hmm let's see

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Brittney

Brittney

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 23, 2009
Messages
826
Location
Phoenix, AZ
So I'm a technician at a veterinary clinic that also sees exotics. Unfortunately, I work with a person who always has to be right and if you know you're right, they say something completely out of the park that proves that they are right and you can't win even though you are right.

So today, we were on the subject of chinchillas (he knows I have them and always brings something up about them just to argue with me) and he said "So, guess what I saw today?" and I was like hmm lemme guess, a chinchilla? and he was like "yeah and the guy that owns the reptile store down the road has them at his store and they were at like 80 something degrees and were doing fine. So yeah, you don't have to keep them at cold temperatures" I was like Oh yeah? and what is the guy feeding them? and he said "Well, he gives them live insects, kaytee chinchilla food, seeds and greens." I asked why on earth he is giving chinchillas insects and he said that they need insects in their diet.

He said I obviously don't know how to care for chinchillas, I may know some more specifics than him, but I don't know as much as I think I do.

What the heck.... So I am completely in the wrong, or is this guy an idiot?
 
That guy is an idiot. I can argue something mean...you should have him call me. :neener:

Chinchillas survive on grasses and leaves like any herbivore. Wait? What was that word, again? Oh yeah...HERBIVORE! Not insectivore, you say? Quite shocking...
 
I've read in studies that wild chins eat a few insects, but not often. Maybe that is where the pet store is getting it from. Either way, wild chins and domestic chins don't have the exact same needs and obviously pet chins have been raised on a non-insect diet for years with no issues due to it.

I have no idea whether giving them insects is detrimental, but it seems like it would be easier to control their nutrition with processed foods. And since it is almost a negligible part of the wild chin's diet, I don't see a need for it.
 
The man is definitely an idiot. Next time he starts arguing with you, I'd comment something along the lines of "Well then I suppose the hundreds of people I get my advice from, dozens of whom raise chinchillas for their livelihood and have been doing so for years, even decades, know nothing of them?" Twist the truth a bit. He won't know any difference.
 
I think he's trying to get you going by inferring that the chins might be kept for food for the reptiles. Don't bite!!!

I have a co-worker who is known for his teasing. He asked me the best way to eat chinchilla. Without skipping a beat, I replied that I preferred them poached in a light white wine with a side of fresh asparagus. He was stunned -- and that's unusual for him. :thumbsup:
 
Just ignore him. Feeding insects to chins is stupid and stupid to even think that they would be healthy doing so. Simply being alive is not "doing fine" either. 80 degrees is hot for a human and chins are pretty uncomfortable at temperatures exceeding 80 degrees. It gets up to the high 80s and they'll be dead.

The man at the store must be so much more brilliant than anyone else. I suppose that this person won't listen to you, so you may as well just say, "You're so right." Say it sarcastically and then don't talk to him about it anymore. :)
 
I tend to try to just ignore people..I don't always suceed though...There are way more stupid people than not out there...
 
If you can, show him a dental x-ray from a chin and ask if they're omnivores, where are the canines and bicuspids? (The teeth we have in common with bears, raccoons, opossums, etc.) If you eat meat, your teeth need to rip/tear. If you eat plants, you need teeth that grind. Chin teeth look like cow/horse/elephant teeth for a reason. Our teeth look like a bear's for the exact same reason (generally, we eat what they eat).

Or you can just chalk it all up to the fact that he's so intimidated by being thought "dumber" than a teenaged girl he's compensating by making an @$$ of himself and ignore the waste of space as long as you can keep him away from any chin owners that come in.
 
We have a member here that will argue that 80 deg is okey dokey since her chins did not die, even 100 deg temps. So this idgit does not suprise me at all.
 
Just show him all the chin memorials from chins overheating. Even ones with very good owners that had an accident and didn't realize how warm it got while they were sleeping or something like that. Or that story of someone's chin eating a black widow and dying. Although, I'm assuming they only feed non-poisonous insects, still I doubt there's much research on what insects are toxic to chins.

Oy!
 
Next time he says something along those lines, I'd ask where the reptile store is and how long it takes to drive there. If he thinks it's so great, I guess he wouldn't mind a visit from a fellow chinchin owner. Once I got there, I'd give him some info printed off the net, or from your vet's office... but I'm just easily upset about this kind of stuff, and have no life, so there you are. I would ALSO tell your vet how idiotic someone who works for him/her is being.. wouldn't want my chinnie to come to the office and be looked at by THAT guy. Yeesh. If you don't ask where the store is, I would just ignore him. We all know that a controlled diet and plenty of hay and cool temperatures is what's best... he's just being a jerk. ;)
 
My question for your idiot coworker is "So some stranger in a pet store specializing in REPTILES knows more about chinchillas than me, Hmm? I don't think so."

The pet store not too far from here sells mostly fish and reptiles.. I wonder if its the place he was talking about... I hate going in there. The thought of chins and sugar gliders in that humid environment makes me want to take them away every time I was there. :(
 
starleomach said:
I tend to try to just ignore people..I don't always suceed though...There are way more stupid people than not out there...
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I don't like to argue, either. It takes too much time, energy and I hate dealing with the aggravation. If I know I'm right, that's all I need to know. I really don't need that validation from anyone else.

Yes, I agree chins probably eat an insect every now and then in the wild. Do they need them? Probably not. Would I feed mine an insect? No.

Don't let this guy drive you nuts. That's exactly what he wants to do and when you let him aggravate you, he wins. I would just say "Yeah, sure, right, okay" in a tone that lets him know you think he's an idiot and walk away.
 
That disturbs me that a VET would try to argue points like that. If it was me I'd start looking for a new place to work.

Seriously though, try to shrug it off. Most likely you can't do anything to help those chins so I'd save the arguing for when you have to advocate for your boys. I'd like to see which chins are happier and healthier; those poor pet store chins, or your spoiled boys! ;)
 
There's lots of reptile/fish stores around the valley that sell chinchillas. Some of them breed them in the store...and once they all die they usually stop selling them completely. They need to stick with the reptiles and other animals that all require the same temperature and humidity levels...the chins are a stupid choice because they require cold and dry. Oh well...more rescues, I suppose...
 
i think he is just trying to annoy you. i love to "debate" when i know i am right, but in the case where someone is deliberately "egging" you on........i would just say...."yup", "youre right" or "uhhuh" and just nod & smile.
you know you are right, your chins know you are right and we all know you are right.
so who cares what some blowhole says.
 
I wonder if hes telling the truth...Maybe he thinks chins are reptiles? lol. Have you ever been to the store to see if he was lying? you could even call the store and just ask if they have chinchillas. If not just say, he I was looking in to that store you told me about, they dont carry chinchillas- hes just an attention *bleep*.
 
Please please please-it would totally make my day if you told us that this guy has any responsibilities at the vet cleaning up waste...I just want to know-seems like there would be some "arguments" available there to match his intellectual and maturity level :)
 
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