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[ChinchillAZ]

We can guess ages of cats and dogs based on their teeth, but it's always a guess.  In general, permanent teeth begin to erupt at 11 to 12 weeks of age for felines and canines.  By the time they are 4 months old, most felines and canines have all of their permanent teeth.  When a cat or dog is older, veterinarians look at the condition of the teeth to try to determine age.  But this is, as I said, a guess.  Just like people, some animals have a biological disposition to the formation of tartar and the development of gum disease.  By the same token, a dog or cat might have had a dental cleaning, making their teeth appear younger than they actually are.

With horses, you can actually judge age nearly perfectly based on the teeth and the pattern of wear that emerges as they age.

With chinchillas, their teeth grow continuously throughout their lifetimes.  This is why chewing is so important to them!  It helps keep them filed down. 

[ChillinChinchillas]

I know the wheel you are talking about. The mesh is so tiny, I have personally had no problem with it for the smaller chins, because it is a smaller wheel. I also had the problem with it falling. I used zip ties to secure it more firmly to the cage. I also squeeze the spokes together with the wheel off of it to make it tighter. After that, you shouldn't have a problem. I would only use it for smaller chins. It is far too small for an adult, if it is the same one I have. I know the spokes are frowned upon, as I had purchased the wheel a while back before doing proper research. If you do want to continue to use the wheel, that should hopefully help!

[nemue]

I think the girls are too big for it.  They come in more sizes I think, but I don't know if it's the size or how unstable it is.  They run a couple hops, then stop.  Sometimes I hear is squeeking longer than that (they're a bit shy with us in the room I think), but never for a long period of time. 

They've also stopped being so active on playtime since we got the wheel. M'noke comes out for a bit, then goes back in for a run on her wheel.  She also sleeps in it!

I"ll try tying it down for now and seeing if that helps until we can get a better one.  thanks.

[Asikovsek]

Thats the nice thing about pedigrees.  I wont really buy or sell any chins that dont have one, they make me feel better knowing their exact age and their gene history, it makes breeding them better also knowing what they are carriers of.

[Leslie]

The Flying Saucer wheel is fantastic!  I love it, love it, love it!  It's sturdy and it will last forever.  We also bought a silver surfer wheel, which is a huge wheel that attaches to the side of the cage but with no crossbar and I it to be noisy and it shakes the cage and my chin is chewing through it, even though it's metal.  I highly recommend the flying saucer wheel!  Also, my chin was about 2 1/2 when we got it, and he figured it out within minutes.  But then, he's perhaps the most brilliant chinchilla on earth....

Do not give them a wheel with a cross bar.  When they run, do you see them stick their head out the side, and almost get it lopped off each time it goes around?  That's what it looked like when I had a insufficient wheel to begin with....

[roadbag]

The regular metal exercise wheel may have one problem... My boy chin's feet were bleeding after playing on that wheel probably due to the screw heads that stick out inside the wheel and also the line of suture of the aluminum. We had to smoothen it out with our files, and it was NOT a fun job...

[nemue]

I"m still deciding on a flying saucer or just a safer wheel.  I dont' think they wheel they have is as bad as the one you had!  But I do see how their tails could get stuck.  They suck their tails in every time, but accidents happen.  I haven't taken it out, and I won't until a new one comes.  Kira is 100% different from what she was like, and I think the arrival of the wheel has done that.  She kept me up an hour last night running on it at 4am, but I didn't mind, as she's such a sweetie now!   

[Abby W.]

I have flying saucer wheels in all of my cages.  They are fabulous!  They are less noisy than the other wheels I have tried (the ED wheel, and the one made by quality cages) and I think it gives the chin a more natural position to run in.  All of my chins love them.  They will compete over who is going to run on it, sometimes one will leap onto the wheel and shove another one off in mid-stride! I call it "synchronated wheel running" 

[mprieboy]

I just got a quality cage 15" chin wheel and Pico LOVES it!  I def recommend this product.   

[nemue]

A friend of mine, who has a pet mouse (who survived their snake somehow) said they had an enclosed wheel for him once, but he would pee in it and it would bet disgusting.  I know the chins poop while they're on it (as evidence by the pile underneith).  Has this caused problems with anyone?  Sometimes Kira gets poop from M'noke knocking it off a level above her, so I can imagine that she's be covered in it! 

[Beth]

Anyone out there know how to teach a chin to use a wheel, or do they just figure it out on their own?  Louie's had his two days, with no luck.

Thanks again!

[nemue]

Does your wheel make noise?  My girls didn't do it in front of me for two weeks, but we could hear it squeaking, and they would stop if we went in the room.  He might feel too uncomfortable to do it infront of you.   

[nemue]

Also, check to see if there's an abnormal amount of poop under the wheel.  They poop as they're spinning.  Might help to know if he's a closet spinner!   

[Beth]

LOL!  You guys are hilarious.

[ChillinChinchillas]

I clean my wheels daily becaues there is usually urine on it. Some of my chins sleep in theirs, so I assume it is like shelf peeing. I usually have some on the outside and inside the wheel. I guess they are exercising so hard core, they don't want to stop for potty breaks! Gotta keep that girlish figure!!