slodden
Chin Mom
I am trying to figure out what could have happened to my chin.
I have not been home much this past week due to a tragic death someone close to me. However, I was able to make it home almost daily to give all my pets food and water.
The last time I saw my chin alive was Friday night around 10pm, I filled the food bowl, and the 16oz water bottle. I gave them each a rose hip as a treat and left the house again. Saturday was the funeral and I didnt get home, and Sunday I was going nonstop on ambulance calls (I'm an EMT) so didnt get a chance to check in. Sunday night (4am Monday morning) I was sitting on my couch, looked up at the cage and noticed he was in his house, with his head resting through the hole of the house. He was dead, but I'm unsure why.
When I picked him up he was in full rigor, he had blood at his nostrils and mouth. He was housed with another chin, but they are well bonded and I've never seen any squabbles between them. The food bowl was empty, but still plenty of hay and water. I dont see any damage to any of the fleece liners, hammocks, or tubes. I tried to purchase the best of everything for my chins so as to minimize the possibility of a tragedy like this.
Please share any ideas or suggestions you may have on what could have happened to my little guy. Anything I should be concerned about with my other chin? He was young, only 6 months old. I purchased him directly from his breeder, he's never been in a pet store and had full 30 day quarantine before being introduced to his cage mate. Food was Oxbow Chinchilla Essentials, Water is clean, filtered water, Hay is Oxbow Timothy Hay, and Rose hips were purchased online by organic retailer for use as a tea (human grade). Chins are in a Critter Nation cage which is very safe, and are housed in my living room which is 68 degrees. They have lava blocks, organic lufah chews, and plenty of wood to chew on. I got them a chin spin wheel and cannot think of anything that may have caused him to die. :cry3:
I have not been home much this past week due to a tragic death someone close to me. However, I was able to make it home almost daily to give all my pets food and water.
The last time I saw my chin alive was Friday night around 10pm, I filled the food bowl, and the 16oz water bottle. I gave them each a rose hip as a treat and left the house again. Saturday was the funeral and I didnt get home, and Sunday I was going nonstop on ambulance calls (I'm an EMT) so didnt get a chance to check in. Sunday night (4am Monday morning) I was sitting on my couch, looked up at the cage and noticed he was in his house, with his head resting through the hole of the house. He was dead, but I'm unsure why.
When I picked him up he was in full rigor, he had blood at his nostrils and mouth. He was housed with another chin, but they are well bonded and I've never seen any squabbles between them. The food bowl was empty, but still plenty of hay and water. I dont see any damage to any of the fleece liners, hammocks, or tubes. I tried to purchase the best of everything for my chins so as to minimize the possibility of a tragedy like this.
Please share any ideas or suggestions you may have on what could have happened to my little guy. Anything I should be concerned about with my other chin? He was young, only 6 months old. I purchased him directly from his breeder, he's never been in a pet store and had full 30 day quarantine before being introduced to his cage mate. Food was Oxbow Chinchilla Essentials, Water is clean, filtered water, Hay is Oxbow Timothy Hay, and Rose hips were purchased online by organic retailer for use as a tea (human grade). Chins are in a Critter Nation cage which is very safe, and are housed in my living room which is 68 degrees. They have lava blocks, organic lufah chews, and plenty of wood to chew on. I got them a chin spin wheel and cannot think of anything that may have caused him to die. :cry3: