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Chinchillas => General Chat => Topic started by: chinsgrandma on June 16, 2006, 12:22:21 PM

Title: New chin owner
Post by: chinsgrandma on June 16, 2006, 12:22:21 PM
Hi all,
I recently visited a breeder and picked a chin out for my daughter.  Her name is Cheerio (the chin, not my daughter!) and we are loving her to death.  I have a question that I was hoping someone can help me with, though, as I have not found this answer in any books or on any message boards.  Every once in a while we notice an odor from Cheerio.  It's not particularly offensive, but it's a definite odor, and all I read everywhere is how they have NO odor.  So naturally this concerns me, that she could have a health problem causing this.  It is not constant, but we smell it pretty often.  It's a musky type of odor.

If anyone has any input on this topic I would really appreciate it!

Chinsgrandma
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: null on June 16, 2006, 12:37:53 PM
If anything they should smell like their dust bath, but I have heard that they can pick up odors from their surroundings. I recently saw that one person said their chin smelled like steak three days after they had steak for dinner.
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinchillagrl06 on June 16, 2006, 12:54:21 PM
How often are you cleaning the cage? Should be at least once a week.
Do you do spot cleanings (take out the soiled area)? I spot clean everyday.
What kind of bedding do you use? I use aspen, but pine is another that is very absorbant.
How often do you give a dust bath? I dust mine every 2-3 days and moreoften if it is humid.
What kind of dust do you use? I use and recommend Blue Cloud.

This will all affect your chinnies odor. Regular dusting should get your chinnie smelling back to normal in no time. :)
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinsgrandma on June 16, 2006, 02:43:26 PM
Thank you SO much everyone for your suggestions!!

We clean the cage once a week (taking everything out and replacing bedding, etc.) but I also clean it a couple of times in between.  I use Carefresh bedding because I already had this for my rabbits and thought this was the safest type for small animals.  She does her dust bath every night, we just can't say no to her.  She gazes at the bath like its paradise if we don't put it on the floor for her.  She will go tumble 4 or 5 times and then we'll put it back so it stays cleaner longer. I do not remember what brand of dust I bought. The first kind was more of a sand, but then I got dust which she seemed to like better.

In her little house she has a poof of stuff that came with her Chewbular tube.  Could this be causing the smell? I don't know what its made of, but its some sort of bedding material that they are supposed to like.
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinchillagrl06 on June 16, 2006, 03:04:07 PM
I would take the pouf of bedding out, just in case she decides it would make a good snack. I am not sure what it's made of, but I always through it out!  ::nod::
Could be the bedding I have always felt carefresh held in more odor, but I know alot of owners use it.
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinsgrandma on June 16, 2006, 04:10:33 PM
Yes I plan to DE-POOF Cheerio's home and see if that might be the problem.  What kind of bedding is ok for them?  I know with my rabbits I did a lot of research before I got them and was severely warned against any kind of wood based bedding because of the possibility of respiratory illness.  Years ago we had a guinea pig and at the time no one talked about the dangers of wood shavings and the vet said he died of respiratory illness from the bedding we were buying to make his cage comfortable!  Can you imagine how we felt, we pretty much killed the little baby in trying to take care of him.  So I am REALLY leery of trying new products with Cheerio.  I knew the CareFresh was safe so I stuck with it, especially since I read that their urine and poo does not have a smell, I figured whatever odor control the Carefresh has would not even be necessary in her case.  Interestingly enough the cage itself does not smell at all, it's just the little fuzzball herself.  It's kind of a sour smell, possibly like spoiled milk or something along that line. :chin:

I am going to take the entire cage apart tomorrow and scrub it down.   We have had her about 2 months now and I have not done that yet, I just take all the bedding out and wipe the pullout tray with Sun & Earth or one of those non-toxic household cleaners and replace her bedding.  The cage has been remarkably clean, she only pees in one corner, so I put Yesterdays News litter in the pullout tray in that one area to absorb it, and the rest of it is just poo pellets.

