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[dragnalong]

I know this has been discussed many times but I'm a new chinchilla mommy, or I will be in 3 days. I will be bringing my baby boy home in just a few days and no one has mentioned anything to me about hair rings and boy issues. I have learned everything there is to know about chins from here and other websites. Mostly here. The breeder didn't even tell me the correct way to hold the little guy. Needless to say, I know what to expect and how to go about holding him next time when I go to get him. My question is what exactly are hair rings? Are they single hairs loose on their little willies that need pulled off? But that didn't look like the pictured I seen posted here where a grey chinchilla had a huge round rope of hair going around his manhood., or what looked rope-like. How would you get that off? Is the hair connected to him or loose or what? I am confused. I read how everyone says to get the hair off but I can't comprehend what you're saying when I can't understand the hair ring itself. No, I'm not a child, I am 38. I just can't wrap my mind around this one issue. I read they do it even if there is no female or mate? He will be all by himself. I will be playing with him throughout the day and hopefully he won't miss his siblings so much. What other boy issues will I need to look for? How old does the baby need to be before I start checking him? I bring him home at 8 weeks. Will the hair rings need cut off? I read you may need a small pair of scissors. I have everything on the list to care for him, I just need to know what I am doing. My exotic vet's an hour drive one way. I don't know how well my little man will travel. Hope they don't charge an arm and leg to show me what to do. Any suggestions for me or better yet, can someone explain this to me as if I were a child so I can understand? If there's no other way of describing it, I'll just take him to the vet when I see something different and have the vet to explain and show me what to do. Thanks.

[GrayRodent]

8 weeks is old enough to check. See following message

I've seen it recommended by a breeder to check weekly and that will help you determine which chins to checked more frequently. Perhaps someone who knows more can comment on the recommended frequency for checking pet chinchillas.

I do know that chins typically deal with it themselves but not always. I'm not looking forward to this to when I get my own chinchilla but I prefer a male since I really don't like the idea that females can spray.

Although I haven't seen this first hand I do have an idea of what's happening. Loose hairs get wrapped around where the inner part meets the sheath it's contained in and the hairs gets rolled together and matted. It makes a rope-like ring that causes visible constriction around the male part and as you know this can be dangerous especially since the more it rolls the tighter it gets. So it happens even if no breeding takes place but breeding does accelerate the process.

Typically you don't have to cut the ring unless it gets to the point where it won't budge. If you check frequently enough to catch it early it can just be rolled off or dismantled with tweezers. At times lubrication like Vaseline may be required. I don't see any reason to not ask your breeder to show you. This should be standard practice for a breeder and a good opportunity to observe proper restraining techniques. Also ask about proper restraining techniques in general before attempting to hold a chinchilla. I know of chins that were seriously injured from being held improperly.

Keep in mind the male's organ is fragile and you should be very gentle or you can cause serious damage. Other than extending it out of the sheath just pull at the hair not the thing it's stuck to. You should do this under a bright light and use tweezers to work it loose (pulling the hair outward on all sides) then you can roll it off with your fingers. The chin has to be securely restrained. Preferably one person to restrain and the other to do the checking.

As far as uniquely male (pet) related issues the only one I can think of is prolapse of the male part which can be a result of an injury.  Basically if you think the male can't retract it for any reason first check for a hair ring and if it's not then see a vet to get it diagnosed. Exotic vets do tend to be pricey. We have pet insurance for our parrot and it does help. I think it's around 10 dollars a month and covers over half the cost of most things. An hour drive isn't going to be a problem. Just keep him cool. The worst trauma will come from being handled by the vet while he's there.

Also you had mentioned you want to play with your chin throughout the day which is good but keep in mind chinchillas have a sleep-wake cycle that makes them most active evenings and mornings. Usually they sleep during the day. Be careful to not interrupt its sleep cycle too badly, especially just starting off, or it can cause undue stress and interfere with bonding. Males tend to be more particular about this from what I've read. Over time they can adjust somewhat to your schedule but some don't. Allow the chin plenty of space the first few days you have him because relocation is stressful. Until he gets over that and learns to trust you it can prolong the bonding process if you handle him too much. Probably not as hard for an 8 week old as it is for an adult but be careful to not move too fast.

That's my two cents anyway.

[chinclub]

Hair rings are caused by shedded hairs getting wrapped around the penis. The penis is usually up inside of the chinchilla and what you see is just the sheath.    The male will extend the penis all the way out when he is trying to breed or when he is cleaning.  This is the time the hairs can stick to it.  Most of the time the male will remove them before they become a problem.  In my herd the only ones that have had a problem are males in breeding with females who are going through prime and loosing crazy amounts of hair.  I have never found a hair ring on a single male.  It can still happen, however, it isn't as common.

The danger of a fur ring is that it can get so tight the male can no longer pass urine correctly.  The tip of the penis will swell and will stay outside of the sheath.  If you find it soon enough there is no problem.  If you don't infection can set in, bladder problems can arise, and eventually death.

I won't worry about checking an 8 week old. The penis is still so small you would have a heck of a time trying to get at it and the likelihood is slim to none that there would be one. Wait until he is 6-8 months.

Here is a great website that shows pictures and videos of how to check, what one looks like, and how to remove it.
http://www.spoiledchins.net/hairring.htm