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Messages - GrayRodent

Pages: 1 ... 172 173 [174] 175 176 ... 183
2596
Guestbook / Re: Hello there!
« on: March 29, 2012, 06:22:30 PM »
Welcome to the boards. I am doing my pre-owning research on this site and it is a very interesting place to learn and participate. I hear that 3 months is a good age to bond with. What kind of chinchilla do you have?

2597
Health / Re: Poop Problem!! Light brown & short
« on: March 29, 2012, 02:40:30 PM »
Have you noticed any changes today?

2598
Q & A / Re: Strange odor comming from younest chin's water bottle.
« on: March 28, 2012, 03:58:34 PM »
How long have you had the bottle? Maye the rubber is deteriorating and it's time to replace it.

2599
Health / Re: Chinchilla ears problem! Fungus...?
« on: March 27, 2012, 12:20:27 PM »
Redness of the skin, difficulty breathing, sudden diarrhea, and seizures, these are all possible signs of allergic reactions in most animals. Just watch for any sudden changes in behavior or redness on the skin. If there's an allergy it will probably show up after the second or third dose. However it is very rare for this to happen. Maybe someone who knows more can comment.

2600
Health / Re: Chinchilla ears problem! Fungus...?
« on: March 27, 2012, 11:35:44 AM »
Itraconconazol is probably better. It will kill more kinds of fungus and may cause less side effects. You probably shouldn't use the shampoo. Bathing your chinchillas in water can cause them to go into shock and die because of the sudden changes in temperature if it is not done exactly right.
Make sure none of them are allergic to the itradrops before you do anything else. I'm not sure if you should treat all of them but I think it will be necessary.

2601
Q & A / Re: Not interested in bath.
« on: March 27, 2012, 10:47:13 AM »
Typically it takes a couple weeks for them to settle in. I wouldn't be too concerned about it. They only need it every few days. I'm amazed at how calm this one is. It sounds like you have a very nice animal.

2602
Health / Re: Heat?
« on: March 27, 2012, 07:42:44 AM »
With chins a trained eye will notice an enlargement of the vulva. There should be no blood. If there is bleeding you have a problem.

2603
Chit Chat / Re: thinking about getting 2 chins!
« on: March 25, 2012, 04:29:17 PM »
Yeah, I guess my expectations aren't that high. I would love to have a chinchilla that enjoyed being carried around. That seems like a tall order to fill.

2604
Health / Re: Scabs/cuts on mouth?
« on: March 25, 2012, 06:54:45 AM »
Do you have any wooden toys or items in the cage that might have nails or staples in them?

2605
Q & A / Re: Need help with portable air conditioner
« on: March 24, 2012, 02:50:54 PM »
Using an evaporative cooler is terrible for bringing up humidity in a room and this can be uncomfortable for chins increasing the risk of behavioral issues like fur chewing. In the desert it felt good because the air was too dry in the summer (RH around 10%), but when it was higher (30%+) you could feel the moisture on your skin and the efficiency came down to the point where it felt like it was doing nothing. Having an air conditioner is much better.

By using a regular air conditioner that uses a compressor it will actually dive the humidity down. In fact there is a bucket that collects water that you'll have to empty. I used to use one in an office where I worked where the humidity was high in the summer(over 50%RH) and it could generate a couple of gallons a day.

2606
Q & A / Re: Need help with portable air conditioner
« on: March 24, 2012, 08:37:47 AM »
Evaporative coolers will not work on days with high humidity. I used to live in a desert area (Phoenix, AZ) and we used our evaps all the time, but during the rainy season they just didn't work. I've never used a portable air conditioner before but I've used window-mounted air conditioners that work well but they are only powerful enough to cool one room. Also keep in mind the summers got real hot there like 46 degrees. I think there's an advantage to using a standalone because you can put it near the cage (just make sure your chin isn't in a cold draft) where it is needed. I have a friend who says she likes hers as I was asking about the same thing. This was an earlier post on that one: http://www.chinchillaclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,3537.0.html


2607
Chit Chat / Re: thinking about getting 2 chins!
« on: March 24, 2012, 06:47:47 AM »
If you want a chin that has the greatest chances of being healthy you might want to see if you can find a local reputable breeder. Getting a baby will give you the greatest chance of it growing up to be friendly towards you. Chins tend to do better alone so you don't have to get two.

