1. My chin is about 5 yrs old and is a male. recently i have noticed he has 2 bumps on his bottom, one on each side. They are hairless and identicle. Do you have any idea what these are?

2. I have a female chin and she has always been very healthy but this morning i noticed her eye was a little closed and it looks red and irritated around it. I was wondering what it is and if i may be able to fix it quickly without going to the vet.

3. I have two male chinchillas and I have been reading on the internet about looking for hair rings...What am I suppose to be looking for? I seen a video on how to do it somewhere, but they were not really specific on what to be looking for. What is it and what does it look like?

4. how can you tell the difference in age between 2 male chinchillas??

5. My chinchilla is making some weird rasping noises as if he has a stuffy nose. he makes them with each breath and they sound a little like hiccups. Can chins get hiccups? Every now and then he shakes as if he is coughing hard. I dont think its a seizure and I've checked his nose to see if his mate mey have bitten it. I've had him for about three years and hes almost four now. Is it possible that he is dying or could he have a chinchlla cold? It would be nice to know if this is serious or not and what is happening to him. Thanks

6. My Chin has a few problems the first being no matter what we do his incisors grow to long; any suggestions? The other problem being he has these bumbs on the underside of his chin which look like achne as well as his pads on his feet almost look to be sluffing off. we think the achne problem is with his bumbs are are do to his long incisors constant druling and his specilised food for weight gain. If you have any suggestions on any of these problems that would be great. Thank you!

7. I have had my 2 month old Chin for about 3 weeks. She has just begun to let us pet her frequently and I just noticed her itching. Can Chinchillas get fleas or other parasites? If not, what could be the cause of her itching? Could it be too much handling?

8. I have some concerns regarding my chinchillas sex drive. He seemed to be having oral sex with himself. Is this a normal behavior or does he need a female?

9. Where can I find information on a vet in my area that knows about chins?

10. How can I be sure my chinchilla is drinking water from the water bottle?

11. I am a recent chin owner, and my chinchilla wont eat most of it's food pellets,too picky only eats certain things from it.

12. Our chinchilla is about 4 months old. We have had her for about 4 weeks. For the past week, her droppings have been very soft and messy rather than the usual pellets. She eats only the fruit and nuts from her food (I noticed that you recommend a pellet only food which I will now buy) so I am wondering if that is the problem. Thanks!

13. I have had my chinchilla for about 7 months and just recently he has been chewing the hair off of his back, hindquarters and along his back legs. I change his cage once a week and sometimes more. Can you please tell me why he is chewing on himself and what I need to do.

14. My chinchilla has recently had a grande malle siezure. Lead poisoning and malnutrition has been ruled out. He has never shown any previous signs of neurological disorder. 1/2 before the siezure he did get at a rose petal that had fallen to the floor. Could this be the cause of the siezure?

15. i didn't know that poopers can only have one rasin a day, is this harmful? if there are any other types of treats she should not have, or not have often, please list them on your site. thank you!

16. Should we have our male Chin fixed if we do not intend to breed him?

17. my 1 1/2 yr old female makes a very strange sound . it is when she is sleeping as far as i have seen. it sounds like she's either laughing or crying.

18. How old are chinchillas when they sold. The reason I am asking is because I purchased one from a breeder at 2 1/2 months old. She kept pushing through her cage (right through the sides). After only a month and a half she died. I am just curious as to whether the breeder should have sold her so young/small. Thank you for your time.

19. I heard that chinchillas do not tolerate heat very well. What is the highest tempature it can tolerate?

20. Why can't chinchillas have more than one rasin a day

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1. My chin is about 5 yrs old and is a male. recently i have noticed he has 2 bumps on his bottom, one on each side. They are hairless and identicle. Do you have any idea what these are? top

These are most likely his testicles. Chinchillas tend to keep them mainly pulled up inside the body so they aren’t very noticeable. Sometimes they will drop lower when the body heat rises to protect the sperm. Its nothing to worry about it. submitted by Lynn Eggert, answered by admin, last updated Sep 05, 2010

