Respiratory Infection. Its possible that all that wood gives off splinters. New owner, don't know where to start? Your dog should be evaluated by a veterinarian unless she is known to be in heat and there are no other issues. In some cases, crying sounds like screaming as a chinchilla sound. Because seizures involve loss of bodily control, your chinchilla can accidentally bite or lacerate its tongue. The kinds of brands that add colors and powders for scent can actually be allergic and bother their eyes. Barking is an aggressive sound telling you not to approach. Malocclusion requires a vet's assistance. You might not think a chinchilla is going to be finicky about dust bath powder, but they can react badly to some brands. It may be impossible to get rid of deeply dried blood stains, particularly in wood, so dont worry if you cant. The vet can also assist by helping you figure out what caused the bumblefoot. Having it slightly above the level of the floor means it won't sit in a pool of pee, and that your chinchilla can't easily spray it by accident if it ever sprays urine. This is a common misconception! These can burst and cause a large pool of blood. Because bumblefoot is linked to dry, cracked skin, you can fix that with an appropriate moisturizer. While that isnt ideal, its better than further compromising its health. Detecting the problem is key to treating it and preventing it from becoming a chronic health problem. Many chinchillas are very adept at jumping, yet this response is a positive one rather than anything negative. If you use a cable tidy, your chinchilla will just switch to chewing that instead. Chinchillas The cause could be physical trauma from fighting or an accident, a nosebleed, or bloody stools. They can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. When the movement of the GI system slows or ceases(stasis),painfulgas can build upfurther impedingintestinal movement. Are Chinchillas Dangerous? Discover the joys of owning a small pet and get started on your journey today! This article was co-authored by Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD. Chinchillas wont die if they dont bathe in dust. Corneal Ulcers: Sometimes chinchillas' eyes get scratched or irritated by hay, hair, dust, or even after a struggle with another chinchilla. General condition of the animal, clinical signs of infection which include the surrounding skin condition (red, hot, fluctuant [squishy]), pus, lost fur, the wound itself (including colour of the wound, depth, size), any bleeding or fluid loss, position of the wound, and underlying cause. However, theyre unique animals with unique veterinary needs. Yes, of course chinchillas pee. Take our quiz and find out! Where should you put your chinchilla's exercise wheel? How can you stop a chinchilla chewing wires when it's outside its cage? At first it was perfectly healthy, but now it seems to not want to eat its pellets any more. But chinchilla urine is naturally deep yellow/orange, and dries orange-red. However, if you don't, don't panic. If the wound becomes infected, it becomes a painful open abscess. Chinchilla Almost as if theyre telling you they agree or saying yes. This is characteristic of late stage bumblefoot. It can mean that your chinchilla is severely injured. After the first week or so, she will actively court male dogs and will allow them to mount her. It can also be a simple eye infection, so in any case, you will need to take your chinchilla to the vet ASAP. The microbiome refers to billions and billions of microscopic living organisms (e.g. Seizures are not common in chinchillas, even though they are in other small pets. A general increase in body temperature (difficult to judge with a chinchilla). Chinchillas make noise like any other small pet. Invest in a digital gram scale to weigh your chinchilla. Your chinchilla will therefore move around even less than it did before (if thats possible). Identify the cause if possible and take your chinchilla to the vet. But chinchillas don't need all the ones that we do; they can make their own vitamin C, for example, unlike us. They do test your skin from time to time, but not on purpose unless they are telling you to not keep touching them. The difference between this and teeth grinding is clear to the ear, as the sound of their teeth chattering sounds exactly like what you might imagine. This can include bushes, grasses,leaves, twigs, roots, and stems. (I'm the one on the left). Tablets are difficult to give to chinchillas. Place the chinchillas in a safe place. It seems to chew them up and spit them out, leaving them in tiny piles on the floor of the cage that look a little like sick. Its possible to mistake this for a pool of blood or dried blood, especially if there isnt much, theres low lighting, or you dont have full color vision. But the condition wont go away long-term unless you correct the cause, be it wire bar flooring, obesity, or something else. For the first week or so, the female dog will attract the attention of male dogs, but she usually won't allow them to mount her. In addition, isolating your sick pet can help keep it from getting stressed, which could interfere with its recovery. As such, all a collar will do is stress out your chinchilla for reasons it doesn't grasp. References. They also might not be mature or have not reached full maturity just yet. Can you train a chinchilla to come to you when you call its name? It commonly occurs when the placenta and fetal membranes remain in the uterus leading to bacterial infection. If the wound becomes infected, it becomes a painful open abscess. Or do you need a handy chinchilla reference guide? Compared to their native diet, the most nutritionallyakinfoodwe canand shouldprovide isa diversityofgrass hays,which should always be the stapleofa chinchillas diet. Not being able to properly eat pellets is a sign of