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16

Health / Re: baby chinchilla has eye boogers

« on: February 26, 2015, 05:35:53 PM »

How old is the chin? What kind of dust are you using? What color are the eye boggers? Have you weighed them to see if there is any loss or gains? Have you contacted the breeder you got him from? A vet visit is best in these situations. Eyes scar very easily so quick action is best to assure that there is no long term damage. Feeling for bumps on the jaw doesnt rule out malo. By the time you would feel bumps the malo would he severely advanced. I would get a smear done to check for a infection and go from there.

The breeder said the parents and the baby had very good teeth theres no over grown teeth or roots. The parents came from a 100% no genetic Malo Breeder but the eye boogers are no more when i woke up today and my dad said  about 30 minutes ago no eye boogers or watery chin

17

Health / Re: baby chinchilla has eye boogers

« on: February 26, 2015, 05:32:00 PM »

How long has this been happening? How bad is it? Is it both eyes or just one eye? What kind of dust are you using? Are both pets effected?

Its been like that for 3 days, doesnt look bad, both eyes, im using anti-fungal dust with regular blue Cloud dust. But i woke up in the morning and there was none so i think it was just a passing

18

Health / baby chinchilla has eye boogers

« on: February 26, 2015, 12:22:55 AM »

the first day I brought him home he had no eye boogers, but the first time he got a dust bath I noticed after he has had constant eye boogers. he eats his pellet food like a chinchilla should, he chews on toys well so I don't think theres no malo, he doesn't drool from his mouth its just those eye boogers. my 2 other chins eyes that don't have eye boogers look exactly the same as chico's but chico has the eye boogers. I don't know what to do and the vet office I go that sees chinchillas wont be open again after construction is done  and the vet doesn't come to peoples houses anymore so idk what to think, he also does eat hay and drink water so nothing wrong there, his teeth aren't long. could it be the dust? and the dust that flys in his cage irritating his eyes? I felt for bumps on his jaw line and check bones and felt nothing ,which I heard from a homeopathic exotic animal doctor by my aunts house in Tarzana but she told me if you feel nothing then the teeth and molar should be ok. so idk what to think now. theres no wetness around his eyes just the eye boogers

19

General Chat / Re: Got my new chin but need help with introducing

« on: February 09, 2015, 04:26:30 AM »

Update on introducing all 3 chinchillas. Last night i pulled all 3 out into my hall way and set out the dust bath. I didnt see any bad behaviors towards chico that would have alarmed me (the new chins name) but They did some smelling, chasing, and some mounting but there was no fur biting or no fighting. But i do know that this can take sometime and im taking time to introduce all boys to like chico since chico doesnt mind chachi and chonchi (bonded with 3 other chinchillas before they were adopted)  for all 3 boys. I did talk to my dad about getting chico a new cage and he said it will be possible as long as i move my fouton out of my room since its takes up alot of space and get a smaller bed. And when my grandmas services (lost her battle to Cervical Cancer) are over and he has some money so that cage can be a back up if anything and an additional $80 to buy some fleece, ledges and a couple tubes and hammocks since chico likes hammocks. So i think things are going good just trying to wean chico on eating oxbow pellets and in case of smooshy poops im going to give him some burnt toast. But so far so good. The cleaning of the cage chachi and chonchi are in might be done today in the morning or in the middle of the day.

20

General Chat / Re: Got my new chin but need help with introducing

« on: February 08, 2015, 08:15:41 PM »

I recommend that you don't use lysol. Bleach is very inexpensive to obtain. Lysol is typically scented and for me personally is very irritating to my eyes and lungs. Do not use lysol around your chinchillas and make sure it is totally settled before you let one in the same room with it. It can be lethal if they get a whiff of it.

