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General Chat / Re: Chinchilla Club Logo Redesign
« on: September 02, 2014, 02:43:43 PM »
2 is awesome. I really like 1 too if they could have more of a rounded back...sort of this shape
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Board Requests & questions / MOVED: My chinchilla's Fur Around Her Genitals is Stained?!?!
« on: February 26, 2014, 12:57:05 PM »3
Board Requests & questions / Re: Profile help!
« on: February 26, 2014, 12:55:08 PM »
OK, you are all set. 
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Board Requests & questions / Re: Profile help!
« on: February 26, 2014, 12:32:13 PM »
Can you give the link to your photo in the gallery? If I have the pic I can set it for you.
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Q & A / Re: Winter temperatures
« on: November 11, 2013, 06:20:03 PM »
I let me chin room drop down into the upper 40's Fahrenheit with no trouble, even with newborns. However, if it is that cold I highly recommend a cage where they can get right into the shavings. Their bodies will be fine, but they need to be able to sit on their hands and feet to keep them warm and that can be hard to do on wire.
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Health / Re: Chinchilla vomited, HELP!
« on: November 11, 2013, 06:16:10 PM »
UV light would be great, but I don't recommend setting the cage outside. In the winter, chinchillas are VERY susceptible to respiratory infections from drafts. Standing cold air is fine, but drafty , windy cold can be deadly. And, of course, in the summer over heating is a big issue.
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Health / Re: Chinchilla vomited, HELP!
« on: November 08, 2013, 07:00:36 PM »
I'm thinking she might have something stuck in her throat.
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Health / Re: My Iggy died - can antibiotics cause the following:
« on: September 12, 2013, 11:41:29 AM »
I am so sorry. Oral antibiotics can cause serious GI issues. This is why it is always advised to give a live culture yogurt (like activia) in between antibiotic doses.
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Health / Re: Seizures
« on: August 23, 2013, 05:58:03 AM »
The best site I have ever seen on seizures in this one http://cachins.org/ They do agree that some chinchillas just have untreatable, life long, seizure issues. Although many times it can be a dietary issue. If you haven't read their page you might want to give it a look. They describe what each type looks like to help you know which one yours could be.
You may want to talk with a vet about it. We had a dog that had a problem with seizures. As long as they are short and don't repeat over and over, there isn't really an issue. You just wait it out. However, if the seizure is very long or if they come over and over you need to seek help. Our vet explained to us that extended seizures cause the temperature of the animal to rise. If they have prolonged seizures the brain will eventually fry and the animal will die. Prolonged - like over the course of a few hours.
You may want to talk with a vet about it. We had a dog that had a problem with seizures. As long as they are short and don't repeat over and over, there isn't really an issue. You just wait it out. However, if the seizure is very long or if they come over and over you need to seek help. Our vet explained to us that extended seizures cause the temperature of the animal to rise. If they have prolonged seizures the brain will eventually fry and the animal will die. Prolonged - like over the course of a few hours.
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Breeding 101 / Re: Read about Color mixing...
« on: August 23, 2013, 05:48:07 AM »
Its really not a black gene, it in the TOV gene. (Touch of Velvet) People have called it the black lethal factor for years because Black Velvet was known as Black and it wasn't a common practice to mix colors like we have in the last 20 years. So the lethal factor can include Black Velvet, Brown Velvet, Violet Velvet, ect. Basically anything that Contains Velvet or TOV in the name can not be bred to another one with the Velvet (TOV) gene. Or, if you don't know the color name of your chinchilla, it will have stripes on the front paws and will be darker on the back and face with the color slowly fading down the sides to the belly.
Now this gene is dominate so a chinchilla will either have it or not. It can't be carried unseen, so if you get a standard from a Black Velvet parent you don't have to worry about breeding it to a Black Velvet. The ONLY time it could be unseen is if you bred TOV to a White or an Ebony. The solid Ebony gene or the solid white gene could mask the Black Velvet gene if the baby received both. On those kits I would assume the lethal factor when breeding, just to be safe.
Now this gene is dominate so a chinchilla will either have it or not. It can't be carried unseen, so if you get a standard from a Black Velvet parent you don't have to worry about breeding it to a Black Velvet. The ONLY time it could be unseen is if you bred TOV to a White or an Ebony. The solid Ebony gene or the solid white gene could mask the Black Velvet gene if the baby received both. On those kits I would assume the lethal factor when breeding, just to be safe.
