Search results

My boy used to always sneeze a few times after/during a dust bath. I agree with Amethyst, as long as it is not a recurrent event I wouldn't think too much of it. If it starts again, definitely worth a visit to the vet, if only for your peace of mind.

The one time I had to syringe feed it took me some tries to realize my chin would only take food if it had a very particular texture. He hated when critical care was too liquid and runny. If I made it into a paste he could eat almost like spaghetti right off the syringe, he would eat it. Mind...

Thanks so much! That makes me feel a little better. I'll find a good place for her away from the appliances :)

Hello! I'll be moving into a new house soon, which currently has a gas range and fireplace. I have never had gas appliances so I had never given it much thought, but it suddenly occurred to me I didn't know if they were safe for Susu. I tried looking for information on that last night and...

My standard grey definitely had bigger eyes and wider nose than my black velvet does.

I second the suggestion of a playpen around the cage. I had the same problem you did and getting to/from play time was super stressful. The day I switched over to a play pen and gave them the option of going back to their cage was when I really started bonding with my chin.

I was able to see the video (I use VLC media player, since it's able to read most things)....that doesn't look like hiccups. It almost look like he's choking on something. Is he still eating/pooping/drinking as usual? If he's doing it constantly and it's a new thing, I'd lean towards a vet visit.

This is Susu, the black velvet chinchilla. She's approximately 11 years old. I got her and her buddy who passed away last year from a rescue 10 years ago. She moved with me through grad school, first job, and now will be my travelling buddy to my new home. She loves rose petals, rosehips, neck...

Hello! I'm going to be having 2 pet bunnies as guests for a week while a friend is on a trip. Are there any precautions I should take regarding my chin or the bunnies? They will not be housed in the same room and will not be interacting at all. Is there anything chins/bunnies can catch from...

I'm so, so sorry for your loss. It's so hard when we lose beloved pets that have been with us for many years.

Aside from the ones already mentioned (my chin's entire cage and play area are covered in things from NOLA chinchilla rescue, I highly recommend their work, it's super great!), I have bought a lot of toy's from Whimsy's Chinchilla menagerie. The toys are HUGE for the price and my chins have...

My girl is pretty sensible and will hesitate to jump if she thinks she can't make it or if she's weary of the height. My boy used to Geronimo his way through life. More than once I had to block him from jumping from somewhere dangerous (like the 2nd level of his cage down to the floor, when I...

I use the ears as the indicators of how sleepy my chin is. If she's only sorta-napping (but mostly awake) she'll stand still with hear ears up. If she's really sleepy her ears start dropping until she finally gives up and gets into a comfy sleeping position.

What I did is get a few of those plastic protective mats (the ones that are used for office chairs) and put those over the carpet, then covered in fleece. Whenever it gets messy, I clean up the area, throw the fleece in the wash, wipe the plastic mats, cover again in fleece, and it's ready...

I'm so sorry for your loss. My boy passed last November at home, so I did give his cagemate a chance to find the body before I removed him (just a few minutes) and it completely freaked her out. I don't think she quite understood what was happening/didn't know if she was safe, and was...

This forum has been a lifesaver the past couple of months. As some of you know, I've had to deal with chinchilla health issues starting late last year. I took Susu in for a vet visit last week and the vet says she's a healthy, 11 year old chinchilla. Her irritated eye is better and x-rays...

If you don't think he's eating enough, why not call his vet and ask if you should be trying to supplement with critical care? Just a thought.

Just as a warning - even if you get the chinchilla for free, the initial investment in a good cage/accessories/food/etc can be quite high. Chinchillas, contrary to what seems to be popular opinion, are not cheap pets. A visit to an exotic vet can be very pricy. I'd sit down and think on your...

Does you chinchilla ever kack while asleep? (The sound they make when they are annoyed?) This is the second time I've heard Susu do this in the past month and she always seems to be very confused when I go check on her. I'm familiar with chin nightmares that result in barking but this is a new...

Thanks! She's having a general checkup next week and if the vet thinks she needs eye drops I'll definitely get help. The eye has started to look better on its own so I've just been watching her. Hopefully by next week it'll be back to normal and we'll just have a normal vet visit.