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[sarahrose080]

I've had my standard grey male chinchilla for about 7 years now, he's 8, and recently he has stopped chewing on his toys. I buy him new ones every once in a while and he'll chew on it for a few minutes and then not touch it again. I'm afraid his teeth are going to get overgrown if he doesn't chew on anything. He has also stopped eating his hay. I bought "kaytee Timothy Hay" which he used to love, this one does have mangoes mixed in though. Could the mangoes be why he stopped eating his hay? He's still eating his pellets and treats when he gets them.

[GrayRodent]

If you want to save him I recommend getting an exam and an x-ray of the teeth ASAP. You may not have a week to wait. Best case scenario is that it's not related to the teeth and is something treatable. If the teeth are messed up it's probably time to say your goodbyes. Malocclusion is terminal and progressive and trying to manage it is expensive financially and emotionally.

I also recommend stop giving treats immediately. Treats, if given at all, should be given only to healthy adult chinchillas.

Giving chinchillas diets mixed with fruits, nuts, or seeds is very bad for their teeth, liver and digestion. Sugary things like mangoes can cause a runaway downward spiral of digestive problems that you might be facing right now. Ask your vet about the possibility of GI-stasis which occurs frequently in chinchillas with compromised intestines or have gone off their food.

You need to feed straight timothy hay and plain alfalfa based pellets that have no mixtures of things in them (such as some diets that might have colored pieces mixed in) because chins will often pick out their favorite things and not get the balance of nutrition that is in the diet.

I'm sorry to say this but what you have described should be treated as a life-threatening condition that needs immediate action. Chinchillas hide illness well and when outward symptoms start they go downhill fast.

[sarahrose080]

Unfortunately, I probably can't afford to take him to the vet to get numerous tests done. If I knew a specific thing wrong with him I could take him in, but all those tests and x-rays add up. I will definitely switch his diet to just timothy hay and alfalfa pellets though, is there a certain brand that's better than others?

[GrayRodent]

Yes. Tell me what brands are available to you and I can tell you which one I think is best.

Unfortunately there is not much you can tell without testing. If it's digestive you need a fecal culture. If it's a dental problem you need an x-ray and oral exam. If it's some kind of respiratory infection you may need other cultures done if the vet suspects it. A physical exam by someone who knows chinchillas well is a good start.

If it is GI stasis you need to be syringe feeding a prescribed diet in the proper doses and you need to get the cause diagnosed. Otherwise your pet will probably die from it in a few days. Unfortunately it's part of owning a pet and especially one that is aging.

[sarahrose080]

I have many different foods available to me and I also don't mind buying online if I have too. If you could recommend a few, I would appreciate it. I am going to at least try and take my chinchilla into a vet sometime this week, to at least get a veterinary opinion. Do you know what an average cost is for chinchilla dental examinations?

[BLS Chins]

A dental exam should be done under anesthesia or the vet cant get a good look at the teeth. A visual exam is very limited though. It can tell you if the chin has spurs or over grown teeth but it tells you nothing about the roots (which are the most important part). Xrays are the only way to check them. Cost varies by the vet and your location. Look into care credit to help with the costs.

God brands of food include oxbow, mazuri, hubbard life, purina rabbit show, manna pro sho, blue seal rabbit and others. It just depends on what you can get in your area.

[sarahrose080]

Thank you for the food suggestions, I have some oxbow pellets on hand from a new chin I got 2 weeks ago. I'll try those.

As for my older one, I put hay in his cage and he showed interest but spread it around everywhere instead of really eating it. When I hold him or if he puts his mouth close to my skin, I do feel some moist air/wetness. Would this be drool from his teeth bothering him?

If chins are getting too many treats or mixed foods, could that fill them up and make them not want to chew or eat hay? Then that leading into teeth problems. Mine was very healthy for the 7 years I've had him, but he's been moved around a lot the past 6-8 months, with me going to college and coming home (I bring him with me). During school I wasn't home everyday with him either. I have been feeding him way more treats than I used to because I feel bad and want him to feel happier and not get stressed or as lonely and treats seem to do the trick.

[GrayRodent]

If your pet is drooling you'll usually see stained and matted fur on the chest and on the back hind quarters where he's grooming.
Chinchillas do salivate (their tongue isn't completely dry like on a bird) but if there is wetness around the mouth you definitely have a problem. Another thing to do is smell the breath. If it smells bad like an infection that can be an indicator but not always.

Feeding more than a negligible amount of treats does replace proper nutrients gained from hay and pellets and can lead to malnutrition. Constant access to sugary things can cause tooth decay which is known to cause malocclusion. This is when the grinding surface of opposite teeth isn't completely covered so it causes spikes to form. This snowballs into a permanent condition.

But it's not necessarily tooth problems you're facing but it a common problem with pet owners who feed a poor diet. Without a proper exam I'm not going to conjecture. There are many things it can be. It's also important to note that pet chinchillas live on average of 10 years. Some more and some less but I know some live to be in their twenties.

Oxbow Chinchilla Deluxe is a very good diet. It is what mine are on now although I'll be changing to Mazuri. I basically bought a year's supply but I discovered I could get large bags (25-50lbs) Mazuri locally for about 1/5 of the cost. I have two chins but I save money by buying in large quantities and vacuum seal to preserve the food.

[sarahrose080]

Thank you for all the info and suggestions to help my chin. I made him a vet appointment for this Thursday so hopefully everything will work out okay. He is still eating pellets but not the hay or toys as of right now.