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1

Health / Dental and sore mouth UD She's gone :(

« on: December 29, 2013, 09:32:55 AM »

I need help please. Cheech has overgrown molars and was struggling to eat. As she lives with three other chinchillas she was pretending to eat and I caught it quite late. She went to the vets and they burred down her molars which had grown so much they were meeting in the middle of her mouth. She's come home with painkillers, antibiotics, eye drops because her eye was runny and recovery food. She's eating the recovery food fine but keeps on stretching her stomach and pressing it to the floor. I'm worried she was more starved than I realised and I've fed her too much too fast. Her mouth is also very sore and swollen still two days later. It looked sore and the other chinnies keep nosing or biting at it. It now looks like it's been cut or bitten and scabbed over. I wanted to separate her from the others for a week but she really pines for them and gets stressed. She'll be going back to the vets but have you got any ideas about the tummy pressing and the sore mouth? I'm very worried.

2

Q & A / Winter temperatures

« on: November 10, 2013, 03:45:03 PM »

Just some advice please.

Everyone will be out of the house for 12+ hour days this winter getting back late at night and probably going straight to bed. We're not putting the heating on and I don't know if we will as there doesn't seem to be much point. However I need to make sure the chinchillas will be okay. There's four of them together so they can all snuggle up in the nest box and they have lots of hay. We live in a terrace house so we only have outside walls at the front and back. The room they are in has one outside wall to the front and one wall to either side is shared with another house who, presumably, will have their heating on.

I will get a thermometer so I can see what temperature it actually is, but would you think this was okay? I'm in England and it's 5 degrees centigrade outside at night at the moment. Has anyone got any tips to keep them warm without having the heating on?

Thanks. 

3

General Chat / Stressed chinchilla?

« on: March 31, 2013, 10:46:23 AM »

Hiya, I was wondering if anyone could help me with a behavioural question.

My two little baby chinchillas (Snake and Big Boss) are almost five, dad (Chong, neutered) is almost six and mum (Cheech) is almost seven. They all live together. Cheech and Big Boss are very laid back, very tame and chilled. Chong is a little more on edge, very bitey and nervous and Snake is more so than him. She doesn't bite like he does but she's so nervy and on edge all the time. She always warning barks and won't come near me when they have free range time. I've been trying to spend more time with them all recently, building better relationships. Cheech and Big Boss climb all over me when they're out and Chong will appear if raisins come out, but Snake hardly pops her head out from under the bed.

She has some health issues. She has a runny eye and has been to the vets. It will be teeth issues and I have to watch her a little closer than the others for signs of stopping eating or discomfort as we know that at some point in her life it's going to cause her more problems. The vet was happy I know what I'm doing and will spot any issues when they arise. She has topical treatment if the eye gets infected, but it runs all the time and we are very sure it's her tooth roots although she's not been x rayed.

I handled both babies from birth but she has always been this way. I know it must be a trait from Chong and I feel sad that I bred them without knowing what I was doing. Cheech was from a pet shop so I bet the bad teeth have come from her line as Chong was from a reputable breeder and a good line, however she's got his stressed temperament. I also found out afterwards how many chinchillas there are in rescue centres here in England and it made me very sad that I'd brought more chinchillas into the world, especially as Snake has these issues.

I'm just worried about her always being stressed and on edge. The others are fast asleep right now in their big box and she's on top of it on guard. Her body language is more stressed than the others too. I want to make life happier for her but I don't know how.

4

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. 

5

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!

6

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.

7

General Chat / An update on Cheech...

« on: September 07, 2010, 11:34:49 AM »

I took her to the the vets this morning and although it's healed a little wonky it's fine and doesn't need to be amputated. I so happy.
She still has to stay on one level and have her pain killers for another week, then she can have two levels and then we start the re-bonding with the rest of her little family.

Yay.

8

Health / Cheech has hurt her paw /UD it's broken :(

« on: July 25, 2010, 03:25:35 AM »

I feel so bad I can't describe it. She always jumps onto my shoulder from the side door of the cage and we have a wonder around the house together, but last night she lept off my shoulder into the front of the cage and fell onto the bit at the bottom. I didn't see how it happened but now she's holder her left paw into her chest and not using it.

She immediately got up and ran around the room, not using the paw, but 'happy', lively and into everything. She found the dust bath, chewed the wall, acting normally. I rounded her up and put her back in the cage and she went into her box to sleep. I checked on them later and she was still asleep, so I gave all four of them some oats and she was happy again, got really excited about the oats and was pushing and shoving with the rest of them for more.

She has also stretched the front leg out and sort of groomed it a bit. I have had a look this morning, nothing looks swollen and I don't think (and am really, really hoping, it's not broken). Obviously she needs to go to the vets but I'm just after some advice from you as well.