I didnt do it my dad said hes going to get bleach BUT! I did wash some fleece and im going to switch that out tomorrow

21

General Chat / Got my new chin but need help with introducing

« on: February 07, 2015, 08:57:57 PM »

About a couple of hours ago i got my 8 month old chin. Hes very small and supee friendly. Even with the car ride all he wanted was the carrier to be open lol, the guy i got him from worked in schools and would take all 3 siblings with him sometimes so the kids can see so i think thats the reason why hes not scared at all. Well when i got home i wanted to see how he reacted in the new environment and he seemed ok but when he seen my 2 chinchillas he ran to the cage and tried to jump up to see them. And i took both my boys out and the new baby into the restroom and all 3 were investigating each other. There was no fur biting, no fighting but one of my chins kept smelling him and looked like he tried to mount him. I was worried but as i got closer i did reassure that thats what he was doing. So since i have $40 saves up for another cage for the new chinchilla if he isnt accepted with my 2 other boys i had all 4 doors opened from the 2 boys cage and they didnt seemed to mind but kept smelling him. (the cage wasnt cleaned yet or disinfected) but my chin chachi started to chase him and started grunting but like a grunt when he first fought with my other chin chonchi so i separated the 2 levels from the ferret nation and put a tile covering the hole so they dont bounce up or down. So i later when my brother comes im going to have him in the rest room with all 3 boys and while hes doing that im going to disinfect my cage and wash all the fleece i have and im sanding the surfaces of my ledges. I currently dont have bleach but i do have lysol disinfectant spray idk if that works isntead of bleach and were getting alot of rain in my area possibly floods which is odd and a first time thing in my area so. Im hoping lysol works and if not can you guys recommend an alternative

22

General Chat / Re: Chinchilla breeders in Southern California?

« on: January 27, 2015, 08:57:24 PM »

Fleece can be put in your washing machine and dryer. (Of course as a separate load) and use regular detergent.
Ledges should simply be replaced once a year, or if a chinchilla catches a contagious sickness. (If that happens I recommend replacing towards the end of the antibiotic treatment)

My chins were sick sometime ago I did sand off a couple layers all over the ledges there were 2 ledges where I geuess when the Chins stepped on the poops the water in the poop stained the ledges and even if I sanded off there was still the water from the poop stained into the ledges so those were thrown away. I'm going to buy more in 2 months.
And ok I don't have to worry about the fleece then

23

General Chat / Re: Chinchilla breeders in Southern California?

« on: January 27, 2015, 04:25:46 PM »

I recommend cleaning cages with bleach. Vinegar is acidic and causes rust. It is also not as strong of a disinfectant. When using bleach always use it outside and away from pets. Rinse with water and make sure it is dry before putting your pets back in the cage.

If your other chins are male I strongly recommend not getting a female. These animal can breed very easily.
Introducing chinchillas can be tricky. I've never done it first-hand but the way it's usually done is you put the cages next to each other no closer than 2" apart. Exchange some soiled bedding between cages and just do this for two weeks. After two weeks let them dust bathe together (In your case, since you have two other chins, don't do this with more than two at a time) and see how they respond to each other. If they are pulling out hair, threatening to fight, you can separate them quickly. Males are easier to introduce than females. If there are still problems additional steps can be taken. Some chinchillas cannot be paired depending on their personalities. As always whenever you have more than one chinchilla in a cage there is always the possibility one can kill another without warning or apparent cause at any time even after they are bonded and have gotten along for years. It doesn't matter what color they are or even if they are litter mates. Always have a hut in the cage for chins to get away from a fight if one occurs to minimize this risk.

I can do with bleach and what would i do about the fleece i have and the ledges and stuff? The toys im going to buy alot more this upcoming 2 weeks and probably a fleece tube and another pair of fleece. And ive talked to the guy and im deciding to get the boy. Another reason why is i wouldnt have the extra time if and ever the female chin got pregnant to care for her and for the babys since im still in school and my dad feels really scared to handle the chinchillas. So im considering the Boy.

24

General Chat / Re: Chinchilla breeders in Southern California?

