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Author Topic: Traveling long distances by car  (Read 1493 times)

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SuperTaranta

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Traveling long distances by car
« on: July 30, 2014, 05:53:45 AM »

So i did a bit of research, but I'm still not sure about a few things. People stated that its fine to take a chin on trips by car etc. Heres my question, how long can the chin be in the carrier before it starts freaking out, and should i have a collapsable cage for when I stop, for the chin to get some activity for like an hour or so. The trip is over 2k miles, so I'm just curious if anyones done a long trip like this.
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GrayRodent

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Re: Traveling long distances by car
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2014, 06:11:34 AM »

Many chinchilla breeders will take their chinchillas to out of town or out of state chinchilla shows. They say that usually their chinchillas will not eat or drink until they come back home. They normally do not travel well. Other animals like mine doesn't seem to care. I've had him in a carrier out of the house for different reasons and he'll eat and drink like nothing is wrong so it is going to depend on your pet. In the very worst case you can attempt to syringe feed critical care if it's necessary to have him away longer and he has not eaten after 24 hours otherwise you risk potentially fatal complications from GI stasis.
The biggest travel danger is overheating. Make sure to keep your chinchilla off the floor of the car where the hot exhaust and transmission are. They should never be exposed to temperatures above 75F and are best transported in the winter.
Chinchillas should be kept in a fairly small travel cage at all times for their safety. I recommend not letting it out until you've reached your destination.
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SuperTaranta

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Re: Traveling long distances by car
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2014, 06:41:05 AM »

Many chinchilla breeders will take their chinchillas to out of town or out of state chinchilla shows. They say that usually their chinchillas will not eat or drink until they come back home. They normally do not travel well. Other animals like mine doesn't seem to care. I've had him in a carrier out of the house for different reasons and he'll eat and drink like nothing is wrong so it is going to depend on your pet. In the very worst case you can attempt to syringe feed critical care if it's necessary to have him away longer and he has not eaten after 24 hours otherwise you risk potentially fatal complications from GI stasis.
The biggest travel danger is overheating. Make sure to keep your chinchilla off the floor of the car where the hot exhaust and transmission are. They should never be exposed to temperatures above 75F and are best transported in the winter.
Chinchillas should be kept in a fairly small travel cage at all times for their safety. I recommend not letting it out until you've reached your destination.

Ok, well thanks for the answer. So having the chin in a carrier for two and a half days would be ok? as long as it gets the proper feeding and water correct? So what happens if the chin stops eating half way through the trip. or doesnt eat, and i only realize it half way in the trip, what should i do in that situation? Would going on a few shorter trips better prepare the chin? other then let me know if she will eat or not.
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GrayRodent

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Re: Traveling long distances by car
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2014, 09:34:52 AM »

I recommend obtaining supplies and instructions from your vet to syringe feed Oxbow Critical Care. It is mixed with water so you should not need to feed water seperately.
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SuperTaranta

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Re: Traveling long distances by car
« Reply #4 on: July 30, 2014, 10:04:58 AM »

thanks alot for the replies :D
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SuperTaranta

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Re: Traveling long distances by car
« Reply #5 on: August 12, 2014, 06:48:32 AM »

ok, so because my trip is a three day trip(give or take a few hours, its 3k miles) i decided to test out a drive with Bubbles(my chin). it was a 5 and a half hour trip, 2 hour drive, a break for 1 hour and then another 2 and a half hour drive. she slept for most of the time and ate hay when she woke up within the drives. i also gave her water during the 1 hour break. however after the 5 hour trip when i took her back home, and prepped her cage to put her back in, she was chewing the metal carrier like crazy. im guessing because she was stressed out and the ride ended. i dont want her hurting herself, would she calm down after some time? the reason i ask is, i kind of need to sleep each day for a little bit in order to continue driving. would anyone advise opening a foldable cage and having her in there while i sleep? or if her being cooped up in a carrier for 3 days is ok? i understand she might be mad at me, but i just want her safe ect. so shell eventually have to forgive me :P.
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GrayRodent

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Re: Traveling long distances by car
« Reply #6 on: August 12, 2014, 11:08:30 AM »

Inside of the car the cage should be small to prevent injury from getting jarred around from driving. You can put wood chew toys in the carrier just make sure they can't swing around in there. I don't see anything wrong with transferring her to a bigger cage when the car is not moving.
Sleeping in the same room with a chinchilla under normal circumstances isn't easy. Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you!
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