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General Breeder Chat / Re: question about breeding
« on: August 04, 2013, 06:33:22 AM »
Breeding chinchillas is so different than many other animals and no two chinchillas are alike. Males can breed as soon as 3 months of age (and so can females) but that isn't good. A well bred female can be bred as early as 8 months old. Some mutation colors grow slowly and need to wait till one year. There is no set age for a male to breed safely. Most breeders like to put new males with new females so the male is waiting for his girls to come of age and they are all about the same birthday. Already bred females don't usually take to a young inexperienced male.
When you put them together you need to do it slowly with side by side cages. Once they are together in the same cage some will take to each other instantly like they have been together for years. Some will fight, and most will chase each other around for awhile. Many times the female will rear up and pee all over the male, the wall behind him, and anything else in the way. Be prepared for some messy walls. This will happen with almost every breeding as the male will try before she is ready and she will usually pee on him to make him stop.
Sometimes the female will breed with the male in her first heat. Many females seem to want to "fall in love" first. Sometimes it can take up to a year before the female will allow a breeding. This is part of why chinchillas bond for life and many times pass away soon after their mate. Don't trust that though. Some males are more demanding and some females are accepting so an accidental breeding during time out of the cage can still happen.
When you put them together you need to do it slowly with side by side cages. Once they are together in the same cage some will take to each other instantly like they have been together for years. Some will fight, and most will chase each other around for awhile. Many times the female will rear up and pee all over the male, the wall behind him, and anything else in the way. Be prepared for some messy walls. This will happen with almost every breeding as the male will try before she is ready and she will usually pee on him to make him stop.
Sometimes the female will breed with the male in her first heat. Many females seem to want to "fall in love" first. Sometimes it can take up to a year before the female will allow a breeding. This is part of why chinchillas bond for life and many times pass away soon after their mate. Don't trust that though. Some males are more demanding and some females are accepting so an accidental breeding during time out of the cage can still happen.
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General Breeder Chat / Re: Didn't intentionally breed, but I do have a question.
« on: August 04, 2013, 06:18:28 AM »
Here is an article on chinchilla pregnancy that might help http://www.lowcountrychinchillas.com/preg.shtml
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Q & A / Re: chinchilla crying
« on: July 19, 2013, 07:50:25 AM »
Some chinchillas are more vocal than others, both with each other and with you. I once had a chinchilla that would cry whenever it was lonely and wanted me to come play with it. Just like a puppy, they will learn that making noises gets you to do something for them and then they will become more and more vocal.
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General Chat / Re: Getting a new buddy for my chin
« on: July 10, 2013, 06:43:17 AM »
You don't want to get a male if you don't want babies. Females are tough to introduce since they are dominate so the younger you can do it the better. I have found that up to 4 months they go together fairly easy. Every month that goes by after that it can be more difficult and by a year it can be down right frustrating. So if you are sure you want to get other do it now. Don't wait. You will want to start in cages side by side. Usually I say for a few weeks but since yours is only 6 months and the one you get should be between 4-6 (anything younger will be too small to safely introduce) try just a few days and see how they act together. Then try letting them out in a neutral area to play and see how that goes. Keep that up until they are playing well together then you can try the same cage. Be sure it is on a day when you will be home all day to listen for fighting.
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General Chat / Re: What color are my chinchillas?
« on: July 10, 2013, 06:33:36 AM »
Chinchillas are much easier than other animals to figure genes on. Most colors they either have them of they don't and you can tell by looking at them. The only colors that can be carried and not seen are Violet, Sapphire, and Ebony. Every other color is dominate so it will show on the coat, ears, or eyes if the chinchilla carries the gene.
Your chinchillas are ebony. People used to call them homo ebony for solid black and hetero ebony for darker grey. We now know that ebony is a wildcard gene that doesn't follow that rule. After 15 years of breeding I have learned it seems to have no rules! It can come from only one parent and show solid black, it can come from both parents and be dark grey, it can hide in a white bellied baby and she can go on to produce a dark bellied baby. Its a crazy gene.
Your chinchillas are ebony. People used to call them homo ebony for solid black and hetero ebony for darker grey. We now know that ebony is a wildcard gene that doesn't follow that rule. After 15 years of breeding I have learned it seems to have no rules! It can come from only one parent and show solid black, it can come from both parents and be dark grey, it can hide in a white bellied baby and she can go on to produce a dark bellied baby. Its a crazy gene.