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16

Q & A / Re: Did my chinchilla...finish?

« on: October 29, 2019, 07:20:52 PM »

Like I said, don't be concerned unless it looks red, swollen, won't retract, or appears to be causing the animal trouble. An abnormality like a large visible tumor will probably have some serious symptoms.

My two chinchillas used to be really bad about going after each other before I permanently separated them. One time the mess was so bad on my white mosaic's back I pretty much gave it time, dust bathed about once a day for three days, and as it started growing out I was able to lift out the matted fur. He has a very cottony texture so it was a nightmare but fur grows constantly and if you can break up the mat with your fingers it will grow out. Since then I just make sure they stay separate or I can separate them quickly if they start going after each other. Haven't had that problem since.

17

Q & A / Re: Did my chinchilla...finish?

« on: October 28, 2019, 05:14:18 PM »

The shaft isn't completely smooth at the end. I wouldn't be concerned unless you see redness, observe urination outside of the cage or on shelving, or if your pet won't fully retract its penis after it is done. Shaking right before they extend it for cleaning is behavior I've observed in my healthy pets.

18

Q & A / Re: Can Chins have hemp seed?

« on: August 27, 2019, 08:22:35 AM »

Agreed. Seeds are not good for chinchillas. They can subsist entirely on timothy hay plus a good pelleted diet and live very healthy lives.

19

General Chat / Re: Zoe has been acting odd

« on: August 27, 2019, 08:21:30 AM »

Have there been any changes in her environment? Could something have stressed her out the last time she was out? New smells, pets, smells from someone else's pet? What about devices that could introduce new sounds? Chinchillas react especially to low frequency sounds.
As long as she is maintaining her weight I wouldn't be too concerned.

20

General Chat / Re: My chinchilla is still afraid of me!

« on: June 17, 2019, 07:28:50 AM »

All animals have different personalities. They also have similar basic natural instincts. Chinchillas in the wild live under rocks. They hide during the day from predators and are active when it is dark. I think it is rare to have a pet that doesn't automatically look for a dark place to hide, although I do have one like that.

21

General Chat / Re: My chinchilla is still afraid of me!

« on: May 09, 2019, 07:02:32 AM »

Chinchillas are challenging creatures to tame. Chances are you will still be making progress in small steps even a year from now. I have one chinchilla who is very tame in regard to being handled but if he gets away he will run and hide and we have a horrible time catching him he's about 7 years old. I have another who is the exact opposite and won't run even you put him in the middle of the floor. Each chinchilla can be a widely different experience.

22

General Chat / Re: Random Fur slipping.

« on: May 09, 2019, 06:58:08 AM »

It's not that unusual when chinchillas get excited and play, especially if she is not well socialized. I wouldn't concerned about it at all.

23

General Chat / Re: Shredding her toys

« on: May 09, 2019, 06:55:33 AM »

Yes. Absolutely. Chinchilla love to shred wood and it is good for their teeth.

24

Health / Re: Dust causing eye irritation

« on: May 03, 2019, 07:33:51 AM »

Bacterial infections of the eye in chinchillas normally respond rapidly to antibiotics within 2-3 days. It's good that you are getting a culture and identifying the type of bacteria. That's the only thing you can do.
As far as health make sure nutrition is good, copious amounts of grass hay available, room temperature is around 22C, noise levels are low in the room, consistent sleep wake times.

25

Health / Re: Training wheel nightmare

« on: May 03, 2019, 07:28:10 AM »

They don't need a wheel but it can help with nighttime noise. Do not provide a wheel to a chinchilla that is not fully grown.

I recommend the chin spin from quality cages. I have two 15" inch chin spins and have been using them for years. You will have to replace the bearings about every 6 months with very active chinchillas and you can order those through the quality cages website. These wheels are made of metal but have a wooden center structure. The metal prevents it from getting chewed. They are expensive but they should easily last the life of your pet.

26

Health / Re: Overweight chinny

« on: March 19, 2019, 08:06:43 AM »

That's very unusual. Chinchillas are normally self regulating as long their diet is good. Can you describe what kind of pellets they are getting? Also has your overweight chin had a recent vet exam? How long have you had them? How old are they? Can pregnancy be ruled out? Some health conditions can cause things like water retention.
It is very unwise to restrict food for chinchillas. They need a constant flow of nutrients through their bowels to prevent problems like stasis.

27

Q & A / Re: Playtime Troubles

« on: March 15, 2019, 07:29:59 AM »

I'm glad your chinchilla lives mainly in the cage. I know some owners let them live outside of the cage and they encounter this problem so I think that eliminates that as a problem.

