Is this fur chewing or something else?

[schweppes]

My girl has a line or baldness going down the top of her tail. Here's a picture I took.

http://imgur.com/a/m2HJk9E

 

[Amethyst]

They don't normally chew their tail, but it's possible I guess. If it's self fur chewing it's normally along the hips. Looks more to me like maybe a fur slip or she got her tail caught or scraped on something. Do you notice her chewing her tail?

 

[iboerbay]

the same problem exists in my chin should I take it to the vet

 

[ChocolatPocky]

A vet I visited said that's where their scent gland is on their tails (so I guess males swish their tails around in a mating dance to waft their scent, not sure if females have scent glands in the same way?), and sometimes it's just kind of bald-ish like that. Can't confirm if that's 100% true, but the other vet I've brought him to (who specializes more in exotics) didn't comment on the patch on the tail as being a problem of any kind.

My chin has a bit of a bald spot on his tail in the same place and doesn't chew his tail, altho recently I noticed the fur has kind of grown in more.

 

[Spoof]

No, your chinchilla does not need to go to the vet. The picture in the original post is of a fur slip (probably caught the tail on a shelf or something). They can and do chew their tail fur, it is genetic and runs in family lines. I've seen them chew every part of the body except the head and neck where they can't reach.

The scent glands are located inside the anus and are a white patch on both males and females. They will express it when they are scared and it does have a bit of a pungent odor. I've never smelt a male express it while trying to impress a female with the chirping/tail wagging? They will drag it on things they find offensive to mark them - including your hands and feet.

 

[Binki]

My chin developed a similar bald patch. I took him to the exotics vet and after spending nearly £100 ($130) in a culture to completely rule out dermatophytes (there were no obvious signs), I was told the patch is due to furch chewing caused by stress. Which makes sense, since recently we got in the maisonette above us, a neighbour who stomps like Godzilla: instinct may tell the chin that the pounding noise is made by animals running away from pumas in the chinchillas native habitat.

So before spending serious money unnecessarily you may like to check for sources of stress, if not other marks are present.