Death after a week sold **advice needed***

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Jandy2909

New member
Joined
Oct 10, 2017
Messages
1
Hi all,

Looking for some advice following a recent Chinchilla that I’ve sold. I’ve been breeding for 20+ years and Thursday 28th i sold a pair of males to a young family with young children. A beige and a grey. The beige was going to be for the little girl (approx 5) and the grey was going to be for the little boy (approx 9)

Saturday afternoon I had a message to say the beige Male was very quiet and wouldnt really move. I told them they were nocturnal etc and to see what he’s like later on the evening.

Long story short - they brought the beige Male for me to have a look at on Sunday and he was so weak he could hardly stand. He then started to spurt blood out of his mouth and eventually died in my hands after a couple of minutes.

In the 20 years I’ve been breeding I’ve never experienced a chin death like that and it was traumatic.

The grey Male was and is not showing any signs of illness and the beige males siblings are all fine. My personal opinion is that the beige Male has been grabbed too tightly by the little girl and has punctured an organ.

My issue now is that the family have asked to buy another off me which I’ve said I’m not happy to do as there’s obviously an issue in their care. To which they’ve now asked for a refund of the price paid for the beige chinchilla (£90). I’ve offered as a gesture really to give them £45 or alternatively they can pay for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

This is my first time selling a chinchilla to a family with young children and it will definitely be the last. I’m just looking for any sort of advice re the request for a full refund etc.

Any help is much appreciated.

Many thanks
James
 
My thoughts are the little girl probably grabbed the chin or dropped it. It's unfortunately very easy to puncture a lung if not handled properly, do to the way the rib cage is constructed. Most breeders have a pretty strict not for kids under 13 rule and that is one of the reasons.

I would not sell them another, and would require proof that is was something genetic or preexisting condition that caused the death in order for a refund. If they can't prove they didn't kill the chin (by getting a necropsy done to prove no internal injury), then no refund.
 
I agree with Amethyst. My guess is the child inadvertently hurt/killed him by being too rough. It's for this exact reason that I don't sell chins to kids - ever.

My policy is no necropsy, no refund. That's it. I don't replace, I don't refund without a necropsy.

I'm sorry you had to go through this. :(
 
Wow that is sad. No Chins are not good pets for kids. End of story.

I would not give them anything back. DO NOT sell to them and you might want to tell other breeders about it. Sounds like they just let the 5 year old play with the chin alone. That is just bad. I don't even let my 9 year old daughter pick the chins up unless I am around.

Yeah if they get the autopsy done maybe a re-found. If they do not do that say "Sorry you need watch your kids around the animals better." I know this is a living thing but the example would be If your kid broke a new Ipad would you ask for Apple to give you the money back.

So sorry you have to go threw with this it has to be hard in many ways.
 
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