Photos of Ralphy's skin...

[Anna]

My 4 year old chinchilla Ralphy has some chronic skin dryness. I've taken him in for fungus testing several times and it's been negative. Still, by the advice of some members I've been putting some anti-fungal powder in his dust to see if it would do any good. From what I can tell it hasn't. I even with-held dust for a while to see if it was just the dust that was drying his skin out. He didn't have it for 3 weeks or so before I just had to let him dust.

Anyway, I got him to hold still for a minute or two so I could photograph it. As you can see it's really severe, but not red or pink. and covers all over his back down to his shoulders and down his sides to about his arms. He's so itchy and I just don't know what to do for him...

EDIT- the last time I took him for a fungus culture it was about 2 weeks ago and I just got the results back, negative.

He's a very sweet little boy but has been grumpy lately. This constant discomfort could be why. I just want him back to his normal self

 

[caiti]

Could it be allergies to something? Have you changed anything or added something he would come into contact with around the time his skin started drying out? Parasitic skin diseases (if that happens to chin)? I wonder if chins can get eczema or psoriasis...

I have no idea, but I hope you figure it out.

 

[Luci]

eee anna, i have no idea what this could could be. how long has he had this? has it been constant or continuously getting worse? i wonder if its something seasonal...my dog gets allergies when the weather changes.

i hope some light is shed soon. btw, his face is adorable in the first pic!

 

[alli713]

How often were you giving baths before you withheld them for a while? And what type of dust do you use?

 

[Anna]

How often were you giving baths before you withheld them for a while? And what type of dust do you use?

I gave them about once a week/5 days... My other guys get the same amount and have never had a problem. I use blue cloud.

And yeah, allergies, I don't know. Nothing in his cage has been switched, except the transition from fleece to shavings for winter break in a temporary cage, but he had the dry skin long before that. It hasn't gotten worse, it just looks like it isn't getting any better.

 

[Amy555]

What brand pellets do you use? I know some people give a richer feed to get a more lustrous coat, that might help him get some more oil to his skin. And maybe you could gently brush him to help get some of the flakes out of his fur which seems like that would probably be annoying to him. I am just throwing these out there as I dont know, but maybe he is like people with dry scalps that get dandruff.

 

[addictedtochins]

Is his living area very dry? Maybe in his case a humidifier would help, idk?

 

[Tanya]

Just a possibility.... Since chins have dense fur, ectoparasites are rare, but have been reported. So, maybe it's walking dandruff (Cheyletiella parasitovorax, a surface-dwelling fur mite). When present, it's usually found on the back of the animal.

 

[Anna]

I live in a humid area, so I don't think a humidifier would be necessary... But Tanya, I will take him back to the vet and see what she says about mites, what would I do to treat that?

Amy, I feed him Oxbow, he was on Nutrena before though. What pellets would make his coat better?

 

[Dustbunnies]

I am curious about this, too. One of my chins has the itchies too much even with 46% and higher humidity and the same dust bath frequency and pellets.

 

[Amy555]

I feed Oxbow as well, but I have noticed a few times on here that Purina Rabbit Chow Show has been mentioned in connection to better looking fur.

http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showpost.php?p=208174&postcount=8

http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showpost.php?p=177673&postcount=45

 

[Tanya]

How is he doing now?