Lots of Chinchilla Misinformation on Expert Village

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M

menagerie

Creative Genius
Joined
Jan 28, 2009
Messages
2,029
I know a lot of misinformation abounds on the internet, but I can't believe someone went so far as to make videos for Expert Village that are full of bad information.

First I stumbled across Avoid Fungus in Chinchillas. Not only is it full of bad information, but the opening photo is an example of chronic bumblefoot not fungus. It then goes on to discuss how fungus is spread and is full of errors. There is a chin in a cage behind the narrator that is running up and down a ramp with metal rungs. We all know that can be an accident waiting to happen.

Sadly this is just one video in a series.
 
Interesting Meanie. Maybe she doesn't know what she's talking about? That sure doesn't look like fungus in the picture she's holding up.

"Fungus is a really nasty condition that happens....um...sometimes." Hmmmm, interesting.

Fur fungus and fur chewing look the same? Not that I've seen. When I have a chin with fungus, it looks like fungus. It looks nothing like fur chewing.

I also wonder at the recommendation to use a plastic dust bath house that would be darn near impossible to sterilize, especially if there were any cracks in it.

Ah, also just watched the beige segment. Interesting "facts" on that one too. I'll have to look through the rest of them. So far, they have been pretty amusing.
 
Ummmm............ that photo is of my friend Debbie's chin, Kiera, who had chronic non-healing bumblefoot because her original owner did not realise what it was and did not treat it. Clearly they are happy the breach copyright and also have no chuffing clue about bumblefoot vs fungus. :wacko:

As for the information ............. OMFGG!! What a load of complete tosh! Expert my @rse.

Have you seen the other videos? They are just as bad. Full of misinformation and downright dangerous info (metal ledges anyone and mesh ramps?). :(
 
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Ummmm............ that photo is of my friend Debbie's chin, Kiera, who had chronic non-healing bumblefoot because her original did not realise what it was and did not treat it.
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Did your friend give her permission to use the photo? I hate when people call themselves "experts" just because they read the chinchilla books in pet stores.
 
Lauren Von Lehe began the Chinchilla Rescue and Adoption Network while living in Arizona and working at the Second Chance Center for Animals. They were not able to take in small animals at the rescue she worked in, and she soon realized that there was a great need for a rescue specific to chinchillas. Since then she has successfully rehabilitated and fostered chinchillas for over five years, caring for and adopting out 17 chinchillas. Some animals came in with medical needs, were taken out of horrible conditions, or were beloved pets who simply could no longer be kept. Lauren has worked hard to educate herself on their care, medical needs, and behavior by speaking with knowledgeable breeders who have been raising chinchillas for 20 years, visiting chinchilla breeding and rescue facilities, networking within the chinchilla community, and creating a network of good people to rely on for rescue and information.
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Obviously she needs to do a little more research.
 
What can you do? With everyone and their brother breeding, everyone and their brother will also think they are experts. Other than write e-mails to complain about misinformation and stolen material (The picture) I dunno what there is to do.
 
People are gonna have one heck of a time finding that wheel she's talking about in the playtime video. "Exer-saucer." It's a FLYING SAUCER. And the orange extension cord out is definitely recommended! Azure Chins called her on using the bumblefoot pic, too.
 
Seriously, watch her color information. It's very interesting.

Did you know that beiges have white paws and brown velvets only come from beiges and blacks? Ebony comes in three color phases, and they have 3 or 4 eb genes. Breeding two ebonies together will produce chinchillas with tooth problems. We do not use terms like "hetero ebony." Breeders also recommend not putting them into breeding until they are 2-3 years old because there are "genetic issues" in their "lines."

Holy cow!

Uhhhh-huh.
 
Aha! Pot ..... meet kettle ........

From her website: http://www.rescuenetwork.freewebspace.com/custom3_1.html
Chinchillas

Be VERY careful where you get your information regarding chinchillas. There are many self-proclaimed experts that can lead you down the wrong path. Most published material on chinchillas is incorrect and out-of-date compared to what we now know about their health and care.
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Uh-huh! Maybe she should be taking her own advice? :thinking:

It's very sad that such misinformation is being distributed - even more so because the general public may well believe it has been given by these self-proclaimed "experts" :(
 
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tunes said:
Seriously, watch her color information. It's very interesting.

Did you know that beiges have white paws and brown velvets only come from beiges and blacks? Ebony comes in three color phases, and they have 3 or 4 eb genes. Breeding two ebonies together will produce chinchillas with tooth problems. We do not use terms like "hetero ebony." Breeders also recommend not putting them into breeding until they are 2-3 years old because there are "genetic issues" in their "lines."

Holy cow!

Uhhhh-huh.
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Holy cow is right...If she gets her information from breeders who have been breeding over 20 years, I'd like to know who it is. They really need to get on this forum!
 
Maybe she meant 20 breeders who have bred for 1 year each...

Since then she has successfully rehabilitated and fostered chinchillas for over five years, caring for and adopting out 17 chinchillas.
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It's taken her five years to adopt out 17 chins?!

ETA: I encourage people to sign up and post against this information so people know.
 
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Maybe if everybody complains to "expert" (wow, using the term loosely there) village, they will take the videos down? So much wrong information there, it sucks that people will see that and actually believe it to be true.
 
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