malocclusion, which is where the teeth don't meet properly in the middle. Hi, my name is Jamie. We've published an eBook: Chinchilla Care 101. The fur forms a physical barrier which makes it hard for another chinchilla to bite the skin. As chinchillas jump around their cages a lot, these splinters can get caught in their feet and cause a small amount of bleeding. A big change, like a new pet (dog, cat, etc.) This is done through sounds and actions which allow you to see what they want to tell you. After youve figured out whats wrong and taken your pet to the vet, you should clean any blood from your chinchillas cage. Every one to two weeks, check its teeth, eyes, ears, nose, fur, and droppings for signs of illness. Chinchilla Sleep Explained, Chinchilla Cage Setup 101 | A Complete Guide, 100+ Fun and Unique Owl Names You Will Love, 100+ Unique Axolotl Names You Will Surely Like. They're most active at dusk, night and dawn. This hastens the death of skin and tissue and the formation of blisters. You will see signs she is pregnant with mood swings and more attitude-behavior changes. Blood on chinchilla feet can result from cracked and bleeding skin. There will be some blood on the cage floor, and some in your chinchillas fur under its nose and chin. Chinchillas are rodents, and rodents, apparently, love cheese. (I'm the one on the left). It is not normal if they are racing and walking in circles. As an early sign of irritation or anger, your chinchilla may also chatter their teeth slightly. The vet can find latent heart conditions, find any injuries, and make their best guess at why your chinchilla died. Unfortunately, this may necessitate the removal of much or most of your chinchillas foot. This results in lots of blood and your chinchilla will need medical attention, although if treated correctly, will live. Note:you cannot treat later stage bumblefoot without a vets help. This aggression can be harmful and result in fur slippage, fur biting, and stress for others. Below, you can find our chinchilla quiz, new posts for further reading, and a signup for our Chinchilla Newsletter! So for example: if you go to the vet and get the antibiotics you need, thats good. This occurs because bumblefoot is painful. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This book teaches you everything you need to know for your chinchilla to live a long, healthy, happy lifeand for you to build a strong, loving bond with them. Chin Spin 15" Chinchilla Wheel - Handmade in USA! The wrong type of dust bath powder can cause this to happen. This website is reader-supported. Alternatively the vaginal secretions may be collected and grown in suitable culture medium for the identification of the causative bacteria so that suitable antibiotics can be administered to treat the condition effectively. During the earliest stage, your chinchillas feet wont be obviously hurt. Please note, comments must be approved before they are published. In theirnative, harsh habitathigh in the mountains ofSouth America,chinchillas largelyconsume hearty, fibrous vegetation that can survive the climate. So you are in need of help of a vet urgently. Diagnosis A diagnosis can be made by the clinical signs observed. Change out any moist, wet bedding, and remove any high-particulate bedding. If you do plan on using Bag Balm, be careful. This can become dried in place. Fluid develops underneath them and can rupture the skin, or the skin can crack when dry. Increased exudate (fluid coming from the wound). Take the chin out, and lay it back on your thighs. The infection can spread, and can kill, so take your chinchilla to the vet. Signs of fighting include: The worst kind of fighting is with teeth. Chinchillas should have fleece bedding, as this provides just the right level of comfort, firmness and absorbency. Causes Ear injuries in chinchillas may be due to a bite from another animal or a self-inflicted wound, or exposure to extreme temperatures. Diagnosis The second cause is a heart attack. What Is Gastrointestinal Stasis in Chinchillas? Respiratory infection is often caused by overcrowding, poor ventilation, drafts, high humidity or excess moisture in the cage. One sure sign that tells you a chinchilla is expecting babies is when you notice little red spots on their belly they are feeding nipples. If your chinchillas feet have become infected, then your pet will need antibiotics. Thank you Alecia of DMAL Chins for the wonderful pictures. Repeat this over and over again, and eventually your chinchilla will associate its name with getting a treat. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Chinchillas have very long whiskers that will extend outwards as they pull them inward. 2. This can cause: Believe it or not, but bumblefoot can get worse still. Disorders of the Rectum and Replace everything once its dried. Whether throughreductionofperistalsis (physicalmovement of theintestinesto push food material through via contraction and relaxation)or dysbiosis,lack of dietary fiberis closely linked toGI stasis.Signs ofGIstasisshould be heavily monitored for at all times. Anal gland problems. Chinchillas can bite each other and create big, open wounds. You could try reintroducing them at a later date, but some experienced owners state that once they start fighting, they will always fight when placed together. Whenever you walk next to your chinchilla's cage, it starts Hopping around. You can only tell that something is wrong if you check them properly. Biting, Scratching & More, The Chinchillas Natural Habitat: Details, Stats & Facts. If they are doing this to your fingers or skin with little nibbles, it means they are just fine. This article has been viewed 12,540 times. Too frequent or improper handling. This is why naked wire bars are so bad: not only do they cause uneven pressure, but they absorb nothing. Chinchilla Sounds and Their Meanings