coughing chin

Since yesterday, we noticed one or our chin (we have 2) has been coughing (maybe 3 times total that we've witnessed it). It sounds like a cough and his whole body shakes while he is coughing too. When he does cough, he tends to do it consecutively. Last time he did it, my bf was in the room watching them and he called out to me 3-4 times as our chin was coughing and he didn't stop coughing until I came in. He has no loss of appetite. No crusted over or runny nose. No wet eyes. He has been running and playing just fine. I'm just very concerned because I just caught a cold and started sneezing, coughing since yesterday but my throat started hurting since 2 days before that. I've came into contact with them when I had a sore throat but avoided going into the room except play time or when I need to use the bathroom (their cage is inside my room). What could this coughing mean? I'm very worried. Any one who came across the same problem?

can you record the sound? maybe it is just one of their calls? they do make some strange sounds that usually scare the pants off us in the middle of the night.
the shaking isnt good though. see if you can video it with you cell phone and post it here

Is it any of these noises:

http://www.chinchilla-sounds.de/index_en.htm

More than likely he is making a "warning" call and not coughing.

However, if you are sick you do need to make sure you've washed your hands and arms really well before and after handling/feeding/whatever with the chins. They can get an upper respiratory infection pretty easily.

No, it's definetely not one of their warning/bark calls. I've had them for almost 2 years and this sounds more like sneezing/coughing but it is hard to tell which. In any case, it's definetely not something I've heard of before.

Then I would bring him to the vet. If you catch a cold or sinus issue fast, you are so much better off. Plus it is Friday, get him in today!

I had a chin that went downhill in less than 24 hours from a sneeze. If he's sneezing/coughing you definitely need to bring him to the vet. Respiratory issues get bad VERY quickly in chins.

I was looking after a very young chin (about two and a half months or so) a while back and he had this odd sound he made and I had a hard time describing it and it wasn't anything I'd heard in my other chins and I've had one of my boys for over four years.

It wasn't until a few days later that I noticed a small discharge coming out of one his nostrils so I immediately took him to the vet and she swabbed his nose and sent it to the lab. He was treated for an upper respiratory infection with antibiotics but unfortunately he didn't make it and passed away two days after I started the antibiotics.

I'm not saying your situation is the same but it just reminded me of mine b/c of the odd noise. The discharge didn't show up until a couple of days later. Chins can become very sick very quickly when they have a respiratory infection so the quicker they are treated the more likely they are to survive. Unfortunately my guy was also very young which makes these types of illnesses tougher to cure.

thank you for your replies. i'm going to make an appointment with the vet right now.

try to get in today or if they have regular hours tomorrow, otherwise it will be an emergency visit and likely cost a lot more. plus if he does have a respitory infection you want him taken care of asap. the weekend can be a killer.

One thing that I hear every now and then is a gag/cough that will come from a chin that was just drinking water. It scares me so much, but every time the chin just does it a couple of times and stops. I don't know if it is that the chin drank too fast and the water irritated something in his or her throat or what. Normally a chin will do that and I never see them do it again or at least I don't see it for a long time after.

That's just a thought... It would be best to go to the vet if this chin is persistently coughing. Check for raspy breathing and any popping type noises in the lungs indicating that there is fluid present.