Pet Goddess

In your desire to be the best “pet parent” you can be, you will want to regularly check for any signs your chinchilla may be sick. Things to look for will be things like loss of appetite, loss of hair, drooling or swelling around the mouth, cuts or sores under his fur and lethargy. These could be signs of serious illness in your pet, so be sure to examine your chinchilla very closely on a daily basis.

Take the time to get to know your individual chinchilla(s); any thing out of his everyday, normal routine could be the sign of an illness.

Here is a quick, ten point, check list for you to follow when looking your pet over every day:

* eating or drinking more or less than normal
* difficulty in eating, drinking or moving
* coat that looks dull, is soiled or itchy; also look for any cuts or lumps
* discharge from the eyes, ears or nose
* soiling around his “bottom end” with feces or urine
* restlessness or lethargy – crouching or huddling in a corner or against the sides
* more or less urine, or an unusual color to it
* a foul odor comming from the ears, mouth or “bottom-end”
* feces that is abnormal in texture or color
* difficult or raspy breathing from the chest

A healthy chinchilla will have bright eyes, fresh breath, alert expressions, high energy and a good appetite. His fur should be smooth, shiny and full. He should also be very agile, move quickly around the cage and run excitedly to the cage door at feeding time. And, he should show a need, a demand, for social interaction with you and/or any cage mates he may have.

Again, be sure to note the importantance of getting to know your pets particular habits, patterns and reactions as being prey animals, chinchillas most often will not show any signs of illness until the condition is very bad; they are experts at hiding their sickness sometimes to the point of it becoming too late for affective treatment.

Chinchillas are by nature quite hardy creatures. However, they can suffer from a number of conditions and illnesses and it is important to detect these signs at an early stage. Getting to know your pet by handling, grooming and feeding him is most essential in recognising if there is a problem.

The first areas you will most likely notice when you pet’s health is suffering:

- The eyes
- The mouth
- The nose
- The ears
- The fur
- The droppings

Of course if you see anything that is imminent, get your little one as quickly to his Veterinarian as possible. But if you start noticing signs of him slowing down or any begining issues with the areas noted above, try to note down what you observe. Also, it is a good idea if you can take a fecal sample with you. Another important thing……do not attempt to “clean him up” before his visit; it will be very helpful for the doctor to actually see any discharge, blood-spots or build up of urine or feces for himself.

Be observant……getting to know your chinchilla(s) and getting him to his doctor as quickly as possible when ill could mean the difference between life or death for your little pet.

Posted January 10, 2010 Comments(0)

Consulting your veterinarian is always going to be the best defense against any illness your pet chinchilla may come down with; with a phone call you can speak with him or her about any symptoms, concerns or to just ask questions. It is also important to schedule regular check-ups for your little guy or gal.

Chinchillas are an exotic pet so a veterinarian who specializes in exotic pets is the best choice for you and your pet. The veterinarian and his assistants will also most likely offer you some literature and suggestions on how to improve the care and health of your pet chinchilla.

Even though chinchillas are normally very healthy, there is a good chance that at some point in his life yours will at the very least have some kind of mild form of illness. Chinchillas are quick, agile, sturdy and very active little creatures. But, do not let this appearance fool you; the chinchilla is really quite fragile underneath its soft furry little coat.

A chinchilla’s bones are fragile and therefore can be easily broken. If you grasp one too tightly you could hurt or even injure him. Most accidents are caused by rough handling; even though the owner does not mean to injure the pet, it does happen. Children, especially small children, should always be supervised while handling or playing with your chinchilla for this reason.

Some helpful tips to remember when you have a pet chinchilla are:

1.) Always be sure to first chinchilla proof any room you allow your pet to play in.
2.) Monitor and keep the pet in this area when out of his cage.
3.) Never allow your chinchilla to chew on anything made of plastic.
4.) Keep power cords up and out of his reach.
5.) Do not let your pet climb on anything unstable as it could fall on him.
6.) Never allow your pet anywhere near cleaning products or chemicals.

In considering number six above, there is something particular to note about small pet rodents; a classification under which your chinchilla falls. These little animals suffer extreme difficulty when exposed to the strong odors of chemicals. Your chinchilla breaths in and out rapidly, so he will all the more quickly breathe them in.

These “airbornes” can be very harmful to the health of your chinchilla and could even kill him if he is exposed to them for any length of time. Depending on the density or toxicity, irreparable harm could be caused in a matter of seconds. Also, being very inquisitive little animals, they may even lick the container sides or any “pooling” around the bottom. So, just as you would for a small child, put these types of product up and out of reach.

Posted January 8, 2010 Comments(0)

As the different colored chinchillas are becoming more common, they are becoming less expensive although some, like the black-velvet, still tend to be a little higher in price. Some colors are more common than others so the price of them will vary. Today, prices for chinchillas range from about $100.00 to $300.00 for the original greys and the more common colors, to $1500.00 to $3000.00 for unusual colored and/or show quality ones.

If you decide to obtain a chinchilla that is of a color other than the original grey, or even more so, if you wish to start breeding mutants yourself, although there are many things you should research, one situation you’ll want to be sure to know of is the occurrence of a “lethal factor” when breeding them.

