matted fur

[lovemychingary]

Hi everyone! I'm a little concerned about Gary's fur on his right hind leg. When I got him 6 months ago both hind legs had some funky fur that just looked like he had been biting (he had a unstable home life before I took him in so I suspect he was under stress) Since i've had him, i've seen some improvement on both sides of his legs that look like the hair is growing back normally. Lately I've noticed that he has a patch that looks matted. I've tried to gently comb it out which he seemed to like but its still matted (he rarely stays still long enough for me to even pet him so it may be a challenge to comb him. How can I take care of this? I give him dust baths regularly and the rest of his fur is healthy. The only thing I can think of is how he sleeps- He sleeps in his fleece tube, usually on all 4 but sometimes on his right side.

 

[ticklechin]

That is chewing, the uneven buzz cut.

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

Looks like chewing to me as well.

 

[Chinnyluver]

Cindy had the same thing when I got her but it was from lack of dusting. She still has a few tufts that are sticking up because I focus on a little area everyday since she hates it so much. Five minutes of a little pulling ( the fur comes right out like shes shedding) and a treat afterward and she's looking alot better. Also, is he a chewer because you a plastic igloo in there...

 

[ticklechin]

The picture is of a chin who is a fur chewer, it does not look like a chin who has not dusted nor is it fur slip. And fur chewers don't chew other things more than normal chins.

 

[Chinnyluver]

I wasn't questioning anything you guys were saying... I said that although the causes were different it looked the same and the same solution might work... and I phrased that as a question because everything I've heard says no plastic, period, end of discussion. I was just pointing it out. It's no different than when i posted a pic of chins cage and someone on here pointed out the snack shack and told me it wasn't safe, I took it out.

 

[ticklechin]

Google fur chewing and search for images and google fur slip and search for images-you will see the difference, slip removes fur to the skin, chewing buzz cuts the top of the fur. Plastic should go, but my point was fur chewers do not chew anything more than regular chins, just because the chin is a fur chewer does not mean he is a everything chewer.

 

[Tillygizmo]

My understanding is that fur chewing can be due to traumatic and stressful environment (both past or present), anxiety, asserting dominance over another chin (I question this one-it refers to when one chin fur chews their cagemate), or I have also read it can be a genetic trait.

My first thought is that it may be related to size of his living quarters or type of environment (busy, noisy, stressful etc)

 

[Dreamlite]

He is deffinetly a fur chewer. He may get better as he settles in his new house or he might not. Its always hard to tell with fur chewers. But it doesn't look like he has any mats.

 

[lovemychingary]

Thanks everyone for the feedback! Just for the record, this pic was taken inside of an extra cage that i have for him but i put it in there for storage after i took it out of his main cage (i bought it for him right after i got him before i learned they were bad news) but he wasn't in there long and was always supervised. But I do hope he stops because he's almost chewed his whole rightside hind quarter area. But i'll keep a close eye on him. I also did buy him some new toys to mix in with the ones he already has so hopefully he'll be happy to chew on them instead of himself

 

[Tillygizmo]

Good idea. Maybe you can see what attracts him most and then you will know how to distract him good luck

 

[ticklechin]

If his chewing is genetic, he will chew regardless, some chewers will just not stop for anything, and those same chewers may stop for no reason. My genetic chewer-he chewed as a kit and chewed up untill he passed away at 17, would stop for months for no reason and start for no reason-all other conditions were the same and he was never bored since I am the chinchilla toy provider queen, LOL.

 

[RajahTheChinchilla]

I was given a chin on 12/20. When I got him his fur was like the picture on this thread, since I have gotten him he has apparently chewed more. What are some things I can do to help with this problem? He's my first chin, and while I have read and researched a lot, I am very new. Thank you for any help you can give.