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Well, I am only using it as a preventative anyway since they were exposed to it. I will stick with what I have then. If in a few day-month they actually show signs of fungus, even with the tinactin, I will switch then. Thanks!
 
Something that I have wondered, will vinegar kill any spores that would be on the shelves? If not, at what time would you replace the shelves and clean the cage? After the treatment is finished, after the hair starts coming back?
 
You would pull all the wood shelves during treatment, or better yet put the chinchilla in a metal cage with no shelves, and have new shelves 2 weeks after a sucesssful treatment. Idealy any way
 
Guys.....can I be just a bit naive - but have ANY of these chins been to our own vets yet? Have any (other than the once case previously mentioned) beend diagnosed with Ringworm or any other health problems as of yet?
 
I haven't seen any issues here so I have not taken them to the vet. Just sharing what to do should it happen. If you find fungus the wood shelves have to go or you will re-infect the animal (knock on wood) all looks good here
 
Not that I know of, no. But, having been around an animal with a fungus we are taking precautions. Several different chins have come up with the missing fur on their nose and such and are being treated for fungus, though I don't believe they have been to a vet. I am giving my chins the tinactin bath just because they have been around the infected chins, and this can nip it in the bud now before they do develop symptoms.
 
Have you read the emails from Dr. Brown? WHO suggested Tinactin?

the last email from Dr. Brown suggested TINACTIN NOT be used
 
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Ranchers, breeders, some pet owners, my vet, and another member's vet said they can be treated topically with tinaction or another antifungal over the counter powder.. I called my vet earlier today and asked him about the tinaction, or other antifungal powder and he said it was absolutely fine to use in moderation. They are not breathing it in long term, and it is only a teaspoon to one cup of dust. He agreed that he finds it no more harmful than breathing in regular chinchilla dust, especially blue cloud since it is so fine.

Dr. Brown also said all these chins NEED a wellness vet visit right away, which I do not agree with. If my chins are showing signs of having a problem they will go to the vet. Until then, I know their teeth are fine because they are orange and they are eating like crazy. don't need to pay a vet to knock my chin out, look at the teeth, and tell me what I already know. Their poos look great so I am assuming there is nothing going on in their gut with parasites, or otherwise. Unless you are doing bloodwork (which vets usually do not do for wellness visits because their veins are so tiny) or something like that, I don't see what a wellness visit will do other than stress out these stressed out chins even more. I have taken a chin for a wellness visit. It was literally a vet who looked at their poo, their teeth and looked over their body. That's it. I can do that at home. If they do start showing any signs of their being a problem I will bring the chins to the vet ASAP. I have absolutely no problem with that.

And to anyone who thinks that I am one of the people who just doesn't want to pay for a vet visit, you are wrong. I have taken two chins to the vet 3 times in the last two weeks, and I just paid for surgery for one, and to have another chin knocked out and his teeth checked for another. I have absolutely no issue what-so-ever with paying for a vet, when it is needed.
 
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In the long run if going between what a rancher says and what a vet says...I am leaning toward the rancher (not saying you should not go to a vet, people should)....I am however not sure I am going to pre-treat. I will pick up supplies as they should always be on hand but I don'tt think I am going to mess with them.
 
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from the email:
"THE USE OF TINACTIN IN THE DUSTBATH IS NOT RECOMMENDED
1. It is not always effective in the presence of lesions and in fact may lead to resistence of the organisms present rather than eradicating them, making the treatment to rid the chins of the fungus entirely VERY DIFFICULT. There are cases where this has happened. You cannot control the concentration of the drug on any area of the skin or hair, making effective overall treatment impossible."

the email goes on and I suggest you all check your inboxes and read it, share it with your own individual vets and give them the vet's phone number that was provided.
 
My only issue so far has been soft poop. Fecal test came back negative for parasites. I've dealt with this before, so I'm hoping to see improvement with treatments I've used before.
 
My chinnies have no lesions, and if they do get actual ringworm, I will be applying medication to the area itself, not just dusting in tinactin. I think this vet thinks we are just dusting them and that's it, which isn't true. I absolutely trust my vet, and the ranchers/breeders here that have been doing this much longer than I, or my vet even, has.

