the food with colored stuff mixed in with the pellets really that unhealthy?

Chinchilla With Injured Foot

Hello! Gonna start this off by saying that she hasn't been to the vet yet but I'm going to do my best to get her there. She's not technically my chinchilla, she belongs to the pet store where I work. They are rescues that live at the store, so they're not for sale. My boss for some reason thinks she's a vet and can treat everything herself, but something happened to the Chinchilla's foot over the weekend.

I'm not sure if it's bumblefoot or some other kind of injury. Honestly, the way it kind of hangs sideways and flops makes me think it's broken? My boss insists it's like a cut or something but I don't see a cut anywhere. It's also swollen :(

Is there anything I can do to make her more comfortable until I can get her to the vet? We put towels down so she doesn't have to walk on any of the bars, and moved her food and water to the same level so she doesn't have to move around too much to get to them.

My other main question that I couldn't find an answer to when googling was whether or not it was okay to separate bonded chinchillas for a few hours, like if I was to take her to the vet? They're a mother and daughter pair, and I'm pretty sure the daughter is the injured one. I'm more familiar with gerbils, who you can't separate for very long or they'll forget each other's scents and attack each other like they're strangers. Are chinchillas the same way?

Any help is appreciated! Thank you in advance :(

Why is my chinchilla crying?

Hi everyone! So I recently acquired a chinchilla (today is Monday and we got her on Saturday). She has been making what others describe as a crying noise, and we can't figure out why she's doing it. There's not a whole lot of sudden moments or sounds in the room where she's been staying, and she's not really ever in there alone seeing as either myself or my fiance is pretty much always in the room. When we got her she was being kept with another chin, and our suspicions are that she misses her friend, but I want to make sure that it's not something that could be more serious. And if she is missing her cuddle buddy how can we comfort her, and make her less lonley?

Any thoughts or advice is apreciated!

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Bumblefoot progressed to limb chewing

My 3.5 year old male long-tailed chinchilla has been battling diagnosed bumblefoot for the past 1.5 years. Every time I go in to the vet they prescribe antibiotics and it gets better for a month or two then starts right back up. The vets don't seem to have a fix other than antibiotics then sending us on our way.

They have brought up taking an xray to see if infection has spread to the bone, but when asked what they recommend doing if it's found at the bone they bring up no other action. So, my significant other and I decided against this option.

We transferred him to a smaller cage while he heals with fewer ledges and not as much running room. His cage consists of kiln-dried pine on 2/3 of the floor and fleece on the other 1/3, Well sanded shelves purchased specifically for chinchillas, and a smooth pumice stone shelf.

I woke up this morning to see his cage look like a chin-sized slasher horror film. Blood everywhere and noticed that my chin is finally taking it upon himself to now chew the top of his foot in a means to off the limb.

Is there solutions out there? We seem to be fighting a losing battle and searching the internet yields very little information.

Side note: he does have a "step-brother" and they have seperate cages ever since this started. Also their room is a constant 25-35% humidity and 65-70° Fahrenheit year round

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Hiya

I am in the process of adopting a chinchilla. I found one at a rescue whose personality sounds like a perfect match for me. The rescue hasn't returned my email in a few days and it's making me nervous that they either haven't received it, or that I'm not approved.

I have read all types of things on chinchillas and I'm trying hard to learn as much as I can about them. My friend had one years ago that I used to help care for sometimes and I was in love with it, so I finally decided to adopt one for myself. I found one on a craigslist listing which I know I can get if the rescue adoption falls through, but its personality is not what I'm looking for (Plus I'm not sure how much I trust finding pets on Craigslist). The description almost makes it sound like the chinchilla was abused or something and I would rather have a friendly, loving, playful chinchilla, rather than one who wouldn't want anything to do with me. I suppose that's selfish, but still, that's just what I want. This is my first chinchilla and I wouldn't know how to care properly for one that has had a bad history.

