Shaking/Shivering and Itching?!

[robotsATTACK]

Okay, I don't know if this is serious, this is my first Chinchilla. His name is Coheed, standard gray, seven months almost eight months old. Today I was holding him, just relaxing, not tight he was just sitting on my hand and he started shaking A LOT. I grabbed a blanket, thinking he was cold, hoping it was nothing serious, but I don't know. Then, this little black bug jumped onto my hand, I looked at it, and it jumped onto Coheed?! But Chinchilla's can't get regular fleas? and he's constantly itching? Please help, I'm scared for my baby boy... D:

 

[elsa_k]

you must be giving him too many sand baths. He should get one ever other day and you should remove the dust after he's done.
I think he has got dry skin and the shaking is probably because he is scared.
chinchillas have very dense fur; therefore, impossible for any insects to survive in their fur.

 

[ticklechin]

Chins can get fleas, around the head, legs and belly.

 

[LovinTheSmallAndFurry]

Chins can get fleas, around the head, legs and belly.

Wow....I have read on numerous chin sites that due to their dense fur they can't get fleas. Sappho has been scratching a lot lately, which I think is due to her dust baths---but I will be examining her more closely now.

 

[Spoof]

Wow....I have read on numerous chin sites that due to their dense fur they can't get fleas.

It the old days they didn't - you are not going to find a flea outbreak in a pelt barn, or a dedicated chinchilla barn/room.

Incidents do seem to be on the rise with exposure to other flea carrying pets that live in the house and weaker fur in the areas Dawn mentioned. Dusting will kill the fleas - the dust scratches the carapace and they dehydrate to death. It also could have been a mite. The shaking was probably him seeing something he was frightened of. They can see quite far and even things we don't notice out of windows and such sometimes alarm them.

 

[LovinTheSmallAndFurry]

It the old days they didn't - you are not going to find a flea outbreak in a pelt barn, or a dedicated chinchilla barn/room.

Incidents do seem to be on the rise with exposure to other flea carrying pets that live in the house and weaker fur in the areas Dawn mentioned. Dusting will kill the fleas - the dust scratches the carapace and they dehydrate to death. It also could have been a mite. The shaking was probably him seeing something he was frightened of. They can see quite far and even things we don't notice out of windows and such sometimes alarm them.

Thanks for the info, Spoof! That's reassuring, So chins do have good vision? I've read in various places that their version was akin to a pet rat's...?

 

[Spoof]

I've read in various places that their version was akin to a pet rat's...?

I've never owned rats so can't compare how far they can see.

I never put much thought into it until one summer when Doughboy started randomly barking. I had four roommates in a huge farmhouse and he was on the second floor with quite a view. He was 12 at the time and I thought maybe he was getting senile or something...

One of them just happened to be in there when he started and noticed an elk wandering across the far hill. I kid you not, he was alarming at elk over a 1/2 of a mile away.

Once they figured out what he was doing we had elk for dinner by the weekend. Boys!

I can't find any photos of the view out of the house, but here is one from the hill the elk was on looking at the house. Marked it with a blue arrow.