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16

General Chat / Re: Pedigrees

« on: May 31, 2012, 03:43:03 PM »

Just a couple of points. First, do you keep the dust bath in all the time? When I first got Cheech I left it in and she got very dry and itchy. Also my chinchillas bred. I thought Cheech was a male but she wasn't. My partner bought me Chong for my birthday from a breeder. He was a male. The breeders came round and sexed Cheech for us and told us she was female. I still bonded them and they had two kits. One of them, Snake, has malocclusion. She has a constantly watery eye which sometimes gets infected and I know in the future she is going to be in a lot of pain with it and will have to have a lot of vet treatment. I feel so sick with myself that I let that happen. I brought a kit into the world who was broken. She's so shy and doesn't like to push around with the others for food. I worry she gets left out and feed her a little on her own. It's not worth it. I also had to separate Chong after the birth. He was so sad and pined for his partner. It took me a year to find a vet I trusted to neuter him. He is now neutered and lives with his mate and two daughters.

Chong was from a very reputable breeder, but getting him as a baby we just didn't know his personality. We changed the layout of our room when he was about 6 months old and it stressed him out so much he went into stasis. I found a very good vet by pure chance and she helped me nurse him back to health. He very nearly died. Chong is a stress head. I knew that when I bonded him with Cheech. Snake is just like him.

Now I know a lot more. I know how to find a good vet and I know breeding is a bad idea.

And another reason. A few years ago I found out about chinchilla rescue centres in the UK. I didn't even know chinchillas could end up in rescue centres. I was shocked and upset. There are so many unwanted chinchillas that I would never buy one again, not even from a reputable breeder, I would always adopt.

17

General Chat / Re: New Chinchilla Behavior Questions

« on: May 24, 2012, 02:34:34 PM »

My advice is to sit by the cage and put your arms in. Don't try to pick him up or stroke him, just let him come to you and investigate you. Chinchillas do bite to investigate you. If they're just small bites where he's just putting his teeth around you then let him because it's normal behaviour, but as soon as he bites too hard and it hurts, squeal. This is what another chinchilla would do to tell him off and tell him he was biting too hard.

Chinchillas are very intelligent animals, but they take a long time to trust new people and as he is a baby this is all completely new to him, he may not have had human interaction before. It can take six months to a year for them to fully trust you. It takes lots of time and lots of patience but it's always worth it. 

18

General Chat / Re: Mint leaves?

« on: May 22, 2012, 03:00:27 PM »

I've just put them on a tray in the oven after I've used it, so it's off but still hot and let it cool down with the herbs inside. It's not as good as the proper way but I'm lazy and it takes the moisture out.

19

General Chat / Re: The chinchilla digestive system

« on: May 20, 2012, 07:17:01 PM »

That's very interesting thanks.
I don't feed fresh food to my chinchillas, just to clarify, but they share the dry forage my rabbits have such as plantain.

I had no idea chinchillas had a cecum and produced cecotropes. Going to have to do some more research now. I have an ill rabbit who can't eat hay and produces a lot of excess cecals so I'm used to seeing those.

It seems their digestive systems are very similar, so if the reason rabbits aren't rodents is due to that then it makes no sense if chinnies are. The teeth are also interesting. I know chinchillas teeth are very different anyway. They have a coating of iron which gives them the orange colour. Rabbit have peg teeth which grow behind the incisors. I don't know what purpose they have other than to annoy me. My ill rabbit had his front teeth removed and one peg tooth continues to grow. If it's the teeth that cause the difference in classification then that makes more sense.

All very interesting. 

20

General Chat / The chinchilla digestive system

« on: May 20, 2012, 01:24:10 PM »

Hiya,

I'm wondering if anyone has any detailed information on how the chinchilla digestive system works? I've just been wondering about whether chinchillas are really rodents. They are classified as rodents according to the British Association of Rodentologists. Rabbits are not and it apparently has something to do with their digestive system which is more similar to horses (but rabbits eat a type of poo out of their bum, I don't think horses do). But having both rabbits and chinchillas I think they food they eat is very similar. I know that domestic chinchillas have a very different diet to wild ones though. But considering what domestic chinchillas eat it's almost identical to that of a rabbit. The pellets are slightly different, but they both need to eat hay primarily and can both eat the same sort of forage such as plantain, brambles and herbs. Rabbits do better on dried food as well. In England a lot more people feed their chinchillas fresh food, having introduced it slowly to get them used to it, which has to be done with rabbits too.

Anyway I'm just being curious and want to know if their digestive systems are similar. 

21

Q & A / Re: Minimum temperature

« on: January 03, 2012, 07:04:11 PM »

  You can also buy animal heating pads ... they go under the metal pan and stay at a low constant temperature as not to over heat the chins. 

If not that ... a wooden hut, or even a cardboard box, fairly well enclosed will also help them hold their body temperature in a confined area. 

Some people will place fleece in cages, but beware ... lots of laundry to keep it clean.

Lots of hay, as long as it stays clean and fresh, is nice and warm for chinnies.  Do keep in mind, once the hay is urinated on or gets wet from water, it can mold quickly.  Keep a close eye on the hay and change it out about every other day.

   Jo Ann

Thanks.
They have a big wooden hut I built for them and have been filling it with hay. They mostly sleep on top of it though.
I don't know if you've ever heard of snugglesafe heat pads? They are microwaveable and animal safe but I still wouldn't trust chinny teeth around them... I actually use fleeces for my rabbits so I might try that for them as well. Thanks.

