Bald Spot? Don't think it's fungus. Would Like another opinion.

So I haven't been on here in awhile, but I'm a little nervous so please bear with me.

Last year in about late August I saw someone surrendering their chinchilla on craigslist and I'd been itching for another, possibly as a friend for the one I had now, so I got him before he went to someone less chin-friendly. At the time he had a patch of fur that he had lost, and that he was in the process of growing back on his rump. It was a decent size patch, and the owners said they had contacted the breeder and the breeder told them to put anti-fungal powder in his dust bath and he seemed to be doing better. I *think* they said he had also done it the year before and they weren't worried.

Regardless, it grew back with no issues.

Fast forward to about a week ago, I noticed that Larry now has a patch on his rump that is bald, and it has grown a little bigger at this point but seems to be stable.

His fur is in a shedding stage, where I think he's losing a seasonal coat for another coat, as he has all the typical "shedding" signs and his fur isn't jagged and such like it would be if he was fur biting. The skin underneath is smooth and soft and not red/irritated/scaley/scabby/etc that I've read for every fungus post I've seen on here, and there are no other marks or patches on his face which i believe is common with fungus.

Fur biting or fungus were my two known options, but is it possible that this is just a yearly thing for him? I find it extremely coincidental that he lost about the same size patch of fur last year at the same exact time, and *possibly* the year before. I just cant remember for the life of me if this is the same spot. I know it was on his back rump, I just don't know if this was the same side.

He is also not housed with my other chinchilla as they never got along; they are seperated in a 2 level cage so there is no contact and Leo pulling Larrys fur out is not an option.


Any thoughts?


(I've attached two photos, but as I haven't been on here in awhile I might have screwed it up)

Edit: I screwed that picture attachment up, apologies.
Heres a tinypic insert

umm... I'm not sure. It is an odd shape though. Maybe a fur slip?

If that is fur slip, it's quite a large spot. Wonder if his priming initiates him fur chewing or pulling his own fur. Some is growing back by the looks and the other spots look like they have recently been pulled.
Also could have been an injury, maybe from the cage, but not likely if this is a reoccurring thing.

is it possible in a chin that during a shed his summer coat somehow doesn't cover the area but a winter coat does? Same place and yearly? i'm not sure...

Yeah the fact that he got the same thing last year is whats throwing me for a loop. The skin doesnt look irritated or red at all to me which makes me think its nothing from force or trauma or a cage accident or something. It could just be a bunch of fur slips but thats a GIANT slip then.

I think as of now Im going to keep an eye on it and bring him to the vet if it gets worse/stays the same for awhile if no one has any better suggestions or sees it is a dire situation. Hes still his happy self, still eating and drinking and acting normal.

jbcstratton said:

If that is fur slip, it's quite a large spot. Wonder if his priming initiates him fur chewing or pulling his own fur. Some is growing back by the looks and the other spots look like they have recently been pulled.
Also could have been an injury, maybe from the cage, but not likely if this is a reoccurring thing.

Click to expand...

I thought fur slip because the other fur doesnt look chewed. If he is pulling it out in the same spot each year, I'd think there is an underlying issue as to why.

The other odd thing is....Im not finding clumps of fur in his cage.