2. I have a female chin and she has always been very healthy but this morning i noticed her eye was a little closed and it looks red and irritated around it. I was wondering what it is and if i may be able to fix it quickly without going to the vet. top

There are several different things that can cause eye irritation, some more serious than others. Its always safest to seek a vet when your chinchilla is sick. Eye irritation could be caused by a minor infection. Sometimes dipping a cotton ball in luke-warm Lipton tea (not instant tea) and holding that over the infected eye several times a day will clear it up. Other times a chinchilla might need an antibiotic. If irritated eyes come with runny nose or coughing, the chinchilla has a respiratory infection and needs a vet right away! Respiratory problems will kill a chinchilla if they are not caught early enough. The worst cause of eye problems are caused by teeth. You may also notice a lack of eating, pellets seem to be ground to powder in the bowl, the chinchilla seems to take a long time to eat a raisin, its chin may be wet and it may be loosing hair around the nose, eyes, and/or mouth. Look at the two front top and bottom teeth (4 teeth in all). These should be touching in a straight line. If they meet at an angle or do not touch your chinchilla has tooth problems. What is happening is the back molars are growing unevenly. When the tooth is overgrow so is the root. It can get so long that it enters the sinus cavity, causing the eye to water and become irritated. It is very painful and unfortunately the best thing to do is to have the chinchilla put to sleep....I don't mean to scare you with this information but since I can't see the chinchilla I have to tell you all of the possible problems to help you determine what it might be. submitted by Erica Contreras, answered by admin, last updated Sep 05, 2010

3. I have two male chinchillas and I have been reading on the internet about looking for hair rings...What am I suppose to be looking for? I seen a video on how to do it somewhere, but they were not really specific on what to be looking for. What is it and what does it look like? top

A hair ring is causes by fur being wrapped tightly around the penis-so you are looking for hair. It could be one small piece of hair or a bunch all clumped together. It is usually found right at the base so you must gently pull the penis all the way out when you check. submitted by Jennifer: Standard male named Cole and beige:Mocha, answered by admin, last updated Sep 05, 2010

4. how can you tell the difference in age between 2 male chinchillas?? top

Unfortunately, chinchillas are about fully grown at 7-8 months. After that there is no way to tell the age of a chinchilla. Even before that it would only be guess work since each chinchilla grows at its own pace by the type of feed it is given and its genetic background. submitted by Lily, answered by admin, last updated Sep 05, 2010

5. My chinchilla is making some weird rasping noises as if he has a stuffy nose. he makes them with each breath and they sound a little like hiccups. Can chins get hiccups? Every now and then he shakes as if he is coughing hard. I dont think its a seizure and I've checked his nose to see if his mate mey have bitten it. I've had him for about three years and hes almost four now. Is it possible that he is dying or could he have a chinchlla cold? It would be nice to know if this is serious or not and what is happening to him. Thanks top

Chinchillas are susceptible to respiratory infections. The bad thing is that chinchillas tend to mask their symptoms until the infection has gotten quite sever. If you think your chinchilla is showing cold-like symptoms of cough, raspy breathing, and/or watery eyes you should see a vet right away. Your chinchilla will need an antibiotic. If your vet prescribes an oral antibiotic you will need to give your chinchilla yogurt exactly between each dose. For example, if you give the meds every 4 hours, you should give the yogurt 2 hours after the meds. This will help your chinchilla’s digestive system deal with the harsh antibiotics which will kill the natural flora in its system. submitted by Jim Van Nada, answered by admin, last updated Sep 05, 2010

6. My Chin has a few problems the first being no matter what we do his incisors grow to long; any suggestions? The other problem being he has these bumbs on the underside of his chin which look like achne as well as his pads on his feet almost look to be sluffing off. we think the achne problem is with his bumbs are are do to his long incisors constant druling and his specilised food for weight gain. If you have any suggestions on any of these problems that would be great. Thank you! top

