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)
May 9th, 2007 at 9:52 pm
Nan,
Start with our article on handling chinchillas. Be warned that some chinchillas will never like to be held. But they should enjoy your company if you let them come to you rather than chasing them.
As for the wire size, your cage sounds fine. The spacing might be too wide for babies, but for a 15 month old chinchilla there shouldn't be any problems. We're assuming you're talking about the walls of the cage and not the bottom. We don't like wire bottoms at all.
May 9th, 2007 at 2:12 am
Sorry, one other question. I bought him a three story cage made of the correct wire. I'm not sure if the width is too wide, it's approximately one inch spaces. Is that too large? I don't want him to get hung up on anything, or stuck between the wires.
Thanks.
May 9th, 2007 at 2:10 am
Hi. I recently purchased my first chinchilla. He is 15 months old, and apparently has NEVER been handled. He scares me as much as I scare him at this point, because every time someone puts their hand near his cage, he wants to bite. He seems to be very skittish still after four days of being in our environment.
What is a good way to gain his trust. Keeping things silent here is impossible as I have a six year old son, and a 13 year old son and they like to bicker, but they have toned it down a lot, and I try to keep them away from him in a completely different room if they're playing.
He's already established his routine. He knows when we wake, when I vacuum (which I thought would be a problem but wasn't), when we all return home from school, when his feed time is, etc.. He was whining at me in fact, just a bit ago to put his food dish back in his cage.
I'm just worried that he and I won't have a bond. I know that four days is probably rushing that issue, but I'd at least like him to start to experience some affection. He was doing the "lonely talk" early, and I tried to communicate with him by mimicking. He just leaps all over the place.
Please help. Thank you.
March 1st, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Mary Beth,
We would separate them and go to a vet. Nothing beats a hands-on examination which is something we can't do with a web site.
Good luck!
March 1st, 2007 at 11:17 am
I have two male chinchillas about the same age in the same habitat. The one now has lesions– scratches, torn ears, etc. There does not appear to be any heat - no temperature emitting from the ears. Is there anything I can do or is a vet call necessary?