What should I look for to see if it's broken. I'm not going to poke around, I'll leave that for the vet but can I look for swelling or anything to give me a hint? What sort of medication such as painkillers and anti-inflammatories can I expect to be given and what sort of dosage for a large female (about 600g).

And when Chong had his toe bitten he didn't use his paw for weeks and held it up like Cheech is doing. So is it possible she's not hurt as much as I think and Chinnies like to protect even small injuries? Thanks.

9

Q & A / Can chins have barn dried grass?

« on: May 16, 2010, 12:31:35 PM »

The bunnies love it and it smells delicious. I don't want them to miss out on the fun lol.

10

General Chat / Your views on stress please

« on: February 27, 2010, 12:38:31 PM »

Well, as I said in my other thread I now have all four chinchillas in the one, big cage together. The girls are fine with each other apart from the old little squeak or two when someone cleans the other too hard or is just in the way. But Chong just sits on his own and is vary wary of them. I thought the cage is big enough for him to adjust to them in his own time and you saw pictures of him eating hay with them. He's a bit funny about the food bowl and tries to guard it and he'll walk up behind the girls and sniff them (or mount them) and run off squeaking.

Big Boss picks on him a little too, but only a tiny bit. She's the same size as him and Cheech and Snake are a lot bigger. She was the runt of the litter of two but I've checked countless time to make sure she really is a girl. And I'm 100% sure she is. No gap between cone and bum and no balls.

Anyway, I digress. What I'm unsure of is if I'm causing Chong too much stress. I know he was unhappy on his own as he used to pine for the girls but now he's with them he doesn't know how to act. I've put him with just Snake and it's still the same, he just runs away to the furthest side of the cage. Even Cheech who he was bonded with for ages before the babies were born. They get so stressed in small, confined spaces, but I've tried that too.

I personally believe that having them all together in the big cage is the best option, but I'm worried that he's always going to be on guard and never totally relaxed as he's uneasy around them. What do you think? Thanks.

11

General Chat / The bonding has begun... Update: Reply #13!

« on: February 03, 2010, 08:22:01 PM »

Just thought I'd let you know that I have started the bonding process. They've been going in each other's cages for a while so last night I put them all in a rabbit sized carry case together. A few squeaks but nothing too bad. They were starting to get a bit stressed by the lack of space so I transferred them all to Chong's (dad) cage. To my surprise the first fight was between Snake and Chong, but after that both the babies and Chong were intermittently fighting. Nothing too serious I should add, just fur pulling, squeaking and squaring up to pee (you know where they stand up as tall as they can and kind of stick their crotch out at the other chin) but no actual peeing.

Cheech (mum) was just wondering about chewing things and even though the babies started to attack her when she came close she still stayed her normal laid back self. She really is a special chinnie. She pinned Chong down and groomed him and he groomed her for a little bit too. Chong also tried to mount all the girls which they weren't to pleased with...

I then put the door of Chong's cage against the door of the girls' cage so they could all wonder between the two but Chong seemed a little scared of them and just stayed in his cage in his box attacking anyone who cam near, even Cheech. So I stopped the bonding then.

24 hours later (tonight) I put them all in my new cage (which is almost finished!). There was a little bit of fighting but Chong just wanted to avoid them all by going to the opposite end of the cage to them. And it's a big cage... I left them in there for a few hours but to be honest I think it's too big to bond them in. I really need them to be in a small space like the carrier but they get stressed being in such a confined area and concentrate on trying to get out rather than each other. Oh, they've also shared a few dust baths with no fighting other than the scrap of four chinchillas  trying to get into a bath that fits two at the most.

Chong is also missing a big clump of fur from his bum.

I'm now deciding whether to give them a day or two break before I try again and also where best to do the next introduction. But all in all I am very happy with how it's going. There have been no major fights and no one is too stressed.

I'll keep you updated.

12

General Chat / Big Boss has improved but I can see problems ahead...

« on: January 27, 2010, 07:10:39 PM »

Chong is recovering amazingly from his castration and in about two weeks I can begin to bond him with Cheech and the babies. I took him in my arms to their cage so they could have a bit of a sniff and sort of start the whole thing off. They have the cages next to each other and share toys and sand etc and make contact through the bars when either him or the girls are out playing but this would be first proper contact for a long time. Well, Big Boss was first to the door and started to attack Chong.

I blew on her but she just kept on coming back and trying to bite him. When Cheech and Snake came over she really barked and hissed at them and they ran off. I can see this is going to be a problem when bonding as she not only attacks Chong but her sister and mum too when he's about.

I tried Chong with Snake on her own and Cheech on her own and they're fine as far as I can see.

Well I'm going to have to think of a good strategy for this bonding. Has anyone bonded one chinchilla into a group before? I could really use some tips!

