Chinchillas are generally energetic creatures. When they are ill, their energy level drops so it is important to watch for this sign. A change in the amount of water and food consumed can also be a sign of illness. Whenever you suspect there may be problems, examine your chinchilla's eyes, ears, nose, and mouth for clues as to the underlying ailment.
Eyes
Healthy chinchilla eyes are clear and lively looking. However, since chinchillas spend time in wood shavings and in dust baths, they sometimes suffer eye irritation. Signs of such irritation include an eye being held shut, constant pawing, and excessive tearing. A vet will be able to determine if there is something physical causing the irritation or if there is an infection that will require eye ointment.
Ears
Chinchillas don't often have problems with their ears. However, if you notice fluid coming from their ears, if there is repeated scratching, or issues with balance, you should seek the advice of a vet. Also watch out for ears that are unusually warm and red. This can be a sign of a fever and may be the beginning of pneumonia.
Nose
Believe it or not, chinchillas can get a cold just like people. Signs of a cold include a runny nose. The treatment for a cold is one of patience and ensuring that the chinchilla has enough water and is kept warm. Make sure to keep the chinchilla warm and that it is drinking well. Monitor the situation to make sure it doesn't get worse. One other thing, while a chinchilla's nose is runny, you should avoid giving it a dust bath.
Mouth
Chinchillas need to be constantly chewing on hard objects like wood or pumice stones to keep their teeth trimmed. If a chinchilla's teeth grow too long, there can be some serious health complications. Symptoms of teeth problems include:
- Repeating pawing of the mouth.
- Dribbling or drooling when eating.
- A dramatic reduction in food consumption.
- Significant weight loss.
- Watery eyes that can be caused by excessively long molars.
A chinchilla's teeth should be yellow and not white. White teeth could mean calcium deficiency. This condition usually only affects nursing female chinchillas. You can read more on the importance of tooth health.
Sources:
Bettina's
A New Owner's Guide to Chinchillas by Audrey Pavia
Entries (RSS)
August 20th, 2008 at 6:16 am
Caroline,
It's hard to say if the red spot is serious. However, we have seen similar injuries from chewing activities. Does your chinchilla like to chew on the bars of her cage a lot? When she does this, she may be irritating part of her nose through repeated rubbing against the bars. Try giving your chinchilla more alternatives for chewing so that she's less inclined to chew on the bars.
August 19th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
My chinchilla Winnie as a little red spot right below her nose. I can not tell if it iss a cut or not. What should I do to help this?
July 17th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Hi, I have a chinchilla named Chilly, and I got him from a friend's brother. I think Chilly is around 5-8 years old and he has some black spots on his ears and around his ears, nose, paws, and feet. Do you think there's something wrong with him?
August 11th, 2007 at 4:20 am
Hi, I have a older male chinchilla named Vick. He is very healty and heavy. i just recently got him a female chin, to keep him company. When i brought her home and interduced them, they got along great! I noticed that the female had a patch of hair missing around her eye, along with white crust, what looked to be like dandruf. the following day i noicted some fur missing from her noise. i will be taking her back where i bought her, so they can find out the problem and treat her, but my concern is for my male Vick. should i be worried that this is contajoius and how should i go about fixing the problem before it starts??
June 29th, 2007 at 9:18 am
question 13 by morgan:
was this ever diagnosed? My chinchilla that I have had since @ 93 or 94' is doing the same thing. He was fine till a couple of days ago I noticed he was very quiet. when I tried to get him to come out of his home he was off balance. then started to walk and wobble to the right. I gave him a rasin and tried to give him water. didn't work. I put his dust bath in the cage and he made it there several times but he is not making any sounds and I am worried. I am trying to find a good vet but here in Michigan its cats dogs or farm animal vets.