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16

Health / Re: runt kit

« on: July 29, 2010, 04:42:43 PM »

Please post a picture of the little guy, he's still with us?

One of my chins almost died at birth and I think about that all the time and appreciate him all the more!

17

Health / Re: Gus died from Pneumonia did I do something wrong?

« on: July 29, 2010, 04:32:35 PM »

Apart from drafts etc. which has already been mentioned, was the cage well enough ventilated?  (contradiction I know).  If he was kept without much fresh air that can cause respiratory infections too especially if cage a little messy and there's ammonia fumes from their pee.

This won't fix respiratory infections but rubbing a little Vics on them can help ease their breathing just be careful not to use anything poisonous (ask your vet what he recommends).

Very sorry and sad to hear about your little guy.

18

Health / Re: I think I have a problem, but not sure

« on: July 29, 2010, 04:28:35 PM »

I'm worried about the feeding chinchillas rabbit food.  Recently lived with a family who killed their chinchilla by changing it's food to rabbit food!!

19

Health / Re: Labored Breathing

« on: July 29, 2010, 04:25:47 PM »

this is so sad 


I hope the little guy is alright...

20

Health / Re: Medicating chinchillas

« on: July 29, 2010, 04:18:50 PM »

I had same problem, got a chinchilla that's an adult and had been badly handled previously so is terrified of being held, and had to give her anti Bs. Not good.  I tried dressing it up too with jam, cheerios, raisins.  None of it worked and she refuses to touch raisins to this day.  Anyway, I ended up sneaking the dose into cranberry juice and she drank that.

I must say though, the vet was totally clueless and gave me antiBs just so she was doing something, if I thought my chinnie actually needed AntiBs I'd go for the towel/syringe in mouth tactic.

21

Health / Re: neutering

« on: July 28, 2010, 04:13:23 PM »

you could always get a cuddle buddy. 

jean

Thanks for the feedback, I won't get him done I don't think because if anything happened to him I'd be heartbroken and guilty (forever!). 

This 'cuddle buddy' idea.  Is it a teddy?  Happy to go get him one but can anyone please advise me on this as I don't want him eating it and getting sick!!  Like, what about the eyes on teddies!!?

ps does anyone elses chinchillas keep running across their keyboard when they are trying to type?   

22

Health / neutering

« on: July 26, 2010, 04:49:49 PM »

Hi, can anyone tell me just how risky neutering is?

I have a boy chinnie and two girls (seperate from him of course) and was thinking of getting him done so that they could all live together if they got on, or at least have playtime together.  It seems a shame that he's stuck on his own (although he can see the girls in the nearby cage) but I'd never want to take a big risk on his life.

I'd not want to put another boy with him because then they'd fight, is maybe finding a neutered female (for whatever reasons she may have been done!) the best solution?

23

Health / Re: Wet bum!

« on: July 26, 2010, 04:34:31 PM »

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.

24

Q & A / Re: Keeping cool in the summer

« on: July 26, 2010, 04:31:14 PM »

I put a bag of smooth rocks in the freezer every night and pop them in the cage in the morning before I go to work... my chinchillas love them!

Haven't done it yet but the original plan was to fill a tin with frozen pebbles/stones so that the chinnies could loll about in it when it got hot.  There's some scientific reason for why rounded rocks will retain the cold for longer than a flat surface...

25

Q & A / Re: Why a chinchilla?

« on: July 26, 2010, 04:22:03 PM »

re chinchillas in the bedroom....

I think it's great (for them) to have them in your bedroom because a deal is struck; if they are out for hours you get a little sleep, if they are not out at all you get none!

Does anyone actually get a full night's sleep with them in their room because I can't remember the last time I slept through the night!

26

Health / Re: Wet bum!

« on: May 02, 2010, 11:20:04 AM »

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!

27

Health / Re: Wet bum!

« on: April 30, 2010, 10:24:20 AM »

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?

28

Health / Wet bum!

« on: April 29, 2010, 11:46:44 AM »

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

29

Q & A / Re: chinchilla eye colour

« on: April 11, 2010, 09:08:37 AM »

have discovered it's extraordinarily difficult to photograph chinchilla eyes to depth

30

Q & A / Re: sexing chinchillas

« on: April 06, 2010, 12:36:55 PM »

i've kept looking and comparing on the internet, one night i was up to 5am worrying about it.  see there's a small distance, not as big as some of the boys shown though.  anyway, i had a look again and saw that there was a 'split' down it which i think means is a female.  phew! 
i just didn't want to have to take him/her to vet.  you know how they don't like to be moved!