I notice that she has begun shedding in the last few days also.  Does anyone think this might be related?  She will show up with a little puff of fuzz sticking out of her back and you can just pick it off.  She will NOT let me groom her.  She is content to jump on your lap when she feels like it, but we have not been able to handle her yet without her getting EXTREMELY upset.  She is already 3 years old and is new to our house so we are not pressuring her for the lovin' quite so soon.  She has come MILES in the two months we've had her.  At first she would not even come out of her cage.  One night last week my daughter was crying in her bed at night (nervous about a final exam the next day  :'() and Cheerio started making these peeping noises at her.  My daughter looked over and the streetlight was shining near her cage and she saw Cheerio sitting upright holding onto the bars watching her and it sounded like she was crying too.  She will now come on our laps or when we are studying on the floor she will come and sit on the book to make us pay attention to her.  But under no circumstances does she want to be touched.  I do hope this changes, but even if it doesn't we just adore her.  She is extremely entertaining to watch especially the bouncing off the walls, that is priceless.

Hopefully the major housecleaning tomorrow will solve the problem, but I do still wonder if the shedding has anything to do with it since both things appeared at the same time?

Hey actually I do have one more question.  In doing the research before we got her, we read about what voracious chewers they are.  She doesn't chew!!!  She has a pumice stone and some pieces of wood, and one of those plastic igloo homes, as well as a wooden ledge that she loves to sit on, but she doesn't chew any of this.  Does this mean I should take her to the vet more often to get her teeth checked for overgrowth??  I know my rabbits' teeth will overgrow rather quickly if they do not chew, but they love to chew and spend a good portion of the day doing so.  I have yet to see her chew on anything but her food.  Anyone else have a non-chewer??

I really appreciate everyone's help!!
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinsgrandma on June 16, 2006, 04:15:52 PM
Hey forgot to ask for some newbie support - how do I fill in profile information?  The HELP menu tells me to click on my username but that doesn't work..... :-[
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinsgrandma on June 16, 2006, 04:28:24 PM
Just trying out the features on the board, don't mind me....I want to see if I know how to post a photo..........
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinsgrandma on June 16, 2006, 04:31:10 PM
Wow they are awfully big!!  This one is my favorite, though, even though its cut off a bit.  She's a cutie-pie.
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinclub on June 16, 2006, 07:55:24 PM
I have a question.  When you notice the smell are you holding her?  One thing I have noticed that no one ever talks about it the musky smell a chinchilla can give off when it is scared.  My husband says it is sort of a buttery smell. We don't handle our breeding females and we often notice it when we have to take them out of the cage for something.

I hate Carefresh.  We used it for awhile with some of our chinchillas in the house because it doesn't track all over the house like aspen would.  I find that Carefresh smells very musky and I hate the smell so I can't use it. We use aspen in all of our cages.

As for helping chinchillas smell nice I think Desenex Athletes foot powder smells a lot like baby powder.  You can sprinkle some over the top of her dust before you give it to her and it will make her smell nice.  It will also prevent fur fungus ;)
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinsgrandma on June 16, 2006, 08:23:06 PM
Thank you SO much for the tips.  Yes, I agree that I definitely smell it when we attempt to hold her, but you know what - she will come and sit on us voluntarily and we will still smell it.  So maybe along this same line of thinking, even though she is making "the first move" so to speak, she is still nervous and not sure whether she really wants to be sitting there, or is anticipating my trying to hold her even if I am not going to.  She is not a breeding female (which, lucky for us, made her price lower than I had anticipated it being) so I don't know if that makes a difference.  I agree with the comparison to a buttery smell, I can take it a step further and say that it would smell this way if it were overcooked, like maybe being around a popcorn machine in a movie theater too long.  That smell can get obnoxious, this is kind  of like that.

I am going to hit PetSmart tomorrow and get some aspen before I do her housecleaning and not use the Carefresh for her anymore.  I am not thrilled about using it for my rabbits at all, but I am so concerned about their health that I just use it anyway.  I would love to have something more aromatic in there because their pee can smell if they go in the bedding (they are about 90% box-trained, but sometimes I think they are just too lazy to go to the box and I will find a wet spot in another part of the cage and it doesn't mask the odor at all).

I'm glad I found this board, you guys are so helpful!  Looking forward to coming on here and hearing about everyone else's chins.  Cheerio is not even really mine, she is my daughter's, but I've become so attached to her. I like the fact that she sleeps all day so I don't feel like I am neglecting her by not being up there in the room with her.  We have our two rabbits and then there is my Pacific Parrotlet, Huey, who is the spoiled boy of the house.  Plus I have my son, can't forget him, who is 3.  So if Cheerio were not a nocturnal creature most likely I would not have felt comfortable bringing her here.  I stop in to see her a few times throughout the day, she pokes her nose out, then goes right back in.  It's like she's just trying to be polite by acknowledging me but has NO desire to hang out with me at all!

