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[Squirrel_Butt]

Bonnie and Clyde have revealed themselves to be fur chewers.  Each chin has their own cage.  I have talked to a breder and she suggested that they are either bored or have a skin irritation.  If it is an irritation she suggested I put a tiny amount of athletic foot powder into their dust baths for a few months. Before I do that, I just want some feedback. 

Also is there anything I can do to reduce the possibility of gastric hairballs?

[chinclub]

The foot powder is fine, but I don't think it will help.  Chinchillas chew for 4 reasons:

1 stress
2 pain
3 boredom
4 learned behavior

When chins chew from stress it is usually do to a move, a new pet, a new house guest, ect.  If you can fix the problem soon enough it will stop.  When I took over a friends herd and moved them here from North Carolina several of them started chewing.  Once they got settled in they all stopped.

When a chinchilla is in pain it can chew out of frustration.  I have not encountered this in my herd but I have heard it from others.  Usually there are other symptoms as well.  Fix the pain and you fix the chewing.

Boredom is harder.  You can try a wheel and rotating toys, but chewing is like biting nails.  Once a bored chinchilla finds chewing as a pleasant pass time it is hard to come up with something that will keep him from it.

When a chinchilla is born to a mother that chews, or lives with a chin that chews it learns that behavior.  Once a chewer from this sort of learned behavior most likely ALWAYS a chewer.

You can give dried papaya as a treat to help with fur digestion but I have heard of very few cases of this compared to the number of chinchillas that chew so I wouldn't worry about it.

[Squirrel_Butt]

Clyde seemed to learn it from Bonnie. She used to chew on her mother Raisin when they used to share the cage as kits.  I don't know about the father though as he was adopted before I adopted Raisin.

Is there a certain type of dried papaya I should give? I have heard that sulfates are not good for them.

[chinclub]

You can give the same kind you would buy in the grocery store for yourself.

[lilchinchilla]

Fur chewing can also be genetic as well. 

Sometimes it can also be something new in their life stressing them out(diet, cagemate, placement of cage or cage size, etc...). I didn't know and I had my stereo playing for my chins (they get it 24/7). No crazy music, just classics...but an old timer who had raised chinchillas for 40 years came by my place one day. I asked for his help because I had one particular cage, that no matter what chinchilla I put in that cage, no matter their age, gender or whatever... they all chewed once they resided in that cage. Once they were put in another cage it stopped... Turned out that my friend pointed to the speakers and mentioned one was directed (even though it was nowhere near the cage but opposite end of a 30 ft room) toward that cage.

He explained the vibrations possibly or sound waves? from the speakers were causing it. When I directed the speakers to the wall....the chewing seized with any chin who lived in that cage afterwards. It happened many years ago, but it is a reminder to me, that the simplest things in life, can cause stress to chins who may in turn choose to chew, that we may never notice.

[GrayRodent]

That is very interesting. Sound waves can reflect off of corners and walls and create regions where the energy is concentrated and others where it is quieter at some frequencies. When you have a large reflective room (with hard smooth walls) you can stand in certain places and hear this by listening carefully and walking around and also by using a dB meter. I've done this test many times for setting up sound systems at church events. Sometimes there can be very dramatic and unexpected effects. Sometimes it can be fixed by slightly turning or moving the speaker a couple of feet. I imagine it is the same on a small scale but probably not as dramatic to the non-chinchillas among us.

[Squirrel_Butt]

This may be genetic as Bonnie would chew on Raisin when she was in the cage with her as a kit. Clyde didn't exhibit that behavior until months after he went into his own cage.  Raisin seems to have some areas of fur chew but it could just be her grooming habits. I have no data on the fatehr as he was adopted before Raisin was.  I'm ok with the coats looking funny. What concerns me is the possibility of a gastric hairball.

[Blondy40]

The last chinchilla I bought..He is a male Black Velvet named Kingston..When I purchased him from a very nice breeder, he had warned me that he was a furr-chewer and ,therefore, was not 'Breedable" as it can be genetic. I had no intentions of breeding (I have 5 chins) but I wanted him because I fell in love with his sweet face..and was hoping I could help him overcome his bad habit. He has been with us for over a year...all of his furr has come back plush and gorgeous..he has not chewed one piece of furr since he has been with me. His cage is full...full of every toy you can imagine, huts, hammocks, foot toys...spoiled rotten! I have been lucky thus far but he is happy and very loving...I used to be a nail biter so him and I..WE Have OVERCOME! 

I have found that keeping him amused, occupied, happy and loved have done the job!

[Squirrel_Butt]

I have the bigest cages that I can house in here.  I'll try a wider variety of toys.

[Blondy40]

Best of Luck!! Don't give up...

[Squirrel_Butt]

THanks! And I'll never give up on my babies