Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

31

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

« on: February 05, 2019, 08:58:50 PM »

I seriously doubt this chinchilla is female. Male chinchillas do not have a scrotum per se, but flexible skin that portrudes with the testicles and epidydumus when they are active and their body temperature is higher than normal. Does the other chinchilla have the same features? If not, you probably should separate them.

32

Health / Re: Chinchilla doesn't use dust bath?

« on: February 05, 2019, 08:55:04 PM »

Try putting the dust in a large bowl. Leave it in the cage for about 10 minutes, then remove it from the cage.
Do this about twice a week. You can try to wait after sundown when chinchillas are more active.

33

Health / Re: Chinchilla doesn't use dust bath?

« on: January 21, 2019, 07:20:38 AM »

I think it's normal behavior you're describing. No two chinchillas are the same. I have a chinchilla that stands up more than the other one.

I don't think there's anything wrong with the feces being pointy, as long as it's not squishy or sticks to the cage. The opposite is they are small and scant. That usually occurs when there's a lot of hair in it from a shedding cycle. There is no need to cut back on pellets. A good pelleted diet is beneficial. Chinchillas drink most of their water at their most active times, which is usually late at night when most people are asleep. The best way to track water is pay attention to water levels.

34

Health / Re: Won't eat hard foods - can't find tooth problem

« on: November 09, 2018, 02:00:38 PM »

Probably has dental problems that are not easy to detect.

35

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

« on: October 25, 2018, 07:55:58 AM »

Yes it is true chinchillas can have different personalities and some, although rare, will never accept human interaction. This is true in all kinds of pets. So with that in still in
 mind you don't know how it's going to turn out.

I think there are few mistakes being made. I recommend removing hiding places from the cage. Even a tame chinchilla will normally run under the sofa or into a dark place when out of the cage. It is rare when you don't see this behavior. Inside of the cage a hiding place can incite the animal to be more territorial and aggressive once inside. Most meaningful interaction with my own pets takes place inside of the cage and at the cage.

Chinchillas that are allowed to run around in large areas will also tend to act more wild. There is no real need to do that. At the very least limit that time to no more than 5-10 minutes per day. For training purposes just try cutting that time out completely for a few weeks, and try again at the cage. I think you'll find your pet will take more interest in you.

I do take them out of the cage and hold them for a minute or so and pet them and let them crawl around on my shoulders. This is a second step once you've master the inside-of-cage interaction. Chinchillas can be trained to stay in your lap but it is difficult and requires blocking them and preventing them from jumping which can be stressful, even for a tame chinchilla, so you before you go to that step your chinchillas must be comfortable with you at the other stages first.

36

Q & A / Re: Discoloration in Chinchilla's Ear

« on: September 11, 2018, 04:06:33 AM »

Here are your photos. Doesn't look normal to me but I don't know what it is. Perhaps someone here has seen this before. My first guess would be some kind of abrasion. Monitor for changes. If it's something irritating your chinchilla could be rubbing it raw.

37

Health / Re: Help! Fur loss on chin and left paw

« on: September 10, 2018, 04:00:56 AM »

I advise a vet visit for this one.

38

Q & A / Re: Discoloration in Chinchilla's Ear

« on: September 10, 2018, 03:59:48 AM »

If you'd like you can send the picture to me and I'll process it for you. You can send it to admin@chinchillaclub.com.

39

Q & A / Re: Repairing chinchillas

« on: July 13, 2018, 04:39:24 AM »

Personally I'd just keep them separate. I have separated mine.

40

Health / Re: Dental problems - what is the outlook?

« on: June 20, 2018, 05:32:37 AM »

I'm so sorry to hear that. I think you'll find your other chinchilla is going to be just fine but will probably act slightly stressed for the next week or two before settling down.

41

Health / Re: Dental problems - what is the outlook?

« on: June 09, 2018, 05:52:12 PM »

I'm very sorry to hear you're going through this. Unfortunately a dental extraction is not going to improve your pet's condition. You may know that in chinchillas (true for all rodents and rabbits) their teeth grow constantly, and it requires the opposite tooth to grind together when chewing and eating to maintain the teeth. Therefore you'd have to extract both teeth in theory, but then you have an issue with the whole mouth being asymmetrical, and that will probably cause malocclusion with teeth on both sides. I know of some people who have gone through the extraction process. Recovery is very difficult and the risk of other problems developing is very high, if not certain. The best extraction can do is maybe buy some more time, perhaps a few months before follow up exams and routine tooth trimming/reshaping (under anesthesia) are required.

In my opinion your best option is euthanasia unless you can rule out dental problems. Unfortunately an x-ray is your best option to confirm the diagnosis. If there are visible signs of issues with elongated roots that is a different kind of dental problem that is also terminal in chinchillas and often associated with malocclusion as well. This should easily show up on an x-ray.

As far as your other female chinchilla you are certainly free to try to pair with another animal. I strongly recommend another female or you will become an accidental breeder, and that is never advisable. Improper breeding practices can easily produce chinchillas with terminal dental issues.  Not all chinchillas are compatible with each other and most chinchillas prefer solitude. If you attempt to find another chin please quarantine for two to three weeks, purchase from a breeder who has a good reputation, and be prepared to house them separately if they turn out to be incompatible.

Antibiotics are very hard on chinchilla's digestive systems, especially if it has been compromised with dental issues. I expect you are already hand feeding. If you are not obtain instructions and supplies from your vet. The risk of the intestines shutting down (GI status) is very high and must be managed competently to save the animal.

I am very sorry to hear this. I hope this will help you make a decision on what your next steps should be.

42

General Chat / Re: Tips for Anxious Chinchillas

« on: April 26, 2018, 08:15:59 AM »

Thanks for sharing. I've observed some of the same behaviors in my chins.

43

Health / Re: Banana flavouring??

« on: April 10, 2018, 09:35:07 AM »

I'm so glad to hear to hear your pet is recovering. If you can it might be a good idea to do a fecal culture. It's possible your chinchilla has some kind of parasitic infection that might flare up again later. If that happens anti-parasitic drugs are recommended.

What I mean by uncontroversial is that it's usual, normal ingredients that I would expect to find in a chinchilla diet. I'm also going to recommend, if you can, ordering some oxbow critical care and just try that and see if your pet will eat it. It will probably take a while to get it shipped in. It's a different recovery diet. Just feed some on a spoon. This kind of diet is better in case of an emergency in the future.

There are many different possible causes for this kind of problem. Anything from bad food, to changes in water (Perhaps you should switch to bottled water), to stress that might cause an underlying parasitic issue to flare up. You may never know what caused it and may never encounter it again.

44

Web site Reviews / Re: Lone Star Chinchilla is back!

« on: April 10, 2018, 09:24:11 AM »

That's awesome. I remember buying a metal dust bath bin from you and that is a difficult to find product. It's still in pristine condition.

45

Breeding 101 / Re: Weaning early?

« on: April 10, 2018, 09:23:12 AM »

Yeah you don't want to leave them in for more than 8 weeks, especially males. Just put him in another cage closeby and he might be calmer. Just pull him out. He can eat regular food now.