Chinchilla Community Forums
Chinchillas => Health => Topic started by: tram900 on September 09, 2015, 04:21:45 AM
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I let my 2 chinchillas run around in the toilet and it was very silly of me but I didn't check them for about 2 hours and when I did i found one of them in my toilet. So I dont know if he was there for 5 minutes or the whole 2 hours. when I picked him up he was shivering and I wrapped him in a towel and put a heater on beside him. He's dried up now, but I'm still really worried.
Any suggestions?
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He's dried off now so I think you have nothing to worry about. If he inhaled water and is having respiratory problems you would know because he would have difficulty breathing, which would require a mandatory emergency vet visit. If he went into shock from temperature changes there would have been symptoms when it happened manifest as depression.
Your chinchilla may be stressed from the experience and he should just be allowed to stay in his cage for a day or two after you give him a dust bath to help him clean. Withhold treats and make sure he has his regular diet of hay and pellets for at least 48 hours and ensure his fecal output stays normal.
If it happens again I recommend not using a heater. Chinchillas are very sensitive to heat and can easily become sick and die from heat exposure. Standard practice is to use a hair dryer with no heat and a towel to dry them. Do this in a room that's warm (I'd say no hotter than 75 degrees F, but you probably don't want to be much cooler than 70 degrees) and just try to get him dried off as fast as possible. Then dust bath immediately afterwards for about 15 minutes (normal dust bath time) and then return him to his cage. You are blessed he didn't drown in the toilet, a scenario that is not unheard of. I doubt you'll be apt to allow that to happen again.
I doubt you are going to have any problems at all so please don't worry too much.
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I agree with everything GrayRodent said.
I want to add, never leave a chinchilla unsupervised when they are out of their cages. Letting them out to play is great, but they can get into so much trouble due to their curious and energetic nature. Plus, sitting with them during play time can be a great way to bond with them, and watching their antics is always fun to watch ::silly:: Also, if you are going to use a bathroom as a play space for them, close the toilet lid, and put away anything you don't want your chinnies chewing on.
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Chins should never be left without supervision. Its a recipe for disaster. Its a common thing to hear of a chin drowning in a toilet. You will want to watch his eating and activity. Shock, respiratory and fungal infections can show up days after. Give dust baths daily until his fur goes back to normal. Please in the future dont allow the chins out of the cage unless you are watching them every minute. One chew on the wrong object and you easily have a dead pet
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Thanks for the great feedback guys
My chinchilla has just been sitting in the Cornor or under a box I've put in their cage. I'm not sure if he's sick or just still shocked about what happened? Is it best to just leave him for a few days?
What should I do I do?
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May be more emotional than physiological. Check up on him late at night when chinchillas are most active.