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[hampsterblade]

I've had my pet chin for about a month now.  About 1 week after I got her I noticed some minor matting in her rear left leg.  Thinking it'd probably get better, I waited it out.  Now the matting is most of her side.  Today I was petting her, and noticed when I went near the area she cried, I can only guess in pain.  What should I do for her?

[GrayRodent]

I'm sorry you are having trouble with your pet.
This looks like fur chewing to me. The fur has been chewed down to the grey undercoat. I think you're right about your pet being in pain as it is not unusual for chinchillas to chew at spots that are hurting. I advise you see a vet immediately- preferably one that specializes in exotics and has seen chinchillas. You're next best option is a vet that sees rabbits. Get a diagnosis and an assessment of the severity of the injury.

Pay very close attention to food and water consumption. Pain can cause a chinchilla to stop eating, and if they stop eating for more than two days they often die of complications even if you start syringe feeding. Ask your vet about obtaining supplies and proper instructions for doing this. Don't let it go for more than 24 without eating or you can loose your pet.

[hampsterblade]

As for eatting she has been doing well with that, and hasn't stopped drinking.  Unfortunately my current financial situation prevents me from taking her to a vet for another couple weeks.  Is there anything I can do in the mean time.

[Snickerdoodlesmom]

It does look like fur chewing. Snickerdoodle has that as well. We noticed that when we bathe him more often, his fur chewing lessens. How often do you bathe your girl?
GrayRodent tends to know more than I do, but I'd like to suggest that what you heard was a squeal of fear or discomfort. Snickerdoodle does not like being touched on his leg where he chews his fur. Though I do recommend keeping track of her water/food intake and poops, because I believe fur chewing can indicate underlying issues as well. From where did you get her?

[GrayRodent]

That was very interesting snickerdoodlesmom. I didn't know chinchillas did that. I hope that hampsterblade's pet is the same kind of deal.
For now the best thing to do is just monitor and watch for changes. If she does go off her food then you know it's serious.  If she stops eating you should still be able to go the vet and get the supplies, mainly critical care and a feeding syringe, to start feeding and keep her alive until you can make an appointment. The best case scenario is that it is a pulled muscle and it will get better in a few days. The second best case is that it is a behavioral issue. It may never go away but it is not dangerous. Another slight possibility is fur fungus such as ringworm but the pattern of the biting from what I can tell doesn't indicate that. Ideally she should be examined by a vet to make sure she is not in danger.

Unfortunately it's going to be hard to tell what it is because chinchillas in general do not like people to mess with their legs to examine them. Perhaps you can try again when it is not in the middle of fur biting. Also watch to see if there are any abnormalities in his walking or jumping. That could also be an indicator of injury. If everything seems normal there I wouldn't be extremely concerned.
If it's fur biting by itself then look for things that can stress her out. Chinchillas need about 12 hours of light per day and 12 hour of darkness and prefer to sleep during the day. She should never be put in direct sunlight, should be kept in a peaceful place, should not be exposed to music or electronic noises constantly, should be kept away from other pets such as dogs or cats that may taunt them, and should be considered extremely sensitive to noise and commotion. Some chinchillas are more prone to fur chewing than others.

[hampsterblade]

Stress was my thought as well.  My room has a bit of traffic noise from the street, but it doesn't seem to bother her.  I don't ever see her run when a loud car goes down the road like she does when I accidentally step on something.  As for 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark, should I leave the light on for her when I go to work?  She isn't in direct sunlight, and my room has dark curtains so very little natural light actually comes in.

[GrayRodent]

That's not a bad idea. My chinchilla has a fluorescent light on a timer because there is very little natural light in the room. That could certainly be a factor.

[hampsterblade]

So in hopes of helping her out, I have put some extra storm windows in and done some work on my window AC unit, dropping the noise a good 20dB, went from hearing nearly every car going down the road to the occasional siren or loud truck.

I have adjusted lights so she has lights most of the day now.

Also to reduce handling and give her play time, I found some things she could jump on to get in and out of her cage and open the bottom door a few hours a night to let her run around the room ( she really likes that).

If she stops biting, how long will it be before I notice any fur regrowth?

[GrayRodent]

Wow, sounds like you went all out for this one. If she stops biting you should expect to see changes in about 7 days.
As you may know some chinchillas just do this even if there are no problems at all and sometimes it stops or starts again for no apparent reason.

[ABC Chinchillas]

it takes 3 months for fur to grow fully back developing from nose to tail. some chinchillas are stress chewers and it can often be corrected by a change in cage size or location. it can also be caused when diatary needs are not being met

[hampsterblade]

As for the chinchillas that just bite because they do.  I am taking the chin from my dad who due to a move doesn't have room for her.  He said that she never did that before.  Diet hasn't changed since I took her, but I will be changing it once the food he sent her with runs out (he was "spoiling" her with food mixed with treats, I've read around and everyone says it's a nono).  The only thing I can put it down to was stress from new environment and traffic noise.  I would move her into another room, but unfortunately summers get hot and humid in Ohio, and my room is the only one with a window AC unit so I can temperature control it.

[GrayRodent]

Sounds like you're doing your best. Usually it takes a month or two for a chinchilla to adjust to a new place. A change to a better diet may help as well. I think there is hope.