Bumblefoot

[inkling]

I posted yesterday in the emergency thread about a potential eye infection in my chinchilla (he is okay, no infection, just irritation, I have eye drops in case it flares up or appears to take a turn in any way, but the vet told me he should be fine).

The vet additionally mentioned to me that my chinchilla's back feet look red and irritated. I checked them and the very balls of the heels on them look red, but they aren't in any way actually bumblefoot. The vet told me to keep an eye on them and do everything I can to make sure they calm back down.

I have a number of ideas that may have caused this (I was gone for a week and I don't think cleaning was done as well as it should have been, but he also got reckless when I was trying to clean yesterday and he attempted several times to walk on the bars of the cage), but I want to run down my cage set up and be certain that I have everything done properly and what else I can do to ensure this doesn't potentially get worse and then *actually become* bumblefoot.

-- I have a two-story ferret nation. I currently wrap fleece around the plastic liners that came with the cage. Should I use something else? Should I get thicker fleece or padding? Or should this be just fine?

-- I change the fleece once a week (for each story) and sweep up wood chips and poop as necessary. Should this be done more regularly?

-- He has wooden pine shelves throughout both stories, all of which he chews on frequently. Should I sand down the edges every now and again? None of them are splintered or anything, but they are rough around the edges where he chews. I don't know if this could be a contributing factor.

-- He has pine wood hidey home and a bendable log bridge. Should either of these be sanded as he chews or treated in any way?

I imagine that all of this is fine, but I really want to be sure. I've been anxious and scared about my little baby since I got home and am just generally concerned and don't want anything to get serious. I've never heard of anyone sanding their stuff, but I hate the idea of his little feet hurting, even if they are only mildly irritated right now. I don't want anything to make the mild problem into a serious one.

Thank you for understanding.

 

[Amethyst]

Wrapping the pans is fine, if you want more padding go for it, mine are 3 layers thick (outer layer with a double layer "pad" inside). Changing the cage once a week is fine too, though most people change it a couple times a week with fleece if the chin isn't litter trained, but if litter trained the litter box should be cleaned daily. Wood shelves and houses don't need to be sanded unless they get peed on or otherwise dirty, however perches are easier on their feet, flat surfaces are actually pretty unnatural and can put odd pressure on their feet were as a perch causing a rolling pressure as the chins balance (hopefully I'm making sense, lol). Not all chins have issues with flat surfaces but some do and perches are the way to go to help with that (I have perches and flat shelves to give variety)
If the feet are red from being dry and/or cracking the best thing to use is bag balm (it's made for cow udders, but it works, lol and is safe), it has antiseptic in it so it helps a lot with healing.

 

[Stackie]

If he pees on the liners I would change them more frequently, or look into changing the bedding type. Urine soaked fabrics can cause irritation of the skin of the feet. My chin that is prone to bumblefoot had to be on soft aspen bedding for awhile because he was bad about peeing on a spot of his fleece and just sitting in it. He has finally taken to his litter pan and now has tile in the bottom of his cage.

As stated, varying perches also help with bumblefoot. Mine only has one flat shelf and the rest are wood perches and a bendable bridge (not sure if anyone makes these anymore). That way pressure is not always on the back of the feet but rather at varying points of the foot.

 

[inkling]

Thank you guys so much! The next time I order his batch of favorite wood from Ronda's Chins, I'll order a couple perches. He does have a bendy bridge, but he definitely spends most of his time on the shelves and the hammock.

Thank you for mentioning the urine. I've noticed that it can get a bit harder on the fleece when he chooses to pee in the same spot. I think he's kind of organized -- that he at least pees in a different corner than the ones he usually hangs out in -- but I'm going to keep an extra close eye on it in case he's a sensitive little dude.

I considered litter training him, but he doesn't seem the type... He's quite rambunctious and a bit on the adventurous sides. He's also a pusher. He just shoves everything around. Any sort of organization I attempt in that cage goes everywhere! Maybe once he's out of puberty?