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[crazychinbin]

lol yea well I feel better after an hour of nonstop crying and screaming.  Neighbors prob thought I was dying o_o;
Oh well...I've always worried more about Chico cause he's so little.  Ever since I've gotten him I've been plagued by nightmares a couple times a week about him dying.
>_o actually I really never have good dreams
Back on track! Chilli's wound looks really good right now  It looks nice and clean...now that that huge chunk of dried blood is gone.  First couple of flushes he was getting a lot of dried blood in it..now no more
I tried putting shredded paper towels in their dust bath and they didn't understand.  Chico wouldn't roll around so I put the entrance against the playpen so he couldn't get out.  Chilli, being the over protective brother he is, ran over to save him and pulled the bath away from the cage so he could get out.  I've never seen two animals bond as deeply as they have.  They're pretty depressed without each other.

[Jo Ann]

      Whoa!   You have done nothing that you have mentioned here, that can not be corrected over time . 

Always remember, not everyone is going to agree on everything and each breeder/owner has to do what they feel is best for their chinchillas.

With my own chins, I keep treats away from the kits until they are 7 weeks old (Between 0-7 weeks), they only get what little crumbs fall from their parents' mouths.  Healthy treats, in very small portions, for kits from 7 weeks to 3 months is just fine.  From 3 months to 6 months, they get one treat per day.  From 6 months on, they get 2 treats per day.  This is the routine I usually follow with all my chins, as long as they are healthy.

I consider bite-size shredded wheat (no sugar), Cheerios, rose hips and papaya 'healthy' treats.

Hay is a daily "must" for all chinchillas.

Doesn't the document on the herb sensation have the ingredients?

I could not find a list of the ingredients.     There was something that would open up with a program I do not have, that may have been it, don't know.

What are you giving Chico for his bladder infection?   Are you using any cranberry juice for him? 
The vet may not have to run several tests on Chico, but I would think he would want to run a test on his poop for any bacteria or parasites.
Being able to see the spine and ribs would make him appear to have a 'hump back' even if he does not.
He sounds very hyper, easy to frighten and a bundle of nerves.  This could be part of the problem with his weight, but his weight and nerves could cause a simple problem to become a very bad problem because his system is not as healthy as it should be.

Chili's scar will be almost hidden by his thick fur, when it all grows back.   

We all make mistakes and as long as we learn by our mistakes, that's OK. 
It is only when you repeat the same mistake over and over, and not learn from it, that mistakes are not acceptable.   

lol  yea well I feel better after an hour of nonstop crying and screaming.  Neighbors prob thought I was dying  o_o

All that did was upset the chins even more (and maybe your neighbors).  Chinchillas are very sensitive to how we feel. 
When we are happy, they usually are, too.  When we are upset or angry, it upsets them.

Maybe you need to have the chin's play time just before you go to bed.  That way, you will be more relaxed and have happy thoughts from laughing at the chins antics.        Maybe you would not have bad dreams then.

Sounds like Chili and Chico are good buddies.  You can just put the paper towels in the floor of the cage if you want to ... not being able to take a regular dust bath ... they might use the paper towels.  If not, it won't be long until they can take the regular dust baths.

If you want to give your chins a supplement, I can give you a recipe for one that I use.   

     Jo Ann

[crazychinbin]

Thanks so much for all the help.  The recipe would be appreciated
Well it was healing rather nicely until too much fur got mixed in the wound and when it was removed a nice icky hole opened up at the top he has an appointment Saturday cause I want it checked again since that hole opened up.  i swear that just took all the time it was healing and restarted it.  so iv got those poor guys to worry about..my own oodles of health problems to worry and take care of and now classes...and right now...it hasn't even been two weeks and I'm behind and failing T-T this just isn't a good semester to be in school.  i really need to take the semester off and get myself taken care of but I need to be full time for insurance..but with all the stress my body feels worse and I'm always tired..so I'm sleeping like 15 hours a day
I'm falling apart and school isn't helping.

[Abby W.]

Honey, it sounds like maybe you need to take some time off and get yourself taken care of.  Sleeping 15 hrs a day is not normal or healthy.  You can take off one semester without losing your status as a full-time student (which is what would affect your insurance), most schools will allow you to take only one or two credits for a semester, especially if there is a health problem involved.  Trust me, as someone who's been there, you are MUCH better to take a little time off than to try to struggle through and have your grades suffer.   You should go and talk with your advisor about this and see what can be done.

[crazychinbin]

Well, baby boy got it stapled today.  Now he just has to go in in 10 days to get them out. He got back home and his brother gave him SO many kisses.  So much love
Then I went to petsmart got them some wood, but one says it's fruit wood...what the heck is fruit wood...that like apple wood?  Then I forgot to pick up hay so now I have no hay 
Well I guess I'll go pick some up tomorrow.  I've been giving them orchard grass because they refuse to eat timothy hay....picky little things..but I guess I'll go back to timothy.

[crazychinbin]

Well, baby boy got it stapled today.  Now he just has to go in in 10 days to get them out. He got back home and his brother gave him SO many kisses.  So much love
Then I went to petsmart got them some wood, but one says it's fruit twig...what the heck is fruit twig...that like apple wood?  Then I forgot to pick up hay so now I have no hay 
Well I guess I'll go pick some up tomorrow.  I've been giving them orchard grass because they refuse to eat timothy hay....picky little things..but I guess I'll go back to timothy.

