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[ChinchillaChris]

Hi everyone,
I need urgent help, I need to know if my chinchillas are too hot. The room they are currently in stays between 72 and 76 degrees. When it gets too hot, and before I go to bed, I place the cage in a room which stays about 70 degrees. I'm going to the store tomorrow to buy a "chin chiller," a granite slab that they lay on if it is too hot. In the meantime though, could someone please answer these two questions:
1: let me know what a good temperature range is for chinchillas
2: How to spot heat exhaustion
Thank you so much!!!
Sincerely,
Chris
And the chins, BoBo and Moose

[GrayRodent]

From what I understand 73 and below is the best range. They can probably go do down to 50.
Mine is comfortable at 75 resting but acts overheated if he is active and exercising at or above 74 which is about where I keep the temp in the house when I let him out. Normally I'll turn the air conditioner down lower while he is out. Lately I've set up the room with a portable air conditioner in it to allow him to roam there to help with this. Sometimes after exercising he'll stretch out on his shelf and pant for a moment which is a classic sign of overheating and can be a danger sign if it's more than just a brief moment.

I've also noticed you can see the veins bulging in his ears beneath the fur when that happens. Some owners say you can see the ears blush but mine has too much fur to see that well. Having a portable air conditioner is convenient because it can bring the temp down by the cage quickly. It is air temp that matters most.

Beyond that they may start having seizures and act uncoordinated. Although I've never seen this first-hand I've seen many reports of this. If you notice this it is an emergency and is recommended to dunk their lower half in room temperature water for a couple of minutes and dry them off with a hair dryer (no heat) then making sure the chinchilla does not get too cold until completely dried. If you catch it quickly it can save them from permanent brain damage and organ failure. Sometimes the brain damage (from brain swelling) is permanent and predisposes your pet to re-occurring seizures and stroke (bleeding in the brain) all which can be fatal. Another thing you can do is put the chinchilla in your freezer with the door cracked open but I think the dunking is going to bring the core temp down faster.

A chin chiller isn't going to do much to bring their temp down because they radiate heat mostly through their ears. Perhaps it does have an effect but I imagine it's small.

[ChinchillaChris]

Thanks a bunch GrayRodent. I think I'll start looking into a portable air conditioner for them.
Bobo and Moose thank you too!

[gasaraki03]

Mine is usually around 72-76 depending at the time. Usually its hot with my pc being so close which is good in a way because when i go to bed and is when there most active its off and usually around 72 at night for them. I haven't noticed too much with mine being over heated on brief times when ill open window or something. Also i have 2 chin coolers mine love it but heard it only helps for a little doesn't stay too cold for long. GrayRodent already gave good advice on how to tell, basically there just look hot should be able to tell be laying down mostly.

Also GrayRodent is there any portable AC that you suggest.

[GrayRodent]

I bought a Danby. If I remember right it's this one or one with the same spec. It is a freestanding unit unlike a window air conditioner.
http://www.danby.com/en/US/our_products/air_conditioners/dpa100a1gd#

I have had it since July and have not had any problems with it. It is fairly quiet although it is made for a large room. I can sleep with it over the top bunk in my RV (I sleep in the bottom bunk and the top one is used for storage) but it does clunk a little when it starts because of the unconventional way it is installed.

We live in an RV so we needed a big one since our central AC was not able to keep up very well this summer. Before we got this unit it was almost unbearable inside (about 90 degrees inside in the daytime) and that was when we filled in all the windows and skylights with styrofoam blocks. It brought temp down to around 80 degrees when it was 102 degrees outside. This time of year I can get it down into the sixties if I wanted to. Also we got our main AC serviced later in the year and it is running better.

Portable air conditioners do require that the hot air gets vented out of the house. They typically come with a flexible plastic duct that goes to a window. The window is usually fitted with a sliding plastic part that allows you to do this while minimizing drafts from the outside.

I had to install mine in a very unconventional manner since I don't have a typical sliding window in my RV so I used foam pieces. Since the room where it is set up in also has a washer and dryer in it I was able to run the drain hose to a drain. I imagine it wouldn't be too hard to run the hose out the window. You don't want water dripping down the wall all the time or it will cause mold and possibly damage. It is made so you can connect a regular garden hose with it but a PVC pipe might make for a nicer looking installation. Not all portable ACs have this option and you just have to keep emptying the reservoir.

I did originally have it set to drain into a gallon pitcher but it overfilled after 2 or 3 hours. In Georgia where we live the humidity is very high you need at least a 5 gallon bucket to contain the water and you might have to empty is frequently if you are running it constantly. This unit is designed to induce evaporation of the water but our humidity overwhelms it. I used to do this with a window AC of similar rating at a place where I worked. I had to empty it twice a work day before my boss put a 55 gallon drum behind the wall.

Another thing you should do is be careful of the air circulation. Since the room it's in is way to small for such a large unit it will cycle on and off unless there is a fan that blows the cold air into a larger area through the doorway. It is good to do your research about what is recommended for a room of a given size. Too big is not good nor is too small. Constantly cycling on and off will reduce the life of the compressor. Some cheaper air conditioners may not have safeguards against "short cycling" like mine does. This is when the pressures on either side of the cooling system can't equalize before the compressor starts and this can cause damage.

