New to Chins, bringing in a rescue today

[PintoLady09]

Hello! I am new to Chinchilla's and all the ownership. A brief history on me is I love all animals and to my family (a very large catholic family) I'm the one to go to with all animal related questions. My brother in law has had his original chin for about a year now. A darker grey friendly little fella. Well he went to a yard sale and saw one in a nice cage, but horrible condition, asked about it and they just gave it to him, free of charge. It had hair loss and really skinny. He hasn't taken it to the vet, (though I think he should have). After some time he put the two together. He said they seemed to get along, then all of a sudden the new one started pulling hair off the older one. The new one is skittish, but its hair is growing back and is "fluffing" out. His head tilts to one side, which someone said could be an ear infection.

Anyway, longer story short, he wants to give it to me. So I'm gonna bring it home. I'm prepping a spare cage I have for it now. I bought food for it from my friend's local pet shop. And since I have 4 horses, hay is always gonna be plentiful.

Here are my questions. Does anyone know any chin vets in DE? I'd like to have this guy checked out.

Is a grass hay that's "horse quality" (no mold or dust) safe for chins? I read about alfalfa and timothy, but I feed a timothy/ grass mixture.

Where is the best place to get wheels? Or is it better to make them?

I have been slowly going through this site to research them, but is there anything major that I should know?

I know that I'll have a whole slew of more questions after I bring him/her home. So thanks in advance!!!

 

[tunes]

First, yes, absolutely get that chin to a vet. It could be an ear infection or it could be neurological damage if he was beat up by the new cage mate. If there is fur pulling and chasing, they need to be separated. Also, be SURE they are same sex. If you need help with that, we can provide pictures or if you post pictures we can tell you what sex they are.

We have a vet section with listings that you might check out here: http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=104

And here are a few exotics in Delaware, though I don't know where you are:

Atlantic Veterinary Center
741 N Broad St
Middletown, DE 19709-1166
(302) 376-7506?

Windcrest Animal Hospital
3705 Lancaster Pike
Wilmington, DE 19805
(302) 998-2995

Lums Pond Animal Hospital
3052 WRANGLE HILL ROAD
BEAR, DE 19701
P: (302)836-5585
F: (302)836-4489

The grass/timothy hay should be just fine, as long as it's good quality hay. Lots of folks feed their chins horse hay rather than buying it at a store.

Other than that, read through the FAQ's on the chin side, as well as the new chin owner section, the nutrition section, and the housing section. The search engine is a wonderful tool to help you with your quest for information. Pretty much anything you want to know has already been asked and answered.

Welcome and congrats on your new chins.

 

[PintoLady09]

Ok first off Tunes, I LOVE your signature!!!

Thank you so much for all the info and places to look. I really appreciate it. I feel like I've learned a lot already through this site. It's great! And well put together. Those vets are a little far away as they are in northern De and I am about 10 minutes away from the southern line... , however, they will do. I don't mind traveling.

The two chins are gonna be seperated. My brother in law is keeping his original, and I am taking in the new one. It's a light grey one. Where is a good place to find pictures so I can see what the coloring is called?

If I have any other questions that I'm unable to find, I will be sure to post it. Thanks!

 

[tunes]

This site has excellent photos of the different colors (courtesy of Sumiko) http://sites.google.com/site/chinchillachateau/chinchillacolors.

Most likely you have a standard gray. They come in different phases, from light to extra dark, but they are still considered a standard.

ETA: My apologies, I thought you were taking both from him. It's good that they will be separated.

 

[JennyBug]

I have no idea how hot Delaware is this time of year, but couldn't the head tilt be indicative of the neurological effects of heat stroke? Since it was outside at the yard sale, that could be a possibility.

I believe I'm correct in saying that a chin with a head tilt shouldn't have shelves because they are likely to hurt themselves; however that could be wrong. If the head tilt is neurological, you need to be prepared to take special care of the little guy. I really hope it's an ear infection and he will get better!

What type of cage are you planning for the little guy? If you search wheels on here, you will probably find some places that sell them. Avoid plastic (my chins are fatties and broke them) since they might chew. I would take the guy to the vet, then decide on a wheel since you don't want him hurting himself.