22

Q & A / Re: Minimum temperature

« on: December 13, 2011, 08:08:44 PM »

We use minimal heat in our building.  It regularly gets down to around 45 degrees Fahrenheit  (which I believe is about 7.22 degrees Celsius).   I have had many new babies born with no problems in that temperature. 

That is really good to know.
It's not below zero yet outside so must be much warmer than 7 degrees inside.
Thank you.

23

Cages / Re: Pictures of your cage

« on: December 13, 2011, 06:04:41 PM »

Not been around for a while.

This is my converted parrot cage. Home to four.
The wire floor has now been taken out and they just have the metal tray. I made all the shelves with untreated pine shelves from a DIY store. It was about £20 to do the whole cage. They're fitted with screws and washers. They just about need replacing now due to being eaten. I think it's been two years so not bad going.

24

Q & A / Minimum temperature

« on: December 13, 2011, 05:52:47 PM »

Hiya,

I haven't been around in quite a while. I know chinnies aren't good with temperatures over 21 degrees Celsius and I have an air con for them in the summer. But this winter it's been getting really cold and our heating is pretty much non existant. I have a portable heater and I've been moving it from room to room to keep the house as warm as I can. We're in a terraced house so benefit from our neighbours heating on either side as well.
I think I've become accustomed to it. I thought I was a little chilly, not too bad though, and then I realised I could see my breath! In the house! The chinnies had the heater in their room at this point.

So what do you think would be the lowest temperature they would be comfortable at? I can get a thermometer and make sure they're okay. There are four of them so they always have a big ball of chinnies for extra heat and lots of hay in their box too. I have a hammy in their room too and I don't want him to go into hibernation either!

25

Health / Re: Very ill chinchilla - vets confused.

« on: May 23, 2011, 04:45:57 PM »

Thank you!

I wonder if it's safe for bunnies? I'll have a look as I have a very sick bunny who might be on antibiotics for life now. And obviously pass the link on to my friend too.

26

Health / Re: Very ill chinchilla - vets confused.

« on: May 23, 2011, 10:31:46 AM »

Just thought I'd update. He had the dental and the xray and there was nothing wrong with his teeth apart from one front tooth. The vet thinks it is a big infection that's affected his whole body. Bloods have been taken as well as a culture of the puss. No results from those yet. The vet thinks it will clear up but if it happens again he might have to go on treatment long term.

27

Health / Re: Very ill chinchilla - vets confused.

« on: May 21, 2011, 05:22:17 PM »

I love it when you find a good vet. I'm lucky to have found a couple. The first saved Chong's life when he went into stasis. It was only by chance she was an exotic specialist. She was also treating my rabbit. Then she moved away and I was really worried but I actually managed to find another two vets in another practice who are equally as amazing. But then in that same place there was another vet who wanted to put my rabbit to sleep because he had abscesses in his jaws, and I wanted to fight for him so I said no. I felt like he was pressurising me saying it couldn't be treated but I stood my ground. The two vets in the same place did all sorts of research for me and saved his life. You have to be so careful about finding people who actually know what they're talking about and are willing to go that little bit further for you and your pets.

28

Health / Re: Very ill chinchilla - vets confused.

« on: May 21, 2011, 12:50:38 PM »

I did all my research on here, but when I got Cheech the pet shop told me to feed her guinea pig food mixed in with the chinchilla food and to give her monkey nuts as a treat. So glad I found this place!! You'd think somewhere selling pets would know how to look after them, but luckily I learned that is nowhere near true before it was too late. I don't even trust most vets anymore. 

29

Health / Re: Very ill chinchilla - vets confused.

« on: May 21, 2011, 10:07:28 AM »

Thank you.
She feels bad as she thought she was doing what was best. I'll pass the info on.

30

Health / Very ill chinchilla - vets confused.

« on: May 21, 2011, 09:02:21 AM »

Hi, I'm posting this for a friend so I hope she doesn't mind.

She has an eight year old male, neutered, chinchilla who is really ill and so far the vets are stumped. He lives with his mate and daughter and last weekend got really puffy eyes. She took him to the vet and got antibiotic eye drops. He seemed to pick up over the next few days but then went downhill so she rushed him to an emergency vet. This vet thought it could be pneumonia but also though his chest was clear. He was given an antibiotic injection. The day after she took him back to her usual vet who thought it might be a dental problem. They were not able to get a good look at his teeth but gave him a painkiller. He was on antibiotics and being fed by syringe as he wasn't eating. They recommended a vet who specialised in chinchillas. She got an appointment with them and they said he had a large ulcer in his mouth and and eye infection, so confirmed the dental issues. He is being kept in over this weekend with his family so that they can build up his strength and then they are going to do a dental on Monday and x ray him. He is also having a culture test on the discharge from his eye.

So far do you think she is going the right way with the treatment? She is understandably very worried and it's the first time any of her chinchilla have been ill. She was also worried because she had been given some info in the past which meant that she had been giving her chinnies treats that some would consider unsuitable and got a lot of stick from this on another forum. She sometimes give them fresh fruit which is considered really bad in America but for some reason is done more often in England. They get lots and lots of good hay etc and the vets are aware of their diet but I think she's wondering if this could be an issue. I know this is a predominantly American forum so I would appreciate your opinions on this one.

Thanks.