Chin Rescue, Info & Supplies

***UNDER CONSTRUCTION***

Okay, As I have stated before I am NOT a vet. The following information meant to be used a quick reference to the most common chinchilla ailments and possible treatments. I will not guarantee that all information contained in this section of my site the correct solution to your problem. I have been EXTREMELY lucky with my chins and I have not experienced many of these problems. BUT I have read about these problems and these solutions time and time again and have read many testemonials that these methods are the best. If ever you have any doubt about chinchilla care, or your chinchilla is seriously injured, you MUST take your chin to a vet ASAP. Chinchillas are very good at hiding any physical problems until it is too late. Postponing a vet visit by even a couple of hours could leave a dead chinchilla in your arms.

Problem: Diarrhea
Symptoms: Very soft and/or "sticky" poos. Having actual runny  poo is a very extreme case and you should seek vet care asap.
Causes: Most of the time diarrhea is a result in a poor diet (too many sugary/watery treats, bad hay, poor quality pellets, dirty water bottles, etc), or a diet change done too quickly.
Treatment: You can try several things when dealing with diarrhea. First check the water bottle and make sure it is CLEAN. This means remove the cap and feel inside of the bottle and the cap. If it feels slimy then this means that the bottle has not been cleaned on a regular basis and algae has built up. It is very important that you clean your water bottles on a daily basis. Another thing to check is your hay. It should smell sweet and not be damp or moldy. If they hay is damp or moldy throw it out and buy new hay. Other common things to do when your chin has diarrhea is remove all of their pellets for a day and feed only timothy hay and water, feed 1"squares of BURNT toast (burn BLACK and allow to cool completely before feeding) or try to feed one small unfrosted shredded wheat square. If symptoms continue for more than a day, see your vet.

Problem: Constipation
Symptoms: Very small poos. May be very short or very skinny. Also if you notice that there are not as many poos as there normally are it is probably due to constipation or a blockage.
Causes: Again this can be caused by a having a poor diet (too many "grainy" treats, poor water/pellets). Other causes are a lack of exercise,  if your chin is dehydrated, stressed, or if your chin has eaten something bad for them (most common thing seems to be plastic)
Treatment: Again, check your water bottle and make sure it is clean. Also make sure that it is functioning properly and that there is no reason why your chin wouldn't be able to get the water out of the bottle. You may want to try to mark your bottle after you check it and then monitor how much your chin is drinking during its waking hours. Also while shredded wheat, rolled oats and cherrios are considered a more "safe" treat, too many can cause issues. These are "grainy" treats and they require more work on your chins digestive track to process (notice that shreddies are given to help treat diarrhea-).  Exercise is an important part of your chinchillas life. You should allow them as much out of cage time as you can, or at least provide them a large cage and/or wheel. Exercise promotes blood flow which helps everything run more smoothly. Lastly, if you notice that your chin ingested something it wasn't supposed to (plastic, carpet, etc) watch for these items to pass. If your chin starts experiencing constipation after they have ingested something bad then you need to go to the vet ASAP. This could now be a life or death situation.

Problem: Hair Ring
Symptoms: If you notice your male chin (only males get them ) cleaning himself more than usual, then it's time for a hair ring check.
Causes: Hair rings can form on male chins regardless if they are in breeding or not. A hair ring is litterally just that. A ring of hair that gets stuck around the penis of a chin. Hair rings can cause serious health problems by cutting off circulation to the penis so it is important to check your male chin at least once a month for hair rings
Treatment: Here is a link to a demonstration on how to remove a hair ring from a chin. http://www.spoiledchins.net/hairring.htm. There is also a video there. If the penis does not retract into the sheath you can use a very small dab of KY jelly (water based) to help it go back in. Do not use vaseline.

Problem: Malocclusion
Symptoms:
Causes:
Treatment:

Problem: Ring Worm
Symptoms: Areas of missing fur (down to the skin) that look pink or irritated. The infected area is usually dry looking and you may notice your chin scratching the area frequently
Causes: Over exposure to humid environments, exposure to other animals or humans that have it. It is a fungus, not a worm as the name might suggest.
Treatment: Ring worm is Very easily transmitted. If you have more than one chin it is important to find out what chin has it (if not all of them) and isolate that chin in a seperate room. Wash your hands and wear gloves when ever dealing with the chin. Basically the best way to treat it is to put some Tinactin into the chins dust bath. Do not reuse the dust and absolutely do not share the dust, or dust container, with your other chins. It can take several weeks to get rid of ring worm and you must be diligent about cleanliness.

Problem: Fur Chewing
Symptoms: Areas of fur that look shorter than the others (not down to the skin- just looks like a bad hair cut) Fur chewing is the act of a chinchilla chewing on its own fur creating inconsistancies in length and texture of the fur. Fur chewers will often also chew the fur of their cage mates and therefore should be monitored closely.
Causes: It is believed that fur chewing is genetic. It can be triggered by a stressful environment, but a chin that is a fur chewer most likely has had other chins in it's line that have been fur chewers and therefore it is genetically predispositioned to chew. Fur chewers should NOT be bred under any circumstances.
Treatment: There is no "true" treatment for a fur chewer. Removing a chin from a stressful environment may help your chin stop or slow the chewing, but there is no real way to make them stop.

Here are a couple of pictures of my chinchilla Gizmo, he is a fur chewer. He has gone through spurts of chewing, but has pretty much stopped in the last 8 months. Unfortunately I don't have a before picture, but this is the most current state of his fur and most of it has grown back in. When we first got Gizmo most of his hind end was chewed down, so tihs is a great improvement!

Problem: Over-heated Chinchilla
Symptoms:  Chin laying on its side, breathing heavy, pink ears.
Causes: Room temperature is too hot, or your chin has over heated during play time
Treatment: There is NO replacement for Air Conditioning! You should moderate your room temperature at all times and keep it steady somewhere between 60-75 degrees year round. In the case that your a/c doesn't work, or your chin has over heated during play time there are a few alternative and temporary methods you can use. One, you can purchase ceramic, granite or marble tiles from your local home improvement store. Keep a couple of extra tiles in your refridgerator or freezer to pull out and place in their cage as a cool place to rest. Two, keep frozen water bottles on hand. I prefer to cover the bottles with fleece so that their skin is not directly exposed to the cold, and to help absorb the condensation off of the bottle. Three, place terra cotta pots in the freezer for a few minutes and put them back in the cage. Four, Place ice cubes in a small pot and place in the cage. You need to cover the pot so that your chin(s) cannot jump into the melting ice and get wet. Finally, in extreme cases only- You can hold your chin inside of your fridge or freezer for a few minutes to allow the chin to cool down. However, that is a dramatic temperature difference so you must monitor your chin and do not over expose it to the cold. If you ever have any doubts about your chins health take it to a vet.