Getting late- time for sleep.  Thanks again for your input and if anyone thinks of any other helpful tips I am all ears.  On the other subject - if anyone has any input on the non-chewing issue please send me your thoughts?  I get a little concerned that her teeth might overgrow if she is not filing them down naturally.

THANKS!! ::wave::
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinclub on June 17, 2006, 07:47:24 AM
She is probably just still getting used to her new home, and some chinchillas chew more than others.  Keep an eye on that plastic house.  You don't want her chewing plastic because her body won't be able to digest it and eventually it could cause a blockage.  If she is enjoying the house and she doesn't chew it you don't need to take it out.  Just look it over everyday as you feed and water her and if you ever notice any chew marks you can then replace it with a wooden house.

Many of my chinchillas will not chew on those hard pumice blox.  They all prefer wood and the smaller softer pumice pieces.  You can also buy your chinchilla a variety or loose hay and hay cubes.  All chinchillas will chew them and the simple act of chewing these will help keep healthy teeth.
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinsgrandma on June 17, 2006, 11:45:00 AM
Thanks so much!  I am soaking this all up like a sponge, and passing it on to my daughter so she is not as concerned about Cheerio now as she was before.  Cheerio is quite a different creature than our other "babies" so we have more to learn that what we were able to read in the book we bought.  Oddly enough this morning when I was cleaning her cage out she sat with me the whole time even when I had the vacuum on, and I smelled nothing.  You would think the sound of the vac would not only send her scambling but she would let off some of this musky scent out of nervousness, but nothing.......so she is keeping me guessing.  I have not seen a single chew mark on her house, and I am glad for that because she loves it and I would hate to give it up.  I put a small piece of wood on the "floor" of the igloo so she does not lay on the cage-bottom and I did notice this morning that the sides were all chewed.  I was never so happy to see chew marks on wood!!  We give her those alfalfa cubes, usually one or two a week, and she had now just started gnawing on those too.  The pumices are little triangle shaped pieces in different colors.  My daughter said she has seen Cheerio carry one into her igloo, so maybe she just prefers to do her chewing in private!  I will however keep a close eye on the igloo in case she ever decides to make a chewtoy of it. I had a wooden house when I first got her (which is now in 4 pieces and serve as the floor to the igloo) but she was too big for it.  The package said it was a chin  house, but she went in it and not only was she too big but it fell apart!  It had pieces that slid together but they did not secure, so I didn't care for that at all I thought she could get hurt.  I saw one wooden house that was $20 (!!!) but it was too big to get through her upper-level door anyway.  She fits really wel lin the igloo, its enough to shift positions in comfortably.  Hopefully she will realize the value of her igloo and not eat it!!

THANKS AGAIN for your help!  I wish I had done this 2 months ago!!
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: Jo Ann on June 17, 2006, 12:43:24 PM
::silly:: Hi Chins Grandma,
   
   Welcome to the Chinchilla Club! 

   You're getting all kinds of good advice here!  Most of your questions have been answered so far.

   On the non-chewing ... some just take a little longer to decide it's OK to chew on the things they have ... once they do, it's usually no stopping them after that! ::)

   A chinchilla will have mild odors, none as strong as most animals except for one ... that one you never want to smell ... it is related to giardia ... a parasite that will sometimes take over their system when they are sick or weak.  It is a rotting/spoiled odor. ::puke::

   Sometimes a chin will have a urine problem ... for this, I use a second bottle with 1/2 and 1/2 water and Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice ... they love it and it works great.   ::nod::  I also use it for my nursing moms.

