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[cadillactaste]

For some who may not know what's going on...
http://www.chinchillaclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,3050.0.html

So...his feet hasn't bled since Sunday...I have been alternating Bag Balm and Blue Kote on his feet. I honestly don't think they look that bad. Better actually than Sunday and no more bleeding.

I removed his flying saucer when I noticed his foot issue. So I'm not sure if it's boredom with no wheel or the stress of his feet bothering him. Though he's eating and drinking and being social. When I apply the stuff to his feet he doesn't seem in pain. Actually closes his eyes like he's enjoying it. Doesn't fight me or anything once I'm applying it to his feet.

I hate that he's chewing his fur...

[jmdebb]

could be the bordom and/or stress.. from what i always heard they are the two major reasons why they chew their fur, but as always i could be wrong and there may be more reasons.

can you at least take him out of the cage for some playtime?

[cadillactaste]

could be the bordom and/or stress.. from what i always heard they are the two major reasons why they chew their fur, but as always i could be wrong and there may be more reasons.

can you at least take him out of the cage for some playtime?

Yeah...he was always on his flying saucer...I'm sure he's stressed that it's out of the cage...and boredom from not having anything to do since his flying saucer is missing.

We'll get him out tonight...

[ABC Chinchillas]

Boredom, stress and pain are the big three things that set off fur chewing.

[Debbie.nl.ca]

And some say it could also be genetic. Either way keeping him occupied will give him less time to chew.
I'd give him back his saucer, maybe even for a short time each day.

[opaldamour]

I'm also having a fur biting problem. Our violet wrap, Dharma, is a fur biter. At first it was the new environement, and then it was an ear infection and possible arthritis, now I think she's still doing it because she hates the meds. I'm kind of out of ideas of how to get her to stop. It seems the best we can do is get her to slow down. She doesn't use the wheel (the breeder never had one in their cage), we have pleanty of chew toys in the cage with her and Lily (which is a 2'x2'x3'), and they get an hour or more of out of the cage time each night. Anyone else have any ideas?

[ABC Chinchillas]

Some chinchillas will chew fur despite anything you do,
Fur chewing is a genetic/envirnomental combination.
Some chinchillas are genitically pre-disposed to chew, they may never end up chewing or they may chew depending on environmental factors.
chinchillas can chew from pain, boredom, stress or many other things

[opaldamour]

Thanks starleomach. It does wax and wane. She started munching on herself after the breeder tried to breed her and the male beat her up pretty good. Thats the reason I have both my girls, their last (or first and last) breeding sessions went very badly and she pulled them out of breeding. Since neither Mark (my boyfriend) nor I ever plan on breeding, it's just fine with us that they live a calm and male chin free life full of play, snuggles, and treats. We try to keep her entertained and they are in a quiet room in our apartment. I'm hoping one day she just stops, but I'm betting she's going to munch away for the rest of her life. As long as she doesn't end up with bald spots again (which was an immediate vet visit resulting in ear drops, arthitis meds, and ointment), we will just chalk it up to Dharma being Dharma. I'm going to expand their cage in the spring and add 2 feet of open mesh levels (their cage is custom, and only the front is meshed, the rest is solid), with more enrichment items for them. I'm hoping this will help and not cause her to chew worse due to the change.

If anyone has any other ideas that they have been successful with to minimalize fur biting, I'm willing to give it a shot!