I just want to remind everyone considering getting a chinchilla as a pet to please not think the posts you see health board represent normal chinchilla problems.
Consider the fact that if you go to a cat or dog forum you're probably going to find rather routine things. But for chinchillas routine is healthy and normal but when bad things happen they usually are pretty bad and most vets don't handle exotics so boards like this one are filled with last resort efforts.
There are a several reasons for this.
1. Most chinchillas are purchased from pet stores whose employees don't provide good advice, appropriate diets, or select pets from reputable breeders. These things combined cause a majority of things you might see here. Going in with the right diet, the right cage and environment, and obtaining your pet from a reputable breeder will reduce the risk of illness such as malocclusion, seizures, and hyperthermia.
2. Chinchillas are small, unable to cope well with injuries, and when injured it's usually very serious.
Most injuries can be prevented by thinking in advance, considering chinchillas are fast, silent, chew dangerous things like power cords, and must be handled in a secure and careful way. Accidents do happen. The most common kinds are minor cuts and scrapes that can be treated at home. The injuries you see on this board are usually serious, the owner is desperate to save the pets life, and it usually does not end well.
3. Owners are not quick to identify dangerous conditions before they become dangerous.
Monitoring your pet each day, weighing weekly, keeping mental notes of fecal output, water consumption, behavior, etc. and simply paying attention can mean the difference between a simple vet visit, and hospitalization and death. Unfortunately vet visits are not always possible on the weekend which is why I recommend having a basic first-aid kit, and syringe feeding supplies and recovery diet on hand at all times. This can potentially keep your pet alive for a day or two until you can obtain more comprehensive assistance.
4. Sadly, and something that happens quite often is that owners are desperate to save an animal that is doomed. Some pet owners will opt to euthanize while others want to keep going. I'll help as much as I can and provide advice pretty much knowing what the outcome is going to be. Please understand these exchanges don't represent usual circumstances either but they are recorded here as well.
I know of many pet owners, who own multiple chinchillas, who do not have horrible diseases or die morbid deaths. There may be the occasional diarrhea or eye infection that is treatable if detected and treated early. Yes, freak accidents and rare conditions happen to the best of us, but that goes for any animal.
I know it can look, and sometimes feel like doom and gloom here, but providing advice and documenting cases of sick and dying pets is part of what we do and does not necessarily reflect what you'll actually experience as a chinchilla owner.