13

General Chat / Chong is back from the vets

« on: January 06, 2010, 05:25:48 PM »

I took my baby to a specialist vets in Horsford Norwich to be neutered. They have a special ward for exotics and special anaesthetic etc. My sister came with me and it was a right adventure getting there...

Got up at 6.30am and it was snowing but not too much. Popped him in his carrier and put a black fabric bag over the top to keep him warm and dry. We missed the first bus and had to wait twenty minutes in the snow. I was hugging Chong's carrier and breathing into it to keep him warm. As we got on the bus to Norwich it started to come down really heavily and I started to get a bad feeling. Would it come down too think and we get stuck in the city centre? That would be the worst thing. And then there was a bang and the bus slowed down and stopped. The windscreen wiper had snapped off and the driver couldn't see through all the snow.

We crawled to the next stop in Acle and it was either turn around and go back, or get on the next bus. It had stopped snowing so much so I decided to press on. We got to Norwich and hopped on the next bus to Horsford. It was right out in the middle of nowhere and we had to traipse through the blizzard along country lanes to get to the vets. The GPS on my phone couldn't get any signal due to the weather, but I'd memorized the map on the PC and we found our way fairly easily.

When we got there I was so impressed. It was really professional and they were so friendly. They took Chong after a long list of instruction by his overprotective mother.

We made our way back into Norwich nervous, cold, tired, wet and hungry... and found a lovely pub to have breakfast. We shopped about a bit but I was a really worried about my baby. They rang me at 2pm to tell me he was fine, had eaten and been to the toilet and I could come get him.

They way back was much simpler but very, very cold. We wrapped his little carrier in my sister's scarf and put him in the bag to keep him warm.

He's back in his cage now but is having trouble getting comfortable. I put some fleece blankets in and he seems to be sleeping now.

Bless him, soon he will be able to be with his family and hopefully be happy. They've used disolvable stitches so he won't have to have them out and skin glue as well which should stop him hewing at it. But I will keep an eye on him and see if he needs a collar. I'm also worried about the stress of the journey, but he seemed to sleep through the whole thing, cozy in his carrier. He needs lots of good recovery vibes please.

14

General Chat / Chinnie cage Christmas present

« on: December 24, 2009, 08:01:18 PM »

http://www.animalanticsonline.com/ViewItem.php?ItemID=838

My boyfriend has given me almost enough to get it, just a little more to save up. 

15

General Chat / Big Boss is getting violent. Update - Looking Good =)

« on: November 01, 2009, 09:37:44 AM »

Heya,

I haven't been around for a little while as I've been caring for my sick bunny but I just needed to get some advice about Big Boss.

Cheech and Chong had two babies just over a year ago called Snake and Big Boss. They were both girls so they stayed with mum and Chong got moved into a separate cage. After long, long deliberation I have decided to get Chong castrated which I'm hoping to do at the beginning of December. This means I will have a long time to care for him afterwards and I'm hoping to bond him with the girls over Easter.

Now my problem is Big Boss who was the smallest of the twins. While Snake is very shy Big Boss has just dominated over her mum and sister. She is very friendly towards people and will always hop on my lap, have cuddles etc, but she is desperate to be in charge. If Cheech is drinking and she wants to drink, she will just push her out of the way. If I'm giving Snake a tickle through the bars she just pushes her out of the way. She steals treats off them, jumps on them and lately she's started to squeak and spray them.  

Chong and Cheech still love each other and I will bring Chong over to the other cage so he can have nose kisses with Cheech. Snake also gets on really well with him, but Big Boss hates him. If I bring him over she will go ballistic at whoever is saying hello to him and barks and sprays them. So obviously I can't bring him over any more which is going to make bonding harder next year. But two nights ago worried me even more...

I woke up in the middle of the night to an awful racket. Big Boss was fighting with Chong. I was half asleep and I actually thought she had got into his cage somehow. But no, she was just fighting him through the bars and across a gap of about three inches. She's just getting worse and worse. My original plan was to bond her and Chong as she is the dominant one and then the others should be fine. But now not only is she worse with him, she's worse with her mum and sister too. I really need some advice.

So far these are my options... See how thing go over the next few months especially with Chong's castration. If she's okay or no worse I will try to bond them. But if she gets worse I will have to separate her from the other girls. I just don't know how she would react as she's never ever been on her own and hasn't even left my house since she's been born. My friend absolutely loves her to bits so I don't have to worry about finding her a home but I couldn't risk her going with another chinchilla. Or could I? And then of course I could get her spayed. But I am very against this. It's taken me over a year to finally decide to get Chong done and it was hard because of the risks involved, but getting Big Boss done would be even more dangerous.

I love her to bits so I want to do what's best for her but at the moment she is bullying the others.