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1

Health / Re: Bald Spot on Base of 4 Chinchillas Tails

« on: January 08, 2015, 01:02:29 PM »

So I was able to get a picture of one of their tails. They put up quite a fight while trying to take them. It was also awkward trying to hold them without supporting their tail/bottom, but I managed to get one.

This is fruit Loops, one of the daughters. Her spot is the largest. The vet said that it was normal as she is the most passive and therefor on the bottom of the hierarchy.

*If anyone has ideas or thoughts about chinchilla "colony" behavior, please let me know? There is so little information out there of interactions between more the 2 chinchillas.*

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Health / Re: Bald Spot on Base of 4 Chinchillas Tails

« on: January 08, 2015, 12:45:12 PM »

Thank you for your concern! I will try and get a picture of each of them, but it might not work as they seam to have a fear of cameras, and freak out when ever I need to take a picture (unless they are sleeping).

None of my chinchillas breed, except for the accidental breeding that lead to Vladimir and Fruit Loops being born. Fluff was neutered immediately after we realized Puff was female, and Vladimir and Fruit Loops are both female, so we didn't think there was any reason to spay them.

I know its unusual to have 4 and not be breeding them. We were planning on selling them to another family after they got sexed but we grew attached and we decided to keep them.

As for the fur chewing, we have seen Puff chew the others tails numerous times, and the recipient doesn't ever respond when she does it. So I'm assuming that means it doesn't hurt them? Also, the base of the tail is the only spot that has fur missing. I don't think their fur looks rough, although I could be wrong, as I have never meet anyone else who has chinchillas in my home town.

I can't find a lot of information of chinchilla behaviors when they are in a group, so I sort of have run with what my vet said.

- Emily & Puff, Fluff, Vladimir and Fruit Loops

3

Health / Bald Spot on Base of 4 Chinchillas Tails

« on: January 07, 2015, 10:54:08 AM »

Hi, I apologize if this question has been asked before.

CHINCHILLA INFORMATION:
I have 4 chinchillas: Puff (mother), Fluff (father), Vladimir (daughter) and Fruit Loops (daughter). We bought Puff and Fluff when they were 6 months, in 2011 and we were told they were brothers. Vladimir and Fruit Loops were born 6 months later. Fluff was neutered in 2011 [The pet store told us, Puff and Fluff were both males and we didn't realize that Puff was female until after Vladimire and Fruit Loops were born]

QUESTION:
For around a year now, 3 of them have had bald spots on the base of their tails. Our vet told us
that that was normal because they are not the dominant chinchilla in the colony.  However  over the summer, Puff has had a bald spot grow on her tail.

The chinnies have plenty of things in their cage with different textures to chew on. They have two wooden houses that they sleep in made of chinchilla safe wood. They get daily exercise when I am home from college, and when I leave, my family takes them out 2x a week for the entire day. I will be leaving again on Saturday and won't be back till the beginning of March. They are kept entertained most nights, with a extremely long playlist of animated TV shows and music that they like (Puff like Dora, Vladimir likes Jazz music...)

1) I am not sure what to do, I tend to be very paranoid about health concerns so I don't know if this is a behavioral/colony thing, or a stress issue or a health issue. The vet told us that Puff has a severe underbite and would have to be put down early, so I am unsure if losing hair at the base of her tail, is a sign that something is going wrong with her teeth.

2) I also don't know if it a problem that Fluff, Vladimir, and Fruit Loops have the spots on their tails. Some sites I looked at said that chewing the base of the tail is a bad habit but others said it wasn't a problem and some said it was a sign there was a major problem.


Thank you for any help you can give! I really appreciate it!

Emily & Puff, Fluff, Vladimir and Fruit Loops

** I can include pictures if it would be helpful **