i'm not sure whether my chin is healthy??

[debziwood]

i have just had him about a week and he is still very nervous and jumps around alot when you try to stroke him. but i noticed he was very scraggy around his back legs on either side. when i did eventually have a quick feel he seems very tatty and lumpy as if his fur is matted. he came from a horrible house and i don't think they had time for him so he is not tame and i am not sure whether the tatted fur is due to mites or does he just need grooming?? or
am i just being over protective??

 

[Stackie]

It is rare for chinchillas to get mites. I have not heard of any cases, actually. He may just have matted fur from being kept in bad conditions. Give him a good quality dust bath and see how that works. Blue Cloud does wonders for chins who have scraggly coats. You can order it from several members on here- just look in the supplies sales section. It may take awhile, but his fur should start looking better after bathing in good quality dust.

It sounds like your chin is acting pretty normal. He is in a completely new home and environment so he is understandably nervous and scared. In my experience with finicky chins, it has really helped them come along if I sit by their cage and quietly talk to them. I also slowly put my hand in their cage with a treat and let them come to my hand on their own terms. Don't by any means chase them around the cage as that just seems to scare them more. Safe treats that my chins love are old fashioned slow cook oats, unfrosted bite size shredded wheat, rose hips, and apple twigs.

 

[debziwood]

big thank you

hi there
thanks for the great advice. i am so pleased that he is acting normally. i just wanted to make sure i wasn't doing anything wrong.
will be in touch and let you know how we get on.
thanks again :thumbsup:

 

[CHOO-CHOO]

hi there i think i read some where that sometimes matted fur on the thighs can indicate tooth problems this was certainly the case with my chinny does he have any other problems such as drooling or wet fur around his chinn and chest? if he does you probably need to have him checked out by a vet as these symptoms would indicate he most certainly has a problem
hope this helps i see you are in newastle im in south shields

 

[Stackie]

hi there i think i read some where that sometimes matted fur on the thighs can indicate tooth problems this was certainly the case with my chinny does he have any other problems such as drooling or wet fur around his chinn and chest? if he does you probably need to have him checked out by a vet as these symptoms would indicate he most certainly has a problem
hope this helps i see you are in newastle im in south shields

Matted fur on the thighs does not mean tooth problems. It either means they have not been dusted regularly, they have been kept in a bad environment, or they could be fur chewing.

Drooling and wet/matted fur on the CHEST can indicate tooth problems, but not on the thighs.

 

[CHOO-CHOO]

in reply to stackie i did read that this could be an early sign of tooth problems it was actually on another forum so i dont think that any of us can say that it is not and with my chin this WAS the case as he had excess saliva causing his fur to mat you seem to br suggesting that my chin was not bathed properly or neglectedand to that i take offence

 

[Stackie]

in reply to stackie i did read that this could be an early sign of tooth problems it was actually on another forum so i dont think that any of us can say that it is not and with my chin this WAS the case as he had excess saliva causing his fur to mat you seem to br suggesting that my chin was not bathed properly or neglectedand to that i take offence

No where did I say you neglected your chin. Anytime we hear matted fur on the thighs, most often it means that the chin was deprived of dust baths, kept in a poor environment, or fur chews. I never automatically think teeth problems as the thighs are no where near the mouth. If the OP had said something about matted fur around the chest then yes, I would have mentioned teeth problems. The fur would most likely start matting around the mouth way before the thighs. In your case the matted fur on the thighs may have been teeth problems but not once have I heard of teeth problems causing matted fur on the thighs, and I think it is unfair to cause paranoia in the OP when teeth problems most likely is not the case.

 

[CHOO-CHOO]

No where did I say you neglected your chin. Anytime we hear matted fur on the thighs, most often it means that the chin was deprived of dust baths, kept in a poor environment, or fur chews. I never automatically think teeth problems as the thighs are no where near the mouth. If the OP had said something about matted fur around the chest then yes, I would have mentioned teeth problems. The fur would most likely start matting around the mouth way before the thighs. In your case the matted fur on the thighs may have been teeth problems but not once have I heard of teeth problems causing matted fur on the thighs, and I think it is unfair to cause paranoia in the OP when teeth problems most likely is not the case.

your right you did not say i was neglecting my chin but if you read over my post i did say that my chin did have mats on his thighs and the reply you gave was that chins with mats had been deprived of dust baths or kept in a poor environment which my chin had not been subjected to either so yes the inference was there if you read my post i also say along with matted fur and drool perhaps you should take more care and read the post properly before sounding off

 

[mishellyshel]

i think she meant typically a chin with matting in the thigh area is due to fur chewing or lack of bathing.
however having a chin with dental problems & drooling would lead to matting on any part of their body that they can reach with their mouth.......since the drool would transfer.

debzi--i would try dusting a bit more maybe 4 times for the first week?? grooming with a comb at this point may scare the little guy who is already had a lot of changes.
once he settles in and realizes he is being loved & cared for, i am sure he will be more trusting and will fill out a bit.

