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[En.jay]

So my chinnes are always so happy and lovable but I woke up this morning and chilly was standing up on the cage like "hey! Hey mom look at me" and then I freaked out about what I saw. His chest fur is gone! And the skin near his arms is yellow. What happened? I put him in a cage by himself and am watching him cuz I don't know if he did it or if tiny his gf did it.....

[GrayRodent]

This is some kind of infection and what appears to be trauma from fighting with another chinchilla. Please take your chin to the vet for treatment. Make it an emergency appointment if necessary.

[kageri]

I think it looks like fat tissue.  The skin was completely ripped through.  You need to see a vet.  This is a life threatening injury that needs properly cleaned and some type of bandaging figured out.  It will have to be kept moist and clean for a long time.  A cone to keep the chin from chewing is likely going to be needed.  Pain killers as well.  Not just because we don't want the animal to suffer but if they are in pain small animals frequently quit eating.  Food intake should be closely monitored.

[GrayRodent]

Yeah I totally agree. At first I thought it was pus but it does look like the skin is gaping open. Either way it is extremely life-threatening and I hate to say it but survival may not be too likely.

The e-collar is going to be a problem. Chinchillas cannot eat with it on so you will likely be hand feeding it for several weeks. Please examine the other chin carefully as it may also be injured.

[En.jay]

Update*****

I took him to the vet they gave me antibiotics and meds to put on him. It appears he is doing it himself. He won't leave it alone and she said the collar wouldn't help because it would irritate him even more. So close close eye on him and all the prayers I can get to help him get better. No reason why he did it tho. The skin isn't actually open like that she said it is just puss from the infection.

[GrayRodent]

Thanks for the update. (Guess I should have stayed with my first thoughts!)

Self mutilation in chinchillas is very rare but not unheard of. It can be from stress, internal problems like muscle injuries or pain in the internal organs, and sometimes things like skin infections can cause it. Sometimes there is no physical cause and it can leave as mysteriously as it came. Sometimes it can progress to the point where it is better to put the animal down. I hope you'll be able to investigate possible causes further and be able to discover what triggered it.

Usually you'll have a history of fur biting before injury occurs. As far as survivability you're much better off it wasn't an attack from another chin. There's less likely going to be deeper and more serious damage. It should heal faster. I pray all goes well for you and bring it up at Bible study this evening. I'm sorry you're having such a horrific experience.

[GrayRodent]

One last thing, as always I will mention,when I see a chinchilla is put on antibiotics, it is possible it will have a bad reaction to them and stop eating. Make sure it eats a normal amount at a normal rate each day it is on the meds. If you don't catch it for a day or two it can mean death for your pet. Animals in pain and shock can also stop eating, as kageri mentioned, and this can result in severe complications. Keep track of food and water intake as best as possible and obtain supplies and instructions from your vet for hand feeding. If your chin goes off its food or water please consult your veterinarian as well.

[En.jay]

Thanks. I appreciate everyone's response. Ya he's never done this before but it seemed like he wanted my attn this morning. Tiny just seemed like nothing was going on. There are no other signs either to suggest she fought him because the wound is localized to his chest. We caught him doing it as well. Seems to be eating and drinking fine. I will keep everyone updated! Again thanks 💜

[kageri]

It's good the wound is not as deep as it looks but the puss is concerning.  Could the infection have been there before he broke it open?  That would at least give a curable reason why he self mutilated.  Unfortunately animals like chinchillas tend to make very thick puss and antibiotics don't work well on them as well as risking digestive upset and loss of appetite.  Along with the antibiotic the wounds often need rinsed strongly once or twice a day to get anywhere.  Make sure your vet is an experienced exotics vet so they know how to handle such wounds. 

If you aren't going to use a cone I suggest some major distractions.  Oxbow has a sweet meadow hay with herbs that they go nuts over and could keep him busy.  It would also encourage him to keep eating fiber.  We have a small bag around to give as treats since you can't buy that hay in large amounts.  If you can get some fresh, fairly young branches (they should still have a wood outside and not just green) that might help too.  It could be difficult to get them quickly though if you don't have a safe tree to harvest from.  Petstore wood just isn't as interesting.  They find a board from the lumbar yard just as interesting as pet store wood.  Coconut hulls sometimes excite mine.  They will spend a long time pulling the fibers off.  Of course you don't want them to get any actual coconut meat.  When they are done stripping the coconut hulls a lot of people then turn them in to food dishes or perches.