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[Volley]

Hey,

My name is Sarah. I'm from Canada and I used to have two chinchillas. Sadly today I had to have one put to sleep (His name was Volley.) I still have Haze though so I guess that still gives me a purpose to have an account here eh?

I bought Volley back in October 2001. He was a little black velvet runt and he was just such a nice little man over his past 7 years. He was always so chill whenever I held him and would sit there for hours while just being pet and loved. Unfortunately over the past few months his liver began to fail and last night he took a turn for the worst when his blood pressure got so low that the doctors couldn't get a sample to test from.

Haze was born in 2002 or 2003 (we aren't too sure) and I adopted him off a friend in 2005. He's Volleys polar opposite in the sense that he is just wried all the time. He's a violet chinchilla with little purple freckles on his ears and nose. He sheds like it's going out of style but he seems to be healthy as a horse thus far. He's a wee bit fat so I just might have to get him on a diet SOON now that I know what obesity did to my poor little Volley.

As far for a little bit about me? I'm 22 years old and I am a freelance animator/graphic designer/web designer. I just started my own small business called ScunCo Media and I am working with a few coworkers from when I worked in Toronto on a new iPhone / iPod touch application. I still technically live with my parents, however I often drive down to pennsylvania to visit with my boyfriend for a few weeks at a time. (Working from home does indeed have its perks.) I just can't justify getting my own place right now because I'll probably be moving down to pennsylvania soon to live with my boyfriend. (Once we start and finish the whole green card process, I'll probably be 45 or something LOL)

That's pretty well me in a nutshell. I seem to be learning more and more about my chinchillas every day and each time I feel as if I didn't know anything at all about them. Volley lived to be nearly 8 years old. I don't really know if that's a good or bad lifespan for a black velvet. Every website seems to have different life expectancies for these little guys.

[Jo Ann]

     Hi Sarah!  Welcome to the Chinchilla Club Forum!

It is so sad to loose a little one, yet, they are best remembered by all the good times and memories they have left us with over the years.

Volley lived to be nearly 8 years old. I don't really know if that's a good or bad lifespan for a black velvet. Every website seems to have different life expectancies for these little guys.

 

 You will find there is a difference of opinion on most everything when it comes to chinchillas.  There are some basic rules that are close to the same in most cases, but then there are those who guess at answers because they do not want anyone to know they don't know something.  The best ones to listen to are the old ranchers ... ones that have been in the business for 30 + years ... they know all the rules, tricks and needs for chinchillas ... BUT ... you also have to consider, they were not raising 'pets' ... their chins were kept in cages and away from the 'every day life' of humans ... those chins were not exposed to all the things that pet chinchillas are today. 

Information is changing almost daily.  Pet owners tend to take their chinchillas to the vet for attention ... the ranchers could not afford to run one to the vet everytime it sneezed ... they took care of the chins as a group ... their goal was and is, what ours should be ... to produce healthy happy chinchillas with the highest possible quality you can get.   A chinchilla of high quality, that is healthy and is fed a good chinchilla pellet, hay and fresh water will live the longest and be the happiest it can be.  They must have fresh air and good air circulation.  A certain amount of light and a clean, calm home to live in ... these are the basics all chinchillas need.

Now, chinchillas are exposed to other animals, different foods, a totally different atmosphere and a different set of germs, animals and circumstances than the ranchers' chins.   

A chinchilla is capable of living past the age of 20, but, the average life span, is between 8 and 15 years of age ... usually, depending on it's diet, exercise, care and the habits of the ones who care for it.

Stress can take the life of a chinchilla as quickly as most anything else.  Feline distemper is highly contagious to chinchillas and will usually kill within 24 to 36 hours.  Chinchillas are vegetarians by nature, not by choice, their systems are not made to digest meat ... meat and meat by products will kill a chinchilla.

Nuts contain natural oils that a chinchilla can not digest, causing it to have a fatty liver, which kills.

The lack of enough fiber, to many treats and lack of exercise all combined together will also cause a fatty liver. 

The signs of a fatty liver forming, can also be due to a process the chinchilla goes through, as it's systems are shutting down and it is dying.

The more I learn, the more I find there is to be learned.  I've studied them for well over a decade and still have so much more to learn ... I don't think anyone knows it all, but all we can do is keep trying and studying.   

There are three books that are full of correct information you can count on to be right ... "The Joy of Chinchillas" by the research team on California Chins at http://www.cachins.org/ ,  "After Forty Years ..." by Alice Kline, at: http://www.mutationchinchillas.com/  and "The Rancher's Handbook" at: http://www.empresschinchilla.com/index.asp.    They may seem a little pricey at first glance, but they are worth their weight in gold ... especially when it comes to your chin's health and life.

   Jo Ann

[Sweetnessheart]

Welcome, Sarah!!

Glad to have you join us here!!

I am so sorry to hear about Volley.   

[Volley]

Wow Jo Ann I can't thank you enough for all of this information. We gave Volley lots of peanuts which could have been the cause of his liver failure. Excellent information to know. We just never knew better. I'm a little smarter now, and I don't know if it's too late to reverse it on Haze but I can certainly try. He still seems healthy though he is a tad overweight. We're going to be changing his diet and getting him a larger ball to run in. (He outgrew the first one, and I notice only petco in the US sells bigger chinchilla balls so it'll have to wait until I visit my boyfriend next.) I just can't handle driving in Michigan to find a pet store. My boyfriend is out in Pennsylvania which is far more pleasant to drive around in. Farther away but... I don't fear for my life down there.

[Hoppinchins]

Hi!

Sorry to hear about Volly.

I learn new stuff about chins alot. I'v been an owner for about 5 1/2 months now. I'v got 2 chins that are 6 months old. One is a standard gray and I'v tried to fig out what my other one is on here but i'm sitll a bit confused. I call him snowie, he's mostley white. I think he's a beige.

[Volley]

maybe he's a white mosiac? I'm not too savvy on the color mutations myself. But there are plenty of guides online Actually, I think I found one on this site earlier! I bet if you got a picture of him there's lots of members on here who could help you figure out what snowie's color is.

Thank you for the comfort regarding Volley. He's greatly missed by the whole family.

[Hoppinchins]

Your welcome. I don't know wat I would do if I lost one of my chins.

I'v asked people on there about the color. I think they said it was a beige. I"m not sure though. Since I got him from a pet store i'm not what his parents were.

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Hi Sarah,
Nice to meet another Canadian here.
Sorry about your loss, and yes it's a constant learning.
Jo Ann & Jamie have some great contacts with in the ranch scene and have been at this for many years. They have forgotten as much as I've learned.
Both her & Jamie have taught me much over the years, as well as many others here at the club.
It's a nice place with a great bunch of people who won't stare you wrong.

[Jo Ann]

    Debbie is just being modest ... she has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to chinchillas.  She'll never steer you wrong on a chinchilla question or information.   

   Jo Ann