Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[adeltito]

Hello this will be my first of many posts here I'm sure. I recently got back into owning chinchillas after having one for around 6 years before it was given to a family friend. I've just adopted 3 adult chins which we are guessing to be around 5-6 years old. We got them from a rescue that specializes in dogs and horses with no real knowledge of chinchillas. Their cages were sub par to say the least and I'm sure their daily care was not the best. That being said we thought it best to save as many as possible from these conditions. After getting the chins home we realized one of them, a tan female, is a bit lethargic. She doesn't drink much and is a little resilient to move. Now they all seem a bit sleepy which I'm assuming can be attributed to a rough couple weeks at the ranch and an hour and a half drive home but the tan one seems a bit sluggish. Something i did notice was she seems a bit bloated in her stomach which I've heard can be a problem so Ive tried massaging her belly a little but its pretty tough as she is pretty skittish. What if any diet changes/medications could be given to her and what are some other solutions for the lethargy. Our room should be at an okay temperature as it is right by an a/c vent, shes eatting oxbow food, has plenty of hay (timothy with a small alfalfa cube). So what could be the problem here? Is it just shock from the move and a rough rebound from some terrible living conditions and a little gas or something worse?

Thanks for any help possible,
Anthony + Alex

[GrayRodent]

It's hard to say what is going on on with that female since you might not know their history and you might not know for sure of their genders. Therefore I would suspect that one could be pregnant. If that is the case you want to be very careful handling her or you could cause serious damage. Avoid putting pressure on the sides of the abdomen and handle her as little as possible until you're sure. You might need to get an x-ray done if her condition worsens but pregnant chinchillas usually aren't as active during late stages. Do your best to confirm the gender of all the chinchillas. If males are with females you will eventually get kits. Average chinchilla gestation is 111 days.

I wouldn't be too concerned about lethargy and food intake on the first day you get them. Relocation is very stressful and this could be the cause. Also most chinchillas are active mostly at night when they will take in most (if not all) their water and most of their food. However if you suspect your chin is sick you may want to take it to the vet. Sick chinchillas usually hide their illness until something is seriously wrong. Eating and pooping are all good signs. Usually a sick chinchilla with bowel problems will stop eating and pooping.

Also make sure they all have wood to chew on. Without chew toys there is a risk of tooth overgrowth which can have very serious consequences. Hope this helps.

[Lori Ramsey Earle]

If her tummy seems bloated, one thing you could do is give her some infant simethicone. This is a do-no-harm medicine that breaks up gas bubbles in the stomach. Good for humans and works well for chinnies, too. You can find it in any grocery/drug store ; the dosage would be like .1 cc. You don't say if her chow mix has changed - if so, that could cause stomach discomfort. Or the stress of moving a couple of times...Make sure she is pooping.
I've had chins get spooked for a few days when all I did was change them into a better cage! So, give them time to adjust, and they'll act more normally. Keep a close eye on them(like you're doing) in case there is something medical going on. This is the hard part with chins - sometimes it seems like you have to be psychic to discern a health problem with them. Consult with a vet if something doesn't seem right to you. In general, if a chin is eating and drinking and pooping well, things are ok.
PS FYI If you give the simethicone, it works very quickly, like within minutes.
All the best, Lori

[Morrigancharm]

You can also give a chinchilla a Tums chewable (for children)! I would only recommend a half of one tablet at first though!

[Snickerdoodlesmom]

I've never heard that before. How does it work?

[Morrigancharm]

It is more of a calcium boost than anything and more recommended if the chinchilla is pregnant, new mommies need the calcium to help replace what the babies are taking from her. But not recommended if the chin doesn't need it. I should have put that on the original reply I did, but I get happy with the keyboard and think faster than I type sometimes.