I think everyone has to do what they find is best for their chinchilla ...
within the normal boundaries that have been tried and proven true ... the same thing may not work for one, but seems to work for another. The main reason, I think, this is true is the difference in how we each handle and care for our chinchillas.
The difference in the wording from person to person is also a factor. 'Dangerous' for one person would mean, take the normal precautions ... dangerous for another person may mean "can cause" or "will cause" death. Big difference.
Exercise for a chinchilla could be anything from laying on the bed or floor playing with one, to your chinchilla trying to run a marathon on an exercise wheel. What each chin gets into the
habit/routine doing is usually what turns out to be the best for that chinchilla,
as long as they are 100% healthy. A chinchilla that is a diabetic or has a heart problem or that has been sick or injured is
not 100% healthy. All of these factors have to be kept in consideration with each individual chin. If your chinchilla has not been checked out by a competent exotic pet vet, you do not know what problems it may or may not have.
Caution on the temperature and humidity during exercise (inside or out side of the cage) is always a must. I see temperatures ranging up to 77 degrees discussed here. Our chins are kept between 65 and 68 degrees constantly. If someone adopts one of our chins and keeps them at a warmer temperature, the exercise routine it is use to, would be reduced due to the higher temp.
Keeping a watch on the ears showing any increase in body temperature (redness or veins showing) is a sign to stop the exercise and do a "cool-down" ... chinchiller stones are great for this, but the next adventure in exercise for this chin should be shortened in time and/or lower temperatures.
Allot of this is common sense, but most of it is paying attention to the chinchilla, the temperature, the humidity and anything else that might affect the chin. New people around, unusual loud or sudden noises being made by children, a new pet in the home, even another chinchilla that may be 'in season' ... all of these things can affect your chinchilla ... staying alert at all times as to the reactions of your chinchilla is the best safety factor we can have to judge each chinchilla's ability to have the different levels of exercise. A chinchilla in it's normal environment can do much more than a chinchilla that is frightened. Fear, injury or illness will increase the heart-rate and body temperature of a chinchilla. The higher the level of being 'out of the norm', the more chance there is that there could be trouble with your chinchilla's health.
Once we ignore the circumstance or get distracted, this is when our chinchilla can be in trouble and we may not see it before it is to late for our chin.
'Chinchilla-time' is one-on-one time between you and your chinchilla ... no distractions!Chinchilla bones are fragile and the most fragile ones are the ribs. The rib bones can easily break and puncture a lung, killing a chinchilla slowly and painfully. Not holding a chinchilla properly can break these bones as quickly as a harness that does not fit or is placed in the wrong area. I notice the harness in the picture goes around the neck and tummy with a straight piece going along the spine of the chinchilla ... none of this is in contact with the ribcage of the chinchilla. Personally, I don't think I would ever use a harness with one of my chins, but the one pictured looks to be the safest of any I have seen.
Caution: The harness must fit, but, the person using the harness must know how to handle the chin and be constantly vigilant to what is going on with the chin while it is in the harness ... no distractions and I would not recommend a chin be put in a harness and handled by a child or someone that is not familiar with the abilities of a chinchilla to move quickly and in the blink of an eye.
Having a chin outside playing on the ground or sidewalk ... that is something I will never do. As time goes by, we are finding out that chinchillas are susceptible to most of the illnesses domesticated and wild animals can have. When we take a chinchilla outside and allow it to play, in my opinion, we are exposing it to way to many hazards and health risks. For instance ... if there is a stray cat in the neighborhood that may walk over the same area your chinchilla will play in ... that cat may have feline distemper or not appear sick, but be a carrier of feline distemper (cat pneumonia), which is highly contagious. A chinchilla exposed to feline distemper can be dead in a matter of hours or a day or two. I won't take these chances. What if a cat or dog suddenly appears and considers your chin a delightful tid-bit? If your chin does not die of injury, it could die of heart failure from being scared-to-death. But, that's my opion.
Jo Ann
