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[bree08]

I have two chinchillas, both female, a white one that i have had for a year and a grey one that i have had for two years.  In the past few months my grey chilla has started shedding.  Its not in patches its  just all over, mosly in the back half of her body.  I tried to look at her skin and it looks fine to me.  As much as i can think i have not changed anything around her but idk what else would do that.  Are they sensitive to house temperatures, do they shed when they grow, could it be my new chilla, or could it be something else
Please help me i am very concerned about her!! 

[Deeliteful]

Could they maybe be scuffling when you are not around? I know that they release hair when they feel threatened . A survival thing they do.

[Jo Ann]

   Chinchillas react to everything from cleaning the rug, to a different detergent, different cologne, a different fabric (curtains or bed spreads), a new person/visitors in the home, the sound level of the t.v. or radio, loud noises.  They are very sensitive little creatures and can even react to your mood and the mood of others in your home.  One chinchilla may react one way, while the other one reacts differently.   Remember, each chin is different. 

They do shed ... just at different rates ... some shed a little at a time and it often goes unnoticed.  Chinchillas go in 'prime' about every 9 months. 

Being chased or held the wrong way can stress a chinchilla and cause it to slip it's fur.   

The moving of the cage from one room to the other or a different place in the same room.  Chinchillas do not like change and they do like a schedule that is allows them to know when something is going to happen and that they can look forward to ... such as playtime or a dust bath.

     Then there is the "turkey feather" thing.  This normally happens around Thanksgiving and/or Christmas (but can happen other times of the year) to those chinchilla owners that do not groom their chinchillas on a regular basis.  The turkey feathers are little clumps of fur (usually just on the back half of the chinchilla) that have been released, but have not fallen away from the chinchilla because they are intangled with other fur that has not be released/shed.   They stick out above the good fur and look like feathers from a distance ... thus the "turkey feather" name.      Most can be tugged on gently, and removed, allowing the healthy fur underneath to grow properly.   

There is also the term "matted fur" which refers to the chinchilla's fur becoming matted solidly together.  When this happens, you have mats of fur much like those you may find on a long-haired dog that are often easier (on your little chin) to cut out rather than you trying to pull it out or comb it out.

    Jo Ann

[Deeliteful]

I have been trying to groom MeeKeeMoo and Chupers now for several weeks . They hate it. Soon as they see the comb they hide. I have given up . I feel like I am stressing them out. I try to make it a great thing. Treats and lots of attention. They act like I am torturing them. So turkey tails it is.

[Jo Ann]

    What have you been using to groom them with?  There are 4 different sizes of combs for grooming a chinchilla and some that are used are not actually made for a chinchilla, but made for a cat other small critters ... some refer to it as a brush.

When grooming, where on the body of the chinchilla do you start?  end?

What grooming tools (besides the comb) are you using?

How and where are you holding it when you groom your little one?

For the best results, you start grooming them at 6 to 8 weeks, so they do not get upset like they would, if you wait till they are 3+ months old.
Keep in mind, this does not feel normal to a chinchilla.  They have to learn to enjoy/tolerate it, as you have to learn to do it properly.  7 week old kits are usually much more tolerant than a 7 month old chin that has never had it done, or has had it done by someone that did not know what they were doing and had no patients.

   To get rid of the "turkey feathers" ... give each one a quick pull, making sure you are not also pulling the regular fur that is still attached to the chin.     OR You can trim them evenly with height of the good fur and the rest should fall out as she plays or easily come out when combed.    

This is just one method ... I am sure there are others that can share their successful ways of dealing with "turkey feathers" and or other types of shedding.

   Jo Ann

[VenusTheChin]

I regularly "preen" my chins, aka take out the dead fur. They seem to enjoy it and I think of it as a bonding time.