By Sarah Hamilton
A healthy, strong chinchilla with no signs of runny nose, weepy eyes, fur loss, brownish or orangey tinges on fur (a sign of liver or kidney problems) is the ideal.
The eyes should be shiny and bright, and the body should be well rounded with no ridge to the back; ie the animal will literally look round when it sits still with no hunch to its back. The chinchilla should be curious and lively, not dull, scared or lethargic. Do not believe a pet shop or breeder or any seller that tells you the chinchilla is just tired as it is daytime and they are nocturnal animals. Chinchillas do not sleep all day, and are curious about everything!
I do not recommend buying from pet shops as you can run into a lot of problems with health and temperament.
I also do not recommend buying a kit (baby) under 3 months old as they are still 'learning'. I don't sell them until they are at least 3.5 - 4 months old as this allows the opportunity to check that they are feeding by themselves properly and that there are NO signs of stress from the separation from mother and siblings. When I sell them, they have been completely separated for a week or two before they go to homes. Do not buy a chinchilla that is still with the parents or siblings. It is very stressful for them and it can cause a wide range of problems.
Tooth Problems
Tooth problems are a very serious problem in NZ chinchillas. It is being ignored by most breeders as most will say they have had no problems and their animals are fine. Do not believe this until you have seen written proof from a vet saying the back animals teeth are in fact fine (back molars). When you open a chinchillas mouth the cheek inside closes so you cannot see the back molars at all. Vets have a special tool that opens the mouth and then they use another instrument that looks similar to what human doctors use when looking at your ears. This looks into the mouth to see the back molars. Therefore, no-one can say their chinchillas are fine until they have had this done and the vet gives the ok.
Teeth must be a yellow to orange colour. The only exception is for newborns. Sure signs of malocclusion (teeth not meeting correctly) are drooling, and/or weepy eyes and a chinchilla that continually rubs its mouth because of the pain. (Watery eyes may also be a deficiency - see upcoming section on diet)
It is not just the top of the tooth that can grow incorrectly, but the root as well. If the root of the tooth is the problem you will feel lumps along the length of the jaw. If it is the upper tooth roots, the eyes will begin to weep as the roots grow towards the eye.
Malocclusion is in part hereditary, but diet and other oral conditions and inbreeding may also play an important part in its development.The onset of clinical signs may be up to 2 years.
The Droppings
Droppings of a chinchilla should be firm, elongated and medium to dark in colour. Signs of diarhoea are smudged droppings on shelves, wet looking droppings or a stained wet look under the tail. You can add a small amount of cider vinegar to the water to help promote healthy gut flora. Increase the roughage content of the diet by increasing the amount of hay and decrease the amount of chinchilla pellets for a few days.
Signs of constipation are small, round, malformed droppings. It's a sure sign of a chinchilla not eating and drinking. Slices of apple, raisons or blackcurrant juice like ribena (just add to the water) can all be useful in treating constipation. Do not overdo it though or you will reverse the condition of the chinchilla. Before giving them anything, check with the vet first to make sure teh chinchilla does not have a blockage or obstruction.
Tips for Buying a Chinchilla
These will help determine if the chinchilla you are buying is healthy and strong and has a great temperament, regardless of whether you want a pet or a breeding animal.
A breeder or seller ....
Will not under any circumstances feed any kind of rabbit pellet or use parrot/bird mixes.
Will have chinchillas that do not spray urine at humans, 'bark or scream', or lose fur when being caught (chins do this for defense so this would show a lack of trust - humans being viewed as intruders and predators). Even if only the parents do it, and the kit seems calm, the kit would have already learnt that humans are not to be trusted. It can therefore never be completely tamed.
Will have clean cages and environment and clean cages with no smell.
Will take their chinchillas to the vet for general check ups once per year. They should be checked for any sign of disease (which can spread quickly) and it is especially important for breeding animals to be vet checked on a regular basis. A sure sign of a 'backyard breeder' is someone who tells you they don't need to see the vet or it is too expensive. This lack of concern over their animals often leads to ongoing problems with the animals and their offspring.
Will know the backgrounds of all their chinchillas.
Will know the personalities of each chinchilla and will have a good idea of what the kits will turn out like.
Will have breeding and most importantly vet records on hand to show you. If they do not have records but say their chins have seen the vet - make sure you sight them as the vet clinic will make copies on request (teeth info being most important)
Will offer after sales service and support.
Will give alot of advice and can answer your questions and respond to concerns.
Will not inbreed or justify the practice.
Check back here soon for the next installment of practical chin advice from Sarah.
If you would like to purchase chinchilla items to donate to Sarah's Rescue Centre, just use 'Chinchilla Rescue Centre' as the delivery address or email us directly at info@hippo.co.nz. Any enquiries for chinchilla adoptions or general queries will also be passed on to Sarah. |
