New chin, fur help?

[nightnurse]

I just rescued my very first Chinchilla. I have always had rabbits and hamsters underfoot, but these guys are new to me. I've done my research but would like an opinion on this little guy.
He is five years old and unfortunately wasn't kept very well. He needs a lot of TLC but he is super friendly. He was kept in cedar shavings, has been chewing plastic and had his wheel taken away because it was noisy. And kept next to a heater. The previous owners told me he lost the full length of hair on his sides due to his wheel? I have a feeling he has been without it for a very long time though. My question is- does this sound plausible? Or could the boredom/shavings, etc. be causing fur bite? Or what does it look like to you?
I only just got him tonight and haven't handled him too much even though he is just begging to come out. I want him to settle in a bit. I've already stripped the cage so no worries about the shavings. He is in good hands now. Any thoughts on his fur would be appreciated.
Thank you

 

[Godofgods]

hes in a old style ferret cage it looks like. I have two myself. They no longer make them. Most everything is plastic. Not only is plastic a danger for chins, but after a while it seriously starts to warp.

He was kept in cedar shavings, has been chewing plastic and had his wheel taken away because it was noisy. And kept next to a heater. The previous owners told me he lost the full length of hair on his sides due to his wheel? I have a feeling he has been without it for a very long time though. My question is- does this sound plausible?

I'm not sure. But each one of those things listed is not good for a chin. Ceder shaving contains harmful oils, plastic can be ingested causing impaction, wrong types of wheels are hazardous.

Ive never heard of a chin losing hair like that cause of a wheel, but i cant honestly say for sure.

 

[Riven]

Looks like fur chewing to me.

I'd start by looking at his food, give him a good quality wheel, plenty of chews.

Chewing can be genetically prone behavior, often it's due to some sort of stress. Sometimes diet, sometimes boredom, or fear (like having a big clawed cat staring you down all day...)

If it recently started at 5 years, there is a good chance it's reversible. What kind of diet is he on? Make sure to get him plenty of good hay, good quality pellet, and plenty of wood chews. Quality dust will help too.

 

[Dreamlite]

Looks like furchewing to me as well.

 

[nightnurse]

Thank you. He seems to be adjusting nicely so hopefully with some care it will come back nicely. If not, at least he will be well taken care of from now on.

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

Congrats on your new baby. You've come to the right place to learn and continue learning.

Looks like fur chewing to me as well. I doubt the wheel caused it; if the wheel was loud then it was probably disturbing their sleep so they took it.

 

[3CsMommy]

My guess? He started barbering himself because he was bored or stressed after they took away his wheel. If it were mine, I'd have extra hay in there to hopefully distract him from his own fur. If you can find some sissal or palm leaf shredders, they're good for chins that like to destroy stuff and leave an aftermath, which might appeal to him more than his bad habit.

Rescue is always so hard because, at least for me, every time you look at or think about the suffering from before you got them, it makes the urge to "Coulda'hada V8" people that much harder to resist. How's he doing now that he's had a few days to settle in? Any noticeable changes in behavior?

 

[nightnurse]

He seems to be settling in still but just loves his ear scratches. I haven't noticed him chewing at all but I'm not there all the time. It seems the previous owners weren't feeding him hay- or at least had run out before I got him. He has been eating mostly hay now and not touching too much of his pellets. But he seems a lot more relaxed and every day is a bit more handable. And looking healthier too- no more runny eyes. So I think we are on the right track.

 

[mercynursie]

K/udos to you for making the commitment to care for your baby regardless! He may be a furchewer for the rest of his life, but he may turn around with your excellent care. You are doing all the right things to help him with this starting with excellent nutrition,good hay,stimulating enviroment. Just watch those eyes and keep close watch for any signs of dental issues(drooling,wet looking fur around eyes or mouth,pawing,etc). He may start showing some dental issues esp if he has never had hay/sticks/chew items in the past and need a vet check/dental visit just to even his teeth from uneven wear or even chipped/broken from the period poor nutrition and neglect.