I hate being away from my chins... problems with the boys

[AnnShh]

I've been away at college for a month and my mom has been taking care of all the various animals. I have 5 chins- split up into 2 cages (neutered male/female, and 3 males). Never have had problems before.

Today my mom calls me and says Ten-Shi (~7 y/o male) looks really ragged, he's got a bald area and his ears look like they've been chewed up a bit...and he just looks beat up looking. She said she noticed a little bit of blood on one of the wood shelves. Ten-Shi has always been tiny (he prob ways. 450g, if that) and not the best looking but she knows what his 'normal' look is and said he really looks beat up.

If he's getting beat up, I know it's Starbuck (~4 y/o male) who's doing it. The other male in there is Gabe(~5 y/o male), who like Ten-Shi has always been low-man on the totem pole. Starbuck has never beaten up on anyone, but he's always been a "stay out of my face" type chin...he'll give a good bark or two if he gets annoyed.

I told her to separate Starbuck from the other two, so she's done that and she's making a vet appt. tomorrow (Idk if there's much they can do but I'd feel better if he was looked at).

Anyways, just kind of a vent... I miss my boys- I'm very hands on and hate not being able to check on them myself.

 

[starleomach]

That is one of the tough things about having chinchillas and being away. It seemed like when anything goes wrong it is if I am away from the chinnies for a night

 

[InkedupTara]

I am glad you have them seperated. I keep reading more and more, of bonded males especially fighting. I hope he gets a clean bill of health at the vet and heals up living alone.

 

[AnnShh]

I am glad you have them seperated. I keep reading more and more, of bonded males especially fighting. I hope he gets a clean bill of health at the vet and heals up living alone.

You know, I have never had problems with my males fighting. These 3 have been together for 3ish years... and I've had other male/male pairs as well that were fine. Idk what triggered it...I guess it's one of those things that you'll never know. But given his "stay out of my face" temperment I'm not even going to try to reintroduce them... The only thing I can think of is either a) the female in the above cage might be in heat (although they've been living below her for 3 years and have never had issues) or b) perhaps my mom accidentially got the dust houses mixed up and gave the boys the one that goes in the above cage, with different scents etc. Idk, I"ve always been careful to not mix dust dust houses because I was always afraid it would trigger something if it smelled like a new chin in there.

I'll let you know what the vet says. She's making the appt. tomorrow so I'm not sure when he'll be seen but they're usually pretty easy to get an appt. with.

 

[Terbear24]

i just had one of my mother daughter pairs beat up on each other. Mom beat up on baby really bad and they have been together for YEARS!
You just never know sometimes.

 

[AnnShh]

Ten-Shi has an appt. Wednesday morning. I'm not sure there's much they'll do/say besides "duh he's been beat up on" but I'll feel better knowing a vet saw him especially since I can't be there to check on him!

 

[AnnShh]

He's gone

I just got a call from my mom. She went down there to feed/water everyone and Ten-Shi had passed away .
****... I feel so awful. He was one of the sweetest chinchillas I have ever met, he was always at the front of the cage when you walked in the room. It's not my mom's fault (although she feels horrible and blames herself)- she has basic chin knowledge but could have very well not noticed/completely missed some warning signs or something, or her description of his condition may not have been accurate.... From her description on the phone when she told me he looked beat up, she just said that he "looked ragged and had a bald spot... and his ears looked a little chewed up" so it didn't sound like it was a life or death situation. Had I known he was that beat up, I would have told her to take him to the vet the day it happened. I didn't know. I wish I did.

I'm not sure what I'll do now. Poor Gabe is going to be by himself- he and Ten-Shi were buddies... I'm not sure whether to try and find a new cagemate for him, or have my female by herself and the two males together (the male caged with the female is neutered). I'll probably try to rehome Starbuck, since I don't want my mom to have to add another cage (long-term) to her routine and I think I will always feel resentment towards him because he killed Ten-Shi. I need time to figure out what I'm goind to do.

I hate not being there.

 

[Essentia]

Awwww. I am so sorry for you and your little one.

It is completely up to you if you want to rehome Starbuck, but please don't do it just because you feel resentment towards him. He just did what chinchillas do, especially male pairs/trios. Some people get lucky and never have it happen. Others aren't so lucky. He was just following whatever instinct told him to attack Ten-Shi. I pray every day it never happens to my father/son pair.

 

[AnnShh]

Awwww. I am so sorry for you and your little one.

It is completely up to you if you want to rehome Starbuck, but please don't do it just because you feel resentment towards him. He just did what chinchillas do, especially male pairs/trios. Some people get lucky and never have it happen. Others aren't so lucky. He was just following whatever instinct told him to attack Ten-Shi. I pray every day it never happens to my father/son pair.

Thanks.
I'm not going to make that decision right away... I'll let things/emotions settle for awhile first.