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Author: JoAnn
of Luv'N Chins
Hints for Chin Owners

Caution and quick action are two of the most important words when caring for your chins. Things can happen very quickly with chinchillas.

As many of you know, I am always open for questions about chinchillas and help when ever I can. If I do not know the answers, I usually know where to find them. Below you will hear some of the accidents and problems that can happen with chinchillas, some are my own and some are from those who have written to me for help.

Evil Knevel

When kits are born, you never quite realize how quick and agile they can be ~ even just hours after they are born. Julia gave birth to two beautiful male standard gray kits. As I usually do, I was giving her some yogurt, while watching the 3-hour-old kits playing in the middle of the cage. The next thing I knew one of the kits came flying out of the cage ... I caught him in mid-air. It really frightened me ... he had come so close to death. Fast reflexes are needed with chins. It was a four foot drop to the floor. He was dubbed "Evil Knevel" at that very moment ... that daring little kit. :) But it didn't end there ... the very next day as Julia was getting her yogurt ... I watched closely ... the boys were playing at the back of the cage. Suddenly, little Evil Knevel went flying past ... I didn't see him this time, I only heard the horrible thud as he hit the floor. He lay there, not breathing, such a tiny thing. I picked him up and tried stimulating him and doing C.P.R. He started breathing and moving, but in very jerky, he was having a severe seizure! The seizure lasted about a minute and left him paralyzed in the bottom half of his body. I did call the vet immediately after the seizure and she said, "Time will tell, at this age they often bounce back." I felt surely I would still loose him or that he might be paralyzed the rest of his life. I carried him around, holding him close, trying to comfort him. After an hour only one hind leg was left paralyzed ... he was moving everything else. By the next morning even the limp in his hind leg was gone and he was playing as if nothing had ever happened! Again, I called the vet to let her know he was ok and ask what the future might hold for him. She told me then if he did not have another seizure again within two weeks he would not have a tendency towards having another one. He did not and is now 10 weeks old, very happy, healthy and living in West Virginia with a loving family and his brother Jabber Jaws. :) Current photos of both brothers can be seen on "Our Chins" at: http://kevingoforth_1.tripod.com/ourchins/index.html.

Anastasia was a pet store chin ... when purchased, she had a bad infection and was passing a tiny bit of blood in her urine. Antibiotics were given and she got better. She seemed to eat and eat, but was still loosing weight and became listless and stopped eating. The flora in the digestive system was destroyed by the antibiotics and no replacement was given for it. She swelled up ... her whole system filled with undigested food ... full of food, yet starving. Her adopted family contacted me ... the only thing I could tell them at this point was to get her to the vet a.s.a.p. They did, the vet pumped her stomach, but it was already to late ... she passed away within 3 days. Please, remember, antibiotics are wonderful for killing the infection causing bacteria, but it does not know the difference between good and bad bacteria and will kill it all. The good bacteria that digest the food is necessary and must be replaced. Live culture yogurt, acidophilus, and poop from a healthy chin will all work to replace the flora in the digestive system. A word of caution with the yogurt ... it must be given halfway in-between doses of the antibiotics. The milk product in the yogurt counter-acts the antibiotic and visa versa when given to close to the same time.

When you have a little one on your shoulder and let him ride there as you go through the house, please keep a firm, but gentle hold on the base of his tail until you are sure he will not jump from your shoulder ... they can do this without warning and a jump so high can cause damage to your chin. I have had people tell me about turning loose the tail just long enough to open a door or pick up something ... so far ... I have only heard of 'close calls' with happy endings. One landed on a bed, and another on a pile of clothing.

Chins are faster and can jump higher and further than we expect them to. I was told about a chin that jumped from a trunk to the top of the tank on a toilet, it slid on the slick surface from one side to the other and was caught before it fell off.

Plants can be a danger to chins, also. Not only are some of them poisonous, but a little one taking a flying leap from the top of a ficus tree and be dangerous. They love to climb and chew ... on anything!

One chin owner wrote me about her chin that has a habit of chewing through computer cables ... this can be expensive for you and dangerous for your chin! No crispy critters, please. Something as simple as PVC pipe or a flexible black accordion type sleeve covering the wires will slow them down and maybe even save their lives.

A chinchilla cage is best made of 1/2" x 1" wire on the sides and tops, but the floors and ramps need to be made of 1/2" x 1/2" wire or can be solid (but no plastics, please). If the ramp you have has been made of larger wire than that you can cover it with wire mesh cloth and lace it to the ramp with wire. One lady had to make a quick trip to the vet when she found her little one with a badly swollen leg hanging up side down from the ramp he had caught his leg in. Broken legs can be mended, but sometimes they will go into shock and die. Luckily she heard his squeal of pain and got to him quickly. An ounce of prevention may prevent a trip to the vet and a lot of pain and/or death for your chin.

Many people use the bathroom for a play area because it is usually the easiest room to chin-proof. Don't forget to put the lid down on your commode and make sure there is no water in the bathtub or sink ... wet chins can catch a chill very easily. If an accident happens, be sure you dry him/her with a soft towel while blowing gently on the fur to help dry it. Make sure it is completely dry before allowing it to be put back in the cage or finish it's playtime.

I recently heard from a lady that had a chin that had it's privates extended past the sheath and it could not retract back into the sheath. After a week, some minor surgery was needed and antibiotics for the raw skin. :( Never postpone taking your chin in when needed ... things can get complicated quickly. Check your males frequently for hair rings ... this can be dangerous and very painful. The little fellas are not happy having you to do this and it is almost a must to make it a two-person deal. One person can hold him in the "cradle position" (on his back, cupped in the person's hands) while the second person gently (very gently) pulls back the sheath and examine it with a magnifying glass to see if there is any sign of a hair ring or of swelling. The hair ring must be removed gently ... sometime petroleum jelly will help. Then replace the sheath being very careful to keep the surrounding fur from getting caught as you replace the sheath to it's normal position. If there is hair there that you can not remove, take him to the vet a.s.a.p. to have it removed.

If you live in an older home where there is a possibility of lead paint or very old wallpaper under newer wall paper, please keep a close eye on the chins during playtime. They will chew on and eat anything! Lead paint is poisonous and some of the old past used to hang wall paper contained cyanide poison.

Holes as small as an inch in diameter can allow a chin to crawl through or crawl into and get stuck. It can be very tricky to get them out ... especially if they fall down between the walls.

Something as simple as a screen door hook on a cabinet can keep your chins away from household chemicals that can kill him/her.

Extra locks are also important on the cages sometimes ... chins are very strong for their size and much more intelligent than we will give them credit. Watch your chin when you latch and unlatch the cage door, is he/she watching you closely? Probably. Have you found one latch open and one closed when you return? You returned in time to catch them before they opened the second one and escaped to freedom! Even a tiny padlock works great in these situations.

Never, never, never open the cage door and turn your back on it for even a second ... you may look back to find your little one has escaped!

Always, use room temperature water or cool water in the water bottles. If the water is cold, it can cause the little ball inside the tube to form a vacuum as the water warms to room temperature and will keep your chin from having access to their water.

Make it a habit to keep treats in a plastic container and shake it before giving your chin it's treat. They will recognize the sound and come running, should your little one be playing hide-and-seek with you. Rarely will they pass up a treat.

Pressed wood and wood covered with a counter surface can be deadly ... the glue that is often used is poisonous to chinchillas. Cedar and cherry wood is also dangerous for chins.

Always keep a close eye on your little ones at playtime and look for the simple little things that they might love to explore that could be dangerous for them.


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