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[Serallena]

My chinchilla is behaving strangely, and I'm worried about her.
Normally, she'll come right up to the cage door when I enter the room (unless she's sleeping) and bounce around until I let her out. And she loves dust-baths, running up to the closet door when I let her out and making digging motions to indicate she wants to use the dust-bowl inside.

However, today she is hiding under her wheel and fleeing when I tried to take her out. After almost an hour and a great deal of coaxing, I finally got her to come out, but instead of heading to the closet, she immediately darted behind my bed as if she was terrified of me.

Please, does anyone have any idea what's wrong? Are 'bad moods' for chinches common, or is it something I did? She has fallen (by virtue of being too eager and jumping out of my hands, mostly) into some hard stuff several times, but always seems okay immediately afterwards. I'm pretty sure this is unrelated, but I worry...

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Any change in behavior is cause for concern. You know your chins best.
I'd keep a very close eye for 24-48 hours, and if she doesn't go back to her normal self, or shows any other signs of a problem I get her to a vet.
You don't usually have much time once you've noticed a health issue, as they are very good at hiding them.
I'd check her teeth to make sure they are even. Any slanting of her front teeth would be signs of teeth troubles.
Give her a frisk to check her body for lumps bumps, hardening of the belly area, or any tender spots. Move her legs to see if she isn't hurt somewhere.The way they bounce around the cages can cause bruises and sprains.
But yes they too can just have bad days, and they can get mad at us. They pout very well  At least mine do. 
Do keep us posted

[Jo Ann]

...
Normally, she'll come right up to the cage door when I enter the room ... and bounce around until I let her out. And she loves dust-baths, running up to the closet door when I let her out and making digging motions to indicate she wants to use the dust-bowl inside.
However, today she is hiding under her wheel and fleeing when I tried to take her out. After almost an hour and a great deal of coaxing, I finally got her to come out, but instead of heading to the closet, she immediately darted behind my bed as if she was terrified of me.

Please, does anyone have any idea what's wrong? Are 'bad moods' for chinches common, or is it something I did? She has fallen (by virtue of being too eager and jumping out of my hands, mostly) into some hard stuff several times, but always seems okay immediately afterwards. I'm pretty sure this is unrelated, but I worry...

This sounds like a major change in behavior.  Think carefully ... did you drop her, did she jump out of your hands or did you hold her by putting your hand around her back/chest just under her front paws?   If there is a "yes" any part of the question, you may have accidentally injured her.  Chinchillas do not forget easily or quickly. 

She could have injured herself inside the cage and does not want to be handled because it could be painful for her.  You can very gently move each leg/arm and paw, gently touch her back and tummy and VERY carefully touch her ribcage area ... if she makes any sound of pain or tries to get away ... let a vet check her out ... she could have a broken bone.

Watch her food intake, her water intake and her poop ... any changes in any one of them may mean you might want to get her checked out by the vet. 

   Jo Ann

[Serallena]

Well, fortunately, she seems to have recovered. At least, she's acting like her normal self (and was since the day after I posted, which, err, is why I didn't check up on the thread >>). I think it must have just been a mood, or maybe it could have had something to do with her teeth overgrowing? I say this because I brought back some wood scraps for her that night, which she NOM-ed with vigor, and this was followed by a recovery in the morning.

'Spose I'll never know, but that you for your help. I really over-worry about her. Any little thing is like a cause of alarm for me. ><