Are there any other rescues or breeders here from the St. Louis, MO area who have chinchillas at the moment? When I look Google, I can only find the one I am already dealing with. I wish they would just respond to my email, but I suppose it takes time. I am just very ready for a little fur baby in my life. I really want to adopt the chinchilla from the rescue, but I'm scared it's not going to happen. So if you're in the St. Louis area, feel free to contact me. I hope it's okay to ask that here. Anyway, I mostly wanted to say hi, but this is all so built up in my head that it's making me anxious and I guess I needed to vent a little bit. Sorry about that. Thanks for reading.

tooner

Chin passed away

So my Rupert passed away on Sunday. I went into his cage, and he was gone. I had him for 4 months and had taken him to the vet twice. The last time I took him, the vet said he might have a tumour or cyst behind his eye. He was on meds for 10 days, and then about a week after his last meds he passed away. It’s been hard on me, as we also had to put my 15year old dog down on Thursday. It’s really hard because a lot of people don’t think I’m upset about it because I only had my chinchillas for 4 months. So it’s upsetting. So now I have 1 chinchilla, Roodey. He seems to be doing pretty well. His attitude hasn’t changed much, is still playing, and eating. I’m looking at ordering fleece online, and I’m going to try making him a cuddle buddy, to sleep with since he doesn’t have Rupert anymore. Also there has been thunderstorms, so I want to get him something to cuddle if he is scared. Any where you guys order fleece from online? (I’m in Alberta, Canada) And I’m not looking for sympathy, I just wanted to update everyone. :)


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How many brush their Chins?

I recently seen a picture of a owner combing their chin. I have read that this is not necessary and I would like your opinions.

If so, what type of brush/comb, should I buy?

Thanks.

Chinchilla on cc, metacam, metronidazole, now not pooping

Recently took Chinchilla into the vet as he had stopped eating. They suspected his teeth, and did a CT scan to confirm. They got him eating & pooping in hospital for a couple days then sent him home with critical care, metacam (anti-inflam. & pain, and metronidazole (antibiotic). He's supposed to get 10 syringes of critical care a day.

It was fine for 2 days, although yesterday he wasn't force fed as much, as he seemed to be voluntarily eating.

The problem is he hasn't pooped for the last 10 hours as far as I can tell. Should I still be force feeding him? Should he receive his next medicine dose?

It doesn't look like i'll be able to get ahold of a vet until tomorrow

I have 2 male chinchillas is it normal for one to be peeing and mounting the other?

So I've had a chinchilla named Kayak for almost a year now. I was feeling bad because I have school and I'm going to be working a lot that he might get lonely. I purchased another male chinchilla today and named him Paddles. When I put him in the cage Kayak Proceeded to mount Paddles and bite him. then he peed on him. Should I take Paddles back? or will they get used to each other and be friends?

Chinchilla Ate a piece of dog kibble

Hi, about 30 mins ago my chinchilla ate a piece of kibble that was on the ground about 1-2cm wide. I'm wondering if she'll be fine. If anyone has any help or if its happened to there chin. please leave a message.

Picky Chinchillas

Hello!
I have 2 chinnies and recently changed pellets to Burgess Excel. The male (Cesar) doesn't seem to like the new pellets, but the pregnant female eats it.
They were on Minimagic (a South African breeder makes these pellets) and he wasn't fussy at all.
I don't know what to do. Should I give Cesar time to adjust or go back to the old food? :chin2:

should I adopt?

I have the opportunity to adopt a Chinchilla from a coworker who no longer has the time to take care of him. The poor guy has been through three homes, mine will be his fourth including some with small children who mishandled him. All I have to go by is what I have been told about him. I have no idea of his age, he tends to bite new people but has never drawn blood, and that's pretty much it. I really want to adopt him and give him a good, permanent home but don't want to get stuck with a Chin I can't at least pet. I know it will take commitment and patience and I will most likely never get to hold him.

Chinchilla acting odd

So for the past day or 2 Roo has been acting a little weird. Just not very active when I come over to pet her. Its 10:30 at night and she is fast aslpee which is very odd. She has been on her cooling stone but it did't get that hot today (68 degrees was the high) and i had my window open and some fans ruuning. She is eating and drinking normally. I just can't put my finer on it but she is just acting strange.

