| Health |
| For the most part, Chinchilla's are very healthy rodents. However, sometimes things go wrong and your chinchilla gets sick. It's very important to weigh your pets frequently as this is one of the first signs you'll notice if your chinchilla is ill. You should also have an exotic vet that is experienced with chinchilla's. |
| Heat |
| It cannot be stressed enough that chinchillas are very sensitive to high temperatures. Temperatures in the area that the chinchillas will be staying should stay bellow 75 degree's, if the heat is any higher you run the risk of your chinchilla getting heatstroke. Because of this, you need to have an air conditionar for the warmer months. |
| Teeth Problems |
| Malocclusion in chinchillas is a very serious health problem. When chinchillas have malocclusion their teeth do not properly wear down and over grow. If left untreated, the animals will not be able to eat their food and the roots can eventually grow into the eye sockets causing the eyes to water. Because the teeth are over grown, a common sign of tooth problems is constant drooling of the mouth(slobbers). Treating teeth problems: The animal will need to be taken to a vet(every few weeks to every few monhs) and have their teeth filed down, so they can continue to eat their food. Preventing teeth problems: There really isn't much you can do to prevent malocclusion from happening, as it's often genetic. However, it is said that giving daily hay and wooden toys to chew on does help. The best way of preventing malocclusion is to buy from responsible breeders without malocclusion in their herds, and take all animals that do have malocclusion out of breeding. |
| Diarrhea |
| Diarrhea is a fairly common problem in chinchilla's, and many people usually run into it sometime or another. Switching foods too fast, or having too many treats often cause it. To "cure" diarrhea you can give a small piece of burnt toast. The toast needs to be compeletly black, and cooled down before giving it to your chinchilla. For more severe diarrhea, give the burnt toast o the chinchilla, and then take away all pellets for the rest of the night. Give them a lot of hay, and it should be gone in about 24hrs. If diarrhea is going on more then 2-3 days, you should see a vet. |
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