HELP!? Female cage mates fighting

[AZChins]

Definitely, you should not breed this male. You have no history on him and you have no one that stands behind his health or genetics at all. It's similar to breeding a dog that you adopt from a shelter or otherwise unknown origins - this would be frowned upon by dog breeders AND rescue people. At this point there are plenty of poorly bred chins from backyard breeders. If you are wanting to breed, find a good breeder nearby and let that person share with you all the reasons to not breed. A breeder who thinks it is okay for you to breed without asking a ton of questions and sharing at least a few horror stories is not a good breeder. Also, make sure that you have at least $1000 saved up for an emergency vet bill since breeding will increase your likelihood of having to go to the vet ten fold at least.

 

[Stackie]

You definitely should not breed him if he came from a pet store. Since you say you have read through the forums a lot, you should have seen many posts that consisted of us telling people they should not breed their pet store chins along with why. (No chin with an unknown background should be bred because they could harbor genetic diseases such as malocclusion and pass it on to their offspring, breeding should only be done to better the breed and thus you should only use high quality breeding stock bought from reputable breeders.)

 

[Riven]

Wow....

 

[Lynn & The Chins]

:thumbsup:

 

[CJR]

I realize that you are probably very angry right now, and feel that many of us have "put you down" and the like. Please stop, take a breather, and listen to me. No one is trying to rile you up, or anger you, or intimidate you, insult you, or anything like that. We are simply concerned for you and your chinchillas.

Please follow the advice that has been given, please do not assume that people are automatically being mean because you are an inexperienced breeder. Many people who are not familiar with experienced members on here mistake sternness and seriousness for rudeness. Lots of people here are very pro-learning-to-breed, the only catch is that they are pro-learning-to-breed-the-right-way.

You have said that everyone has to start somewhere, which is true, but the way you have started breeding not a good way to start. It is, however, a good way to end up with a severely injured and/or dead chin. I am not insulting you by saying that, I am telling you the truth. Like others said, chins are very finicky critters and can become upset by things that we don't even notice - like vacuuming on a different day than usual, or the sun rose too early, or they don't like the music that's playing.

You should not breed your male. You should not breed any chinchilla whose background you do not know. There are very serious genetic issues that can lay dormant in a chin for many years and show up long after they've reproduced - the only way to guard against this is to know their lineage and not breed animals that have those diseases, but even then sometimes things can happen.

One genetic disease that your male could have, but not be showing, is called malocclusion. This is widely considered a death sentence, because there is no cure. If you do not know what malocclusion is, it is a misalignment of the teeth that almost always has terrible consequences. Often the roots of the teeth will grow into the jawbone, or up towards the brain, resulting in severe pain, especially when eating. Sometimes malo can be maintained with frequent filings and careful observation, hand-feeding, etc, but eventually it will be more humane to have the chin put down. It is a heart-breaking experience, and too many owners on this very forum have had to go through it.

If you want to learn to breed, I beg you to listen to what others have said here. There are a lot of very, very experienced people here (I'm not one of them, I am only a pet owner) who would love to help you if you just calm down and are willing to listen. No one is attacking you, even if it may seem like it. You must understand that many of us see things like this happen way too often, and that's why we get upset. Anytime there is a possibility for an injured or dead chinchilla, many of us will get up in arms. It is nothing personal to you.

I apologize for the long message, but I hope that you take something from it. I wish I could give you more advice, but as I said, I am not a breeder.

 

[Riven]

We are simply concerned for you and your chinchillas.

Actually no. I am just concerned for the chins, and people who buy their offspring, etc. I seem to have an innate lack of sympathy for people who do things without researching or that have no interest in improving their life or the life of others and just whine and want people to feel sorry for them because of it. Not saying this is the OP, just saying in general...

The first way to begin breeding is by doing research. I can't think of any site that recommends or even does not have a section saying you should not breed pet store chins. Or that chins can get bred in seconds, and just exposing a female to a male is breeding.

I am still curious about this:

The vets did not seem to believe it was a disease ...they were thinking more along the lines that he snagged his skin on something or his foot got caught in the mesh on the bottom of his cage(1/2inch squared). His leg was casted and changed 2x/wk. for about 2 months

Why was a cast put on an abscess? Chins skin is not usually easily available and doesn't "get snagged". And then I don't know WHERE this abscess is, because I thought it was on the neck or shoulder, but then you're saying the leg was "casted" which really isn't a real word. I can take in rescues and not "think" they carry any thing and not quarantine, and breed them... but in the end it's really not thinking.

 

[starleomach]

Too much is off here...But either way No you should not breed a Pet store male. And were the breeders you got the girls from good breeders or backyard.

 

[Sarahb20]

Riven, If you read my post about my chin...I said that his arm was wrapped in a cast because he chewed the abcess and popped it! Are you a vet? I'm 100% sure that the vet I went to (who has a degree and specialized in exotics) knows quite a bit more about the situation than you...thanks!