Scared of jumping?

I recently rescued a female chinchilla from a family that could no longer care for her. Based on what they said, she's about 4 years old. When I went to pick her up they gave me all her belongings which was only her cage (a double ferret nation), a small hammock, some food, her bottle and her dust bath. Other than that there wasn't anything else in her cage, sadly. Now she has a lot more, lots of toys and houses, ECT. But I've noticed that she's scared of jumping and her ramps. She make tiny jumps, like a few inches but even then it'll take her a while. And she will usually just stay on whatever floor she's on just to avoid using the ramp. Is there anything I can do to make her more confortable to jumping?

Fleece liners

So I am thinking about transitioning to fleece liners as a way to save money/produce less waste. I’m just worried about if they smell/how absorbent they are. I’ve seen some people use small baking dishes with some bedding as the area for their chinchilla to pee in. I’ve also heard of people putting an old towel under the fleece liner so the pee gets absorbed. I was just wondering what the best option is. I only have one chinchilla and I would change our the liner every week so I don’t think it should smell.

Homebody Chin

I've had my male chinchilla, Perkins for about 12 years now and it seems peculiar that he doesn't like going outside his cage very often. When I first got him back in 2008, I would try to get him out of the cage at least once a week, but he never seemed to enjoy it for more then 15 minutes. We have dachshunds in the house, so we would put him in a closed room where they couldn't get to him. He hops around and peeps while inspecting his surroundings, but then he quickly gets bored and wants to go home (He tells me by burrowing inside my shirt). And yes, I tried different rooms.

I know chins are supposed to have time outside the cage, but my Perkins simply doesn't seem interested. I open the cage doors before I'm ready to go to bed and try to coax him to come out (on the rare occasions when he wants to, he will jump on my chest). I do not want to just pull him out of the cage when he clearly doesn't want to. Despite this, he doesn't seem unhappy in the slightest. He runs in his wheel, has fun destroying his toys and he loves throwing hay around his cage (as well as inhaling the occasional dried apple slice or raisin). He has quite the feisty personality.

Which brings me to my question, does anybody else have a chin that prefers staying in their cage? Is there anything else I could be doing to coax him out of the cage, or is he simply just an odd duck? Thank you in advance.

Is my chinchilla okay?

Hey everyone, I posted a day or two back about my chinchilla having soft poop. Good news is, I was able to get the poo back to normal, but another thing has came up that has me wondering if my chinchilla is okay or if I am just paranoid.
He's young, not sure of the age, I imagine less then 4 months?. He eats Oxbow pellets and Oxbow timothy hay. The first few days he was quite active and ate his hay(not much) and once I got him his oxbow pellets he ate those(again not much). I have had him for about 1 week now and lately it seems like he spends quite a bit of time sleeping and is hardly active. I haven't seen him eat much and I keep supplying him with fresh food. However, when he is awake it's for maybe 30 minutes at a time and he seems alert and active, he doesn't seem sluggish or anything. I've seen him drink but not really eat lately. I am up till about 2am every night and he hasn't been active much or at all during this time anymore. I gave him a shredded wheat to see if he could even eat and he ate about half of it, so I'm not worried that he has a mouth problem or anything.
I'm mostly wondering if this is fairly normal with chinchillas and they go through phases, or if it sounds like something is wrong with him, again when he is awake he seems alert and active, just haven't seen him eat. Any advice would be super appreciated, and I thank you in advance! I hope that everything is okay with him and that I am just paranoid.

I just adopted a 9-year-old chin!

Hi everyone! Apologies in advance for the long post.

Me and my boyfriend have just adopted a 9 year old chin 2 days ago. So far, so good - I wasn't expecting her to be so affectionate so soon, but she's been nuzzling our hands through the cage, and been quite playful, and even let me brush her after her dust bath this afternoon.

