Fur clumps?

[SherryT]

I've had my chinchilla for eight months now and I've just noticed a small patch of fur on her left hip that is longer than the rest of her fur and it seems to be getting longer. It doesn't seem"clumpy" just long. It doesn't seem to bother her unless I tug on it. I tried combing it too but it doesn't come out. is this something I need to remove? If I need to remove it, how do I do it without hurting her? What happens if I just leave it there?

 

[lauralynne]

It may very well be a mat in her fur. If you tug it, it will come out. Have you made sure she doesn't have a growth on the skin itself causing the fur to look longer than the surrounding fur?

 

[SherryT]

There doesn't appear to be a growth or raised lesion in the area but I will continue to check.

 

[jags]

Its the start of a fur mat, gently pull it and it will slide right out. If left in it will only get bigger and harder to pull out. It may irritate her when you pull on it but it will not hurt her if you pull easy on it.

 

[Basket_of_Chinchillas]

If you are worried or uncomfortable pulling on the mat (sometimes they don't come out easy and you don't want to injure the chin) a vet can do it for you. I once had a rescue chin with serious mats before that needed to be cut out and have also encountered small mats that just won't give! So my vet lent a helping hand and everything went smoothly.

 

[becky12883]

Dale gets mats a lot. I pull them out while my fiance holds him. If you get a firm grip on the fur and give it a tug it will "slip".

 

[SherryT]

Thank you everyone. I will gently pull it out or take her to a vet. Haha, I thought it was the "uniqueness" of her fur. Thanks for all the great advice.