   Being 'in season' is also an occasional oder you may smell.  It usually lasts for 7 to 10 days every 28 to 34 days.  Most chinchillas are very clean and you will usually see her cleaning her self more often, if not almost constantly, during this time.  :blush2:

   Blue cloud is a great dust bath dust and the Desenex Powder works wonders.  Please never use a dust bath sand ... it is much to harsh for a chin's fine fur.  :-\

   Often you will see many things that say they are safe for chinchillas that are not ... I would not use the puffy stuff in the tube with your chin.  It is a bedding for small animals like gerbils or Guenna pigs, not chinchillas.  :-[

    We use pine bedding for our chinchillas.   :::grins::

    Cedar and beddings that have added 'odor-controllers' are not acceptable for chinchillas and can cause them to have a respiratory infection.  Cleaners with added scents to them can have the same effect.  Steam cleaning the cage and/or pan is about the best I know to do.

     Cheerio and your daughter must have bonded more than you realize.  Often a chinchilla will share the emotions of the one/ones they love.  Next time, you might suggest they have a little chat with each other.  Chins are great listeners and will never tell anyone else your secrets.  They will usually try to get your spirits up and by the time you are finished, you've forgotten all your problems (at least for a little while) and are much more relaxed and happier.   rofl

 ::wave::
Jo Ann
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinsgrandma on June 17, 2006, 02:36:25 PM
Hi Jo Ann,
Thanks so much for contributing to my growing list of chin friends here.  I can't tell you how valuable this information is to me.  I did also find the booklet in my email box, and am printing it out to show my daughter.
I did take the bedding out that came with her Chewbular tube but although I went to the pet store this morning to buy aspen shavings as someone else had suggested I came back only with a container of bath dust (I never did use the sand I originally bought.  I stuck my finger in it, hated it, and brought it back to the store.  I was not sure why they would market this type of product for a delicate little animal, but at the time I did not know the difference between sand and dust, so I picked up the wrong thing). 
I am so leery of using any kind of wood after the tragedy of our little guinea pig. I see you recommend pine and to be sure there is no cedar in it - this is what scares me, I guess I don't trust what the bag says when it comes to something that can actually kill her.  I heard a while back from my vet (he's an exotics vet, because I only have exotics) that KayTee had been cited for using materials in their products that were harmful and did not disclose this on the package, and I just never forgot his words to this day.  Apparently they are also a paper manufacturing company and were combining low-quality woods (that were not suitable for paper production) in with their animal bedding products and the consumer was totally unaware.  Gives you a chill - you try to do best for your pets and there is just no way to know these things unless someone tells you.
With the Carefresh bedding even though other materials would be better at least I know its only paper and can't hurt her.  Hopefully in time I will not be quite so cautious as I am right now and will get the pine bedding as I think she would like it more and it would have a fresher scent.
Thank you for the tip on the cranberry juice, I am going to keep that in mind.  I am inclined to think she does not have a urinary problem because the cage itself has no smell, and sometimes if she pees from the top level of her cage some of it will drip onto the plastic under the cage, and I would definitely smell that as there is nothing to soak it up.  The plastic is just a large sheet of heavy vinyl to protect the carpet, but I have found pee spots on it a couple of times.  I am hoping that it is just the nervous scent that someone else had suggested and this will just pass in time.  If she has her period  :blush2: well, we've all  been there, and we can be totally sympathetic to that!!  My daughter actually had asked me if she would get a period and I said I figured so, since she was not spayed.  The only other female pet we have is one of our rabbits, and she is spayed.
Thank you again so much for the booklet, it just finished printing and I will staple it and leave it on my daughter's desk for her to read later.
Cheerio says thank you too!!!
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: Jo Ann on June 18, 2006, 10:29:07 AM
::silly:: Glad you got it ... it's just the basics, but sometimes the simple things are what we need to remember the most.  ::nod::
My website and many others will give you even more information.  It takes time to sift through it all and even longer to absorb it.!   :-\

 ::wave::
Jo Ann
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinchillagrl06 on June 19, 2006, 09:23:39 AM
I just wanted to add that Cheerio is absolutely adorable! ;)
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinsgrandma on June 19, 2006, 10:37:16 AM
She would appreciate that compliment!  I did not know about the different mutations before I made the decision to go find her (or let her find me, as the case may be, she more or less picked me) but when I saw her coloring (ebony) I thought she was just so beautiful.  She spends a lot of time staring at herself in the full length mirror in my daughter's room, with good reason I should say.

