Please help with chinchilla colors, and advice

Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum

Help Support Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
you can easily feed them better feed & lots of hay to fatten them up & use a good quality dust to work on that coat. plus fresh water & wood chews will make a huge difference.

the decision is yours to make. the cage your girl is in is ample for 2. the cage they were is adequate for 1, however; your girl may not think so!

ultimately you have to decide if you can afford both monetarily and time wise the responsibility of 3 versus 1.

Personally I would start looking on craigslist or something for a nice Ferret Nation cage. than you can even sell the 2 other cages to get back some of the money. or keep the smaller cage in case the pair fights and needs separation.
the FN would look more uniform and 2 chins can fit comfortably in one section and yoru girl in the other.
 
I agree, there's nothing wrong with them that can't be fixed by some good lovin'. :) If you think it was meant to be, go for it. Just keep in mind everything that has been mentioned. Also, if you put them in that cage maybe put a couple more shelves in the empty space in the middle just in case one of them falls they don't fall straight down. Your girl may be a bit upset being moved from a nice big cage like that to their small cage, but then you can think about buying her a nice cage :) Good luck.
 
Im going to think about it for a while yet, then decide for sure. Thanks everyone for all your help, and great advice:)
 
I would take them just to get them away from that crappy cage with the dangerous wheel and obvious lack of care.

The PW has hunchback. That is not something that wishful thinking and happy thoughts is going to take care of. It may require some supplementing. It's definitely going to require good food and plenty of it. A lot of times hunch back occurs simply from lack of good qualify food, but it's something to consider.

Again, if it was me, I would take them to get them away from that situation, providing I could afford 2 more chins.
 
What is hunchback? You are the first to mention this. I saw him walking, and was holding him and didnt notice anything different. Is this a healt issue that needs medical care?
 
Last edited:
Hunchback occurs mainly from malnutrition. It can happen to chins who are just not fed sufficiently (not given enough food, too much junk and not enough nutrients, etc.), or chins that have severe digestion problems. Hunchback can also lead to liver and kidney damage, but doesn’t HAVE to with proper diet and care.
 
Is there a possibility that when I get him home and put him on a good diet he will still have hunchback, and possibly die from it? I dont know that I will be able to handle that.

Could this be a serious problem that might be very expensive? If so, I dont think I will be able to get them.

I would love to get them, but I dont want to get an animal that has obvious signs of illness, and might suffer and die soon.
 
I think I decided I am not going to get them. Knowing he already has a hunchback health problem, that really worries me. Thank you everyone for your help.
 
Is there a possibility that when I get him home and put him on a good diet he will still have hunchback, and possibly die from it? I dont know that I will be able to handle that.

Could this be a serious problem that might be very expensive? If so, I dont think I will be able to get them.

I would love to get them, but I dont want to get an animal that has obvious signs of illness, and might suffer and die soon.

Could it be the position that he is in making it look like he has a hunched back? The very first picture he looks fine except for the fact that he is skinny. I'm not saying he does not have a hunched back, just that maybe it's not an issue. No matter what he definitely needs good food and hay.

Do you know what kind of food they are on now? Judging by the water bottle I would bet that there were some times when the chins were hungry too.

The first step is to get them on a good consistent diet and monitor their weight. Chances are he will be fine. Getting them out of there and into the care of someone who is willing to do what is needed for them is the best thing for these chins.
 
Like I said, repeatedly, I would get him and put him on a good diet (both of them) and he should be fine. But I do think these guys were neglected and need someone to step up to the plate and take care of them.

As far as what if he dies? This may sound harsh, but ANY chin you have may need vet care at a moment's notice. The money should be there to take care of them anyway. This boy may be 100% fine with good feed, or as Steven mentioned, it could be the angle of the shot. You said you saw these guys in person and they were fine and friendly and all that. If they are, and you like them, get them.
 
I agree totally with Stevie and Tunes.
In the long run you may have more health issues with the girl you have now than you may ever have with these boys.
As mentionned, good feed, water, hay will definitely spruce him up. He most likely locks that way because of him being skinny.
Personnally I would take them in.
As mentionned before make sure in your decision you will have no "what if's" and no regrets.
 
Im sorry for asking so many questions. I didnt mean to drive everyone crazy.
 
It's better you ask and be prepared than not ask and get in over your head.

My point was, if you don't think financially you can handle a vet bill, then getting 2 new chins is not a good idea. Don't just pass up on them though because you think he's going to die the instant you get him home. I was just pointing out to you what "could" be an issue. Steven had a valid point that it could be the way he was standing.

Either way, these chins need someone who cares about them to take them in and love them and provide them with good nutrition and a proper home. If you think you can do that, then get them. If, however, the thought of a possible visit to the vet scares you off, then getting more chins is not a good idea.
 
You're not going to drive people crazy by genuinely wanting to help and make an informed decision about taking these chinnies in.
Every chin deserves a good home and if you can provide it, get them. :)
 
Im sorry for asking so many questions. I didnt mean to drive everyone crazy.

Oh gosh! don't be sorry for being a responsible person here.
I can only speak for myself, but this certainly doesn't drive me crazy. Trust me, this is not nothing compared to some other situations.
 
Last edited:
If you are in doubt, maybe you can go back and see the chins again? If nothing else just to make sure they have water!! Bring a camera and take some more pictures of them and post them up.
 
Where are you located (roughly)? That way if you decide not to get them, then maybe someone else here could take them in... :)
 
Back
Top