It is not uncommon for older ones to show up on classified ads like craigslist. The biggest advantage is that you can usually get the cage setup with the chin for very cheap. Just make sure it's an all-metal cage or you really should get one. Plastic cages can be chewed and the pieces can cause bowel obstructions.

The big downside is that you won't always know what their lineage look like, as health problems can be inherited from bad breeding practice including tumors, heart problems, and seizures. You will want to make sure they have had the right diet and unlimited access to chew toys growing up, since wrong diet and lack of chewable items can cause tooth problems that can be very expensive to manage and are not always curable. It is always best to have a vet check their teeth before you buy an adult.

If they came from a good home and are used to being handled they'll be plenty friendly. But with chins it may take a couple weeks of them getting used to their surroundings before their true personality comes out. Some have a better predisposition towards people than others regardless, just like any other animal.

It's best to save up so you can take the chin to a vet if it needs it in addition to the cost of all the accessories otherwise you'll be risking the health of your pet.

Hope this helps

2608
Health / Re: Scabs/cuts on mouth?
« on: March 24, 2012, 05:49:14 AM »
Chinchillas as well as other rodents have teeth that grow constantly. The hard food keeps them trimmed and shaped properly. When the overgrown parts of the teeth grind against each other they wear unevenly causing sharp places that grow into the flesh above them. This is a very painful condition that will get worse until the animal stops eating ASSUMING that is the problem.

Because it seems to be clearing up on it's own leads me to think there's a different problem, possibly a traumatic injury caused by colliding with something. Often tooth problems present with the chin crumbling or partially eating pellets and they rarely go away on their own. Are you seeing signs of chewing on the wood?

Still, keep a close eye out for infection or changes. Also it's best not to feed chins nuts as their systems are not designed for that. It can easily lead to diarrhea. Raisins are good though, just no more than 2 a day. But, always, when in doubt, see your exotic vet.

2609
Health / Re: Chinchilla ears problem! Fungus...?
« on: March 23, 2012, 06:40:57 PM »
It could easily be ringworm. I think the eye thing was probably unrelated to the infection. With eye problems it's best to forgo dusting for a few days and it was probably dusting that caused it. It's not unusual in chins. I'm glad it's clearing up. If improvement stops then you might have something else going on.

Typically ringworm presents with fur missing from the nose with flaky and reddened skin that spreads outward. It is very easily spread by contaminated dust so you should be treating all of your chins as if they have it.

Unfortunately flaky skin is also a symptom of ringworm, but it could also be that they getting too many dust baths and it is causing dry skin. From what I understand They should be dusted every other day and given access about 10-15min at a time. Cleaning and disinfecting the cages every day is certainly good practice. It can also help to put the cage outside in the sunlight after cleaning it with bleach to dry off since sunlight helps kill the fungus too. It is important they do not share dust or dust bath containers during this time because this is the primary method for ringworm to spread.

I've treated ringworm with my 3 cats (all got old and died it was a while back) and it's a major pain. It can take months to fully clear up after daily baths in ringworm rinse (try saying that ten times fast). With one cat it kept recurring about once a year and then I got it myself!

2610
Health / Re: Scabs/cuts on mouth?
« on: March 22, 2012, 05:50:09 PM »
I would strongly suspect tooth spurs here especially because she has been eating the wrong diet. Eating only soft foods is a big symptom of that too. You need to see a vet as soon as possible. She will need to have her teeth filed. Also ask the vet about calcium deficiency that could be caused by a poor diet. This can cause the teeth to distort and cause this as well. Your pet is in grave danger of infection and malnutrition.

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