« on: January 25, 2015, 10:29:43 PM »

I bought a chinchilla on craigslist myself. Had terrible tooth problems that didn't show up until months later and I had him euthanized. I wasn't particularly sorry I got that one. He was a great learning experience because he was not tame and was difficult to work with.
If you go with a second-hand animal verify that its diet is correct. This is unlimited loose timothy hay and unlimited alfalfa based pelleted diet. This diet should not be the popular mixed diets with fruits and nuts in the pellets which can cause liver and tooth problems in the long run.
If the hair is not in good condition it can mean a number of things. It could be poor diet, habitual fur chewing, or a fungal infection. You'll want to have that diagnosed. Since you already have a pet I recommend a two week quarantine. Just keep the new chin in another room for two weeks and monitor its health. If it has fungus it will be less likely to spread to the others.

As far as neutering I don't recommend it at all. I know of three cases, one died, two were successful but suddenly stopped eating and had to be nursed back to health over a week after the surgery. One almost died and had to go back to the vet. Even if the surgery is successful you can still lose your pet from complications. You will have to monitor its food for three weeks and be prepared to syringe feed. Do not do this unless you have experience with caring for critically sick animals and are prepared to deal with morbid complications and the expense of multiple vet visits.

If you are up for the challenge that is fine too. I don't regret getting my chin from craigslist but now I personally would rather have a chin from a breeder that is hand raised and easy to work with going in, where I know its been cared for properly, and is unlikely to have genetic tooth problems.

The lady responded and the chin isnt available anymore. But i found a Private Breeder who Breeds Ebony chins and i think Pink Whites and Mosaics and he has 3 Ebony chins available. So he is suppose to send pictures of both the males and females he has and from there ill see which one is in a better condition and from there we would meet each other half ways since he lives almost an hour and a half away from me. And reason we are doing that is because my dad has to rush back to work right after so once i get out after school one of these days during the week ill have the new chin. And After quarntine i need tips one introducing the new chin with the boys i have. Im in the process of getting a new Ferret Nation Cage. But for the while i dont have it im going to really disinfect and wash down the cage down to get rid of there scent and im buying new fleece and newer ledges and the ledges i have now im going to soak them in hot water with vinegar. My aunt told me about that and it supposedly gets rid of any scents that are strong so im going to do that. I would buy a $150 cage at petco but the plastic flooring isnt switchable and i dont want to put bedding since its soo messy and i dont want the chin biting down the plastic. So if theres anything wrong with that please correct me.

25

General Chat / Re: Chinchilla breeders in Southern California?

« on: January 25, 2015, 02:55:57 AM »

I recommend connecting with cachins.org they are a solid reputable site.

I just found a breeder about an hour away from them. BUT! my mom found a lady giving up a female chin on craigslist (I never trust craigslist or kijiji but this lady seems very legit) that they no longer want and I seen pictures and feel bad because her cage is pretty bad. a bunch of plastic and what looks like pine shavings. her hair looks like its in bad shape probably from pulling her when she runs away but other then that the poos look healthy and no discharge from the eyes, nose, and mouth. i'm just hoping if I take this girl in her teeth are in good condition and her feet and hand pads. but if so as soon as possible i'm going to save up to buy her own FN because really the cage looks like its as high as 2 and a half feet. I have gotten her contact information and looking to get her to respond back asap because this chin needs a better home. and i'm going to do research on neutering chins as I have had a couple friends who's chins passed away from the surgery and most likely the anesthesia to so I just want to call some vets around my area and see who neuters chins. so I got this planned out if I pick the little girl up.

26

General Chat / Chinchilla breeders in Southern California?

