New Chin Owner Mistakes

[feistychins]

A lot of people don't realize that a chin will chew the entire rim of a plastic bottom cage. If they can squeeze their nose through something, they will chew whatever they can reach.

 

[Diva Chins]

For me, I'd began ordering supplies for my chin about a month before I got her. I started ordering things like water bottles, food bowls, etc earliest, then worked up to the things that could get dusty and bad.
I did a little bit of research before hand, quite a bit actually...The first things I bought were:
Glass water bottle.
Ceramic food bowl.
Pine shavings.
Things of that nature. I DID make the mistake of buying Kaytee food, but thankfully before I got her, read that it was bad and returned it for a bag of Mazuri. On the day I got her, her cage was already set up, though another thing I made a mistake of: ramps. It had 2 ramps in the cage, but she wasn't sure how to use them.

 

[chin8710]

My first mistakes were the Kaytee food (the timothy complete) kind. Thankfully I learned quickly and switched to PANR and am very pleased. I also had plastic shelves for some reason Koda never chewed on them but I switched anyways to wood. Now she is a happy little chin.

 

[Diva Chins]

I forgot to mention: I was also using kaytee dust bath, switched to Blue Sparkle and her fur looks great. Very happy here.

 

[SusieJJ]

My mistakes when I first got my chins were:

*the large run around ball
they just sat in it, then tried to run. But the way they run they can't even really move the ball--the more I think about it, the stupider that ball seems..
*plastic wheel
didn't even fit in the cage. Upon returning it the kid at the store insisted I broke it. I explained that it comes off the retarded rinky dink stand and I DIDN'T break it.. sigh Eventually got a flying saucer and the girls were running on it before I could even get it fully attached to the cage!
*plastic cage
used it to quarentine and before introducing my 2 girls to one another. Not a huge mistake.. but if they'd been in it for a long enough time they would have chewed their way out
*wire cage with too large spacing in the corners
sat up the whole first night when I saw little Hathor stick her head all the way through the corner bars.. Spent over an hour wrapping wire around the corners to make the spaces smaller..
*cage with wire ledges/shelves
ripped out the wire shelves with wire cutters and replaced with wood ones. The chins never looked happier
*Didn't hold them enough as babies
I think that all the reading about how delicate they are and how they need time to adjust went to my head and I didn't hold them enough as babies. Now I'm working on getting them used to being held and petted

 

[Chinzilla]

I also used Kaytee dust bath. Trust me on this one, if you switch to Blue Cloud, you'll never go back. At $8 for a small 2lb package of Kaytee, you can get 10 lbs from an online dealer. Not only that, but your chin's fur will look so much nicer!

I'm glad I read this because I have felt like the Kaytee dust I've been using has not been doing my chins' coats justice. In addition to dust baths, is it recommended or necessary to brush chins? I've heard mixed things, with most people saying that you really only need to if you plan to show the animal...opinions?

 

[oxchincerelyxo]

plastic cage bottom...

raisins in the beginning-and that can of treats...had like banana chips and crap in it. I don't remember what it was called because it was so long ago.


Crappy dust and kaytee food...luckily the kaytee food wasn't as bad because I got it from the zoo that I was volunteering at (so it was fresh) who slowly turned over to oxbow. I didn't know there was other dust, or better dust till a few months after I had had my chinnies!!! It's funny how, after dealing with chins for a few years, I can go into a store and not even stop to read what is on the shelf. I took a newbie shopping to fix her chin issues and her reaction to all the "cute chinnie toys" and my reaction to all the "deadly chinnie toys" just kinda made me laugh. You really do live and learn!

 

[alli713]

I'm glad I read this because I have felt like the Kaytee dust I've been using has not been doing my chins' coats justice. In addition to dust baths, is it recommended or necessary to brush chins? I've heard mixed things, with most people saying that you really only need to if you plan to show the animal...opinions?

I should also say though, that you won't kill your chinchilla by using Kaytee dust. It just doesn't look as nice, and you're wasting your money since it's so expensive. Just don't ever use that scented dust or sand.

