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1

Health / Chinchilla not acting right during playtime

« on: October 20, 2009, 08:22:18 PM »

Alright we had our new chin, who has never had a wheel and as far as we can tell play time, out for about 20 minutes. She ran around a bit, was curious and climbing on us but suddenly started acting strange. Her ears flattened back some and she started leaning to one side, when we went to check on her she started to move but her back legs where thumping the ground very fast and she was running lop sided. When we got her, which wasn't hard and her actions reminded me of someone who was drunk, she was very calm and just layed in our arms.

Now, we were starting to panic but noticed her body seemed a bit warm so we first grabbed some ice packs, wrapped them, and set her in the carrier we had with them around. She seemed to just lean against them and lay there. She is back to her perky "gimme treats" self but this really worried us. Do you believe it could have been heat related? We keep her area around 68 to 70 and try to keep watch on her. We are going to be taking her to the vet soon, setting appointment tomorrow, but wondered what possibly it could be. She kept moving running from us when we tried to get to her to check her and it really freaked us out. Normally if we hold her she squirms for a moment but she literally just layed there looking at us moving her head sometimes.

Hmm, I really need to learn to split these up...

2

Memorials / Silver passed away last week...

« on: July 05, 2009, 01:25:28 AM »

I am posting to inform Silver, the chinchilla in my profile pic, passed away at 1:30 PM on thursday, July 2nd, 2009 due to heart failure after a difficult surgery and a fever over 2 days. She developed (and this is best I can remember, I still am having issues looking at her paperwork, Pyometra. After surgery she spiked a 105 fever for a bit, she didn't tell us exactly how long, and the doctor was concerned the day before. We went up there and she looked sick and not feeling well and wasn't moving around much but was cudling up to us some after the doc pulled her out. The next morning we got a call that she seemed a bit more aware, her fever was down and controlled, and that she just seemed more lifelike but when they pulled her out at around 1:00 to 1:15 her heart just stopped. They tried to restart it for over 15 minutes but found they could not and called home at 1:30 to let us know.

I am posting this as a way to say good bye to her as I was not able to really do it. This is so hard to do and I am having trouble seeing the monitor through the tears. 

We loved her so much and miss her greatly. She brought joy and fun into our lives and was the nicest most well behaved chinchilla we have ever seen. My parents and I are having her cremated and put into a little urn to keep and preserve her memories for us. Our other Chinchilla, Amy, is going through noticeable depression but she seems to still be eating and doing everything normal, just not really wanting to be messed with.

I hope that she is giving God a few laughs and being entertaining and soothing for people in the afterlife like she did here for all.

3

Q & A / Temper Tantrum

« on: September 21, 2008, 12:42:32 PM »

Alright, Silver our first chinchilla started throwing temper tantrums almost a year ago and they would last for a minute or two and then stop. Recently she is throwing them for over 30 minutes at a time throwing stuff out of the cage, pushing the other one around (literally) and biting at everything that gets near her. I am posting this because I do worry about the other one getting to close and getting hurt, Amy usually stays away, and wanted to find out if you guys know how to stop it.

It typically happens when we open the cage doors and put food in, or pick her up and put her back, or anything that revolves around opening the doors and not letting her out. We can't let her out every time we open the door but want to curb this some.

Any suggestions?

4

Health / My chinchilla broke her front paw/leg. Need advise

« on: February 10, 2008, 02:57:40 PM »

Ok, looking at the top you would assume I still have her. My parents are taking her to the emergency vet clinic right now as we speak. It was just hanging loose and as she tried to move she wouldn't use it. No blood, it looks like it probably either pulled loose or broke. What should I expect and what changes might I have to do to her cage? She has a 3 level cage, a house she mostly chews on but likes to sleep in sometimes, and I just want to know incase they send her home with the funnel around her head oor whatever else. She started to love her wheel also and I want to have it ready for when she comes home.

She broke it while jumping around, she jumped and got it caught on a folding chair I was sitting in but got down to play with her on, I was able to get it loose without, I think, causing much damage but it's limp and she was really screaming the entire time but stopped the minute I got her paw loose. Is there a chance she didn't break it and I am lucky? I am very worried right now and was thinking this sunday afternoon was going to good.

5

Health / Help, my chin is having eating problems.

