We know you love your chinchillas - they bring us so much joy! But do you ever wonder if you are giving them everything they need? While certainly not an exhausetive checklist, here are three quick areas that you can evaluate about your chinchilla's health right from home. How does your chin's health rank?
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Check the Teeth
No, your chinchilla doesn't need Crest White Strips - for them, it's the oranger the better! The orange enamel is indicative of sufficient calcium levels which is important for the health of your chinchilla. If you notice your chin has white teeth, consult your vet right away for advice on calcium supplementation. To ensure your chinchilla is receiving adequate amounts of these important minerals, as well as the essential amino acids, a balanced diet is key. The food I recommend is Mazuri Chinchilla Pellets for a carefully balanced diet. You can review the nutritional facts here: http://www.lonestarchinchilla.com/mazuri.html . You can also visit http://www.mazuri.com/ to read about why each of these nutrients are so important!
Photo from Eyes of Texas Chinchillas
Not only is the color of their teeth an indicator of health, but also the size. Chinchillas possess continuously growing incisors and molars and therefore require them to be grinded down constantly. Fortunately, this is something your pet will do on his or her own, so long as you provide the appropriate resources. First, if you are feeding your chinchillas with coarse pellets, such as the Mazuri diet, they will grind down the pellets as they consume them, helping maintain proper dentition at the same time. Chinchillas will also employ this grinding behavior with their hay. And of course, the ever popular chew toy is a handy tool. Pumice stones, shown below, and wood chews serve a similar function. Visit the "What chew talkin' about?" link on the Chinchilla Place homepage to review which species of woods are safe for chinchillas. Remember, not everything sold in the pet store is safe for these exotic animals, even some marketed specifically for chinchillas. If you currently provide pumice stones to your chin and it seems as though he or she has lost interest in it, it may be because he has chewed the edges and has trouble fitting his jaw around the remaining chunk. Try cutting the stone in half to create new edges to chew.
Photo from Forchinate Chins
If your notice the level of food in your chinchilla's food dish has not gone down in a while, he or she may be suffering from a malocclusion. This means that the teeth have become overgrown, preventing the animal from eating. This is a serious problem, but usually can be corrected by your veterinarian if the problem is detected soon enough. The "What chew talkin' about?" link lists more information about malocclusion which is important for every chinchilla owner to be aware of.
Check the Feet
Having cold feet is a good thing! Maybe not at the altar, but for these little guys, it is a sign that they are regulating their body heat appropriately. If you notice your chinchilla's feet becoming hotter, this is a sign that he or she is overheated and you should take measures immediately to cool them and their environment. If the room temperature exceeds 75 degrees F, brain damage can occur and death will most likely ensue. Another sign of overheating is pink ears (and/or feet). If you suspect your chinchilla is overheating, cool the room right away, offer ice cubes in a bowl, and supervise your pet until his or her condition improves. If the chinchilla is lying on their side, appears to have labored breathing, is convulsing, is unresponsive, or limp upon being held, CONTACT YOUR VETERINARIAN IMMEDIATELY. This is a sign of heat stroke and if not treated right away, it will almost certainly be fatal to the animal. The best way to prevent overheating in your chinchillas is to keep them in an air conditioned area in the Summer (this is an absolute necessity), equip their cage with a small marble or granite slab on which the chinchilla can sit to cool off, and do not position the cage in direct sunlight. Also, be mindful that, if you are cooling the room with fans, not to have the cage in the direct path of the blowing fan.
Check the Fur
Perhaps their most notable characteristic, healthy chinchillas have the ability to grow and maintain a soft, full coat of fur, but occasionally you may notice patches of shortened fur that continually appear in various places on the chinchillas body, most commonly the hips. Get the Chinnie Help Hotline on the phone because this patching is the result of fur biting, which means you may have an anxious or depressed chinchilla on your hands. It was once thought that the actual behavior of fur biting, by which the animal bites of his own fur sometimes right down to the skin, was a genetic trait, meaning if the chin's parents were fur biters, the chin too would be. However, it is now better understood that fur biting is a direct neurotic response to to a stress stimulus in the environment. The hereditary contribution has been only linked to the temperament of the animal, meaning if mom and dad were high-strung, so will be their offspring and when said offspring are exposed to stressful conditions they are liable to fur bite.
So does fur biting harm the chinchilla? Perhaps not the act of biting the fur itself, unless it is leaving skin exposed and irritated, but the major red flag in these situations is that there is something in the animal's environment that is upsetting them. Fur biting is, in a sense, a form of self-mutilation and is their way of telling you they aren't happy. The way to resolve a fur-biting problem is to remove the stressful stimulus. It may be another pet, such as a dog or cat that frequents the cage and intimidates your chinchilla, it may be the chin's cage mate, it may be a small child, or loud noises, or insufficient diet, or it may even be lack of attention. That's right - some chinchillas fur bite out of boredom. Ensure that the immediate area of your chinchilla's cage is protected from these threats to reduce the stress factor. If available, keep your chinchilla's cage in low-traffic area, such as a spare room or office, where you can prevent other pets from approaching the cage and harassing the caged animal. In most instances, the fur will grow back and the biting will cease when the animal feels comfortable again. If your chinchilla has chewed its fur to the point that skin is exposed, contact your veterinarian. Without fur, chinchillas are limited in their ability to regulate their body temperature and you may need to take extra measures to accommodate for this deficit.
*** It is important that you research veterinarians who have experience with and extensive knowledge of chinchillas. Because they are exotic pets, they require specialists when they need medical attention. Be sure to locate a veterinarian as soon as (or before!) you get your chinchilla so you are prepared in an urgent situation. ***
Hopefully your prized pets measure up in all of these areas, and if not, you now have the facts to contact your vet and provide the best care possible for these sweet little critters! Evaluate these areas on a weekly basis, and for the feet temperature, check daily.