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31

Health / Re: wet eye

« on: March 11, 2010, 11:02:11 PM »

isn't it funny how they all look alike, but yet so different and some are just so much cuter than others.

It is true! I agree. I actually think my Dewey is WAY cuter than my Daisy. I like her, she's spunky and fun. But She's got kind of a "rat face"...so I've always said Dewey is cuter. I guess I feel kind of bad saying it sometimes, but it's not like SHE knows ....she gets taken care of very well regardless of her rat face! LOL

32

Health / Re: Weight

« on: March 11, 2010, 06:48:43 PM »

....his nose started running again today. 
My DH wondered if he might have allergies.... is it possible for chinchillas to have seasonal allergies?

33

Breeding 101 / Re: At what age do you seperate the kits from their mama?

« on: March 11, 2010, 04:57:17 PM »

Well she looked almost full sized! I couldn't believe the employee was telling me she was 6 weeks old. I wonder if the chin was actually 6 MONTHS old...
But then again, I have never bred chins... I've never even SEEN a kit IRL. So I don't know what a 6 week old would look like! All I know is that she was a beautiful beige and I loved her instantly! *oh heart break*

34

Health / Re: wet eye

« on: March 11, 2010, 04:52:11 PM »

I guess I should have posted a better comparison to the other eye photo...but yes, his fur was damp underneath it. The fur looks kinda "tufty" (like stuck in clumps) in that pic because he'd had a dust bath the day before, and it soaked up some of his wetness and just makes his fur look disshoveled. The fur under his other eye looks perfect.
Thanks for the compliment! I've always thought he was pretty cute, but I'm bias. lol

Is your chins eye discharge a yellow or green color? If so, it's an infection! If the discharge is clear or WHITE (like Dewey's) it might just be a clogged tear duct.

35

Breeding 101 / At what age do you seperate the kits from their mama?

« on: March 10, 2010, 10:15:27 PM »

I was at Petsmart tonight and saw a BEAUTIFUL beige!!! I've only ever seen grays there, so I was in awe! So so sooooo tempted to buy her!!!! Anyway, I asked how old she was, and the employee told me "She's just a baby, about 6 weeks old" .... she appeared to be the same size as my Daisy, whom I was told was 6-8 months old when I purchased her. So I asked "Are you sure? She looks pretty big!" And the lady said "yes, we get them when they are very young, she's only 6-8 weeks old. A baby!" ......a big baby? Or is this girl wrong about the age and she's probably 6-8 MONTHS?
I guess I have it in my mind that 6 week old kits are still pretty little and living with their mamas...?

At what age do you usually separate the kits to sell? About how much do they weigh at that time? This chin had to be at least 400 grams. Like I said, she appeared to be the same size as my Daisy....whom I was told was 6-8 months old last month. I should have snapped a photo! I didn't even think about it while I was there, but now I wish I had.

36

Cages / Re: A New Cage

« on: March 10, 2010, 10:06:05 PM »

Yes they are acceptable cages! They're awesome!
You can actually completely remove the ramps. Chins JUMP, they don't need ramps! You can hook ledges at different levels to help the chins get from the bottom to the top.

I know there is a company that sells stainless steal pans and specializes in sizes....I can't remember the site though...anyone?

I kept the plastic trays in because I don't use bedding (I use fleece blankets...I just tuck them around the entire tray). But their poop gets flung out a lot. I'd like to get deeper trays, but haven't wanted to invest enough to actually DO it. lol

37

Health / Re: Weight

« on: March 10, 2010, 09:01:16 PM »

He was never on meds to begin with.
The vet said it would screw with his GI tract to put him on meds, so unless it was absolutely necessary...he'd prefer not to put him on meds. He said the virus was something Dewey would get over on his own. His runny nose is gone...but he still doesn't have a big appetite. He only eats & drinks a little bit. His poops are small and dry.

Should I offer him pedialyte?

38

Health / Weight

« on: March 10, 2010, 07:00:03 PM »

My chin Dewey has been slowly losing weight... BUT he had a virus that gave him a runny nose, and caused him to lose a bit of his appetite too.
March 1st he weighed 531 grams
March 4th he weighed 509 grams
March 5th I took him to the vet....their scale said he weighed 480 grams (but I am suspicious of the accuracy...that's a lot of weight to lose over night!)
March 10th he weighed in at 496 grams.

I am HOPING that he is still recovering from that virus and WILL gain his weight back soon. But when should I contact the vet again? Do I wait a week? 2? Do I wait until he's down to a certain weight? (what's too low for a 5.5 yr old male?)

On a positive note: little Daisy has been gaining and gaining! yay! I've been excited to get her up to 500 grams so she can finally join Dewey in his cage.
March 1st she was 412
March 4th: 417
March 10th 431 !! Woohooo!!

39

Health / Re: wet eye

« on: March 10, 2010, 06:46:11 PM »

jmdebb ... does it look like this?
(with a white discharge and dampness in the fur under the eye)





That's Dewey's clogged tear duct.
Medicines can screw with a chinchillas tummy, so going on & off & on & off them isn't very healthy. If it's truly an infection and your chin NEEDS the meds, then certainly do them. But if it looks like above photos....maybe just try some eye drops! (regular lubricating drops) See if that helps!
....of course your chin won't like those either! Dewey also barks at me when I try to get him out of his cage. He knows I'm up to something! (Either weighing him or doing eye drops...both of which he hates!) When I let him out to run, I just have to open the cage door and let him go out on his own. Then I use his dust house to coax him back. That way I don't have to handle him too much. So he KNOWS if I am handling him, it's probably not fun! Poor guy.