« on: February 01, 2008, 10:20:37 AM »

If there is another topic already please forgive me. Silver, my chinchilla, stopped eating pretty much last week and we took her in to the vet. The vet looked her over, checked her teeth and found a little rough spot on the teeth but nothing that should have caused problem. She said she felt maybe a little bit like she had some gas buildup and gave us some of the care food stuff, it's recommended on this forum for sick chins, and some anti gas medicine and sent us home. After a day Silver will start begging for the care stuff and we feed her as what they told us to do and she was starting to eat pretty well. She recently started slacking on her pellet eating and some on the care food and I am worried about her. What could cause the loss of appetite? Her teeth are fine now, we are giving her the medicine the doctor recommended (I do not have the brand but it's store bought and verified ok for chinchilla's), and she is eating but is taking less and less. Her stools are ok, still flowing like the little factory she is, and are a normal size. They took blood while she was out and sent it off for testing but can anyone think of anything else? Sorry for the long paragraph I am at work and very worried about her, I am not even sure how to rub the tummy to see if she might still have a little gas.

Thank you

6

Q & A / Chinchilla problem - More family related

« on: January 21, 2008, 04:20:55 PM »

I have mentioned my father in several other posts but I need help making him see what he is doing because he isn't listening to me or my mother. Amy and Silver are in his room, Amy has been in his room since we got her but I go in and see her. Everything was OK till a few weeks ago when he decided he was going to pick her up whether she wanted it or not. He chased her around the cage till he caught her, getting her to pee on him in the process. He laughs as he does it and when he catch's her she shakes, and still does it. She has slowly started to dislike me also and I worry that she is viewing his actions as ones I do. I have picked her up twice but after she out and literally climbed up my shirt a bit. He says he will stop doing it but then picks it up a few days later and I really need help because I worry that she will be scared forever.

She still kind of stomps her way into my feet but will run from my hand if I move it beside her and bit pretty hard twice today while I was scratching around her ears, which she has never done. When my father opens the door and sometimes when he gets near she starts barking at him and if he moves his hand close to her she gets up like she is preparing to pee and if he continues she will on him which makes him grab her.

I don't want to have to get rid of her but if I have to I want her to go to a good home, she is the sweetest thing in the world. I want something that either I can hand to him or make him read so he knows what he is doing is traumatizing her. Please, any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.

7

Q & A / Working with 2 females trying to get them to accept eachother

« on: January 13, 2008, 03:15:43 PM »

Alright, I have Silver and Amy and they have been apart for a good bit of time. Amy came back from the vet about 4 weeks ago and was checked a little under weight but that was a bit due to the food she was being given before by a person who really didn't know 100% what they were doing. She has put on weight and is just as friendly as they come, except if you make like you MIGHT pick her up then she runs and hides. We have them in the same room together right now and the cages close but not touching and currently 3 inch's apart watching to make sure they can't bite fingers off. Any suggestions where I should go from here? They accidentually met one day when my door wasn't closed all the way and all they did was sniff eachother for a while then hop away but not super fast, is that a good sign?

I am concerned because Amy, who is basically a rescue chinchilla, seems to really like any company and anyone thing to pay attention to her and Silver is kind of...well spoiled. They seem to sniff eachother and never bark, make noise, or even act aggressive towards one another. Any suggestions would be a big help and, if I am allowed to, would like to post updates on the progress and everything I do so if I might be doing something wrong someone will catch me so I can immediatly change it.

Thank you for all the help that comes along. I love this place! 

8

Q & A / The questions just flow in - about the new chinchilla (lack of eating)

« on: January 02, 2008, 04:25:27 PM »

Ok I find this to be a little strange. We got amy about 3 weeks ago as a sort of rescue and she is sweet, when she isn't pissing on my father who she HATES for some reason, and she was eating the food we gave her. She was on a mostly mauri diet with a charlie chinchilla mix since the owner was trying to switch her. She has fully switched to mauri which she just loved eating a good bit of it but now it seems like she is refusing to eat it. If we get the large pieces from the charlie chinchilla food, it's either alfalfa or a similiar, she snatch's it and eats it like she is starving. Any suggestions on maybe being able to tell easily or to find out if she is eating what she needs? I am very worried about her as she isn't doing much of anything like my little silver is doing.

Thank you and sorry for all the questions lol.

9

North East USA / Northern Virginia

« on: January 02, 2008, 11:46:23 AM »

For the Northern Virginia people who do you guys go to for Chinchilla care? I have taken Silver to doctor olsen, greenbriar town center, as she has owned chinchilla's and knows a good deal about them but wanted to find out if there is a chinchilla specialist nearby. Fairfax Virginia would be prefered or close but will travel if I have to, want to minimize the chin shock.