As far as your pet goes I recommend training your pet to be handled and restrained. You can do this in short sessions of 15 to 20 seconds, then return your pet to the cage. (Always remember to release your chinchilla at floor level for safety reasons) Do this 5-6 times a day every day and your chinchilla will become more tolerant of being handled. I've done this with a very wild chinchilla and this method works well.

It went from wanting to bite to actually wanting to be handled but it was a process over for 4-5 weeks. Your goal is to desensitize your pet to being handled since its natural tendency is to flee at all costs. And you might get bit at first so make sure your hold is under the chin. Keep the other hold at the base of the tail. You can hold with one hand there if you feel you need to get control in a hurry to keep your pet safe from falling or getting loose. A chinchilla cannot bite you if you do that but it is stressful for the chinchilla. These are split-second kind of things and it make take a few tries to get used to how your chinchilla responds to you. I expect it will be a learning experience for you as well.

At first it will be stressful so you want to have a lot of though the cage interaction where you're not trying to do that. As long as normal experiences with you far outweigh the stressful ones you will be fine.

The biggest issue with playtime is catching the animal. Chasing and catching is always stressful. Right now I have one chinchilla that always gives chase but I've discovered there is a pattern with him. I use a cardboard tube to chase him out from under spaces. I've learned he usually takes a particular path and at the end he lets me pick him up. The thing is he will get picked up if he wants it or not and and that is pattern he has learned.

28

Q & A / Re: Playtime Troubles

« on: March 09, 2019, 05:51:58 PM »

I advise that he lives mainly in his cage as it is safer and healthier. The cage should be around 3' x 2' x 2' and furnished with pine wood shelving. If your chinchilla is more than 6 month old I recommend getting an exercise wheel. I recommend the chin spin 15" exercise wheel.

When you take him out of his cage for playtime on occasion be careful not to chase him around as this can quickly become a stressful interaction. Interact frequently and daily through the cage and I think you'll see rapid improvement. It is good practice to grasp the base of the tail of your chinchilla while handling and allow it to stand on your arm or hand. Moving a chinchilla around this way without supporting the back feet is stressful for most chins.

Interaction with your pets should be a give and take experience. Otherwise you are consistently rewarding your pet for displaying aggressive behavior and this will likely escalate. You should train your pet to be handled and that its primary territory and domain is its cage and I think your chinchilla will be calmer.

29

Q & A / Re: New to young ones, few questions/ any tips?

« on: March 08, 2019, 07:56:33 AM »

I recommend using cages with a wire bottom and install wood shelving in the cage. Typically your chinchilla will rest on the wood and urinate through the wire floor. As long as your chin cannot access the floor below it you can line it with an absorbent pad.

Otherwise if you have a solid bottomed cage use kiln-dried white pine or aspen chips for bedding and change it about once a week to 10 days for one chinchilla and it should be fine.

Starting out cage bound is fine. Chinchillas don't require a lot of activities outside of the cage. I have trained both my chinchillas to play on a chair while I'm sitting down. If they jump onto the floor I immediately pick them up. I used to let them run around in my bathroom but I don't see a lot of sense in that. Both of them have exercise wheels and plenty of shelving to play on in their cage. Wheels are something I recommend for chinchillas older than 6 months. My pets are very active and healthy and have been for years.

Basically I think a chinchilla that is over 6 months old is safer from over-exertion for activities. Your big thing to keep in check is the air temperature. It should be below 68 degrees F if at all possible.

I don't think rocks are necessary but I do have marble "chin chillers" and a big marble slab that have smooth surfaces. They like to rest on these at times but they both prefer wood shelving. Of course be careful a chinchilla cannot get pinched or crushed by any items in the cage. As long as your chinchilla isn't in contact with urine or visible mold you should be fine.

One thing I wish I had known was that a full size shop vac is the only thing capable of cleaning up loose hay. Get the one with the 2 inch hose and your life will be a lot easier. Also I can get chinchilla pellets in bulk from Tractor Supply, or even order (25 lb bags of mazuri chinchilla pellets) for a fraction of the price you get them from a pet store. I prefer chilldust over blue cloud. It puts less dust in the air. It is online order only and still costs less than most pet stores.

30

Q & A / Re: Just looking for a little insight

« on: February 10, 2019, 01:08:14 PM »

I've learned from breeders that fur rings are very uncommon in pets. Breeding chinchillas need to be checked regularly, however it's something to look for if there are symptoms of it. If they're both the same sex you'll be just fine.