I did not pick any of my animals except for my parrotlet, who I picked when he was an egg so that doesn't count!! rofl  My rabbits came to me from rescue groups.  My first rabbit was a total whim, I saw her with a rescue group a few weeks before Easter and had these visions of someone taking her home as an Easter bunny then never looking at her again, so I snapped her up real quick and spoiled her rotten.  The only thing she didn't have was a friend, so I took her to another rescue group and let her choose a mate for herself, after which I promptly had her spayed  :o because we were NOT having babies!!!

Cheerio was at a breeder with about 10 other chins and she came up to me almost immediately when I crouched in front of the cages and I just knew my daughter would adore her.  I took my daughter the following night to see how they got along and it was love at first sight.  I could tell Cheerio was nervous, but they were a definite fit.

I have not smelled anything since I wrote this original posting (par for the course I suppose).  Last night I was in the room with my daughter and we were both laying on the floor doing whatever we were doing (writing) and the little imp was all over us, climbing on our backs and heads and sitting in our papers with that "what gives??" look on her face.  She is definitely finding her way to trusting us a lot more.  I thought it might take her a little longer since she was older and lived with the breeder for a long time, so I am happy to see that she is coming around as nicely as she is!   ::thumbsup::
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: Jo Ann on June 20, 2006, 02:25:55 AM
::silly:: Yes, Cheerio is beautiful and looking very healthy!   ::nod::

   I see you are beginning to really notice her personality ... the more you learn about their personality the closer you bond with them and visa versa.   :::grins::

 ::wave::
Jo Ann
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinsgrandma on June 20, 2006, 03:57:36 PM
It is interesting for us, having never owned one before.  In a lot of pets, once they see you are the hand that feeds them that's pretty much all it takes to establish at least the groundwork for something meaningful.  Honestly this little fuzzball didn't seem to give a hoot who was feeding her that whole first week or two she was here, she seemed genuinely ticked off at being taken from her home and I spoke to my daughter at length about this.  She is 12, so its not like she is a little one who can't understand.  But now Cheerio is really coming out of her shell and showing us who she is, so its a new encounter every day.  Last night my daughter went in to take a shower and we didn't want to send Cheerio back to her cage so I stayed with her until my daughter came back.  I was lying on the floor and Cheerio came up to me and looked at me with that "waddaya doin'?" look and I said "yes can I help you?" and she bolted with the tail upright, it was absolutely hysterical.  I could tell she was playing with me, because she came right back with this look on her face that was priceless, like she was taunting me ("yeah, just TRY to catch me old human lady!")

I remembered having a dog that would do that, he would run up to me with his tail in the air taunting me to chase him, then take off if I made the slightest move.  She was doing the same thing.

I saw the box about the magazine on the home page, that's a shame because I was hoping to find a magazine to subscribe to.  I am going to take some time later and explore the back issues that are available and maybe buy one of those if the topics are relevant.
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinchillagrl06 on June 20, 2006, 04:22:02 PM
I love it when they play with you. Monkey and squirrel will jump all over me, they think I'm their own personal jungle gym. :::grins::

Here's a picture of Squirrel using my head as a springboard! The little brat!
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b283/smromero06/Pets/Monkeybuny%20Squirrelbuny/DSCF0350.jpg)
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinsgrandma on June 20, 2006, 06:47:31 PM
ACK!  That's what she did to me the other night.  She was dying to get on my daughter's dresser and that was the one place we wouldn't let her go because she had clean laundry stacked up there and Ms. Fuzz was all covered in dust.  But she got up on my head (she has figured out that my daughter is not tall enough) and I felt her two back feet catapult off my head.   I am SO glad they don't have claws!!!!
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: Jo Ann on June 21, 2006, 08:59:13 AM
::silly:: Hi Chin's Grandma!

   You can order the back issues of the printed magazines (there were 9)  ::banana::
    Don't forget to check out the section entitled Books on the ordering section at: http://www.cafepress.com/chinchillapet/235261  There is a collection of articles from 2000 to 2003 in one big magazine that is not listed in the regular printed magazine order section, this one is a special one, before we started the regular magazines. ::bouncyball::
    Also, there you can connect to the past articles ( http://chinchillamagazine.com/pages/ ), of not only the printed magazines, but the on-line-magazines before that also!   ::nod::
    We could get the regular printed magazines going again, if we could get more people to write articles and participate more.  If we can get enough people to start submitting articles again, maybe we can get it going again.  ::)  :::grins::

     ::wave::
Jo Ann

Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinsgrandma on June 25, 2006, 04:36:02 PM
Ok, I have a question!!