« on: January 24, 2015, 06:35:48 PM »

Ive been looking for a Breeder, Rescue to Pick up another Chin for the Family. But i Have no luck! Ive tried rhe San Diego Humane Society that rescued about 400 chins and they have none. I dont know where to look. I dont Trust Craigslist or Kijiji. I dont want to go to Petco near me since the lady that knew and had chins herself transfered to another petco. And the petsmarts treat there animals like a door mat. If anyone lives in the southern area of california and knows of breeders around the area please let me know thank you

27

General Chat / Something that is hard to believe

« on: November 19, 2014, 02:50:21 AM »

Its going to be a month that i have my puppies and they ran in my room today which i thought would be a good idea since there still babies to introduce to my chins. I thought one or the other would react in a bad way and both smelled each other with no signs of stress or anger towards each other. Now that i think that my friend is planning on giving me her 8 month old ferret for me to keep. Yes ik thats not a good idea for a ferret and chinchilla to interact since ferrets are predatory animals. My idea is to house them in the same room BUT when the chinchillas are going to have play time have the ferret in my dads room then when playtime is over put chins away and then bring in ferret. I have looked over my room for ways the ferret could possibly get to the chin and as from what i see theres no possible way but still dont wanna take a risk so im thinking of putting a thin blanket over the chins cage. I have spoken to my dad about it and we dont have no more room in another room since my dad, my grandfather, and the guest room is accupied already so thats a boo boo for me now. But im still finding ways to ferret proof my room before xmas. BTW i dont know if you guys remember i had put a post about how my chins didnt like hay well i ordered from Kmshayloft and they eat more then before. I get 3rd cut timothy hay and they both munch on it when they want. I do stick more then a handsfull of hay so they have extra to play with or to...well like always pee on it lol so yea thats a case closed now just my number one worry is the proofing of my room.maybe ill buy a play pen thing and barricade around the chins cage.

28

General Chat / Re: My chinchillas dislike there Hay...

« on: October 20, 2014, 04:22:18 PM »

One of my chins isn't a huge lover of timothy hay either. At least i barely see her eating it.
I also mix in oxbow orchard grass which she does eat. I've also tried 2 other kinds of timothy hay and it's hit or miss really.
One hay they do like is ings hay. It is pretty cheap and it is safe for chins. Try ings hay and oxbow orchard grass.

Also if worse comes to worse you can buy plantain and give them that as well. I am not 100% certain it is okay to gice plantain freely so hopefully someone can back that up.

Ill have to look into the ings hay, do you know there site?

29

General Chat / Re: good online store to buy ledges

« on: October 19, 2014, 10:24:12 PM »

Also as far as ledges go I recommend building them to fit your cage. You can use any wide untreated white pine or aspen board from a hardware store. Pre-drill holes in the ends to accept 1/4" stud bolts and fasten it to the cage with fender washers and wing nuts. See if someone you know has the tools. All you need is a hand saw and a hand drill which I've used and it works well but I prefer to use my table saw. Hand saws aren't that expensive. Never use particle board and only use chinchilla safe wood.

I do not recommend covering shelves with fleece. Some people have issues with chinchillas urinating on it. Fleece can cause bowel obstructions if it is ingested. Some chinchillas will chew it but most will not. If you see signs of chewing remove the fleece.

I recently was told by my uncle he does have a mechanical saw to cut wood... Wish he would have told me before but im going to order from tjschinchillasupplies shes very good i love her stuff. But after that im doing my own

30

General Chat / My chinchillas dislike there Hay...

« on: October 19, 2014, 10:21:28 PM »

Ever since i got my chinchillas within the first 3 weeks i started seeing they were Picky Eaters. Out of nowhere recently they started losing interest in the Oxbow Timothy Hay. I do keep it in a plastic container so it lasts longer (with holes for ventilation). So i was flipping through some blogs and other chinchilla forums and i seen some peopl going through the same thing and switchng to Orchard Grass or going to Kleenmamas Hayloft. Ohh before i finish they do love there Alfalfa/Oat Hay Cubs Tremedously within 2 Days of feeding them that the cube is gone... And i do hear alfalfa should be fed sparingly. So what do you suggest a different hay other then timothy? Or Better Hay Quality with kleenmamas? And i heard if they started off with tooth problems they would stop eating completely and they would Start to drool. There is no signs of that. There Super Hyper and active chewing on there toys so i know theres no tooth problem there.