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[Jenova]

I found some information here:
http://www.chincare.com/HealthLifestyle/GroomingFurHealth.htm

Just a little way down it talks about dry skin. I'm not sure how reliable the source is but the photos are qute informative. Cheech is not nearly as bad as any of those photos so hopefully I have caught it early.

The main problem is that fungus and dry skin are very similar at first but are cause by opposite things. Fungus by damp and dry skin by, well, dryness. For one I would have to dry him out, give him more dust baths etc and for the other I would have to avoid it. I'm not sure which way to go because I don't want to aggrivate the problem.

I'm pretty sure it is dry skin but obviously I'm no expert. I'll keep a close eye on him and take him to the vet if it gets any worse or doesn't get any better.

[ChinchillAZ]

I would follow Jo Anne's suggestion of reducing the dust baths before I would recommend treating a fungus that you're not sure is even there.

[Jenova]

Thanks for the advice.

Quick update: It's been almost three days since his last bath and I've noticed two things. Firstly a small change in his paws which have become darker and more pinky. I have no other chinchillas to compare Cheech to but I believe he may have dry skin on his feet that I didn't really notice. They've lost their whitish tinge. Secondly there has been a dramatic change in his behaviour. Over the last two weeks he had been getting really bitey. He had become obsessed with escaping and got really vicious with us. I put this down to a male maturing, however, today he's been letting me stroke and tickle him for long periods of time and he generally looks happier.

Thanks so much for all the advice. I feel really bad for not noticing these thing earlier or attributing them to the wrong factors. I can only learn more and you guys are so valuable to us. Cheech say a big thank you and gives everyone a little nibble for good measure. 

[Jo Ann]

Glad to hear he is much better!   



Jo Ann

[ChinchillAZ]

Happy, healthy chins are the best chins of all!   

[Jenova]

I was just wondering, is there anything else I can do to help relieve the dry skin? I'm not too fond of the idea of using moisturisers as I've heard some people do. He probably wouldn't sit still long enough for me to rub it on his feet and then I have no doubt he would just eat it off. I don't want him to get ill from ingesting that. 
Can giving him a few sunflower seeds make him more... greasy? Or will that only affect his fur? Or are their any other natural remedies?

He's a little bit better than last time. His front paws are almost clear of flaky skin but his back feet are still quite bad. He's still scratching but that might be from habit now more than anything else. I'm keeping a close eye on him.

[Abby W.]

There is a natural products company called "fruit of the earth", and they make an all natural Vitamin E lotion.  I use a very small amount on my chins from time to time.  The room they are in has an air conditioning unit that is equipped with a dehumidifier.  So the air can get quite dry for them sometimes.  Their ears and feet start to get dry and itchy.  Just a very small dab, about half the size of a pea is enough to keep their skin hydrated for a week, and it is perfectly safe for them, in small amounts.  I have also found that if I rub a bit between my thumb and forefinger and then rub their ears the same way, with my fingers on either side, they really like it, and it helps spread rub the lotion into the skin very well.
I found this product in a health food store, but I think I have also seen it in the body lotion section at wal-mart.  I took it to my vet and had her check it for dangerous chemical components, and she found it to be harmless.
You can also try adding a drop of vitamin E oil, at a dose of 10IU (about one drop) per 500 grams of weight.  I added this to their pellets originally, but honestly did not see a huge difference.  However, I did not try it for very long.  I hope this helps!

[Jo Ann]

 

I have no other chinchillas to compare Cheech to but I believe he may have dry skin on his feet that I didn't really notice.

 I didn't catch the 'dry feet' before.  Are they swollen or have tiny cracks in the skin on the feet?  If so, you might want to make sure he is not developing bumble foot.  That is very painful for a chin.   Chinchillas that constantly stay on wire often get it. (  Try to imagine your feed swollen, sore, raw in places and trying to walk on rocks with them.)  The dust bath dust would only irritate the feet and possibly cause more of an infection. 

I know you can add a drop or two of canola or corn oil to the supplement to add weight to a chin, but I do not know if it would help with dry skin.

I'll check out a few reference places and try to post anything I find.

For now, I will suggest a solid floor for your little one ... even if it is only pieces of pine board placed on the bottom floor and maybe a couple attached to the upper floors or balconies.

 
Jo Ann

[Jenova]

I don't think they're swollen, just a bit flaky. He only has one wire floor, the rest are pine. Thank you. 

[Jo Ann]

Very good! 

Next ... if the pine floors are stained (from urine or soft poops)... it is always a good practice to, make sure to sand off (till no stain is left) and/or replace them every so often ... replace, especially if the chin has been sick.

For the wire floor (it is often the bottom floor) ... this is where all the body wastes pass through before going to the tray/pan below.   Always wipe down the bottom floor with an iodine solution/alcohol/or clean throughly with a brush in hot soapy water.  Bacteria and germs will cling to the wire floor, even if you do not see them.  (Not cleaning the wire is like washing your knife, fork and spoon, but not the plate the food is on.)

Any time a chin has been sick it is best to sterilize the cage and everything in it.  Do not leave germs/parasites to re-infect a chin.

   My mind must have been in the fog yesterday ... I should have thought of this then ....

The dry skin on the feet can quickly crack open and bleed ... cracked/broken skin, is always an open path for germs, fungus and parasites. 

If one of my chins have an open sore (or evenone that is in the process of healing) I clean it with a very mild iodine and water solution (what looks like very weak tea) then apply Neosporin (a triple antibiotic ointment) to keep the healing skin from becoming hard, dry and itchy as it heals.  I would think this would do good for dry skin on the feet also.  The ointment will soak into the skin and heal/soften/moisturize the tissues.

 
Jo Ann

[Jenova]

Thank you for your advice.
As you know I was debating replacing the shelves with pine ones because Cheech loves to sleep on the wire. We've done the top one and put another extra one for his enjoyment and he loves to lie on them with his feet and nose tucked through the side of the cage. That's how I noticed them. And don't worry his cages gets a really thorough clean every week. However, guess where he is right now? Asleep on his feet on the wire shelf. Silly thing. 

[Jenova]

Little update. 
We really reduced the dust baths and he's getting a lot better. His front paws are completely better. His back feet are still a little flaky but a lot better. I did notice one thing though, sometimes he curls up and bites the bottom of his feet while he's lying on his side. He only ever does this a couple of times a week and he's been puling the dry skin off. Hopefully this is just normal grooming.

[chinclub]

As long as he is only pulling off the dead skin I wouldn't worry.  You have all heard me talk about my rescue chin that came with one leg cut off and what appeared to be a burn all over one arm.  He would constantly chew at those two areas and I was very worried that he would open them up but he never did.   Do watch for any signs that he is opening up new areas, but if not let him do his thing. 

[Jo Ann]

    Yes, this is normal grooming, under the circumstances.  Often the cage mate will do it for them.
       They are much like a cat or dog.  They will nibble the crust of a sore and keep licking it until there is no more blood.  This allows fresh air to help heal the sore and any infection to drain out.
       With the dry skin, he is treating it like the crust of a sore ... just keep an eye on his feet ... they will ... on occasion ... get a little to aggressive and actually make a new sore.  I would try to put the Neosporin on once or twice a day just to help speed-up the healing.

 
Jo Ann

[Jenova]

Thank you for the advice. I will try and pick some up.
I really want to get him a cage mate, especially after what you have been talking about with male chin's ears, but I have to wait until we have enough room to set the other cage up.
He's very happy within himself and I'll keep a close eye on his feet.