[Jo Ann]

   Below is the supplement I use.

Supplement:

1/2 cup raw wheat germ (Health Food Store)
1/2 cup whole oat grain, not oatmeal (natural - country store or co-op)
1/2 cup cracked oat grain, not oatmeal (natural - country store or co-op)
1/2 cup whole wheat grain (natural - country store or co-op)
1/2 cup clovite (country store or co-op)
4 acidophilus capsules, refrigerate after opening bottle (open and ad to above mix)
4 teaspoons green papaya enzyme

Mix first 5 ingredients thoroughly, refrigerate.  Once it is nice and cool, add contents of acidophilus capsules and papaya enzyme.
Store in airtight container (preferably glass) and keep refrigerated.

If a chin is underweight or sick, I always change his hay to all alfalfa.

Each chinchilla gets 1/2 teaspoon per day, per chin

[crazychinbin]

Thanks so much for the recipe 
Everyone at the vet said he was such a good boy and he got lots of kisses

[Cuddles]

Honey, it sounds like maybe you need to take some time off and get yourself taken care of.  Sleeping 15 hrs a day is not normal or healthy. 

This would be something to look into. How can you provide care for anyone or any pet if you cant take care of yourself? How are the chins doing?

Im bumping this topic because I am also wondering what the herb sensation is all about. I got a free sample, but I dunno if I want to use it yet. Here are the ingredients:
 
HS contains: no fillers and no high phosphorus grains… only 12 sensational herbs!
-Scroll past alphabetized list to read about the outstanding health benefits of these herbs-
      
alfalfa leaf
      
bee pollen
      
bilberry fruit (dried)
(Bilberries are not the same as blueberries, as Wikipedia clarifies: “All species whose English common names include "blueberry" are currently classified in section Cyanococcus of the genus Vaccinium. Several other plants of the genus Vaccinium also produce blue berries which are sometimes confused with blueberries, mainly the predominantly European bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), which in many languages has a name that means "blueberry" in English.”)

      
coriander seed
      
dandelion leaf
      
lemon peel (dried)
(Although chins cannot have wood from citrus trees, that warning does not apply to lemon peel, which is a safe and very beneficial herb. The lemon peel used in HS is dried, not fresh, eliminating any concern about the oil which is found in fresh lemon peel. As a side note of interest, lemon peel oil is not a cause for concern anyway, the main constituent in it has been on the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Generally Recognized as Safe List and approved for use by the FDA as a food additive since 1975, in addition to showing promise as a treatment for cancer.)
      
lemon verbena
      
peppermint leaf
      
plantain leaf
      
rose hips powder
      
rose petals, red or pink
      
self heal (heal all) leaf      <-- wtf is that?! haha   edit: found http://www.altnature.com/gallery/healall.htm

Here is a link to the .doc http://www.herbsensation.com/-%20HerbSensationRetailInfo%20-.doc  <-- this has more information too...it also gives a short description about some of the ingredients.

[Jo Ann]

 

Now I'm supposed to get a urine sample from Chilli now how the heck am I supposed to do that?

Reading over the whole post I saw the above.  Did you ever figure out how to get a urine sample? 

This is one way:
You will need:
1) a special cage (similar to a show cage).  Outside measurements will be approximately 8" wide 12" deep and 10" high on the sides.  The inside measurements of the cage will be about 8" wide, 8" tall and 12" deep, with the two longest sides of the cage extended past the floor of the cage about 2". From the front, the cage looks like a "H" with 3/4 of the bottom of the H legs chopped off. 
Cage instructions:
1 piece of  1/2" x 1/2" wire cut 12" by 28" long will be needed to make a "U" shape ... each end of the wire will need to be bent at a 45 degree angle 10" from each side, making the two sides of the cage and leaving 8" in the center, which will be the top of the cage.   
1 piece of wire 8" x 20" will be needed for the bottom and back of the cage, bend one end at a 45 degree angle 8" from one end, leaving the other part 12" long (the 12" x 8" side will be the bottom of the cage).   
1 piece of wire cut 8" x 8" piece that will be the door of the cage. 
Attach the 8" x 8" end of the 8" x 20" wire to the end of the cage on the top and sides of the cage with clips known as hog rings and a pair of pliers. 
Next, attach the floor sides of the cage to the sides, leaving 2" of the sides below the bottom of the floor.
Next, attach one side of the 8" x 8" wire to the front side of the cage, making the door ... use a latch for the door or make a latch with a hook latch.

2) 1 piece of heavy duty aluminum foil.   Make a very shallow pan out of the foil and place it under the cage, make sure the top of the "pan" is out of reach of the chinchilla. 
3) 1 water bottle filled with water to attached to the side of the cage
4) 1 small sterile glass jar (like a baby jar) with a lid ...
Smooth cut edges of cut wire so that your chin can not be cut or scratched by the rough edges made by the cut wire.

Next:
Place your chin inside the small cage, hang the water bottle and start watching.  Try to remove poop as it falls.
As soon as the chin pees, carefully slide out the tray and transfer the urine into the small jar.   
Caution:  Be sure to try to remove any pellets first ... you do not want to contaminate the urine sample with poop pellets.

I know it is a little late, but you may need it at a later date, or by others may need it, under the same circumstances.

    Jo Ann

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Well thanks Jo Ann I have wonder about that myself.
I have never had to get a urine sample yet, but you've just saved me a lot of racking of brain.
So how are the 2 little darlings crazychinbin?