Chins and plastic

OK, so I am aware of the dangers with chinnies and plastic, however my girls down chew on plastic. I check their houses and wheels every day, and they have no teeth marks on them at all. They have plenty of hay to chew, and some wood pieces, so I leave the plastic in. Should I go ahead and replace the plastic even though they don't chew it? We're currently working on covering the plastic trays in their cage with fleece, but as far as houses and wheels go, they just don't chew them.

alot of people are going to tell you to replace i have one chin that wont chew on plastic and one that will so one of my chins has a plastic house and is fine with it

The main issue is that they can chew the plastic. I had a friend who said the same thing...so she kept her chins in a cage with a plastic bottom...

one day a few months later she woke up to two chins that had escaped (chewed a whole right though the bottom) one died from impaction from the plastic, and one died from chewing on wires...


It can be very harmful if they do chew the plastic...so I would go ahead and switch it all out...better safe than sorry:winkers:

Even if they could chew through the bottom of their cage (it's a Ferret Nation 142 two story), there is wire on the bottom, so at least they won't be escaping! I don't know what I would do if I woke up and they weren't there, especially with all the wires and two cats in our house!

oxchincerelyxo said:

It can be very harmful if they do chew the plastic...so I would go ahead and switch it all out...better safe than sorry:winkers:

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Sorry, I disagree. I've yet to have a chinchilla have an issue with any hard plastic item. Yes, a plastic bottom is an escape waiting to happen but several of my chins have plastic igloos and litter pans and have had them years without issue.

Truthfully, chins are smart enough to not swallow most non-food items.

I am planning on switching my chins pink igloo out for a two story wood house when i get the money so i wouldnt rush out right now if you dont have the money because im sure they will be ok until you can replace it all

For me, it's a why risk it? situation. There are plenty of alternatives that just seem less dangerous to me- wood houses, shelves, metal wheels, etc.

Besides, I think that wood looks a lot more attractive than plastic.

HedgeMom said:

Sorry, I disagree. I've yet to have a chinchilla have an issue with any hard plastic item. Yes, a plastic bottom is an escape waiting to happen but several of my chins have plastic igloos and litter pans and have had them years without issue.

Truthfully, chins are smart enough to not swallow most non-food items.

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Ive read people having issues with impaction from plastic...I have never had the issue...is this wrong??? I also read it can happen from wood too, but mainly from plastic...Again, seeing as I have never had the issue I am going off of what I have read-just wanted to make sure I wasn't misinformed

Tinkerbell had a plastic litter pan in her cage and left it alone for months. Then one day I noticed she had taken quite a few chunks out of it. I never did fully determine if she ingested it or just chewed off pieces, too small to easily see in her bedding or litter, but I decided to take out the plastic pan to be on the safe side and replace it with a metal litter pan.

I just think you need to keep an eye out to see if chewing does become and issue or not.

I've never seen a post that says "My chin died from impaction. The necropsy said it was from ingesting plastic".

And how do you prove the plastic caused the impaction and that the impaction wasn't already there and the plastic was just a passer-by?

I've had one spontaneously chew a hole right through the bottom of a plastic pan. Right in the middle! Was a rescue that got dropped off in one of those rabbit cages.

I never saw any pieces from that cage, so I assume she ingested it and passed it.

You know the hard plastic they use in cat carriers? Had one eat through the side of my good one in less than the 4 hrs, 45 min it took me to get to Seattle - had to fish him out from under my gas pedal in Vantage. Tipped it on it's side, and he proceeded to pull up and eat my floor mat. Believe it or not, I stopped in Cle Elum, got a paper sack, put him in it, then put it in the carrier. Surprisingly enough he didn't chew through it.

Had that carrier for over 10 years, it served many cats and adult chins, and that little buggar ate through the side like it was nothing. I heard him chewing, but it wasn't anything abnormal. Never had one leave anything other than teeth marks in it.

I have also had them chew off 1/2" steel cage pan rims. They can go though some tough stuff.

I don't have a necropsy to prove it, but I did have a chin chew out of a hard plastic carrier and die the next morning with a rectal prolapse. I assumed it was from the plastic getting impacted. I should have had a necropsy done to prove it, but I didn't.

On the other hand, I used igloos in all of my cages for about 5 years without a single problem. I now have all wood and no plastic after that carrier incident, but I am still a skeptic to a degree.

chinchillas rarely digest what the chew. M biggest gripe with plastic is if it is a pan the can and will chew out.