Welcome and congrats!!

 

[Brittany_Lynn]

Hi PintoLady! I just wanted to welcome you, and say congrats on your first chin

I would like to suggest that you get your cage over to your brother in law, or see if he has a spare cage in the mean time, until you pick up your chinchilla, so that they are separated ASAP. If he and your bro-in-law's chin are fighting even just a little, they can turn on each other really quickly.
I rescued two brothers from the ASPCA and they were fine for a while, then one of them started beating the other up--I separated them within the same cage, but-long story short-they got through to each other, and Orson was fatally wounded. The fight took place within 2 hours max, and I was only in the next room sleeping, so it can be really quick and deadly, and you might not even hear it.
I'm not trying to scare you! I would just hate for your chinchilla to hurt your brother in law's chinchilla (or vice versa), especially if you're going to be picking him up soon.
This forum has lots of great people ready to answer questions, and they are all really adamant about no question being "too stupid" to be asked.
Personally, I find this group of links to be really helpful. http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7903#post7903
And lastly, what kind of food did you get for your chinchilla? I was used to just buying regular pet store food (plain pellets) made for chins, but a whole bunch of threads on here talk about the benefits of quality food, so I went out and bought Oxbow Chinchilla pellets (or when I can't find them, Oxbow Rabbit Pellets). My chins seem a lot happier with the quality stuff, too.
Congrats on your soon-to-be-new-pet, and welcome!
:hearts:

 

[PintoLady09]

Ok, well since it's litterally a short walk from my place to my brother in laws, the only thing I was waiting for was my cage to get clean... and dry... Me and my hubby (and our kids) are living in a huge house that you can't even dream of... with the 9 of his 10 siblings, his parents and 1 set of their grandparents. All set on 5 acres. The father of this clan started building and adding onto this house since he bought it 26 years ago. So its quite large, and he has a wild imagination, so it's interesting... Needless to say, hubby and I are just here until some land of our own presents itself... and we have enough saved up.

Anyway, that's not important... I just brought him home. I don't want to cause more stress by trying to see what gender he is, so it's a "he" for now... *LOL* My BIL said that he stands up and pees on him... I know mostly females spray, but not quite sure the position for it.

I dare to say that he is a beige. He's really really light colored and has sorta darkish, maybe slightly redish eyes. They aren't black. The hair on his back isn't quite grown in, but I'm assuming that with some de-stress and TLC it'll grow back. Right?

What treats can I feed to make friends? I have sugar gliders and found that treats are the best way to win their hearts...

As for a cage, I have a small cage right now, just until I can get another one... But at least he's separated from the other one and with me now. The dimentions are 23 1/2" W x 16" D x 22" T. There are two shelves in there which I put fleece over and so far he seems to like it. I also put a fleece blanket over the cage and gave him a hiding spot at the top. Somewhere he can go and just chill... It's a wire floor and I put fleece in the tray. That's what I do with the sugar gliders, and it's just so much easier to wash it every other day than mess with bedding. So far he seems to be able to work the shelves well. He hasn't bumped into any of them or acted "abnormal." But I'll keep an eye on him just incase.

I thank you all for your help and I hope that I can do this little guy some good.

 

[Kelley]

If "he" is standing and peeing at you I would lean towards "he being a she"

 

[tunes]

You can offer him bite sized, nonsugared shredded wheats, dried rosehips, a pinch of old fashioned oats, a cheerior or two. I would use them sparingly though. I am not a treat person. My chins get lots of wood chews and the occasional rosehip or rosebud, but that's about it.

Hopefully his hair will grow back. If it turns out he's a fur chewer, then it may grow back, it may not, or it may grow in and get chewed off again. I think you're in a wait and see mode.

If may be that he is a she, and God I hope not, but males can spray too. They just aren't very good at it. They get no distance and it's usually just little squirts as opposed to full on spraying.

 

[PintoLady09]

Are girls worse to own? Or harder to keep? Is there anything that needs to be done different with a boy rather than a girl? I can't wait to look and find out... I think I should give "it" time to settle into the home first.

I'd like to post pics of his fur, but don't know how...

