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I strongly suspect there was a broken blood vessel in the ear. Chinchillas can be very rambunctious especially at night and constantly bouncing around in their cage. It could have slammed into something. If the spot gets smaller and continues to lighten up that would be my first guess.

I recommend looking for any corners or hard objects in your chinchilla's play areas that it could have collided with. Also look for any gaps or things that its ear could have been caught in. If the spot gets redder and spreads you may want to have it checked out. I recommend taking photographs once a week and comparing them. I'm pretty sure the ear was bruised.

Here are the photographs of Dex's right ear. The first two were taken 1-12 then the last one was taken two days later.

I think you'll be okay long enough to see an exotic specialist if your pet will continue with the critical care. I recommend you have a syringe ready for feeding if it gets worse. It is possible the filing did not fix the problem. I also think your chinchilla has malocclusion.

Feel free to email me with the pictures at admin@chinchillaclub.com and I'll see they get posted.

Hey guys, I wanted to ask if anyone knew what is happening to my little guy's right ear.  He has a couple of discolored bumps, and lives alone in the cage so it is not from a fight or anything of that nature.  I read up that severe changes in temperature can also cause this, but the temperature has been pretty consistent the last week or so.  I have pictures of his ear, but cannot upload them since the maximum file size is 600kb and each picture is 3.4 MB.

More info to make sure he's okay: this past week I got influenza and partially quarantined myself away from him (no interaction except for food/water/baths and washed hands thoroughly, but he was also in the same room with me so I would spray Lysol constantly to disinfect the area).  He seems healthy and full of energy, but I'm unsure where these marks on his right ear came from.  Thank you!

In answer to your question(s) apologies just re-read but merely fired an update

He had a head x-ray. This defined a spur. This was filed down

I am booked in 10am uk time at a vet who specialises in exotics

I have been back to the vet today as I was called away from work saying the chin is covered in drool. It is the second worst case I have seen and I was the proud owner of a 23 year old chin that encompassed problems in her final year

Anyway vet see me as an emergency. Further inspection, he cannot see anything "clinically, medically, or scientifically that's wrong". He's administered an anti inflam, and baytril. However has asked me to see a specialist tomorrow morning, which I am booked in to do so.

Many thanks for your response GrayRodent. I will happily keep you all posted

Alan

Filing teeth is a treatment for malocclusion. If the filing is successful I'd wait another day or two to assess improvement.
What was the diagnosis and were there other treatments?
Also what is the nature of the drooling? Is it wet under the chin or could it be just slop from spoon feeding?

Hi all, proud owner of two lovely win boys. Sadly one needed a dental op 7th of January.

Pleased to say it isn't malo and he's home and eating critical care.

I do have a question or wondered if others could share experiences etc to either put my mind at rest or kick off more action on my part. The chinchilla is happily taking critical care from a spoon. Cutting to the chase, he made it through the night and is happy with his brother. I am noticing some post op drool, which I assume is from the filing ?

Is this common? When should I expect to see the mouth improve?

Many thanks in advance for your help

Alan

Thx, that's what i though. Plus his 1 back leg has took all the strain for 2 years now, so i suppose that hasn't helped. He had a couple of extra good years. when i took him to the vets for his 1st broken leg the vets talked about putting him down, i couldn't believe it he could of had another 10 years in him. i said no  amputate his leg, paid alot to have it done and it was the 1st time they had done an operation like that on such a small animal.
So I'm glade for the extra couple of years. I'm having him cremated and his ashes put into a special photo frame with his picture in it.
He had a good life for the last 17 years considering his bad start, he was left in a box at a pet shop door when very young, i rescued him and gave him a great life, sad that it had to end this way.