As far as brushing, some pet people do, some don't. It can be kind of scary if you haven't watched anyone else do it. Because to actually comb a chin correctly, you hold them by the base of their tail and either hold them upside down or on a slick surface so they can't struggle trying to get away. Then you take the comb (a chin specific comb or a flea comb for dogs if you're just a pet owner) and brush from tail to head. You are brushing them the opposite way that you would brush a dog. This is to get all the extra fur out.
You'll be amazed at how much will come out.

But is it necessary? No, I don't really think so. I only do it when they are shedding a ton and look like they have quite a bit of the extra fur sticking out. I think it helps get the dust further down in their coat, and probably makes them feel better.

But I never attempted it until I went to a chin get together where breeders were able to show me the correct way to hold them and comb them.

 

[JennyBug]

Ha, OK, I'm so new at this, but I want to share mistakes that I'm still learning about.
1. We have a plastic run-around ball, but we never use it anymore. Funny thing is both of our girls LOVE it! They have no problems operating it, and we block them off to one room. However, we have replaced any sort of "ball" time with bathroom playtime.
2. The lady we got Carmen from was feeding her upwards of 5 raisins a day! When we got her we gave her many raisins, but we have since DRASTICALLY cut back. Now she gets one every so often, but she mostly gets plain cheerios and the occasional dried organic banana chip piece.
3. Both chinnie girls came with cages with wire bottoms, and since Carmen was our first chin, we didn't know it was bad until we read about it on this forum. Both girls are now living in a two-story FN 142.
4. Probably the biggest mistake that I made was not quarantining Minnie after we got her. We were so worried about her because of the situation she came from that we just wanted to get her into a new cage and get her healthy again. Thankfully she didn't have any diseases and is now 100 times better than when we got her.

I would like to know about the "plastic ball of death" so to speak. What have you all found that is so bad about them? Just a curious new mommy asking questions of her more educated ilk!
3.

 

[nicki]

I don't know how old I was when my mom & I got our first chinchilla from a family member. We were at least his 3rd home. He came with a book and info that was passed along. We were told a couple raisins a day, half a prune & dust bath every day. We let him run around a room and sometimes the house. With a cat. I don't know what food we used but I do know it was all pellets.
Then about 8yrs ago (i think) I got Flea. I did research with her. And even then still made mistakes. Some of the info I found wasn't the best. Got the death ball and stopped using it since she would pee soon as she was put in. Fed treats from the pet store for chins that weren't healthy. And after all this time I'm still learning things.

 

[alli713]

I would like to know about the "plastic ball of death" so to speak. What have you all found that is so bad about them? Just a curious new mommy asking questions of her more educated ilk!

The run about balls are bad because for one, chins constantly poop so they then are forced to run in their own poo. Also, there isn't much air flow in there at all so their body temp alone from hopping around is going to raise the temp of the air in the ball and they can easily overheat.

 

[Brandon]

I would like to know about the "plastic ball of death" so to speak. What have you all found that is so bad about them? Just a curious new mommy asking questions of her more educated ilk!
3.

These are reffered to as the "ball of death" because it can kill them! There is hardly any ventilation at all in those balls and in their becomes quite hot. They overheat and die!

 

[oxchincerelyxo]

These are reffered to as the "ball of death" because it can kill them! There is hardly any ventilation at all in those balls and in their becomes quite hot. They overheat and die!

while c-n-q was down I tried a few other forums, one of which PROMOTED the use of the run around balls...yea I was not staying there...


also, chins can/will pee in the ball and them run in their pee. Even if left in for only a short amount of time it's just asking for hurt toes/feet, pee and poop covered chin and dehydration all in one...not to mention I have heard of some learning to run into corners or walls, popping the top off and taking off!!!

 

[Chinzilla]

I'm sure I'm still making mistakes with my chins, but one thing I did in the beginning that was kinda comical to watch the result of was to stick a treat at the top of the food dish. The next time I filled up the food dish with fresh pellets, Chinzi dug out almost all of her food in a mad attempt to find a treat. Fortunately, she didn't ever dig out her food again.

 

[JennyBug]

Thanks for the info on the chilla ball o'death. We only kept them in there for 15 minutes or so, but looking back they did drink a lot after they got out. We always took them out as soon as they peed, though.