She's not pooping much - not noticed many (maybe 50 in 48 hours?) in her cage and haven't seen her poop. I know it's normal for stress to affect chins' digestive systems but I wasn't expecting her to be constipated for so long. She's also not eating much - she's nibbled a few twigs we've given her and I've seen her eating hay and her pellets but the food bowl doesn't seem to be going down much (her old owner also gave her tiny amounts of apple, which I know isn't ideal because of the high sugar, but I gave her a tiny bit this morning since it's her favourite and I want her to eat more). I want to phase out her food to put her on to Oxbow but I'm worried this change might put her off her food altogether. I'm hoping it will have the opposite effect, though!

We didn't want to change her cage too much in the first week of having her, since she's in a completely new environment, but when she arrived her cage only had a wooden box for her to sleep in and two wooden ledges! So we couldn't resist giving her this large edible log that she can run through, play on, and chew on. She absolutely loves it, and I can't wait for her to get more settled so we can give her the rest of the toys we've bought her.

A few more questions before we put them in her cage - we live in England, so it doesn't get incredibly warm, but sometimes in the afternoon it feels around 24 degrees (75 degrees to Americans!). We put an ceramic plate in the freezer as we thought that might be a good alternative to a cooling plate? Has anyone done anything similar?

Also, in the pet shop we were recommended a "lava ledge" for our chin to chew. We haven't put it in yet - I wanted to check it was safe on here, as I don't completely trust the pet shop - I feel like they generalise all small animals rather than considering their individual needs!

More questions: our chin has very dry ears. They look like they need some oil rubbed on them :( Is there anything we can do to immediately soothe them? Her last owner said she only had a dust bath around once a week, so I think it's something missing from her diet. Once we change her food hopefully it will clear up, but I wanted to apply something topically in the meantime. And also wanted to give her some vitamin supplements in her water, since she's been through so much the past few days. Can anyone recommend some good chin supplements?

One last question: after her dust bath this afternoon, we noticed she's been sneezing a lot! Once every 20 mins or so for the entire evening. It's so cute, but is this normal? I think it's just the dust, but I worry her immune system is down because she's stressed (another reason for wanting supplements). Is there anything to watch out for? Other than the sneezing and constipation she seems very lively and happy.

Sorry for all the questions! Thanks in advance!

Soft poo

Hey everyone! New owner here. I have a male chinchilla named Deku. After 2 months of waiting to find one I finally did. I brought him home and for the past few days he has seemed very pleased with his new home. However, about a day or two in I noticed he had some soft poo, not always, sometimes his poop is totally normal and other times it's on the softer side. I figured it was from adjusting. However, today I noticed he had pooped 3 larger and much softer poops that began to worry me. He hasn't seemed into his pellets so I called the store and they said their breeder feeds oxbow to their chinchillas, so I amazon primed him some oxbow that will be here tomorrow. I had Kaytee for him but I'll probably stick to oxbow. He eats hay just fine and drinks fairly often and has been quite active. Overall I would say he is healthy but I am worried about his poop. I was hoping someone could offer me advice! My thoughts were that maybe the stress of a new home and the sudden food change has caused this but am not sure. Is this a possibility? Thanks in advance!

Giving Mazuri chinchilla pellets for free

Hi everyone,

I have been reading this forum for years, but never registered as a user, because I never needed to ask a personal question - whatever answers I was looking for, I could always find them here. Thank you all for that! :-)

The reason for finally writing is that our beloved chinchilla Pelis went to the chinchilla heaven recently because of old age, after having had a long and happy life with us. We are heartbroken, but we will not have another chinchilla, so we have some supplies to donate. I already wrote a separate post in the Health&Hygiene section regarding giving 2-3 bags of Essantials for Life for free.

I also have several pounds of fresh Mazuri chinchilla pellets that have been in my freezer ever since I bought them. I am a bit of a hygiene freak, so rest assured that the pellets are as clean and safe as can be.

