Chinchilla wheel question

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Ruf7109

New member
Joined
Jul 24, 2013
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2
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
Okay I recently adopted two male chinchillas. One of which loves the wheel we got him. However it doesn't stay in place when he runs/ hops on it. I don't want it to fall over or hurt him. I read about stones they can chew to help with their teeth I thought about looking for something like that to put on the base to help hold it in place. I'm not sure exactly what they are or where to get them though. I got mineral bars and wooden bars for them to chew on. The wheel was the biggest one there I want to say it is 14" diameter. I found a picture online of the same one in a smaller size

Thanks!
 

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I went through three pet store wheels before I actually spent the money on a nice, sturdy wheel. Save your money on the flimsy wheels and just buy a good one online. Most people like the Chinspin, Silver Surfer, Leo Braun or Flying Saucer wheels. They attach to the side of the cage and do not fall over and can not be eaten. They are expensive, but a good investment. Ours have had their flying saucers for 9 or 10 years now and they are still going strong. The one in ZZ's cage gets a LOT of use too.

The stones you hear about are pumice and blue cloud rocks. They are not big enough or heavy enough to hold a wheel down, but both are good for keeping your chinchillas teeth worn down. You may be able to use a piece of flagstone, but even then, I would just recommend buying one of the better wheels that attaches to the cage.

It's good for them to have things to chew on, but I would rethink the mineral bars. If you are feeding a good quality pellet and hay, they don't need mineral bars or salt blocks. I too had those when I first started out and soon learned they weren't necessary. ZZ never really cared for them anyway.
 
The flying saucer is expensive but it's the best money I've ever spent. Both my chins love theirs. My female had a cheap plastic one that kept tipping over, she loved it. But she is obsessed with her metal saucer now. It's quiet and cleaner. Lasts a lifetime too.
 
The flying saucer I have you can replace the ball bearing in it and the only noise was from the cage shaking.
 
Those plastic wheels are horrible for several reasons. When i took in my first chin and didn't no any better, he came with that same wheel. He would chew on it a lot, which is rly bad cause he could ingest that. Which can cause health problems. Since the middle support bar thing is plastic as well, when the wheel moves it is plastic grinding on plastic. If you take it off after a while, you will notice a plastic powder. Both you and your chin don't want to be inhaling that. Also, if you watch the chin move on it you will notice that it puts his back and spine at an unnatural angle which can cause harm as well. Then there is the simple fact that you keep having to replace the wheel.

So its definitely better to get a new type of wheel. The type will depend on the room you have in the cage, money willing to be spent, and your preference. Like Mgonya said, i to prefer the metal flying saucer.

Copied from a difffrent post i made in another thread:

I prefer this flying saucer wheel. They are expensive, but they should last for a long long time. Its not plastic, so the chins cant rly chew them. And they wont degrade into plastic dust over time.

They come fully assembled so all you have to do is attach it to the cage. They allow a chin to reach full extension while running, as if they they were actually running around. Alot of the round ones (shaped like a mouse wheel) force a chins spine and body into unnatural positions. This saucer doesn't.

And should something go wrong with your wheel, its a extremely high probability that its just a bearing that got worn or dirty. Good thing about that is, not only is it a simple fix, but that company sells extra bearings for like $2. The wheel also comes with instructions on how to change a bearing should the need ever arise. Of the 2 wheels i have now, one i had to replace a bearing (bought that wheel used) and the one i bought new has yet to need any work after 4~ years.

They come in three sizes. Small Standard and Large. I prefer the large wheel. It gives them the most room to extend their body freely. But it will depends on the type of cage you have, and how much room is available. One other side note; They stopped making the large wheels technically. But if you email them, they will probably agree to make you one. (I just emailed them recently about it, and they said they could make one for me)

--

Good news, it seems the large version is back on there site again. So i guess they had a lot of requests for it!
 
The biggest silent spinner wheel they make is 12" and that is too small for a chinchilla. Chinchillas need at least a 14" wheel, with nothing sticking out in the center of the wheel. Chinchillas hop when they run and petstore wheels impair their ability to run normally and cause back problems. Also chinchillas should not have plastic in their cages because they could ingest it when they chew and that will cause a blockage in their digestive system called an impaction. Chinchillas can die from impaction very easily. As everyone said, the 14" chin spin is great, not the 12" one though. Also flying saucers, silver surfurs and Leo wheels.
 
I recommend the pandamonium pets xtra soundless spinner. All metal design and silent. Comes in sizes 14”-16” so you won’t have to worry about your chins’ backs :) available on Etsy and ebay
 
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