skinny chin not very active...

Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum

Help Support Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
M

munch23

Guest
sorry if this isnt in the right place...
i just accquired two chinchillas from a girl from my college and i have noticed that one is kinda skinny (when you pick him up you can feel his ribs and spine) and he doesnt move alot. the other one seems fine, jumping all over the cage and eating the lava chews i got for them. i also noticed that when i pick him up he has some white secretions coming from his genitils... is this normal?
 
I agree with Essentia. That doesn't sound too good, you can look on one of the FAQ sections to find an exotic vet in your area if you don't have one already.
 
yeah, if he's acting lethargic, he needs to get to the vet. And having excretions come out is definitely not normal.
 
it sounds gross but i though maybe he was masterbating... because he was licking himself then i took him out and there was white stuff around his "area".
 
Are you sure the chin is male? It may be a female with a pyometra, especially if it is lethargic and skinny - infection can cause those things as well as other problems.
I would take it to a vet ASAP for a full check up.
 
Yes, are you sure it's a male? Both males and females have a cone, so even if you see what you think is a penis, it may just be the female's cone.

I was under the impression that when chin's mess with their penis that they take it out of its sheath and then you would see it, as a chin's penis is rather long.

However a female with pyometra would have discharge coming out of the same area.
 
Since chins are prey animals, they do very well with hiding pain and illness. If it is to the point of acting lathargic, then the problem is fairly advanced, and the chin needs to get to a vet ASAP.

Please update with his/her status! Other's experiences are how we all learn!!
 
Please make sure that you chin is male!! If she is female and it is pyometra (a severe infection of the uterus) she will need to see a vet as soon as possible!! A closed pyo can kill very quickly, and an open pyo needs antibiotics ASAP. Regardless, you should take him/her to the vet - weight loss and lethargy are not good signs.
 
Claire D said:
Are you sure the chin is male? It may be a female with a pyometra, especially if it is lethargic and skinny - infection can cause those things as well as other problems.
I would take it to a vet ASAP for a full check up.
Click to expand...

This was my first thought as well.

Chins shouldn't be lethargic unless it is sleep time.
 
Last edited:
Being lethargic and sleep time are very different. a sleepy chinchilla when woken up will become active.
 
starleomach said:
Being lethargic and sleep time are very different. a sleepy chinchilla when woken up will become active.
Click to expand...

I agree. I shouldn't have worded it that way. I was thinking lethargic as not moving around as much and such because they were asleep, not after being woken up.
 
well i came home from babysitting last night and both chins were running around and eating. i think i was just worried because it was the first night i had them, so maybe they were still adjusting. i called my aunt who is a vet (for small animals) and she told me that they take time to adjust to new surroundings and that it could be why he wasnt very active the 1st night.
 
What about the "white secretions coming from his genitals"? Has this now stopped?
 
Yeah, I would definitely still take him to the vet to ensure there is no infection. You wouldn't want him to have anything that could spread to the other. It's very good that he was more active, though!! :)
 
Be sure to sex them as well, I'm sure you don't want all of the additional worry, risk, and cost that breeding entails. The secretion from genitals is not normal, a vet check is definitely in order, it can be a sign of serious infection in a female chinchilla especially and can be fatal if not treated fast. It also sounds like he/she is underweight. You should keep track of your chins' weight as it can be a sign of illness when they start to lose it. You should get more info from your Aunt who is small animal vet, I am sure she can help you care for them properly...
 
Last edited:
I agree with parkerspetchins, please make sure you sex your chinchillas correctly! You want to avoid breeding, also, it will help determine if your chin was pleasuring himself (if male) or has pyometra which needs treatment immediately and can/will be fatal if not treated(if female).

Also, you might want to get some supplement, lifeline, good quality feed (Mazuri & Oxbow are available from petstores. Other forum members sell fresh pellets of various brands as well), and good quality hay (Oxbow is available from petstores as well. American Pet Diner & Kleenmama's Hay Loft offer good quality timonty grass hay) to ensure that you are providing proper nurition to your chins.

Although your aunt is a small animal vet, is she well-versed with Chinchilla care? If not, please see the Vet Listings post for a chinchilla-knowledgeble vet near you.

Please keep us updated! This forum is a wealth of chin-knowledge; please be sure to take a look around.
 
You said that you got the chins from a friend at school. Is this high school, college, etc? I just ask, because often younger chin owners don't have the means or the liberties to just run the chin into the vet.

If you are on the younger side, I would suggest asking your parents to read these posts and encourage them to help you. Maybe see if your aunt can take time to stop by and examine your chins to determine the sex and maybe rule out a possible infection. You are lucky to have that sort of resource, and being a new chin owner, you should learn the sex of your chins immediately and go from there.

If the chin does have an infection and you have two different sexed chins in the same cage, you are only asking for trouble. It is much better to be safe then sorry.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top