I live in Spain, and I would like to give the Mazuri pellets for free to somebody in Europe, because I know very well what a hassle it is to get Mazuri in Europe: I have been buying it from the US for over a decade, going through all the customs procedures, paying the duties... So I can save somebody this trouble by giving some Mazuri for free: you would only need to pay through PayPal for the cheapest shipping option that my post office offers to your country. I am willing to send the pellets to anywhere in the world, it's just that I doubt whether it would make much sense to send them outside of Europe because of the weight which can make shipping to faraway countries costly.

If you are interested or know somebody else who has chinchillas and could use some Mazuri pellets, please, send me a private message here.

Thank you, and may all your fluffies be happy and healthy for as long as possible! :-)

Best regards,
Liva

Giving 2-3 bags of EFL (Essentials for Life) for free

Hi everyone,

I have been reading this forum for years, but never registered as a user, because I never needed to ask a personal question - whatever answers I was looking for, I could always find them here. Thank you all for that! :-)

The reason for finally writing is that our beloved chinchilla Pelis went to the chinchilla heaven recently because of old age, after having had a long and happy life with us. We are heartbroken, but we will not have another chinchilla, so we have some supplies to donate.

I have 2 fresh and unopened bags of Tanya's amazing EFL (Essentials for Life) left plus 1 bag that has been opened, but only 1-2 teaspoons of the powder have been taken, and the bag has been in the freezer ever since I opened it. I am a bit of a hygiene freak, so rest assured that even the contents of the opened bag are as clean and safe as can be.

All of the EFL is fresh from this year's batch, and I would like to give it for free to somebody in need - in hope that it could help some other herbivore to recover and have many more happy years to live. I do not want any money for the EFL, you would only need to pay through PayPal for the cheapest shipping option that my post office offers to your country.

Please note that I live in Spain, so shipping would be fast within Europe, but a bit slower to the US and other parts of the world.

If you are interested or know somebody else who has a herbivore in need, please, send me a private message here.

Thank you, and may all your fluffies be happy and healthy for as long as possible! :-)

Best regards,
Liva

Music

(Apologies if there is a more appropriate section to put this)
I’ve seen a few mentions that chins like listening to music; is there a specific genre chins seem to like more than others or is it random for each chin?

I’d love to hear other people’s experiences with their chin reacting to different music as well as any recommendations on what seems to work well.

Cuddling during playtime

My house has very large rooms, so we’ve chin proofed a couple of them and let Gracie have free reign of the room during play time. Usually she just runs around having fun with the occasional visit to us before she takes off again, recently however she has started visiting me more often and for longer periods, today she climbed into my chair and sat in my lap for a while; what does this mean?

Chinchilla Mutations

Can anyone help me understand chinchilla colorations? I have owned chinchillas for years and I have done a lot of research. I have seen TONS of pictures with explanations about chinchilla mutations. Still, most of them look the same to me. Is it just me? What am I missing?

Hey there

Just a newbie here dropping by to say hello as I introduce Jackie!
I am looking forward to learning from you guys.

Attached Images

hedgies.jpg (85.2 KB)

Is this fur chewing or something else?

My girl has a line or baldness going down the top of her tail. Here's a picture I took.

http://imgur.com/a/m2HJk9E

Multiple(Male&Female) Chinchillas looking for a loving home

Hi all,

We're looking for new homes for our 6 chinchillas. We have had a great time rescuing them and bonding with them but it is time to downsize. They have all been taken care of well, fed a healthy diet of Timothy Hay and pellets, bathe regularly, and have daily "playtime" for an hour aside from having a wheel.

Stampy, female, 2 yrs old, hetero beige

Mama, female, 5 yrs old, standard gray

Coco, female, 1 yr old, black velvet

Elsa, female, 16 yrs old, hetero beige

Scrat, male, 16 years old, standard gray

Tiptoe, male, 19 years old, standard gray

They are all very loving and sociable chinchillas. Stampy is an adorable floppy-eared beige and is very gentle and looks pure and innocent. Mama is light standard gray who think she's the boss but is really just a softie. Coco is a 1 year old big baby who is curious about everything. We bonded Mama and Coco together, so it would be best if they could go as a pair but we can split them up if needed. Elsa and Scrat are loving parents who have been together for many years. We also prefer to keep them together. And Tiptoe is a shy but loveable little man.