This is also from the email:
FYI I did not find one reputable veterinary source, including laboratory animal veterinary sources, in favor of the use of tinactin in the dust bath. This is unfortunately a treatment that is touted on the internet but it has no basis in fact for being a truly effective treatment.
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I disagree with her completely on this as well. How is there no basis that this is an effective treatment when people have been using this treatment for YEARS to treat fungus. Just because vets aren't using it, doesn't mean it isn't effective. Are their drugs effective? Yes. According to the the majority of the population who has raised chinchillas for years, and years, and years is the other effective? Yes.
 
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That's not true. Many, many, many people have successfully treated fungus with Tinactin and other over the counter things for years with no problems. Taking a chin to a vet for treatment of fungus is not necessary.

Fungus is a part of having chinchillas. It is easily treated. It is, however, highly contagious. I would certainly quarantine these chins, not just because of of fungus, but because of the chins from the group that died while they were being held. That scares me more than the fungus, because it is an unknown.

As has been said 100 times, very few vets deal with chins, and because of that they don't understand them. They are not the same as cats and dogs, but most vets assume they are.
 
Becky said:
but because of the chins from the group that died while they were being held. That scares me more than the fungus, because it is an unknown.
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I was seem to remember that those the died had digestive/dietary problems, which is why the transition of food has been recommended.
 
I will pick up supplies as they should always be on hand but I don'tt think I am going to mess with them
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that is what i did too kristy. i wanted to be proactive and have it on hand. i havent even tried to take my boys out. i am just letting them get used to hearing my voice and smelling my hand.
i wish they would drink more water though! i am going to put another water bottle in the cage and see if that helps.
 
In two weeks of using tinactin you are going to create resistant fungus? I don't think that that will happen. It hasn't happened here. I've been using Tinactin for a decade or more with 100% success...maybe I just got lucky? I don't think so.

You can control the amount going on the skin when you put cream on the bad spots that won't be easily treated with dust. The dust is a very good preventative and it keeps it from spreading. I don't believe what this vet says, I wish I could but it is not from experience and frankly I don't know why topical treatments would not be recommended over any drug taken internally.

It's far safer to use than that other antifungal stuff...what was it, Captan? That really does cause issues.

So...whatever...
 
AZChins said:
In two weeks of using tinactin you are going to create resistant fungus? I don't think that that will happen. It hasn't happened here. I've been using Tinactin for a decade or more with 100% success...maybe I just got lucky? I don't think so.

You can control the amount going on the skin when you put cream on the bad spots that won't be easily treated with dust. The dust is a very good preventative and it keeps it from spreading. I don't believe what this vet says, I wish I could but it is not from experience and frankly I don't know why topical treatments would not be recommended over any drug taken internally.

It's far safer to use than that other antifungal stuff...what was it, Captan? That really does cause issues.

So...whatever...
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We can't put DVM after our names so our experience and knowledge don't count. Go to the happy place of bubbles and lovey chins Susan!!!

My personal vet who has 10yr+ experience working with MANY chinchillas and who has worked with me personally through my 9 years of experience recommends tinactin. He says because chins are so sensitive it is best to try the treatment that will offer the lowest amount of stress and then progress from there. He also hasn't heard of this "resistant" strain that apparently can't be treated after tinactin is used on it. As a last resort he would prescribe an oral fungal medicine but not until all other areas of treatment have been exhausted.

To me, going off one vet's recommendation who primarily sees dogs, cats and horses isn't the best idea. While I am sure he has a lot of knowledge there are few vets I would trust with chinchilla issues.
 
Must find my happy place. ::::popcorning chinnie babies::::: There it is! :D

I have heard of this resistant fungus thing before. But, seriously, if there were such a thing, it would have shown up in large ranches and we would all know about it by now. It just isn't a huge concern...and it's even less of a concern if the chins are going to be treated for a week or two and then probably never again. I don't agree with using it as a preventative for the rest of the lives of the chins, but for a week to keep the spores from sticking to the skin it will be just fine.

How many vets have THAT much experience with chinnie fungus anyway? Why is this even an issue? I don't get it!
 
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