 

[Ash]

PintoLady, I don't now how "deep" into Delaware you are, but if you're willing to drive, there is a very good veterinary practice in my area. I'm about 45 min from the MD/PA/DE border, if that gives you an idea of a time distance. I have no clue how good the vets Peggy (tunes) listed are, or how knowledgeable they are with chinchillas, but maybe someone can come along and give insight.

 

[tunes]

I don't have a clue on those Ash. I just did a google search to come up with them. Figured it was a starting point.

 

[Ash]

No problem, Peggy. I wasn't sure if they were ones that had been listed in the vet section by members or what. I just know Bridgeport is a really good clinic up this way, and isn't too far from certain parts of DE.

 

[Essentia]

Girls can spray, and boys need a hair ring check. Other than that, neither is more special, or easier to take care of than the other.

 

[PintoLady09]

Ash, I'm at the complete southern end of DE. Near Ocean City, MD. About 10 minutes away from the southern DE/MD line. I'd like to keep a vet visit within an hour or an hour and a half away. I'm gonna look into the ones tunes posted. Also call some of the vets local around here. I know one doc who see's exotics, but doesn't know a whole bunch about them... at least he didn't when it came to my gliders. Either that or the receptionist just hates her job and didn't want to ask him stuff... Some people are like that...

What's a good minimum size cage for one chin?

What causes them to chew hair? And can it be stopped? Is it a lack of some nutrient? Stress?

How do I post pics on here?

 

[Ash]

Most people upload their pics to photobucket or a similar photo hosting site and then post the code that includes

A good size minimum for 2 chinchilla is 2'x2'x2'

Fur chewing can be anything. Boredom, stress, or it can be genetic. Some chins stop, some chins don't. Some chins do it randomly.

And I understand wanting to stick close to home. Was just throwing it out there if it was an option

 

[PintoLady09]

No, I really appreciate it, please don't think I don't! If I weren't so darn far away I would take him/her up there. But it would be a 2+ hour drive up there, see the vet plus a 2 + hour drive home, and all that with my two young kids (1 and 3)...

Is the cage I have a good size for one? I posted the dimensions earlier. I don't plan on getting another, especially after he treated my BIL's. I really like the cage he's in, I just thought that if a sugar glider needs one that's 24x24x36, a chin, being a bigger animal would need a bigger one.

Also, can I give him fresh branches from an apple tree we have here? There are no chemicals ever used on it as I use it for my gliders too. I have read about apple sticks you can get in stores, but what about fresh off the tree?

 

[Ash]

As long as the branches are prepared properly (boiled and baked) you can give them to chins. Apple wood is a huge hit.

A cage with the dimensions I mentioned is more than adequate for a chinchilla, although bigger is always better, as they like to go "up". But as long as you can provide ledges for him to jump on and exercise, he'll be fine. My worry with the dimensions you posted is that there's not much room to "bounce" due to their being two shelves. If you can figure it out with this thread http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3896, go for it. If not, feel free to shoot me a message and I'll give you my email to send them to and I can post them for you until you figure it out and we can give you ideas about the cage

 

[Ronda]

The size of your cage is fine for now. A large cage could scare "her" and she might get hurt. Wait until she gets used to her new enviornment. That will also give you time to look for or build a larger cage for "her". Any change in her cage size wise or contents will confuse her to begin with as chins tend to memorize their personal space.

Also, since "she" was in with a male you might be expecting little chinnies - that also happens fast if the time is right. Of course that will be 111 days down the road.

It sounds like ear infection, although I never did hear what the temp was at that yard sale so it could be "neurological/stroke". I'm more inclinde to suggest an ear infection currently or in the past. She may not have an ear infection at this time and if that is the case the head tilt is a side effect and she will never get better. She can run in a wheel and she can also get onto shelves. I had a chin that was very athletic. I named him Twister because he would run around in his cage in a circle.

Congratulations on your new family member and keep us updated!

Ronda

 

[PintoLady09]

I honestly couldn't tell you the temp outside at the yard sale. I wasn't there and the precise time(of year) he got the chin, I don't know. I'll ask him though.

Let's try this...

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see the fur? and the head tilt?

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