Cages and some supplies can be provided if needed. We have quality chinchilla, critter nation, living world(one level), and kaytee cages. Dust houses, ledges, hidey homes, toys, treats(apple sticks, hay cubes, oats), wheels, food bowls, and water bottles.

We're looking for $140 each OBO. I'm located in Greater Hartford, CT. I will be willing to meet in a public area if wanted. Please send me a message on CnH or email me at thephoeblie@gmail.com .

Litter boxes

Hey!

I adopted my chin in October, and she had gone through several homes prior to me. I don’t even know how old she is. I have tried to litter box train her as many ways as I can find, but nothing works.

She’s in a grated cage and usually does urinate in one spot.

I tried to use bedding in places where she peed and put in in the litter box, but she just moved them in the box and slept in it. Silly girl!

I have also tried using a rock, as Chins usually like to pee on them...not mine!

I would really love some help/suggestions if possible. I would really love to get her on fleece, but don’t want to wash and dry fleece every day. I know the saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” but I’m willing to try anyway.

Please send any help you can! I deeply appreciate it!

Hello!

Hello to everyone on this lovely forum. My name is Jesse and I have recently found myself with an adorable chinchilla; we named her Gracie.

Gracie was a surprise gift from my parents so I wasn’t really prepared for her, luckily I had an old chin cage I had gotten from a friend that I used to use for my hamster, so I cleaned that up and got her settled in.

I called the pet store she came from and asked how old she was, but they weren’t sure, they guessed a few months when we picked her up, and she’s been with us since about February, so we guess she’s about 6 months old.

Hello!

Today, rather suddenly, a chinchilla came into my life! I got my new little friend from a rescue and would just like some good advice in general for him. I know that they can't get too hot and am waiting for a pair of chilling stones to arrive in the mail. I know that they can't get wet, but am seeing conflicting things about how often and how much dust to give them for a bath. I think I have his diet figured out. Hay, pellets, and a mixture of leafy greens and fruits littered in. I'm not sure what kind of toys they like to play with but I bought him an edible house. Bedding for the more in Aspen but I would like to switch over to a paper bedding after this bag is gone, but I don't know if that is better or not for my little fury friend and would like to find out before making the change. Honestly any advice or tips would be great as I have no idea what I've gotten myself into, just that he is a sweetheart and I want to take good care of him and make him happy.

We named him Deku (My Hero Academia reference for those who don't watch anime).

Attached Images

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First time chin owner, how am I doing?

A couple months ago my parents surprised me with a pet chinchilla and a few basics to keep her happy. I had an old chinchilla cage that I used to use for my hamster, so I cleaned it up, filled it with bedding, set up some toys and let her check it out.

It’s a wire cage with three platforms built into it and a removable tray at the bottom for changing the bedding. For toys we gave her some cherry wood sticks and cardboard tubes, as well as a stick “house” and a plastic flying saucer wheel from the pet store. She seems happy enough, though she always wants out in the evening and never uses her wheel.

Am I doing everything right? The bedding I use is that recycled paper stuff, her food is a mix of pellets, hay, and dried fruits called chinchilla nature, her water comes from a drip bottle, and I give her frequent dust baths in a cat carrier with Blue Beauty. I also leave handfuls of fresh hay in her cage since google says she always needs access to it.

I’m a little worried about the coming summer, we live at the lake and it gets really hot and humid here, plus our house doesn’t have AC. I have a small window fan next to her cage, and I can bring in a dehumidifier if necessary, will that be enough to keep her cool or will I need something better?

Any tips or advice would be really appreciated.

Hello!

Today a Chin unexpectedly came into my life and I am now the proud owner of a Chinchilla! Problem is, I don't know a lot about them and since I want to make sure he stays happy and healthy I would love some advice!

I know they can't get too hot and already have two chilling stones on the way.

I know that they eat a mixture of hay, pellets, leafy greens, and fruits.

I know they can't get wet.