I did first purchase a different air conditioner that was on sale and was half the price but it turned out to be defective. I talked to another customer at the store who said he had one like it and he hated it. It was a discontinued item on clearance. It was a Royal Sovereign brand and I think it was a 800BTU. There was a label that said you had to wait 3 hours after moving the unit before starting it up. So I had installed everything and then discovered it was defective. I was not happy about that. My Danby unit did not have that restriction but it was also expensive, about $400 USD but was the next comparable unit in its class at the time. I also bought a service contract for it that should ensure I'll have it for 5 years which was also expensive (about $50 USD) but not as expensive as replacing a defective unit. Perhaps buying used during the winter might be a good option depending on the price you can find it for.

[gasaraki03]

Such a long response thanks. Yea ill have to look more into portable Ac maybe get one for my bday or xmas coming up so ready for next summer. Humidity with be problem here too looked what it is right now its at 90% usually high here in illinois. Id only need it during the day so empty may not be too bad since doubt will get such an expensive one.

My room is small so wouldn't need big one. Or could just spend less time with them and put in living room be little cooler but know wont do as much with and be lonely.

[Jo Ann]

  
Some of the signs your chin is in trouble from to warm a temperature or exhaustion:

1.  Pink or redish ears or veins more obvious in the ears than normally ... this is often hard to see in chinchillas that have dark ears like the black velvets and standard grays.  We as humans sweat to help cool our body ... chinchillas do NOT sweat, they cool their body through their ears and a little through their feet.  Their thick fur helps keep their body heat in and the outside cold out.  The temperatures a chin can withstand are generally between 45 F and 74 F ... these are the extreams.  Their comfort zone is usually between 65 F and 70 F.
2.  Panting is a sign of exhaustion and/or stress.  Panting in a chin is usually seen after/while being very active OR in a pregnant female chinchilla in labor while delivering her kits.
3.  Lethargic ... Not being playful, sitting unusually still for a long period or time and or dull eyes ... this is a sign your chin could be over heated, but is also often a sign of injury or illness.  Never ignore the sign of lethargy in a chinchilla.
4.  When you are holding the chin, you can over heat it by transferring your body heat to the chin by holding it to long and or in a manner where most of it's body is covered by your hands and or body.  Your body heat is transferred to the chins fur, and into the chinchilla itself.
5.  It's ears and feet should never feel warm to your touch.  Your face and/or neck can often judge temperature better than even your hands.
6.  A chinchilla that is overheated or sick will often become irritable and not want to be handled.  Never ignore this.

There are several ways to help cool your chinchilla.  Some are safer than others ...

1. We keep our home temperature at 67 to 68 F year round ... rough on the summer billing, but helps greatly on the winter bills.
2.  Buy two chin-chillers, keep both in the refrigerator.  Use one at a time, swapping them out as needed.
3.  You mentioned a high humidity.  Get a dehumidifier, please.  High Humidity greatly affects a chinchilla in a bad way.  A good way to gauge the proper comfortable temperature for a chinchilla is to add the humidity number to the temperature number ... IF they = 150 or more, it is to warm for your chin, especially one that is out playing.  Example:  Room Temperature is 74 F and room Humidity is 85%.  74 + 85 = 159 This is over the acceptable 149 total.   
4.  Buy a few mason jars.  Fill them with ice cubes and keep them in the freezer ... Do NOT fill with water, then freeze, they can break that way ... Place metal lids on the jars filled with ice cubes and place the jar in the cage.  Do not use plastic jars.  When your little one is out playing ... keep a jar of ice cubes out in a metal shallow cooking sheet pan or metal cake pan, placed in a convenient place on the floor for your chin.  He/she will go stand close to it to get use of the cool air around it AND can lick the cold droplets of condensed water off of the outside of the jar.
5.  Using water to cool a chin is acceptable, but only in an emergency.  The chin must be thoroughly dried with a towel and paper towels a.s.a.p.  A chinchilla can become chilled if left wet ... a chilled chin can often be in as much danger as one that is to hot.
6.  We as humans sweat/perspire.  When the breeze from a fan come in contact with the water on our bodies, it evaporates the water cooling the body.  Chinchillas can not sweat or perspire, a fan does not help them and can hurt them.  Always keep your chin away from fans and air ducts.
7.   Never place or house your chin in an enclosed area such as an aquarium.  There will be a heat build up from the chinchilla's own body heat, not to mention the fumes from the urine and poop.  Chinchillas must have fresh air.  No air can properly circulate naturally in a small enclosed area.  A chinchilla needs to be in a cage that is enclosed with wire that can allow the normal flow of air in in the room in and out of the cage naturally.
8.  Never place a chin's cage where the direct sun beams can shine on the cage or the chinchilla.  A chin's cage should always be placed in an area OUT of direct sunlight.  The sun beams shining through a glass window will heat anything it shines on.  Even a few degrees can make a huge difference for a chinchilla.
9. When traveling with a chinchilla, never, ever leave it in an enclosed car while you run in the store to get something or to get a bite to eat.  The inside temperature of a car on a sunny day that it is 70 F can soar to 90+ F in just a few minutes.  You do not want to return to find a dead chin.  Plan on going through drive thous to get something to eat.
10.  When transporting a chinchilla, do NOT place the cage on the floorboard of the vehicle. Place it in an area that is off of the floor and where no sunbeams will hit it during the trip.  The equipment that runs the car often heats the floor of the car.  The sunbeams coming through the window will over heat the chin. 

Hope this helps!

Jo Ann

   

[gasaraki03]

I like that switch out Chin coolers in fridge already got 2 and they only use one anyway so works well. Though they didn't seem as interested lol.

[GrayRodent]

The nice thing about air conditioners is they bring the humidity down when they work. The air conditioner that I have also provides a de-humidifying mode that can be used in the winter when you don't want it blowing cold air.