Depressed Chin?

[pants567]

So over this weekend I wasn't able to bring FenFen out for his little playtimes as I had said in a different thread. Well the past couple days he has been sleeping more than usual. It could be that he likes his hammock so much that he just doesn't feel like doing anything else, but he used to be a cage surfer running around constantly. I'm not worried about his health because he is still eating and drinking and peeing and pooping regularly... he is a regular poop machine actually. His eyes are bright and clear and he doesn't have a hair ring. He hasn't fallen and he's not favoring any limbs. I checked his teeth and they are fine, he has been chewing on stuff regularly, the only difference in his behavior is really the constant sleeping and not hopping around as much. I only usually take him out for 10 or so minutes since he only just turned 5 months old, but since I haven't been taking him out he's just been a bump on the log. I've gotten sick so I didn't want to handle him and then I got a cold sore which I know they are susceptible to so I didn't want to put him at risk by touching him.
I decided to wash my hands in hot water for about 5 minutes with antibacterial soap and then used hand sanitizer before I even went near his cage. I kept him in the cage to limit exposure and hand fed him some hay as well as breaking up a rosehip and feeding him the pieces and letting him crawl on my hands for a little while. He seemed happier for a while but now he's a bump again!
So I was just wondering if not having his play time and as much attention as I had been giving him could be making him depressed. Any thoughts?

 

[pants567]

Completely unrelated, but when he isn't sleeping he likes to go to the bottom of his cage and treat his bedding like a dust bath. He digs it up, rolls around in it, literally just like a dust bath. He's been getting his dust baths regularly and his fur looks fine, he only rolls around in the clean bedding, but is this normal? Other than getting little pieces of pine all over him it doesn't really seem to be having an effect on his fur. If he is doing this should I be giving him more dust baths? Right now he usually gets one every other day to every two days depending on how he looks.

 

[ChinnyMom]

FenFen may just be settling in and isn't so nervous any more. that could account for the more relaxed manner. if you see him acting lethargic at all though, get him to a chin experienced vet.

my boys were quite excitable when they came home, and Rhino was a little nutty when Guss moved into the chin room after quarantine, but they are now rather placid in their cages for the most part.

as for the rolling in the shavings, i've read that chins will do that. i don't know why, but they seem to enjoy it, lol. sounds like your dusting schedule is fine.

 

[Lynn & The Chins]

He may be depressed...or just confused.

Chinchillas enjoy a regular schedule. Last year when I was really sick with 'the crud", I spent as little time near them as possible. I covered my nose and mouth like a bank robber so that I wouldn't breathe on them. I very quickly bused the potty pan, gave food, hay and water and then left.

After I was better, things returned to normal and all was forgiven.

 

[pants567]

Thanks, he seems a lot better tonight so maybe the little bit of attention woke him up. He's running and jumping around playing with his toys so he seems a bit happier now. I'm glad the rolling around in bedding is ok, I was a little worried that I'd have to switch to fleece sooner than anticipated.

 

[Godofgods]

Chins can and will get used to a certin schudel and certin sounds. My chins hear a bag rustle they immiditidl jump up thinking treat time. Or if i touch the ferret cage bars (i use extra peices to block opening so they can run) they jsut hear u touch them they will get super excited. That being said he migh act a little diffrent for a while if his schudel has been changed. Usaly nothing to worry about. He could also be getting mkroe used to his sourroundings. I swear my two guys used to have a motor inside them running, cause they never stopped. Now a days tho, theyd rather jsut relax somewhere.

As for your chins rubbing around in their litter like its a sand bath... All of mine do the exact same thing. Its interesting to see to say the least. Im not intirly sure why they do it. Some times theyll do it a few days after a bath, some times theyll do it 10 min after a bath.