Chinchillas have fur for a reason. In the wild they live in the Andes mountains where it gets cold. Their fur is what keeps them warm. However, domestic chinchillas are prone to over-heating since most people's homes are much warmer than the Andes.
The ambient temperature where chinchillas are kept shouldn't rise above 80 degrees. But temperature is not the only consideration as humidity also plays a role. A good rule of thumb is to add the temperature and the relative humidity together. If this number exceeds 150, you should take action to reduce both.
Failing to maintain a proper temperature can result in heatstroke. This is a dangerous situation and one that can be fatal. Warning signs include panting and lying down stretched out on one side.
If your chinchilla is suffering from heatstroke you should seek the attention of a vet. However, to bring the chinchilla's body temperature down consider offering some cool water to drink, wrapping a cold wet towel around the body, or submerging the chinchilla in cool (not freezing) water. As you undoubtedly know, getting a chinchilla wet is generally a bad idea, but heatstroke is a particularly dangerous situation that needs immediate attention.
Sources:
Bettina's
A New Owner's Guide to Chinchillas by Audrey Pavia
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I ended up buying a cooling tile for my chinchilla because in michigan it gets warm. on extremly hot days i put her tile in the fridge for about an hour and then put it in her cage and she lays on it which lowers her temperature and the cages temprature. you dont have to go out and buy a speciall tile if you have clean tiles at home. perferrably marble iles are the bast. i hope this helps anyone who lives in a warm cliamte. you NEVER put a chinchilla in water beacause if tha happens a mold will foprm on the fur. If you get it wet a little bit on accedent whipe it off with a towel immediatly untill it is dry.
I´m from Mexico ( sorry about my english) and nobody in pet stores says something about hot weather, I do have air conditioned, but I´m worried about people who don´t. Chins are the best creatures in the world but does need a lot of care. If someone is thinking of getting one, need to know that you need a lot of time to take care of them. Mine came wiht a little fungus from the pet store, at first appeared like fur bitting, but then I realized tha it was fungus, it took more than a month with everyday treatment to get it out, vets and medicine are expensive. Also you should bought a very very large cage and have a playground at your place they need to run and jump free, as well you need to find the way to get thimothy hay, good quality pellets and be able to get the sand for the dust bath. I love her so much, and I´ll do everything to keep her happy, but you need to be sure you have the time, the money, and the right place ( cold weather or air conditioned) before getting one. A chinchilla is the best thing could happen to me, but once when I didnt know about hot weather se suffered a heat stroke, I almost sufferd a heart attack when a I saw her lying ont he floor, I call the vet and I was able to cool her down. Now she lives all day in the air conditioned like a Diva chin , but i never want to see her like that in my entire life.
umm for one thing NEVER put a wet cloth on your chinchilla or put your chinchilla in water!!! Chinchillas are not supposed to get wet at all! And fans do not help, all a fan does is circulate hot air. You need to get you chinchilla to an air conditioned area asap whether it be in your home or even in your car (car ac gets the coldest the fastest) and if you do not have an air conditioned home a chinchilla is not the pet for you. And place your chinchilla on their chin-chiller. If you do not have one i reccomend getting one (i keep one in their cage at all times to help them stay cool and one in my freezer in case they overheat it will be very cooled).
Look whats more fatal? putting your chinchilla in water or watching your favorite little pet die from heatstroke. You choose. I certainly would use different methods before putting them in water, but i'd rather break the rules a little before letting them die.
Hi im getting a chinchilla on December 5, and i was woundering what degree of tempature my house should be at?