40

General Chat / Re: new baby coming!

« on: March 10, 2010, 06:37:02 PM »

Oh! So Squishy!!! Love them!!

41

Q & A / Re: does it really help to get a hand raised chin?

« on: March 09, 2010, 08:17:03 PM »

I think it does helped for them to be hand raised. I got my boy Schroeder (who has since passed on  ) from a guy who held them often...he wasn't a breeder, it was actually a really bad situation for the chins...BUT, because Schroeder was used to being handled, when I first stuck my hand in his cage to say hello, he climbed right on my hand! He just allowed me to lift him out with no problems! It won me over instantly! Schroeder and I bonded quickly and easily. He was eager to spend time with me! (Probably grateful I saved him from that guy!)
My current chins... a 5 yr old male I have had since last June, was raised by a good family, but handled only occasionally. He doesn't like to be pestered...he'll let me scratch his chin on occasion, but usually I use his bath house to coax him in & out of his cage.
....And now my 7 month old female I just got last month...was from a pet store, but a GOOD local one. She was played with frequently by the guy taking care of her. She usually allows me to pick her up without much fuss. She doesn't walk right onto my hand, but she does stand still while I reach for her.

So...in my experience, it seems that chins that were handled often from early on, are much better about being handled, and very easy to bond with!
BTW - I also HATE seeing how the chins at Petco & Petsmart are treated. They live in glass aquariums full of plastic toys. So sad. It worried me to purchase from there because the chins could be in such bad health after that sort of treatment.

42

Health / Re: Dewey has a RUNNY NOSE!

« on: March 08, 2010, 04:39:38 PM »

I've offered kale, dill, strawberry tops, and fresh apple ...they won't eat any of it.
Carrot tops and beet tops are not easy to find in stores!

43

Health / Re: wet eye

« on: March 07, 2010, 07:25:17 PM »

Ya'know... my chin Dewey, OFTEN has a wet eye. The fur around his right eye is "usually" a little damp.
One vet told me it was a cold, and gave me eye drops. I used the drops twice a day for a week like he said, and Dewey seemed better for awhile...then it came back...I used the drops again, it went away.... and this goes on and on. I only use the drops if there seems a bit of build-up in his eye, but I feel like I use them at least once a month and it's "the norm" for his right eye to be kinda watery.

My vet said Dewey has a clogged tear duct. That as long as the discharge is clear or white, he's OKAY! If it gets yellow or green, he has an infection. But he said just to treat by wiping with warm cotton ball, and lubricating with eye drops (just regular human drops).

44

Health / Re: Dewey has a RUNNY NOSE!

« on: March 05, 2010, 10:28:20 PM »

Okay... vet said the runny nose was probably a little virus, that Dewey likely caught from Daisy...who may have already been exposed to and gotten immune to before coming here. And now Dewey should be immune to it too. But his lungs were clear.

He said his eye is likely a clogged tear duct. That it's just something Dewey must have had since birth and I can treat it by wiping it with a warm rag/cotton ball, and by lubricating it (just regular human eye drops). As long as the discharge from his eye stays white, no worries. If it turns green or yellow OR if his runny nose comes back in green or yellow...then I should take him back. But it's usually white, so must be his clogged tear duct.

Another interesting thing he told me was the same stuff the first vet told me... feed him "water filled greens"... roughage. He said a diet of pellets & hay isn't healthy for chinchillas...that their GI tract will get used to it, but they won't be as healthy as possible or live as long as possible. He encouraged me to try many different things to find out what my chins like because chins can have texture issues with food... but I SHOULD give him fruits/veggies.  I told him that everything I've read from all the "expert chinchilla breeders/owners" online says NOT to give them these things...but he insisted that he's studied it, he's seen it first hand, he's watched what happens to chinchillas on different diets, etc...and that he, as a doctor often has to FIGHT the internet to get the proper info out there. I said that roughage might make my chins sick because they are not used to it...that they are happy with their pellets... he said it might change their stools...but that it would be a good change. He talked about chinchillas in the wild and what they eat...*shrugs*.  We talked a lot about chinchillas in general and I told him what happened with Schroeder and my previous vet experience...and he was really upset at how my previous vet handled Schroeders illness. "That makes me mad" he said. He seemed VERY knowledgeable about chinchilla health and how their systems work. So...I guess I am gonna get some carrot tops, beet tops, watercress, etc....and see what my chins might like!

In the meantime I'm just happy Dewey's little runny nose is clearing up and was nothing major. That his damp eye is just a common problem that's easy to solve, and that I no longer have to keep the barrier up between the chins! They'll be happy to see each other again after 3 days!

45

Health / Re: Dewey has a RUNNY NOSE!

« on: March 05, 2010, 01:35:14 PM »

His nose is clean now, but his eye has goop in the corner. So it probably is an infection of some sort. I weighed him last night, and he'd lost 22 grams since last week! Of course as soon as I put him back in his cage, he hopped up on his food dish and started eating....so maybe he just hadn't eaten in a few hours and put at least SOME of that weight back on.
He see's the vet in 5.5 hours! I am going to be sure to let him know about the weight loss along with the symptoms, and I packed his eye drops we got last Summer so the vet could see what I have been using on him. *Still keeping fingers crossed this vet knows a LOT about chinchillas*! I need a GOOD vet! And this one is close to where I live! So it'd be nice if he's good! LOL