Help fight wound!

[xkatxrinax]

Hi,

My two female chinchillas just had a fight, I heard distress calls and went in to find fur everywhere and one chinchilla hiding from the other. The other was trying to check on her but the one in hiding was very angry. So I separated one in the top half of the cage and one in the bottom temporarily. Just so that the upset one can calm down but since calming down and coming out for a treat which she ate happily I notice that behind her front leg has matted bloody fur so she obviously got quite a bad wound. It seems to not be bleeding any more from what I can tell but she won't sit still for me to get a proper look. The vets are closed for today so if she does need a vet it will have to wait :/
She seems to be running around ok, she even went on an adventure outside the cage when I was trying to examine her (she escaped) which she seemed to enjoy a lot!
She's a very fiesty chin, she gave me a very bad bite the first time I tried to examine her after the fight so it's hard to check her properly.
So basically what can I do for her? does she need the vet? and how long should I leave them separated and how should I go about putting them back together? oh and should I hold off on dust baths while she's healing?
They've never had a fight like this and i've had them for 4 years.

 

[Kokorobosoi]

Once a chin draws blood, that chin will never again have a cage mate. (In my house.) Fights can come out of nowhere, and turn very bad very quickly.

I also suggest taking the injured one to the vet when they open. And no dust baths with an open wound. And clean your bite too! Don't forget yourself in the chaos.

I hope things settle down, and good luck!

 

[xkatxrinax]

I don't understand it though, literally and hour before they were cuddled up as usual all happy, they do everything together :/ Can giving them new cage toys cause fights? because yesterday I gave them a new wooden house in their cage, that's the only difference I can think of.
Should I not try to reintroduce them on neutral ground at all? Is it worth a shot?
I'd be very sad to have to keep them separated

 

[Amethyst]

I agree with not reintroducing them if blood was drawn. Unfortunately chins can decide for no obvious reason they don't like each other anymore. Minor squabbles are normal, and minor fights (aggressive chasing, pulled fur, etc) they might just need a week or two to cool off, but once they draw blood it's a sign of intent to kill. Just feel lucky you caught them and were able to separate them before it got that far, next time it's very likely you will end up with a dead chin.
Fighting over resources is possible, but by that I mean food and water, like in a situation of one preventing the other from getting to them, survival instinct kicks in. A new toy or hiding house isn't really a resource, they wont die if they have to sleep somewhere else in the cage so it wouldn't be enough to actually try to kill over, argue yes, but not kill.

 

[xkatxrinax]

The wound is in a very weird place it's around the armpit of a front leg, seems an unusual place to me, they've had squabbles and the odd nip to the ear before, usually because the less dominant one doesn't want to be groomed by the other as much as they want. When I went in to check on them after the initial fight my dominant chin wasn't being aggressive towards her any more she seemed worried in my eyes trying to check on her. I wonder if the blood is from something that happened while running around but maybe i'm just trying to be too hopeful they'll still get along.

 

[xkatxrinax]

Having said that there was a lot of fur pulled out and a tiny mark on her nose so it is likely that the bleeding is from a bite as well

 

[Kokorobosoi]

In the end you will do what you think is best. My opinion is that any chin owner with more than one chin should always be prepared to have more than one cage. I have four chins, in three separate cages. And I have a fourth cage for emergencies. I personally had to learn not to give animals human emotions. They feel, but sometimes not in the way we think they do. Please be careful, no matter what you decide.

 

[Cass C]

I would also hesitate to try a reintroduction with a chinchilla pair who had a bad fight as next time you may not catch them and you could end up with a dead chinchilla.

 

[xkatxrinax]

I know this is always a situation to be prepared for, in fact I just had to split up one of my guinea pigs from a trio as well. It's just sad, thank you all for your help! I will take her to the vet in the morning and leave them separated as I really don't want any more injuries. It will be sad to see them on their own now, they're only 4 years old so i'm worried about them being lonely

 

[Dreamlite]

Its best to keep them apart. Once a chin fights it doesnt get better. They will be fine caged separately. They will still be able to see and talk to each other but not hurt the other chin.

 

[xkatxrinax]

Just wanted to say I haven't seen Cinnamon, the chin who was attacked, this happy for a long time. She's eating more hay, she's sleeping more soundly, she's more active and popcorning. Makes me kind of glad I separated them. Vanilla the attacker is very depressed and attention seeking on the other hand, i'll just have to make sure to give them extra attention now Thank you all yet again.

 

[Minccino]

What a terrifying event! I'm glad you stepped in on time.
I hope little Cinnamon heals quickly.

What great news that they are doing so well being separated. As long as you give them both lots of love and attention they will be happy with your contact alone. They see you as apart of their herd ) and as already stated, at least they can still communicate with one another!

I am always debating about getting a second chin to bond with my guy, but am afraid of this very thing happening. I would hate to risk his health, or even his life.