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[xkatxrinax]

Hi I got my two chinchillas a few months ago and they're very happy and seem healthy, but one of them always seems to have broken and bent whiskers. I have read this can be a symptom of fungal infections but she doesn't have any fur missing or red patches and shes had this for quite a while, also my other chin seems fine. Shes always had quite short fur , shes a violet colour, compared to my standard coloured chin, I was wondering if this was normal in the violet variety. I was wondering could the whiskers be breaking from her getting into mischief or from dominance issues (they are about 5-6 months and have been deciding on the leader recently) or from sleeping in funny positions in the hammock? or should I see a vet about fungal infections? are there any other symptoms I should be looking for? thank you.

[chinclub]

If they are together one is probably chewing on the other's whiskers.  Its common for some chinchillas to take the other chinchilla's whiskers off entirely when they groom.

[xkatxrinax]

Ok, I wasn't sure what was wrong so I was a bit worried, but after looking at her again today they seem to be starting to grow back so hopefully that has stopped. My other chin has beautiful long whiskers so I feel a bit sorry for her now with her stumpy ones

[CrazyChinLady]

I have two chins and they have grooming problems with each other.  I don't know if it is on purpose, however, I've gone in and both chins are 'whiskerless', or one side is gone on one or extremely uneven. This happens often!!!!!
I first freaked out, but as they get older, they seem to have gotten over trying to make each other look silly.. 

[lilchinchilla]

Chins will groom or chew off the whiskers on their cage mates. One reason why, is that sometimes if you notice one cage mate is more dominant than the other. Usually it is the dominant one chewing the more passive chinchilla's whiskers. Just like how sometimes one chin (more dominant one) will hump a passive chinchilla cage mate.

It's their way of asserting dominance in the cage (letting the other one know who is boss). You may notice the same chinchilla steals the more passive cage mate's treat sometimes too. 

[xkatxrinax]

Ok well they must be trying to determine whos the boss then  because the one getting her whiskers chewed off is also trying to hump/ steal treats from the one doing the chewing, i hope they figure it out soon I don't want them squabbling  does anyone know what age they should know whos the dominant one at? because i've heard if they don't decide they wont be able to be paired because of fighting and it would break my heart for that to happen.

[GrayRodent]

It sounds like you will need to separate these two. They may be incompatible. One is too dominant. The mounting could be a pre-cursor to a fight. Sometimes the dominant one may prevent the other access to food. At least that is according to some of things I have read.

[xkatxrinax]

Well most of the time they get on really great, they've been with each other since birth and they cuddle up together to sleep and they play together really happy, they've never fought, they're six months now btw, and one of them only trys to steal treats sometimes in which case the other one will make the complaining noise and she stops. I have only observed humping twice and both times the other one complained and she stopped or ran and she stopped, theres no aggression. So I really hope they'll be fine.

[lilchinchilla]

Most of the time there isn't fighting involved if they chew whiskers or hump one another.

It is just one chin asserting themselves over the other. The reason one may hump the other is to get their scent on the other one to get them to accept them. It happens a lot with pairs. You'll notice the one who is more assertive is also the more outgoing of the two, while the one who has the whiskers chewed would be the more passive one of the pair.

Fighting is completely different. If they are fighting, there would be fur pulled, lots of kacking, chasing and possibly spraying involved. Chewed whiskers are the last thing a chin thinks about that is planning to fight or hurt the other cage mate. If a chin wants to hurt another chin, they just pull fur, chase them around, spray, or bite (usually around the head or neck area is where they go for when it comes to attacking another chin.). You can tell the difference between an accepted dominant/passive relationship between two chins and one that is an aggressive or fighting type of relationship quite easily.

[xkatxrinax]

Ok so they're fine then XD that post about possibly  having to separate them scared me because I love them sooo much and I would hate to have to separate them because i wouldnt have enough room really for two cages permanently. Ok well thanks for everyones help everything seems fine now.

[lilchinchilla]

As long as there is no fur pulling, chasing, biting or spraying, they should be fine. If you see any signs of those, you need to separate. Most cases, it is just one trying to be the boss in the cage though. I've had my own same gendered pairs over the years, and always there will be one who is more assertive and dominant in the pair over the other one. Sometimes that one will chew whiskers, sometimes they won't...

The only time I've ever seen or heard of it escalating beyond that, is when it was a pair of boys and someone brought a female into the cage or into close proximity of their cage...then when she went into heat, they were fighting. Obviously you don't have to worry about that with girls.