Some people!

[Cuddlebug]

So, 9:00 pm last night, I received a phone call from a guy in Hollywood. He told me that his male chinchilla may have hurt himself. Apparently, the little guy could not stand up. When he tried, he would not put weight on one leg and he would fall over onto his side. I told him to take the chinchilla to the vet ASAP to have its leg x-rayed. I even gave him the name, address and phone number of a vet he could get to. The guy mentioned that he had a female that is pregnant and that she sleeps a lot. I told him that is normal for pregnant females if they are close to their due date. After that, he said ok we'll get him to the vet and said thanks and goodbye.

About 30 minutes later, I get another call from the guy's wife. She told that when they went to get the male chinchilla out of the cage and take him to the vet, they noticed that the female was behaving in the same manner. My first question was "How hot is it in your home?" The answer was, "Well, it's been really hot lately, but I have a fan blowing on the chinchillas." I asked if they had AC and was told no. I told her that chinchillas should never be allowed to get hotter than 75 degrees and to get both chinchillas to the vet NOW. They are probably suffering from heat stroke and may not make it. She just said "Oh, I didn't know" and promised to take them to the vet right away.

I wonder how long those poor chins were suffering from the heat. Hours? Days? Part of me is hoping that the chinchillas both passed away so that they will no longer be suffering. It just breaks my heart.:hair::cry3:

 

[liewwan]

That's horrible! I may not know everything about chins and I'm still learning more and more everyday, but isn't the heat issue the first thing every chin owner knows? That's one info you'll never get wrong online from many websites and books. I feel bad for those poor chins.

 

[cindyv3737]

I'm going to guess they didn't make it. It was well over 100 in Los Angeles today. At one point Shelly was hanging out in the fridge. Not because of a lack of a/c. But because I could not get my apartment to drop below 78. Those poor chins. I don't even know how the people stayed indoors with no a/c. It's miserable here this weekend.

 

[timandben]

Those poor chins!! It has been really hot this past week hasn't it? My house has been 93 degrees outside (74 inside, my parents don't like it to cold so we have to compromise) and normally my house is 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the neighbor hood. But I went into Downtown L.A for school supplies and it was just brutal!!

How on earth did you get shelly into the fridge?? :rofl:

 

[cindyv3737]

I just put her in her carrier. Then into the fridge. She hates it but it keeps her cool.

 

[timandben]

my parents would never in a million years let me do that!!

 

[Jenn]

I feel so bad for those chins. I hope they did take the chins right away to the vet, although it may have already been too late at that point. I just find it ridiculous that people would own pets without knowing their basic care needs.

 

[Cuddlebug]

the temperature around here has been over 100 for the last week and in the mid to upper 90's before that and all those poor chins had was a fan. By the time those poor chins were showing the symptoms they told me about, they were probably in pretty bad shape and were suffering for some time.

I have a brand new central AC, but I still go around and check all of the chins, several times a day to make sure they are doing good, especially with 2 pregnant chins who are ready to pop any day now.

 

[timandben]

so what are the signs of heat stroke in a chin? I wanna know in case we have to take them somewhere long-distance in the car.

 

[Shooper]

The sad thing is that whoever they got these chins from should have told them. When I got Charlie from a crappy petshop... they didnt sell me any food, dust or tell me anything about his care. I walked out of there with a chin in a cardboard box and nothing else. I'm glad you were able to tell them to get to a vet ASAP! I hope the chins are in good hands now...where ever they might be!