I went reading some of the other subjects and saw a few comments about a "nice neck".  In my unprofessional opinion, Cheerio does not HAVE a neck.  Do other chinchillas have a "defined" neck?  She is one big fuzzball aside from her tail!  See here?  NO NECK!
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: Jo Ann on June 25, 2006, 05:02:15 PM
::silly:: Hi Chin's Grandma,

     When you look at a side and top view of a chinchilla when he/she is on all fours and close to the ground, the "nice neck", is no neck.  There will not be a narrowing of the neck from any view of the chin.

    They also need to look like a "brick" from the sides and the top, rather than a triangle. The front shoulders and back hips should be equal in size. :::grins::

     From the picture above, I see no neck on Cheerio.  :)

 ::wave::
Jo Ann


PS This is getting more into the breeding aspects of a chin.  I'm going to start a question on that section of the forum with your question, if that is OK with you.  :-[  Is that agreeable, Chin's Grandma?
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinsgrandma on June 26, 2006, 05:25:31 AM
Yes!  That is fine by me!  We are not going to be breeding at any point but I find it all interesting to read.

When I got her from the breeder, she said that Cheerio was a "pet quality" chinchilla.  Does this mean that she is "unable" to breed?  I know it drastically lowered her price, which was great because we really loved her and would bring her home regardless of price, but I didn't know they were classified in different categories like that by breeders?
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinclub on June 26, 2006, 06:58:05 AM
It means that she had some undesirable trait that the breeder didn't want to breed for.  In our herd we call a chinchilla "pet-quality" if it is off color, has poor fur quality, or doesn't have the right size and shape.  These things are determined by show quality.  It doesn't make the chinchilla any less healthy or wonderful as a pet, it just means it probably wouldn't be rated very high at a chinchilla show.  We will also call a chinchilla "pet quality" if we do not know the history of a chinchilla.
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: Jo Ann on June 26, 2006, 07:54:21 AM
::silly::  Hi All,

This portion (the last 4 posts above this one) only has been copied under Breeding 101 "No Neck/Pet Quality" at: http://www.chinchillaclub.com/forum/index.php?topic=81.new#new
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: Jo Ann on June 26, 2006, 08:50:23 AM
::silly:: Chinchillas would make good acrobats ... they bounce everywhere! ::) (and are not particular what they are bouncing from or to).   :blush2:

Always remember to cover/secure any liquids when your chin's playing!

 ::wave::
Jo Ann


Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: Debbie.nl.ca on June 26, 2006, 12:20:51 PM
What a beauty, I love her.
Have enjoyed reading this thread.
Just wanted to say, I call them farts. :D
That little puff of a smell they can let off, when angry, startled, or all out scared.
Funny Jamie, I have heard very little about them :D
I guess they are not big enough to hear, and hardly last long enough to smell. ;D
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: Jo Ann on June 27, 2006, 02:26:31 PM
::silly::Hi Debbie,

     My sinuses must stay stopped-up.  I can not remember smelling that ... or if I did ... I probably blamed it on one of the dogs.   rofl  Poor babies, now I will have to apologize to them.   :blush2:

 ::wave::
Jo Ann
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: ChinnyGirl on July 01, 2006, 04:30:03 PM
hi

here is a picture of my chinny Cheerio!! she is sooooooooo cute!!!!!! haha :chin:

~steph ::silly::


p.s-she is an ebony and yea....i m chinsgrandma 's daughter so you might see some of the same pictures
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: Jo Ann on July 01, 2006, 08:21:41 PM
 ::silly::Beautiful!  And a good size!   ::nod::

 ::wave::
Jo Ann
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: Debbie.nl.ca on July 02, 2006, 10:35:50 AM
Yes Cheerio is a doll, I love the ebonies ::nod::
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: ChinnyGirl on July 02, 2006, 01:52:43 PM
hi

thanks! i'm sure Cheerio appreciates that compliment!! before i got her i only thought that chins came in grey but now i know they come in white,volit,black,and soooooooooooooo many more!!! ::nod::

~steph ::silly::
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: Debbie.nl.ca on July 11, 2006, 11:45:48 AM
And we want them all ::nod::
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: ChinnyGirl on July 12, 2006, 03:14:25 PM
haha! rofl rofl rofl

~steph ::silly::
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: Jo Ann on July 13, 2006, 10:12:39 AM
 ::silly:: How fast they add up!