 

[Stackie]

your right you did not say i was neglecting my chin but if you read over my post i did say that my chin did have mats on his thighs and the reply you gave was that chins with mats had been deprived of dust baths or kept in a poor environment which my chin had not been subjected to either so yes the inference was there if you read my post i also say along with matted fur and drool perhaps you should take more care and read the post properly before sounding off

Once again, I never said nor implied that you neglected your chinchilla. You need to calm down and stop getting so defensive. I also said that I agreed that in your case, the matting may have been linked to the tooth problems. Like Michelle said, I meant usually when a chin has matting in those areas, it is due to the problems I mentioned. Forgive me for leaving out the word typically. Teeth problems is not the first thing people think of when there are matts on the thighs, and like I said, there is no point in getting the OP paranoid when teeth problems are most likely not the case here. Let's try to keep this thread on focus of the OP and their chinchilla, not you and how I am apparently accusing you of neglecting your chinchilla - which I never once did nor meant to do.

 

[RDZCRanch]

To the OP...it sounds like matting from poor hygiene or possibly fur chewing. Can you take any pictures of the affected areas so that we can get a better idea of what is going on? If it's matting, you need to pull the matts out as they will not com out on their own and can irritate the skin. If you tug on the matts it should just come out like a fur slip...the chin may kack because it's irritating but it's better for them to have the matts OUT. If it is fur chewing...there is not much you can do other than provide as little stress to the environment as possible, free feed hay, offer lots of different sized and shaped toys and just wait.

Linda...are you talking about matting on the outside of the thighs or inside of the thighs? Matting on the inside of the thighs is caused from poor hygiene on the chin's part and sitting in their own urine. Matting on the outside of the thighs is an indication, like Stackie has said, of poor hygiene and lack of dusting...sometimes it can even be due to poor quality dust.

As far as that being a sign of malo...I've never read or heard about that being the case as an early sign. Yes, the drool can transfer as the chinchilla is grooming itself but when the drooling is that severe that it's transferring to the rest of the body, other signs should be in place. Such as lack of appetite and excessive drooling. The drooling alone should tip people off that things are not as they should be. Matting on the hind end from drooling is a LATE sign of malo.

Also, before deciding what is inferred in people's posts you should read what is ACTUALLY there. Stacie did not imply or say in any of her posts that your chinchilla is neglected or in a poor environment. She is refuting the matting on the hind end being an early sign of malo and rightly so as it is not an early sign of malo. Please don't take offense with posts when no offense is given. Read what is there and don't make assumptions about what people REALLY mean. You'll end up driving yourself crazy that way.

 

[ticklechin]

I have had alot of malo chins, none had matting anywhere but the chest. The chin would have to be soaking wet with drool to have that happen anywhere else besides the chest. I agree with poor hygiene or lack of dust baths or both.

 

[debziwood]

sorry guys. didn't mean to cause a debate.
he seems that if you go to touch him. he reacts as if he is extremely itchy. he rotates his head and trys to roll as if in his sand bath. i thought at first it was because i was not touching him firmly enough. but even when i use my soft grooming brush with abit more pressure (not to hurt him) but not to itch him he still does it. i wondered whether he could have very very sensitive skin like he needs something to sooth an itch.
do you think i should take him to the vets.
the vet would not be able to touch him or me as he is that bad and would bite. he does after five minutes give me a warning bark to say GET OFF NOW !!! by the way he is not slavering or appears to have wet fur.

please advise as i just want to cuddle and love him

 

[Spoof]

He's fine, he just doesn't like to be touched. I've gotten a few of those in - they'll literally drop and roll or flip over backwards when you try to touch them. They tend to be extremely dominant (will not accept dominance touching from another chin) and unfortunately, end up living solitary lives because of that.

Just keep after him. Mine flipped/shook/rolled for two years, I found a pet home for her because she threw a baby that did it too. Her other four were fine, but that one was just like her from a few days old. It's one of the few things I've never had a chin "get over". Be patient!

 

[debziwood]

thank you.
i will keep you posted. thanks for the advise. x

 

[debziwood]

skin disorder

Hi could my chin have a skin disorder. he seems to have dry flaky ears and because he doesn't want to be touched, could this mean his skin on his body is also sore.
he does this thing where he keeps continually doing a back flip over his sand house. i thought it was maybe just exercise but maybe it is because he is itchy.
it must be driving him mad if it is his skin.
is there some kind of oil i could put on his food,or could i add something to his sand?
please help thank you x

 

[Claire D]

Do you leave the dust bath in his cage all the time?
It could be that his skin is dry from too much bathing.
Chins do scratch normally & dry skin on the ears can be quite common. Without being able to touch the chin it is going to be difficult to treat TBH.
At at push, you could try a tiny drop of evening primrose oil on a treat once a week but it would be better to try a drop of baby oil rubbed between your fingers (to remove the excess) & then gently rub the ears to remove the dry skin - you have to remove the dust bath for several days afterwards.

 

[debziwood]

okay will try the evening primrose oil. i would most definately bite me it i tried to touch his ears as he is totally unsociable. but if he is itchy this could be the main reason for him being miserable.
how often to i give him a sand bath and for how long would i leave it in the cage?
i do leave his sandbath in his cage and clean it every day.

 

[Stackie]

Leaving the bath in his cage all the time is probably the main problem. It can really dry out their skin and cause them to be itchy if overdone.

I only dust my chins 2 times a week. I leave it in the cage for about 10 minutes.

 

[debziwood]

brilliant that will probably be the problem. thanks for the great advice.