Thanks

10

Q & A / Another question - stomping feet

« on: December 30, 2007, 11:11:20 AM »

My new chinchillla is becoming a very nice little thing but I have a question. When she goes to get in my hand sometimes she will stomp her feet, only way to put it, slowly forward mostly into my hand and then back and sometimes she hugs my wrist and will stop forward slowly till her entire body is in my hand and her belly is against her palm. I looked through the net and did not find any information and I know many of you are very knowledgeable so putting up another thread. Any idea's would be appreciated. Another note is she doesn't make any noise when she does it.

Thank you

11

Q & A / Question about leaving for a few days.

« on: December 26, 2007, 07:50:37 PM »

Ok I am going out of town with my folks and was wondering if I have a friend of mine come in and feed them, talk to them, and maybe give them scratch's if it would be ok? I am talking about Friday night, saturday, sunday, and possibly monday. I ask because I am worried about them, yes we have a rescue chinchilla that we will hopefully introduce to Silver in a month or two, and don't want to cause to much stress. Basically want to see my grandmother since it's been about 5 years since I saw or even talk to her last.

Thank you

12

Q & A / Another question by an owner - sort of strange

« on: December 17, 2007, 08:30:26 PM »

I have a question and it has to do with air blowing directly on a chinchilla. My chinchilla, silver, loves to sit ontop of my computer especially her rear and tail over the large fan that blows air up. I have felt and the air that comes from my computer is cool but she sits there and she looks happy and gets real angry when I shoo her off (or pick her up, she fights for a few seconds then gives up and lets me carry her around without a fuss for up to 30 minutes). Is it ok or do I really need to find a way to keep her off my computer without causing internal damage?

13

Q & A / Strange noise...

« on: December 11, 2007, 08:11:29 PM »

Alright, had a rescue Chin today and got it home and finally got it to calm down. It is in a cage, has the food it came with mixed with a little of the mauri food (or whatever it is), but she is sometimes making an oink sound, a sneeze, and then this sound - without the sharp barking. I am a bit worried and yes, she is well away from my other chin. This one was abandoned by a friend with someone else and they didn't really know how to take care of them so I took over. Yes she is in a new cage (the old one was almost completely plastic) and such. I know it was a shock but I am worried about her maybe getting to stressed and possibly dieing on me. Any suggestions or maybe what it might mean would be helpful.

Thank you

14

Q & A / Chinchilla odd behavior

« on: June 14, 2007, 11:24:28 PM »

ALright this isn't normal, I was giving Silver her nightly treat and she was chewing it when she stopped and her body jumped a bit and she would give out 4 or 5 whines, she did it 2 or 3 times and then went back to the normal "Give me more treats!" look. I can't find the sound she made or any description anywhere so figured I would post here. Might be best in another forum but it is somewhat of a question.

Has anyone heard of that before? She did it 3 times, sort of looked like hiccups like my hamsters get, only with 4 or 5 short whines. She seems to be breathing fine, is as active as ever, a super healthy appetite, drinks plenty of water. Am I being overly cautious or should I really be concerned?

Thanks

EDIT: Alright update to the sound, I actually found a site that has the closest.'

Sound #5
Two barks is the "alert the herd" noise chinchillas make when stressed or frightened.
http://www.chin.buffnet.net/users/lori/twobarks.wav

But she sits there then jumped a bit like she has hiccups, like I said from watching the hamsters, and then she makes the noises. Did it 3 times in a row before stopping. Is it hiccups, could she have a problem, or am I just being to cautious about her?

Thanks again.

15

Q & A / Help! My chinchilla has gone missing.

« on: June 03, 2007, 08:06:18 AM »

Alright this is a new problem and I hope someone might be able to help with suggestions. My chinchilla, silver, was out for her bi daily run and when we turned around to move something we noticed she was gone. All doors closed but we have moved everything out of the room so suspicion leads me to believe she may have left the room. Anyone have suggestions for drawing them out? I worry about her because we also have a cat in the house but he is with and has been the whole time. Please, I am desperate as it happened about 10 minutes ago and she isn't responding to anything we do. Yes, we moved everything in the room looking but still no luck.

Please please please any suggestions would work, anything. It's not to hot in the home, it's just at 75 to 76 everywhere but I worry about her having water and such.

Thank you and I will check often.