I noticed the girl i got from the pet shop, that her hair all about an inch away from her vagina/anus a had looked like sheed been sleeping in pee. It was all yellowish and such (she is a standard). So i got her checked out by my couzin (a nurse/secretary at a vets office) she said it was poor cair at the pet store, which i assumed. I doubt they gave her dust baths, she didnt know how to use it when i got her i had to put dust on her back and she would roll it off and eventually got the idea, so my point. There was nothing wrong, and she was just not a clean chin.
This is rare with chinchillas.
1. This could come from habit ... one passed down to her by her mother. Chinchillas learn from what they see ... they are creatures of habit. (I do not breed chinchillas that show they are not in the habit of keeping themselves clean because they will pass this down generation after generation.)
2. This could come from environment by way of the pet store or by way of the breeder or the distributor.
3. There is always the possibility of urinary tract infection.
4. There is always the possibility of a reproduction tract infection, usually vaginal.
Now i know never to get chins wet, but it smelt like urine down there as well. So i got her to stand in her cage on the one shelf without a board on it, (mesh .5 inx.5 in) and put a bowl underneath, i took a water bottle poked a whole in the top and squirted her whole area down there, and boy did some odors come out. This poor girl had yellow and brownish liquid dripping down. so to dry her off, i go through about two rolls of toilet paper and a towel. now to get her hair back to normal, i let her lay on her back on my chest, and i sprinkled dust in the area and she let me comb it through and brush it out, did it a few times, and now shes beautiful.
There are always exceptions to every rule ... this was one of them.
This was about the best thing you could do for her. Urine sets up an atmosphere for bacteria to spread. If you had not done this, she would have probably developed an infection if she did not already have it. There is usually swelling and redness related to infections, as well as a white or yellow discharge.
I would suggest changing any solid shelves for wire ones, at least until she gets use to staying clean all the time. Solid shelves are good, but not when a chin will stand or sleep in a puddle of urine. This habit needs to be broken.
I would also suggest placing several leaping ledges for her at several places so that she does not have to stand on wire constantly. The leaping ledges will not hold puddles of pee like a solid shelf will do.
Keep in mind the wire shelves will hold traces of urine and feces on them, so it is important to clean the shelves weekly, when you change out the bedding in the cage.
Keep up the good work!
Jo Ann
