Abnormal testicles?

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KristaRobyn

New member
Joined
Aug 28, 2013
Messages
3
Hi everyone, I just recently got my chinchilla from someone off of kijiji and noticed when he sits on shelves his penis sticks out. I picked him up today to take a look, and it looks different from what I have seen from google. It looks very swollen in comparison. I have never owned a chinhilla before, so I don't have experience with what is normal and abnormal. Please help. Thank you
 

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I re-attached the picture, as I know it is hard to see when something is upside down :)....looking at more pictures on here it looks more normal, but are the little bumps at the bottom normal?
 

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Can you take a photo of him at another angle please? Lift him gently by the tail with his front paws resting on something & take a photo of his bits & pieces - I would like to be able to see the testicular region in relation to his penis - at the angle in the photo he is sucking everything in, bless him.

How old is he?

Is he peeing ok?

Is he lively?

It's difficult to tell because of all the fur & the angle but the penile sheath itself looks normal - the skin is pigmented (the dark patch) but it does not looks swollen or like he has a fur ring. There's no prolapse .... somewhere on the forum is a thread about prolapses & checking for fur rings - that's worth a look for future reference. A search should bring it up for you - Dawn (Ticklechin) has an excellent video in there too.

What you are seeing below the anus are parts of the epididymal sacks - the testicles are being held higher up the body (the small areas on either side of his penis). If you observe him you will find those sacks "fill" & the swollen areas disappear - that's a sign he is relaxed or he is warm (letting his testicles drop) - some of the members of the forum calls this "LPB" (little pink balls).

Signs of potential problems to look for are:
Excess or abnormal swelling on one side or both (one side swollen more than the other, for example)
Redness
Heat
Pain
Pus
Difficulty peeing
Excessive urine stains around the genitals
A prolapse (the penis is out of the sheath & the chin can't get it back in by himself)
Constant or excessive "fiddling" - (give it time & you will see your chin "sorting" himself - they always seem to do it when you've got visitors round for tea!)
Sitting hunched up, with his bottom/tail off the floor (as if he doesn't want to sit down properly)
Dark patches under the skin of his penis, especially at the base (this can be a sign of a fur ring)



Hope that helps?
 
Last edited:
Missed my edit time.

I meant to add:

How warm was the room you were in when you took that photo?


When male chins are nervous or stressed they can lift their testicles ('sucking everything in', as I mentioned above) - they often do this when at the vets, for example - but they usually let them back down again once they have relaxed.

Oedema around the genitals can be a sign of a number of issues ......
 
Not to hijack the thread, but I noticed my male has two different sized "fur balls" when he lets them dangle, its always been like this. Is that normal? =s
 
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