TOPIC of the MONTH
There is two type of fungus, the first will cause your chins fur to fall out leaving a bare spot that is red/pink with inflammed skin. The second causes fur breakage that result in thin, patchy, shaggy fur. Adding a small amount of foot powder to your chins dust bath will help to prevent fungus(just add a small sprinkle to dust bath). If you have noticed that your chin has already gotten fungus then it is really is to get rid of. Spray directly on the affected are 99percent pure alcohol avoiding the eye and mouth area 1-2 times per day for 3 days will kill the fungus and new fur will return in approx 1-3 months. The alcohol kills the fungus on contact.
Known Causes. Toxicity Toxic seizures can be due to lead poisoning, mercury poisoning, carbon monoxide, or to fumes from just about any toxic type volatile substance. Two cases of lead poisoning has been reported in chinchillas, so beware of lead based paint on your walls because chinchillas are known to chew anything
Mycotoxins and Aflatoxines also can cause seizers due to liver damage, Those seizuress like the staggering seizures of vitiminb complex deficiencies.
TRAUMA. Head trauma (falling,jumping and hiting head etc) When your chinchilla has fallen or runs into something and hits his head, always be aware of the posability of trauma, watch out for drousiness or lack of energy, this does need to be seen by a vet, there has been some discusion trauma from a nerve running down the nasal area, but to date nobody really knows.
Seizures come in two categories, theres the ones we know and the ones we dont know. KNOWN CAUSES. Deficiency-low calcium,lowthiamine and posibly low blood sugar. Low calcium seizers are of a classical type and are most common in females who have just had babys and have had more than one litter or never been pregnant before, the signs and symptoms are a rigid bowed body with nose curled towards the tail This can be cured, but needs attention straight away, The cure is calcium gluconate intravenousely, or however vets give it in animals like chins who have no good veins. To prevent this you should be sure your female has extra calcium. Good soures are low sugar milk,calf mana, TUMS , or calcium blocks by Vita kraft (Mineral Stone with seaweed for small animal take your pick. Thiamine seizers have been described as pre meal trembling and paralysis, circling and seizure activity. The main symptoms are the tremors,staggering,shakes twitching type. Treatment is immediate Vitimin b complex. Only 3 diabetic chins known to us, and none of them have had seizes do hypoglycemia, (low blood sugar) although this is not uncommon in ferrets, and has been chins. the main sympton of this type of\ seizure is when the chin has been active and collapses. The collapse is sudden and the animal is limp, Try to get a sweet product into your chinchilla.
You should make sure your chinchilla is very healthy before breeding. Chinchillas have been known to die if a enlarged heart and the other thing is blood clotting, calcium is something you must make sure your chinchiila gets. chinchillas can have seizures.Before breeding make sure you give your chinchilla plenty of vitamin c for there teeth. if you dont give the vitamin c or the calcium it will carry in to the baby chinchillas.
If you just have one Chinchilla of course you need two to breed, and dont forget like humans they must like each other. When buying your second Chinchilla they must have seperate cages at first to to introduce each other and this must be for at least three weeks in my opinion, they will get used to each other and there smells, and the visual look as well. first let them play together after the two weeks and see how they get on, but you must watch for agression on either side, if they seem friendly just try putting them in the cage for a couple of hours and do this each day till you are comfortable about there being no agression. if you find they are agressive put them back in there own cages and leave it about a week and try again, learning everything before breeding is inportant.
Females come into heat every 28-35 days, this begins when the female chinchilla is six months old, this is to younge to breed a chinchilla, wait until they are at least 12months old, mating usualy hapens at night, there is usualy some evidence that can be found in the bottom of the cage which is a mating plug, it is white and waxy about the width of a pencil and 1 or just over a inch long.
Sore eyes can sometimes be caused by the kind of dust you use for your chinchilla, ie blue cloud bathing dust, or your chinchilla could be in a drafty place such as the cage being in front of the window, the other reason can be your chinchilla has a cold, just be careful what place you put your chinchilla.
Chinchillas teeth are not healthy unless they are yellow, Chinchillas teeth can grow so long, keep a check on the teeth at all times make sure your chinchilla has plenty to chew on, your chinchillas teeth can become the death of of your Chinchilla. you must give your Chinchilla plenty of calcium to help keep the teeth and body in good health, plus vitamin c in there food. a Chinchillas teeth can grow through there own skull, just make sure they have enough to chew on.
Be careful you can end up with a fat chinchilla and which is an unhealthy chinchilla, exercise wheels are very good but they need to be 15inches high and it needs to be mesh. A daily romp around a room will do your chinchilla a world of good but be careful they love chewing anything including wires and a lot more, 30minutes once a day should be enough . Chinchillas are such fun to see what they get up to. also make sure the cage is big enough. I will be honest with you i let my chinchilla out for a hour in the bathroom because i have no wires there. Just make sure your chinchilla gets the excercise and all will be well.
Be careful what you give your chinchilla to chew, the best thing to give your chinchilla is untreated pine wood, its good for their teeth. Give them as much to chew as you can as it saves some on your furniture, as well as doing the teeth good. Dont give them wood from fruit trees unless they are trees with no stones in the fruit.
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