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Author Topic: Please help me!! I'm a new chinchilla owner  (Read 2431 times)

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Flint

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Re: Please help me!! I'm a new chinchilla owner
« Reply #15 on: January 03, 2016, 04:52:56 AM »

Your chin may have pulled out his own fur due to stress or one of his siblings could have done it before he came to you. You need to look at the skin around where his fur is missing and assess whether there is any redness, abrasions or wounds in that area, and if so, get them treated. If the skin is normal, I wouldn't worry too much. Missing fur will not harm your chin.
When you picked your chin up from his breeder, did you view his parent, and/or any siblings? Was he kept in good clean conditions with toys, clean water bottle etc. the more information you can give, the better we are able to help.
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GrayRodent

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Re: Please help me!! I'm a new chinchilla owner
« Reply #16 on: January 03, 2016, 07:59:32 AM »

Was the fur missing when you got your pet? Is there any redness or flaking of the skin? Is there any sign of missing fur on the nose?
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TrinaKat

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Re: Please help me!! I'm a new chinchilla owner
« Reply #17 on: January 03, 2016, 09:22:23 AM »

He came from a pet store,he was in a clean cage and all his fur was in tact. The missing fur was recent, like just yesterday it happened. Also he is new and still doesn't even let me pet him so I can't really check right now.
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Flint

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Re: Please help me!! I'm a new chinchilla owner
« Reply #18 on: January 03, 2016, 10:55:59 AM »

It could well be your own stress that is being communicated to your chinchilla. Try your best to be calm when round him. Monitor his day to day activities and if there is something that you are uncertain about, then come back here and we will try our best to help. In the meantime, read up as much as you can and ask as many questions as you need. That's the way I have aquired my knowledge.
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GrayRodent

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Re: Please help me!! I'm a new chinchilla owner
« Reply #19 on: January 03, 2016, 11:37:23 AM »

If he won't let you pet him chances are you're seeing fur slip. Chinchillas will loosen their fur in response to what they think is a threat and if you pull on the fur of the animal scrapes against something it comes out in clumps and sometimes causes bald spots. It is a defense mechanism that makes it more difficult for predators to grab them.

Chinchillas are typically high strung animals and those that have not been handled properly or often enough will be highly resistant to petting or handling.
You may need to wait a week or two between the time you have relocated him to the time you really start trying to tame and handle him.

If the fur starts coming off the nose or other places and the skin looks red or irritated you are likely facing a fungal infection. If the skin looks white and healthy it's probably just a chinchilla that is not used to being handled or still nervous from the relocation and slipping fur.

When you interact with him do not go in over top of his head or from behind. Let him come to you, at least for the first two weeks, and be calm and still. Then do more in stages until he become more accustomed to interaction. Do not make a lot of loud noises or sudden movements around him. Children are usually pretty bad about doing that because they may be afraid. Chinchillas thrive on slow, deliberate, and peaceful interaction and typically do not like to be held or restrained. Eventually you'll need to train your pet to be held. They can be conditioned to do just about anything if you are patient and gentle.
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BLS Chins

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Re: Please help me!! I'm a new chinchilla owner
« Reply #20 on: January 03, 2016, 12:18:06 PM »

Can you post a pic?
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TrinaKat

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Re: Please help me!! I'm a new chinchilla owner
« Reply #21 on: January 03, 2016, 05:31:45 PM »

I have held him already, he has been handled, I have been working on bonding with him at the pet store for the last three months. I haven't tried to pick him up or anything, because I know he needs adjusting, I just talk to him, I have done a lot of research, i'll probably call a vet though just to make sure he is okay, thank you all for the advice, I will definitely try not to stress around him too much.
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