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[olivia41]

i'm very worried.  olivia was acting strangely today and i'm afraid she might be sick or in pain. i took her out of her cage and when i normally do, she runs around and hops and is excited. today she came out and ran for a few minutes and then went under my bed and slept! i thought she might just be tired but then she was hiding from me and she kept making a loud squeaking noise that sounded almost like a dog squeaky toy. she kept doing it even when i tried talking to her to calm her down. then i took her dust bath out and tapped it to see if she would come, but she barely moved. she knew it was there too but she didnt go near it. I also took out the container of oats to try to lure her but that didnt work either. usually she gets very excited to hear either of them. i'm very concerned! when i put her back in her cage she simply went up to her stone and slept, as opposed to climbing up and down like she normally does. any ideas?

[Jo Ann]

   Watch her carefully ... check the amount of food and water she takes ... is it the normal amount? ... more? ... less?

Was there any food she could have gotten to in the room? 

Any cleaning supplies?  Cologne?  Makeup? 

Watch her poops to see if they are normal ... firm but moist ... wet and sticky ... hard, small and dry?  Normal number of poops?  More? Less?

Eyes bright and shining?  Dull/tired looking?  Eyes watering?

General activity?  Normal?  More hyper?  Limping?

Normally when they repeat a high-pitched squeaking noise ... they are either fussing at you or giving a warning call.   
Please, go to this website: http://www.chinchilla-sounds.de/index_en.htm
Listen to the different sounds and tell me which one Olivia was making.

Did she fall? 

Is her breathing normal or labored?

Lots of questions ... but the answers are very important.  I'll check the forum again later this morning ... when I get up. 

   Jo Ann

[olivia41]

she seems to be taking in the same amount of food and water and she is pooping normally and i'm checking them. I made sure there was nothing she could get to on my floor or anywhere so i dont think its that. her eyes do look tired and she wasnt as hyper as normal. i was afraid she might have hurt her foot or something because she kept bringing it to her mouth and she was having trouble jumping. the sound sounds VERY MUCH like a squeaky dog toy, i couldnt find it on the website though. but tonight she is back to herself! for a while she was crying a little and not running as much but now she is jumping and running, etc. maybe just a phase?

[Jo Ann]

    Odd that the link to Michael's site did not work ... clicking on the link just worked for me ... you might want to try it again ... it has the best examples of chinchilla sounds and their meanings that I have been able to find.

i was afraid she might have hurt her foot or something because she kept bringing it to her mouth and she was having trouble jumping.

Hmmmmmmm - you didn't mention that before ... good possibility she may have broken it or strained it ... a quick visit to the vet would be best, if possible.  It is better to be safe than sorry.      Eventhough she seems back to normal, she could easily re injure it again.

She was probably trying to hide the fact it was hurt and fussing at you telling you not to touch her.  They do have their own little ways of getting a point across.  Should something like that happen ... unless she is trapped ... I would lay down very still and quiet and give her the chance to come to you.  Doing things on their terms, especially when one is injured, is usually best ... unless they are stuck or badly injured.

   Jo Ann

[olivia41]

ok thanks! i definitely think ill be making a quick visit to the vet to be on the safe side