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[kelzar]

My chinchilla had what seemed like seizures. He went on his back and was moving his feet and hands frantically. I took him in my arms and he was a bit disoriented for a couple of seconds but then went to being his jumpy self, eating and also drinking.
Could it be that he had a slight seizure? I live in a hot and humid country so I thought that it might have been due to the heat.

I have a fan which I tried switching on for him, but he didn't like the wind. after the seizure happened I just went ahead and kept the fan on, and as far as I can tell he hasn't done it again since.

He's also now used to the fan and sometimes sleeps right in front of it. At first, after reading some articles, I thought it might be due to a sugar imbalance, but now thinking it might have been the heat?

Any help is greatly appreciated

[Flint]

At what temperature was your room when the seizure occurred? Was he in his cage, or was he out exercising? Have you tried a dehumidifier to help with a raised humidity? Fans will not actually cool a chinchilla as they cannot sweat, nor should they be turned directly onto your cage as they can cause eye issues for your chin.

[GrayRodent]

Measure the temperature close to the cage. Fan or no fan, if it's over 80 degrees F (26C) in there you're risking serious health problems. (We cannot recommend over 73).

[kelzar]

Thanks for your replies! He was seen by a vet yesterday because I just wanted to make sure that everything was ok. He's healthy and at a good weight and build and vet also checked his cage and surroundings and gave me a thumbs up.

it hasn't happened again since he's been cooling in front of the fan

[Flint]

So glad your little chin is ok. Heat and humidity are a pure dread of mine and it rarely gets over 23 degrees here.

[GrayRodent]

Glad to hear that. Some chinchillas are prone to seizures. It is usually something bred out of chinchilla lines by reputable breeders.

There are other things to consider as well:
1. Make sure your pet has constant access to high quality pelleted chinchilla diet as well as loose hay grass such as timothy. Limiting access to food can cause problems.
2. Pelleted diet should not have treats, nuts, or other things mixed in. Such diets have been known to cause serious and deadly problems. They should be plain green alfalfa based pellets.
3. Do not feed any sugary treats or junk. Just keep to a plain diet. This is more critical considering what you have observed. I would recommend feeding no treats. Chinchillas don't need them.
4. Do not give vitamin supplements, salt blocks, or other things that can cause mineral or electrolyte imbalances. These things should be avoided for any chinchilla.

There's a good chance you'll never see this problem occur again. I've heard of this happening like that repeatedly.

[BLS Chins]

I just want to point out that fans do not cool chins. They do not sweat so the air temp is extremely important. Having a fan to circulate the air is fine but do not have it directly at the chin as that can lead to respiratory issues.