1 little ::chinhappy::, 2 little ::chinhappy::, 3 little ::chinhappy:: s,
4 little ::chinhappy::, 5 little ::chinhappy::, 6 little ::chinhappy:: s,
7 little ::chinhappy::, 8 little ::chinhappy::, 9 little ::chinhappy:: s
200 ??? ::outofmymind::

Learn to say no.   rofl

 ::wave::
Jo Ann[/i]
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: chinchillagrl06 on July 13, 2006, 10:52:40 AM
LOL!  rofl That just brightened up my day Jo Ann!
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: ChinnyGirl on July 13, 2006, 02:02:45 PM
hi jo ann


i don't understand the adding chinny thing.


~steph ::silly::
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: Debbie.nl.ca on July 13, 2006, 04:49:36 PM
LOL
I'm thinking the song,
one little two little 3 little indians :D
maybe that's to far back for some ;D
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: FluffBall on July 14, 2006, 11:09:35 AM
I just wanted to let everyone know that there is a chin dust out there that has a vanilla scent to it and i thought that it would be great to make him smell better even thought he has no smell and i found that it made his hair sticky and clump together not like a licked on lolipop but like a little tacky i called my mom and she said that anything that has an added scent is usually from an oil that they add to the dust so i returned it and bought the regular stuff i am also allergic to the dust which really bites cause i really like holding my chins  ::silly::   ::silly::  and playing with them i also had a question about the desenex powder i was woundering if goldbond powder would work too?and if there is anyone that knows of a way to help with the allergies of the dust i don't want to use the sand also i am itchy where my skin touches the chin but that doesn't stop me. 

also i found these wounderful treats for my chins that they love and it is just like that lava cube they are triangles that go on one of those things you hang from the cage and they come in pink yello and blue there is also colored "lofa" slices for them and colored wood blocks all can be found in the bunny,piggie, and chin area of the store
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: Jo Ann on July 15, 2006, 04:17:40 AM
::silly:: Hi Fluff Ball,
   
     I just connected you to the e-mail you sent me. :::grins:: I'll post parts of my answer to the e-mail:   
  " If the bottom of the cage is solid wood, you do need to be very careful about making sure the bedding is changed often and if the wood becomes urine soaked, it would need to be replaced.   You might think about getting a metal tray or sheet cut to fit across the bottom.  If one of the chins were to get sick, the whole bottom would need to be replaced.  Wood can retain moisture and harbor mold spores.
     Desenex has been proven over the years to work as a fungus preventative and is safe for chinchillas as a rule, if  Goldbond is made with the same ingredients, I would think it would be OK.  Check out and compare the ingredients.
     Blue Cloud dust bath dust seems to be the preferred by those breeders who show their chins at the Chinchilla Shows.  Chinchilla dust bath dust is suppose to be made from powdered lava rock, I would not think that it would be "allergic" but, the dust itself may be irritating to some people with respiratory problems.  I do not recommend the Chinchilla sand unless there is no alternative.  Chinchilla sand is harsh on a chin's fur.  For those people who are sensitive to the dust bath dust, I usually suggest giving the chin it's dust bath in the bathroom shower or tub and turning on the exhaust fan, then vacuum the dust or maybe wash it down the drain.  OR if you have a cage you can carry outside, early in the morning or after it has cooled in the evening, let your chin take it's dust bath, closely supervised, outdoors but always inside the cage."

  In reference to the vanilla scented dust bath dust "made for chinchillas" ... remember, in an  earlier post, I said
Quote
Many manufactures produce and advertise to appeal to the humans buying it, not always for the good of the animal it is being purchased for.
Thanks for letting us know what it did and that it is not good for chinchillas.   :-[

 ::wave::
Jo Ann[/i]
Title: Re: New chin owner
Post by: ChinnyGirl on July 15, 2006, 04:12:33 PM
hey fluff ball,
   
  yea i have the vinalla sented dust and when ever Cheerio goes in and comes running past me i all ways have a cloud of vinalla sented dust in my face!! haha

~steph
 ::silly::