Chinchilla one ear down loud shreak

[Wolfnrun]

Hello guys! Before I say anything I'm new here! I've been looking at the website for a while now and made an account not to long ago. Straight to the point, I was sleeping (I am sick) I hear a loud shreaking noise out of the blue. I rush to the cage and my chinchilla bandit was sitting with one ear down...after that he put his ear back up and went from moving slowly to jumping around as if nothing happened. Yet, after that sound I'm not so sure he's acting normal now but that doesn't explain why I heard the loud shreak? Any help here? Should I take him to the vet A.S.A.P?

 

[Cass C]

Was it a bark? If you don't know what that is I would look up a video of a chinchilla barking on YouTube. If it was a bark it could just be that something scared your chinchilla or maybe it heard a noise you could not. Mine also bark occasionally when they want my attention and will stop and act like nothing happened if I talk to them.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

I had several chins that loved to streak. When I ran to see what was wrong, they looked at me as if to say 'what took you so long'. It seemed to run in certain lines. Haven't had a streaker in a while. It is an attention getter. Little buggars

 

[Wolfnrun]

Wow! He does that all the time! ... bandit has been having an ear down while he sits and some time after looking at him he looks at me kinda like 'Oh hey there!' Yet, he's been a little odd when he looks at me not responding always...I'm told that he's fine but I guess I'll keep an eye out on him in case anything happens thanks! =-]

 

[Smidgeyy]

One of mine does that all the time. Scared the crap out of me the first time I heard it. XD

 

[Wolfnrun]

Haha! At least I don't feel so alone anymore! He's walking and acting like his old self now! But this morning though! I'm telling you! I almost flipped out!

 

[LYChinchillas]

Hahah yeah Muff will just scream sometimes. He just wants attention from the girls across the room though! No such luck, bud!

 

[becky12883]

I swear they have nightmares some times, and freak out in their sleep. It sounds like your guy scared himself awake.

 

[Wolfnrun]

Haha! Maybe! They almost give me a heart attack!

 

[Wolfnrun]

I know what a bark is and yes, sounded just like one except with a slightly higher pitch...hes ok now but for all of yesterday I was in a state of panic

 

[poha_b]

Mine will do this if he thinks it's too early for me to go to bed. I'll hear a loud screech, jump out of bed, turn on the light and look around the corner (small apartment so he is right outside my bedroom in the living room) and he'll be sitting in the corner with his hands on the bars like "wassup mom! good response!" then go back to eating his hay.

 

[scottf]

Was the chinchilla sleepy when you found them? I noticed a lot of times when my chillas first wakes up she has one ear down. I am wondering if they heard something in their sleep squeeked and still had an ear down from laying on their side.

 

[Wolfnrun]

Was the chinchilla sleepy when you found them? I noticed a lot of times when my chillas first wakes up she has one ear down. I am wondering if they heard something in their sleep squeeked and still had an ear down from laying on their side.

That last part! He did! Then he statted acting sad so I got worried if he's sick or something! Did he get hurt!?! But 24 hours of past and the most he does is sit in the corner were is pine wood slab is and rest for about an hour a day (some times with ear down) other then that he's eating normal drinking his water...hes going to be ok....right?

 

[Wolfnrun]

I woke up this morning he had both down in his hammock gave him a few raisins they lifted a lititle he jumped out in the corner...hes looking scared!

 

[Newt]

Yeah my Rosey will scream sometimes..... for her it's a frustration sound if she thinks I am running late for her playout time!!

 

[scottf]

That last part! He did! Then he statted acting sad so I got worried if he's sick or something! Did he get hurt!?! But 24 hours of past and the most he does is sit in the corner were is pine wood slab is and rest for about an hour a day (some times with ear down) other then that he's eating normal drinking his water...hes going to be ok....right?

Honestly I have not heard anything in your description that describes abnormal behavior for a chinchilla. They sometimes call out if they hear something or if they just want to make sure you are out there. The ears down does not mean anything either mine will put one or both ears down a lot when relaxing. I am not sure what you mean by looking sad or scared. Its really hard to gauge what they are thinking by their look. I haven't heard anything so far I would worry about.

I stopped feeding my chinchilla rasins a long time ago when I found out how much suger they had in them. I give treats sparingly and if I do its a few organic oats or a small peice of organic shredded wheat.

 

[Cuddlebug]

When he seems slow to respond, he could be asleep. Chins can sleep with their eyes open. They can look zoned out and act sluggish when you wake them.

By the way, I agree, ditch the raisins. They are actually quite bad for them. Raisins contain a boatload of sugar and chinchillas cannot digest sugar.

 

[Wolfnrun]

When he seems slow to respond, he could be asleep. Chins can sleep with their eyes open. They can look zoned out and act sluggish when you wake them.

By the way, I agree, ditch the raisins. They are actually quite bad for them. Raisins contain a boatload of sugar and chinchillas cannot digest sugar.

I don't give them many rasians only one at night every night

 

[Wolfnrun]

Honestly I have not heard anything in your description that describes abnormal behavior for a chinchilla. They sometimes call out if they hear something or if they just want to make sure you are out there. The ears down does not mean anything either mine will put one or both ears down a lot when relaxing. I am not sure what you mean by looking sad or scared. Its really hard to gauge what they are thinking by their look. I haven't heard anything so far I would worry about.

I stopped feeding my chinchilla rasins a long time ago when I found out how much suger they had in them. I give treats sparingly and if I do its a few organic oats or a small peice of organic shredded wheat.

I just freaked out initatly because he's never made a loud shreak that loud before...Especially enough to wake me up. Also about the scared face...he just seemed a little spaced out, I mean he's better now so I'm going with the nightmare scenario as some others stated.

 

[Wolfnrun]

Honestly I have not heard anything in your description that describes abnormal behavior for a chinchilla. They sometimes call out if they hear something or if they just want to make sure you are out there. The ears down does not mean anything either mine will put one or both ears down a lot when relaxing. I am not sure what you mean by looking sad or scared. Its really hard to gauge what they are thinking by their look. I haven't heard anything so far I would worry about.

I stopped feeding my chinchilla rasins a long time ago when I found out how much suger they had in them. I give treats sparingly and if I do its a few organic oats or a small peice of organic shredded wheat.

Well he's doing better and I posted this out of concern so I'm looking back at what happened I'm accepting the nightmare scenario as stated by the others... plus I normally feed him a rasain a day...well he's better now. That scared face was when he ran around crazy in the cage which gave me almost a bad fright,but thanks for the feedback.