Usually when you see problems in the front teeth it’s actually caused by the back teeth. It’s a disease called malocclusion where the molars begin to grow unevenly causing the chinchillas teeth to no longer come together correctly. This means the front teeth are no longer worn down correctly and over-grow. The best way to check for malocclusion is to have your vet take an x-ray of your chinchilla’s teeth. Many times you will find that the molars on either the top or the bottom have overgrown and the other set of molars are none-existent. The long molars will have extra long roots that grow out of the jaw and up into the sinus cavity. This is a hereditary disease and animals with malocclusion should not be allowed to breed. Unfortunately, chinchillas with malocclusion can not be cured. In minor cases, vets are able to file down the teeth on a regular basis and the chinchilla can still lead a happy life. In severe cases where the roots have over-grown, the chinchilla is in a lot of pain and the best course of action is to put the animal to sleep. I would suggest you find a very good vet to help you decide what is best for your chinchilla. (PS.-the dry feet are most-likely do to either living in a wire cage which is hard on the feet, or to very frequent dust baths which can dry out the skin) submitted by Chris keplinger, answered by admin, last updated Sep 05, 2010

7. I have had my 2 month old Chin for about 3 weeks. She has just begun to let us pet her frequently and I just noticed her itching. Can Chinchillas get fleas or other parasites? If not, what could be the cause of her itching? Could it be too much handling? top

Chinchillas just get itches sometimes, like people do. However, if she is constantly itching all of the time it might be dry skin. Never leave the dust bath in the cage all of the time. This will lead to dry skin. A good quality chinchilla should not be able to get fleas. Their hair is too dense for the fleas to get down to the skin. submitted by Britni, answered by admin, last updated Sep 05, 2010

8. I have some concerns regarding my chinchillas sex drive. He seemed to be having oral sex with himself. Is this a normal behavior or does he need a female? top

This is normal chinchilla behavior. He would do it even if he had a female cage mate. submitted by Jason, answered by admin, last updated Sep 05, 2010

9. Where can I find information on a vet in my area that knows about chins? top

There is a directory of Chinchilla Vets at http://www.ChinchillaClub.com/vets. If there isn't one listed in your area call around to your area vets and ask if they have any experience. Its always go to find a vet before an emergency comes up. Make an appointment for a checkup while your chinchilla is healthy to see how your vet handles your chin and to see if you will be comfortable with him/or her. submitted by sue, answered by admin, last updated Sep 05, 2010

10. How can I be sure my chinchilla is drinking water from the water bottle? top

Place a rubber band around the bottle at the water line. Then you will be able to tell if the water level is going down any. submitted by NICKI, answered by admin, last updated Sep 05, 2010

11. I am a recent chin owner, and my chinchilla wont eat most of it's food pellets,too picky only eats certain things from it. top

It sounds like you are feeding your chinchilla a mix food that most likely contains fruits and nuts. This is the same as giving a child a plate with candy and green beans and expecting him to eat his vegetables. These types of mixed foods aren’t good for chinchillas. Fruits and nuts should be given as treats not as a main diet. We recommend feeding your chinchilla a good chinchilla feed made with only pellets such as Mazuri Chinchilla Pellets. You can buy them on line in stores such as Lone Star Chinchilla. Save the fruits and nuts for special occasions. submitted by laura, answered by admin, last updated Sep 05, 2010

12. Our chinchilla is about 4 months old. We have had her for about 4 weeks. For the past week, her droppings have been very soft and messy rather than the usual pellets. She eats only the fruit and nuts from her food (I noticed that you recommend a pellet only food which I will now buy) so I am wondering if that is the problem. Thanks! top

Yes, that could be the problem and I would suggest changing the feed. You will need to do a gradual change over a week or two to give her body time to adjust to the new feed. While you are doing that try picking out as much for the fruit as possible in her food bowl each day. You can also give her burnt toast to settle her tummy. The charcoal in the blackened parts does great to clear up soft poop. You may also want to disinfect her water bottle. A dirty bottle it could cause soft poop as well. If she doesn't get better or begins to get worse take a trip to your vet. submitted by Vinny, answered by admin, last updated Sep 05, 2010

