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Post by daniel on Apr 10, 2003 15:46:24 GMT -5
Hi all,
Just some tips on signs that indicate possible illness in your chinchilla, and a visit to your local vet is due.
Ears - swelling could be caused by excessive scratching
Eyes - Inflammation caused by infection or even hay
Mouth - Salivation can indicate a dental problem
Stomach - distended abdomen, often accompanied with laborious breathing are signs of bloat
Leg - fractures can be caused by falls
Tail - Loss of skin and fur from tail is often caused by fighting or careless handling
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Post by PeTsLoVeR (",) on Apr 11, 2003 13:58:00 GMT -5
do chinchilla needs to be kept in aircon room???
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Post by daniel on Apr 11, 2003 14:36:04 GMT -5
do chinchilla needs to be kept in aircon room??? I won't say that they need to be in airconditioned room, it would be nice if you can accomodate them in such conditions though Once the temperature reaches ard 24-27 degrees C, chinchillas may start showing signs of heat stress, usually displayed by heavy breathing, or it just stretching out to cool its body ;D Note* Never place a cage in front of a window, coz the sun's rays may be intensified, even on a mild day. |
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Post by clover on Apr 18, 2003 5:07:35 GMT -5
Hello, just would like to add to Daniel's info. Fur loss or scaly patches of skin on a chin eg. ears, are usually signs of fungus. Pls note that fungus can be a serious condition to chins, especially in our humid weather. It's difficult for a chin to recover from fungus on it's own, so pls do see a vet. If he verifies that the scaly patch is not fungus, that's good.
But if your chin has scaly patch and you want to clean it and get rid of the unsightly thing, a good solution is to use Johnson's Baby Oil with some cotton wool. Wipe the chin's ears well and it should clean them. I got this advice from another chin owner, plus I cleared it with my vet. She said it's safe.
While it's true that it's not necessary to keep chins in air-con, it's generally encouraged. But if you can't afford air-con, there are several ways to keep them cool. Many sg chin owners practise these ways, but it may be a bit inconvenient. Some pp actually freeze bottles or can drinks, then place them either in or around the cage. Or you can buy cooling bags from pharmacies and freeze them for the same purpose (the kind for muscle aches).
You can also actually freeze ziplock bag of water to use them in the same way as the cooling bags. Another effective method is to get ceramic tiles and place a few in the cage. You'll most definitely see the chins sleeping on them as they're cooler than anything else in the cage. My chins have a ceramic mushroom and a ceramic cube. But I'll be getting tiles for them soon also.
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