For instance, the Wilson White and Black Velvet chinchillas carry a genetic lethal factor, thus breeding two whites together will result in 25% fewer kits, and breeding a Black Velvet or any TOV (touch of velvet) color to any other Black Velvet or TOV color will also result in 25 percent fewer kits.

And, if White + White or Velvet + Velvet results from a breeding, the embryo will never develop but be reabsorbed by the mother. It is also believed that this may result in a blocked uterine horn (chinchillas have two horns to their uterus that branch out from the cervix) which could render the mother sterile.

Often, names are made up to describe patterns that show up on a mutant animal. It is important to note that patterns are not colors. For example, mosaics are not mutated colors; the word mosaic only describes the pattern on an animal’s fur.

A mosaic chinchilla is a WHITE chinchilla, and they can have completely different patterns from animal to animal. If you would like to own a “one of a kind” pet, choosing a mosaic chinchilla will provide for more uniqueness than even one of the more unusual colors.

Much more information on common colors and mutated colors can be found in libraries or on the internet if you are looking to learn how to breed and maintain a specific chinchilla color

Posted January 6, 2010 Comments(0)

Chinchillas that were brought from the wild back to America had a medium to dark grey fur; this is the natural, original color of these animals. Over the many years since chinchillas were first brought here, many new colors have come about. These additional hues were created by breeders breeding in different mutant colored chinchillas to acquire specific colored coats. Now, chinchillas’ can be found in many different colors as well as the original grays.

If you are looking for a chinchilla as a pet only, you may not care much about what color it is; any color will do as long as the chinchilla is healthy and even tempered. Remember, the animal itself does not know nor care about the color of it’s fur; what is most important for your pet is a good, healthy, loving life and home. Be sure to learn everything about them and their needs as you can.

A chinchilla of the original grey hue has dark grey along the back, with the sides having a lighter color grey. Now, you can also find chinchillas with fur of beige, and beige with red tints on the body and ears. This color will sometimes have pink on its ears, and the eyes are often a bright red color; this is the form of a near albino chinchilla. A true albino will have no pigmentation (color) whatsoever and the result will be a completely “snow-white” fur along with bright red eyes.

Another color that is even more sought after than the beautiful albino, is the black or black-velvet. There is also a chinchilla that is called violet colored, but it is not purple at all. It is called violet because it is so deeply black that it has a purple tint to it in certain light; this violet color is also more apparent in direct sunlight and is the rarest color of all. A deep blue or a sapphire chinchilla is also a highly in-demand hue seen more in today’s times.

These different colors all came from the continued trial and error on the part of breeders. There are yet still other beautiful colors found in chinchillas. Many years of breeding specific colors to other colors resulted in the mutant hues observed today. Be that as it may, there are only 6 original/accepted colors for a chinchilla.

1. Standard (the original color)
2. White
3. Ebony
4. Beige
5. Sapphire
6. Violet

You can find a listing of many of the “sub-colors” now available at: www.fortheloveofchinchillas.com/mutations

Posted January 4, 2010 Comments(0)

As the chinchilla kits begin to show an interest in food, you can assist in the weaning process, and start “food-training” them by feeding them chinchilla pellets that have been softened with water. Even though they are born with a full set of teeth, the softened food will be gentler on their little mouths, and will make for an easier, smoother transition from mother’s milk to solid foods.

Soon, usually less than a week, you will see them taking pellets or other food items from their parents bowel to nibbled on; this is a good sign that their innate need and desire to chew is developing nicely. Around the same time they should also start picking up and nibbling on the “chew stones”, sticks and other chewing items that are in the cage.

The kits will need constant access to fresh food daily as their bodies demand for nutrition and calories is very high while growing and developing. The onset of eating solid foods and chewing will also trigger the continuous growth characteristic of the chinchillas’ teeth. Be sure to add extra chews to accommodate their needs.

Aside from the extra nutrition and calories needed by a growing kit, the types and kinds of foods provided need not be any different than that of the adults. Just be sure that an adult is not “bullying” the kits away from the food or eating it all up before the little ones get a chance to meet their needs. A side concern is an adult eating too much and growing obese.

If any or all of the afore mentioned concerns become an issue, you may need to temporarily move the “offending” chinchilla to another cage. Surprisingly enough though, a kit can more often than not “hold his own” and they will all live in harmony with each getting their individual needs fulfilled. You main job will be to provide enough fresh food to accommodate the additional new tummies while being sure to not add too much.

A baby chinchilla can become pregnant as soon as five to six months of age so be sure to be prepared for this by having the needed number of cages in order to separate the males from the females, this includes the kits from the adults as well. A pregnancy that occurs too early will result in a baby chinchilla having kits too young which can cause serious complications while giving birth as well as in any future attempts at breeding.

Your baby Chinchillas’ should be checked by your Veterinarian not too long after birth; taking the whole litter and parents in at the same time is best. After, an annual visit should suffice. If something appears amiss at birth or the mother shows signs of straining with no resulting births, take all concerned in to be seen immediately!

As you continue to “hand-train” them, the baby chinchillas’ will eventually begin to show affection toward you; the more you handle them, the closer the two of you will grow. This is an avenue for them to let you know that they love you as much as you love them.

Posted January 2, 2010 Comments(0)

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Posted January 1, 2010 Comments(0)