13. I have had my chinchilla for about 7 months and just recently he has been chewing the hair off of his back, hindquarters and along his back legs. I change his cage once a week and sometimes more. Can you please tell me why he is chewing on himself and what I need to do. top

Chinchillas chew their fur because they are stressed or in pain. Try to figure out if there has been any changes to his environment, a new pet, new sounds, change of rooms, loud company, etc. If nothing has changed you might want to monitor his food and water intake. If you notice any changes take him to the vet for a checkup. submitted by Michelle Hyde, answered by admin, last updated Sep 05, 2010

14. My chinchilla has recently had a grande malle siezure. Lead poisoning and malnutrition has been ruled out. He has never shown any previous signs of neurological disorder. 1/2 before the siezure he did get at a rose petal that had fallen to the floor. Could this be the cause of the siezure? top

I don't think that was the cause. The most common cause of seizures are calcium or thiamine deficiency, a fall or head trama, toxins such as lead, and in some cases diabetes. Here is a website that goes more into details about Seizures: http://www.cachins.org Its under the Health topic in the menu. submitted by Debbie, answered by admin, last updated Sep 05, 2010

15. i didn't know that poopers can only have one rasin a day, is this harmful? if there are any other types of treats she should not have, or not have often, please list them on your site. thank you! top

Some chinchillas can handle having several raisins a day. You'll know if your chin is getting too many because his poop will be soft and will stick to things rather than rolling off easily. It will also flatten when stepped on. Raisins and other dried fruits and oats and the best treats for chinchillas. I don't recommend giving a large variety of treats. submitted by poopers' mommy, answered by admin, last updated Sep 05, 2010

16. Should we have our male Chin fixed if we do not intend to breed him? top

I don't recommend it. The surgery is very dangerous, especially if your vet isn't familiar with chinchillas. There have been many cases of complications afterwards. submitted by Leslie Kramer, answered by admin, last updated Sep 05, 2010

17. my 1 1/2 yr old female makes a very strange sound . it is when she is sleeping as far as i have seen. it sounds like she's either laughing or crying. top

It sounds like your chinchilla is dreaming. submitted by SHANNON, answered by admin, last updated Sep 05, 2010

18. How old are chinchillas when they sold. The reason I am asking is because I purchased one from a breeder at 2 1/2 months old. She kept pushing through her cage (right through the sides). After only a month and a half she died. I am just curious as to whether the breeder should have sold her so young/small. Thank you for your time. top

2 1/2 months is an acceptable age. We usually wean our babies at 7 weeks and then keep them here for another week to be sure they are eating and drinking well. If the baby is a runt or doesn't continue to eat well when removed from mom we wait a bit longer. Its not uncommon for a kit that young to be able to escape out of a 1 inch by 2 inch opening which unfortunately is the most common size of wire used on pet cages. I don't think your chinchilla hurt itself leaving the cage. Typically the head in the largest part of the body so if the head fit out the body will slide right through. Did you keep the same type of feed the breeder used? Did you refrain from giving any treats when you brought it home. Were there any harmful things it could have gotten into while out of the cage such as plastic or lead based paints on the walls of your home? This are some of the most common problems that would cause the death of a new chinchilla. Sorry I can't give you more help from the little bit you wrote, but if you'd like to send me more details about the days before your chinchilla died I might can help you pinpoint the problem. So sorry you lost your new chinchilla. submitted by Paula Fox, answered by admin, last updated Sep 05, 2010

19. I heard that chinchillas do not tolerate heat very well. What is the highest tempature it can tolerate? top

The highest temperature depends on your areas humidity. Add the temperature in the room to the humidity. If the sum of the two is higher than 150 your room is too hot. So if your room has a humidity level of around 75, the hottest the room should get is 75 because 75 + 75 = 150. submitted by Morgan, answered by admin, last updated Sep 05, 2010

20. Why can't chinchillas have more than one rasin a day top

More than one or two raisins a day could cause diarrhea. submitted by Camden Jordan, answered by admin, last updated Sep 05, 2010