And, honestly, that is about it! I don't know what kinds of toys they prefer, I don't know how often/long to let them take a dust bath for. In general I have no idea what to expect from this little sweetheart!

We named him Deku.

Attached Images

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Respiratory infection

I've just had our 8 year old chinchilla teddy to the vets, and told he has a respiratory infection, he has antibiotics for 2 weeks which he started today, he looks very poorly was eating to today when he's eaten very little a couple of oat groats then just layed next to his food. Can anyone advise on how to get him rug o eat and drink or what to give him. He also shares his cage with his brother who is fine no issues does he have to be separated? I'm worried I'll make him worse as he loves his brother there always together. Any help and advise would be appreciated. I hate seeing him looking ill feel helpless at the minute.

Citronella Plant Safety & Jumping Safety

:CSarcasm:

Citronella plant smell:

I live in the Deep South in Mississippi and since our state bird is the mosquito, we have to get creative when dealing with them. It's tough to deal with them in the house and a friend recently brought over several small citronella plants to use indoors. Knock on wood but so far they have kept the mosquitodactyls out of the house!!

While they definitely have that classic citronella/lemon smell, they do not smell nearly as strong as a burning candle or smoker.

When you first get a chin (mine was an unplanned and sudden rescue-adoption) one of the first "chin rules" you hear is basically, Chin+Essential Oils = Bad. Has anyone had any experience with citronella plants and chins? Is there maybe a radius in which plants are safe vs. unsafe? Room size? I know her fur is too dense for a mosquito bite but I do worry about her ears and feet and since these plants are like little miracle workers, we want to keep them where they're at. Obviously, the plant is kept high up and she has no chance of physically interacting with it in any way.

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Jump training question:

My chinchilla is an amazing jumper but an absolutely terrible lander. She seems to only pay attention to the 'going up' part and knows what obstacles are above her but has no clue what's below. I honestly think if she was on the edge of a cliff she would be like, "Oh, look, clouds...let me run and jump up towards themmmmmmmmmmm....*plerp*". I'm wondering if anyone has had similar experiences and if you've had any luck disciplining (i.e. saying "no", snapping, clapping) and/or training to stop this. What's annoying is if she survived the aforementioned cliff jump she would turn right around and do it again and expect my husband or me to catch her. Lately, she's been making a leap at the back of our wooden sleigh bed, which is rounded on the ends like a real sleigh. She runs in circles on the bed at about 1000mph and then suddenly changes direction and springs off one of us and tries to land on the rounded, slippery headboard edge. It's impossible to stand on so it's really impossible to land on yet she'll attempt it over and over until we finally get tired of catching her and make her go back in her house for the night. (Note: Not really relevant but she comes out every night and watches tv with us right before bed as a special treat so this is why she's playing on the bed and not in her usual play area with only chin-safe jump zones.)

I would like a way to stop the unwanted extreme jumping behavior without resorting to the "stop letting her run on the bed at all" option. We actually removed a table from her main play area because she kept jumping up to the table by springing up and off the wall but would then run and leap from the table straight down to the floor. I was terrified she would hurt herself so we removed the table completely but I'd really like her to learn what is okay to jump to/from and what's not okay. She's litterbox trained, has learned which wood is hers to chew and which is not (furniture, the house), and will collect her poos after playing and put them in a pile for me to pick up--I know she's intelligent but this jumping thing just does not seem to be clicking. She responds to a sharp "no" and single hand-clap with everything else.

Thanks in advance for any info you guys can provide!!

Is this safe

I know Sola balls are ok for Chins but what about this?

https://bonkabirdtoys.com/bird-toys-...-diy-supplies/

Can Apple Sticks Go Bad?

So I bought my chinchilla a pound of apple sticks about 3-4 weeks ago. I’m almost at the end of the bag but I noticed one of the sticks had this white stuff on it and looked different than the others. I threw it out and inspected the bag but didn’t find any others like that. Do apple sticks go bad? I buy the one pound bag because it’s more cost efficient but it does take my chinchilla about a month to go through it.