Wet bum!

[smokie]

I got a 4 year old chinchilla recently, had come from a shed and was absolutely terrified of people.  She's been getting on marvellously and tramping all over me but i never pick her up or 'inspect' her healthwise as i don't want to stress her more than necessary.  However, I began to suspect something amiss everytime she stood up on her hind feet that perhaps she was wet around the bottom area.  I checked for sure and basically it's like she's sat in a puddle of pee and is quite wet with urine all around her bum area right out to her tail and hindlegs. 
Does anyone know why this is happening?  Her cage mate (who i've had since a baby) is perfectly clean and dry.

Thanks
heather

[chinclub]

Hi Heather, is there a place in the cage with a hard surface where she could be peeing?  I had a female start peeing on her wooden ledge and the puddling caused her to be wet like that.  Is her cage mate a female?  Could she be spraying her with pee and making her wet?  Are you absolutely sure your new chinchilla is a female? A male with a bad hair ring will pee like that all over himself.

Other than those things the only other cause I can think of would be a urinary tract infection which would need a vet visit to confirm and treat.

[Debbie.nl.ca]

When you find the spot clean it good and shimmy things around so she can't sit there.

[smokie]

Thanks very much for the replies!

No there's no spot she could be doing it, really.  Hmmm.  She also 'wets the bed' with her fleece bed.  I'm pretty positive her and her cage mate are both female and they absolutely love each other so i'd be surprised if there's any spraying going on.  She does drink quite a lot so I was wondering if it was a urinary infection. 

I've read you can try half cranberry juice half water to sort them.  Think I should try this before vet?

[chinclub]

How long has it been going on?  If it is an infection and you wait on the antibiotics it could travel farther up and become more serious.  On the other hand ... Is it possibe it is pooling on her fleece?  Maybe pour a spoon of water on it and see what happens.

[jmdebb]

can you take the fleece out just for one night to see.. then tomorrow if you see she is just sitting in, you'll know.. or maybe she'll be dry because the fleece is gone and she'll pee someplace else....  but you'll know..

did that make sense...

jean

[smokie]

i think it is pooling on the fleece, v bad shes peeing there! 

will keep a close eye on her over the next few days and see how it goes once ive taken it out

thanks for help everyone!

[smokie]

just a note, i did take her to the vet in the end and they were useless.  had no idea at all :-( 
problem seems to have fixed itself at least since then.

[Courtney]

Well Im glad the problem fixed itself. They should have tested her for a bladder infection. Guess they were pretty useless.

[Jo Ann]

     I had one female that was very bad about setting in her pee and did not keep herself clean.  She was a rescue and came to me this way.  I will not breed a rescue, because I have no idea of it's background ... but ... even if I have the background and it is sitting in it's pee and will not clean itself properly, I will not breed it.  Kits learn from their parents ... if the parent stays dirty, then the kits think it is OK to do this, too.  The bad habit is passed down from generation to generation.   

I can't believe the vet did not run any tests on her.   

    Jo Ann

[smokie]

Yes i must say the vet was 'Spectacular'.  She told me the last chin they had was just going in to get its nails clipped and that it died of shock!!!  By that point you can imagine how i was feeling having my little chinnie there 

ps got a nice £100 bill for it too!

[jmdebb]

Yes i must say the vet was 'Spectacular'.  She told me the last chin they had was just going in to get its nails clipped and that it died of shock!!!  By that point you can imagine how i was feeling having my little chinnie there 

ps got a nice £100 bill for it too!

holy ... well you know.. how ridiculus is that.

[Blondy40]

UGH...and I thought my pediatrician was sometimes off her rocker...What is wrong with the world today??? The work force has gone down the tubes...Does anyone care anymore about anything besides themselves and money???