Illness Paranoia

[afkwarrior]

Hi!
I just got a lovely pair of boys this week, they're about 14 weeks old.
These chinchillas are the first ever pets that I have ever had.

Whilst researching proper care, I spent hours looking at the various illnesses and things chins can get.
It's making me feel really paranoid about my babies, thinking they could get sick very easily!

How susceptible are chinchillas to getting sick?
Are they quite hardy? Like, how many times might your chin get ill over their lifetime?

Also, how specifically do they get ringworm...? Nowhere seems to say specifically how it happens.
I've heard they can get it through athlete's foot from humans, and I'm worried cause I have that at the moment.

Please help!!

 

[mscreampoof]

First off, congratulations on your new chins!!

Don't worry, I have a paranoia about my chin being sick too. My chin that i got a few weeks ago is also the first real pet I've gotten. I'm always scared of her getting sick or injuring herself or always think of all these things that may happen to them. If she does something slightly different than she did yesterday, i'll freak and think of the worst case possible. But most times, we just become paranoid because we love our little chins so much All we can do is monitor what they eat, drink, and poop. And give them the best home possible.

Their health relates directly to whats being fed to them. Exercise is important too, so a bigger cage where they can bounce around in would be ideal if you can't let them out every day. Some chins can be weaker than others and get sick lots, or some chins can live a healthy life with no problems at all. they're just like us humans, they're all different. As for the specific diseases and illnesses you mentioned, I'm no expert on them, so hopefully someone here can help you out

 

[michelleideeaz1]

me too!

I have my first chin also, for about a month now and while I was doing my research I was worried thinking these guys sound so frail and sickly but I guess it's just the luck of the draw...IDK. That's what I'm hoping because I almost didn't get one because it just seemed everyone on here had a sick chin at one time or another...or maybe it's just because most members on here have more than one chin so that increases the odds that one will turn up sick.

I have no idea about the ringworm tho...someone here will.

 

[ticklechin]

Sick meaning illness they are pretty hardy, the problems that happen most often to chins are digestive and dental IMO. I have not dealt with fungus in my "herd" but I have dealt with it with neglected rescues, rescues that are neglected come from some pretty funky places so between the stress, compromised immune system, and poor husbandry they can be a breeding ground for fungus, and it can be transmitted to other chins which is why quarantine from the herd always had to happen.

 

[afkwarrior]

thanks for your replies everyone, I've posted on a few forums, and I've learned about the ringworm.
Basically, I should just wear socks But I'm going to disinfect everywhere (safely!) after I see the doctor friday.

Thanks for the congrats
It's really nice to hear from the pov of new owners too, makes me feel like we're all in the same herd. ^_^
Thanks again, thanks to you guys I now know I'm being quite silly.