Thank you ash for understanding my frustration... I will definitely take your advice to heart! I'm hoping my chin doesn't have the disease you mentioned, but I will keep it in mind for future issues, if any. And I will not breed him. Thanks again!

The breeder I got my females from was a well known breeder I believe. I found her online and herd about shows she has entered her chins in.

 

[AZChins]

It's a little weird to cast an abscess...I'm trying to visualize that. Most of the time vets like it to heal in the open air without a dressing...well, that and the chin will rip a bandage right off! hehehe

Seriously, there are lots of times that even very experienced exotics vets won't know what to do exactly. Many times a rancher or breeder will have the expertise to treat a chin that a veterinarian won't have. The reason why is because a breeder spends more time with just chinchillas. There's a lot of "exotics" vets around here that won't even see a chinchilla. Don't be dismissive of advice given to you by experienced chinchilla people, sometimes the vets go with what they would do for a dog or a cat or other species.

I have way too many examples to share...and that would be beating a dead horse to tell you about all the times that a vet was a little off in treatment of ailments in my chins or the chins of other people I know. OK...I'll share one! One "very experienced" exotics vet told a customer of mine to feed her very sick chinchilla "greens." He wanted her to go get kale and lettuce and the like to feed to a chin with a severe digestive problem. This quite possibly led to the death of that poor little animal.

I have people that I can call to help me with an issue that I do not know how to treat and I have an understanding vet, who knows that he doesn't have the answer to everything due to the fact that he doesn't see chins every single day. That has made an awesome combination. Not to mention that with chinchillas we all are learning something new about them all the time no matter how much time we've had them or bred them or rescued them!

Find a few good mentors and people to ask questions about breeding and chins. That will do so much good. When I started in chins way back (telling people how long gives away my age, so I have to stop doing that) I was so lucky because I had so many people to turn to with decades of expertise! This was before the internet really got people together on forums, I just got poked through the ignorant hole on that one.

 

[Riven]

Suddenly today, the bald spot turned into a large lump above his arm (almost under his head.

Yes, I did read it. It says... almost under his head. Casts aren't changed, I think you're talking about something else. They don't change casts twice a week... they are plaster.

And whether I'm a vet or not is irrelevant when your information contradicts itself or you use incorrect terms. I'm going to take a huge step here and say that I probably know more about chin care than at least 80% of vets, including " specialized in exotics". When you find who's owned chins for 10 years, and who treats primarily chins for 6 years like I have being a breeder, then I'll listen. I've seen "exotic vets" rx problem drugs, recommend daily water baths when they're not needed, and some that can't even sex a chin properly.

I don't know the breeder but really entering a show doesn't mean anything. You give half arsed facts and expect us to just accept them, then get snarky when we don't.

 

[AZChins]

I've seen "exotic vets" rx problem drugs, recommend daily water baths when they're not needed, and some that can't even sex a chin properly.

There are so many exotics vets that have misdiagnosed the sex of chinchillas! Sometimes this results in unwanted pregnancies. Many, many times I will meet someone's chin that is supposedly a boy or a girl and it turns out to be quite opposite.

Don't get me started on all the times that the vets have given really wrong medications.... And, water baths? Geez... If I had a vet tell me to bathe a chin in water without a good reason, I do believe that I would just leave....

 

[starleomach]

I had a "top exotics" vet tell me that chinchillas have no vocal cords and do not make any sounds....supposidly they owned two. I have saved more chinchillas calling a Rancher than going to a vet

 

[AZChins]

No Vocal Cords!!! HAAAAAAAAAA!!!

I'd love for that vet to meet Bronco...Bronco beeps and squeals and talks all the time. No vocal cords my aunt fanny....

 

[Carol~Anne]

No Vocal Cords!!! HAAAAAAAAAA!!!

I should send that vet a recording of Buster screeching his lungs out like I was killing him when I have to contain him by the base of his tail.

 

[Stackie]

I had a "top exotics" vet tell me that chinchillas have no vocal cords and do not make any sounds....supposidly they owned two. I have saved more chinchillas calling a Rancher than going to a vet

WOW, that's a new one...like everyone else I should send him Diesel who squeals at any sort of excitement..something as little as getting a little piece of crushed rose hip...

Or the death scream when I try to put Koda in his carrier!

 

[Essentia]

Or the cute little squeaks Buddy makes when he talks back to me every time I say anything to him.

 

[AZChins]

Awww...I love it when they talk back and you can have a whole conversation with them.

Then again, maybe we all just suffer from a mass delusion. Afterall, a vet with a degree and experience said no vocal cords. We have to be wrong!

 

[Riven]

Your chins make sounds? Weird. You should have them looked at for that.

 

[starleomach]

I just remember hearing that then going ahead and buying Harm my first chinchilla....He barked all night long. I figured they made noise...I Just was shocked at the time a vet knew sooo little