We'll stick with our chin proof room from now on!

 

[jfleenor2]

When I found CnQ and learned the true facts it was too late, Machu was in GI stasis!

At that time I had Machu and Picchu for approx 2 yrs. I believed what the pet shop said and followed their instructions. I fed Kaytee "Charlie Chinchilla", nuts, raisins, papaya, and fruit and nut bars. I had plastic shelves, plastic wheel, and plastic hidey house.

Machu was very friendly, we loved him so!, so he got more pecans and raisins than shy Picchu. That's why Picchu is still alive now.

Again, once I discovered the truth, it was too late. I immediately changed everything. Machu was getting meds and CC, then we (my husband and I) put him in the hospital for more intense treatment. Spent approx $3,000.00. (I would spend it again if I could get Machu back and healthy) Anyway -- :cry2: Now I feed Tradition pellets, lots of timothy hay, and approx 3x per week -- a pinch of old fashioned oats, a rosehip, 1/2 unsweetened shreddie, and 1-2 cherrios - not all at the same time, of course. Picchu and Weeko are healthy!

 

[Jenn]

I got Tinkerbell from a knowledgeable lady who tried to teach me everything about chins in about an hour, which I immediately forgot. My first mistake was trying to let her roam the house in the run around ball. She would just sit there for the most part and poop in it. She would even urinate in it so then I had to clean her up afterward. Dumb. Got rid of the ball and let her run around the bathroom. She tried to chew on the plants and the cabinets. Got a nice chunk missing out of one of my cabinets. She even took chunks out of the wood molding where the carpet and wall meet. Finally got her a playpen and now no more distruction of furniture. She actually chewed on a fan cord down to the metal - and this is with me supposedly keeping an eye on her.

I also made the mistake of buying most products from my local pet store. Most things they sell for Chins are not safe. I was using Kaytee products and have now switched. I am now switching to Blue Cloud dust instead of the kaytee brand.

I was feeding Tink nightly treats, she wanted them so bad. I've since learned that's a no-no. I was feeding her raisins and petstore treats - but no more.

I have learned that if you look carefully in petstores, you can find quality products, but the most eye catching, cheaper, and most readily available products are the ones you should stay away from.

 

[heymom32000]

Before I found this site we were feeding junk food, using kaytee dust, and feeding a raisin every so often. Thankfully we had only had our chin for a month before I found this site. Now it is good quality food, hay, dust, and such. I've learned a ton and still find myself learning more daily.

 

[Dusty&Zia]

Hmm, I made so many mistakes while I got Dusty.

Firstly, I made the same mistakes. Wrong cages, wrong foods, etc. I've recently discovered fleece liners and [finally] have both thins with appropriate liners (thanks to the forums!). I still have a lot of remodeling to do (as in buying more hooks, making fleece items, getting Zia's upper-half of the cage finished, etc.). I still use the Kaytee dust *shame face*, but I plan on converting soon.

I've also had PLASTIC wheels in cages. DO NOT BUY THEM! I REPEAT, DO NOT BUY THEM! I discovered one evening that Dusty managed to get the RUBBER piece off of his wheel, and I instantly took it out of the cage. He was without a wheel for a while, poor little guy. Until three or so months ago, I finally managed to get him a Chin Spin and he's loved it ever since

 

[KoiFish]

Like all first chinchilli owners I made the same mistakes.

Wrong cage wire size (I learned that out the first min I got Mochi, she was able to squeeze out of the cage)

Kaytee food and Hay (swtiched to Oxbow brand now)

>.> I still have some Kaytee dust but will be switching soon (any CA sellers?)

plastic water bottle (took that out right away)

hmmm... oh yes Mochi got wet before ::sigh:: blow drying/toweling a chinchilla is NOT fun. Both her and I was not a happy camper after it was done. Took about 2 hours to get her fully dry.

But slowly and surely, I am changes to her cage and lifestyle. I have to save up to make the changes. And my goal is is get a FN.

One thing I am still guilty of... her treats >.> I stopped giving them to her, but I caught my parents sneaking into Mochi's room to give her some! We had a family meeting afterwards. I hoped it worked *glares