Rat Rescue
:: Guide to Chinchillas
Guide to Chinchillas
Chinchillas are sweet, entertaining and somewhat destructive
little creatures, so if you are fond of your skirting boards,
then think twice abut getting a chinny unless you have a separate
room where they can play.
Also, as Chinchillas live quite a long time (between 8 and
10 years although there are reports of them reaching 16 years),
getting a chinchilla should be given careful thought as they
will b around for a long time.
The natural habitat of the chinchilla is on the slopes of the
Andes mountain range in South America, at altitudes of between
3000 to 5000m (10,000 to 16,000ft). Little is known about their
diet in the wild, and is thought to be made up of course grasses,
shrubs, cacti and mosses.
In the 1920’s these animals were killed in their thousands
to supply the fur trade of the time, and only swift action,
and regulations, introduced by the government at the time, prevented
this animals extinction. However, there are still chinchilla
farms where they are bred purely for their pelt.
The chinchilla’s fur is very dense and soft. The natural wild
colour is mottled charcoal on the back and a creamy white on
the underside, although now many more colours are available
which include light and dark beige, silver, blond, pastel, blue
velvet, velvet, light and dark brown, charcoal and violet.
Housing
Ideal housing for a chinchillas should be a cage made from
16 gauge galvanised weld mesh with ¼” to ¾” squares on the floor
and ½” to 1” squares on the sides and top. The size of a cage
to house 1 adult chinchilla should measure at least 24” deep,
36" wide and 24” high.
Fruit branches and wooden shelves should be fitted because chinchillas
prefer to sit on something solid. And blocks of wood 2 to 4” square
will soon be whittled away by their strong teeth, water should
be offered in a glass bottle, with a stainless steel spout, firmly
attached to the outside of the cage.
The position of the cage is also important as chinchillas -
like all small animals - are particularly susceptible to damp
and draughty conditions. Loud voices and sudden noises will
also disturb them, so keep them out of busy hallways, and the
clicking sound normally made to budgies will only worry and
confuse them, so always talk to them using a soft and soothing
tone.
Supplies for your Chinchilla
Handling
Before holding any chinchilla make sure your hands are clean
and dry because any dirt, grease or sweat will damage the fur.
If a chinchilla feels threatened, in its cage, it will retreat
into a corner and sit down facing you, and if grabbed the animals
defences include the ability to shed clumps of fur in order
to escape, to prevent this from happening to remove a chinchilla
from its cage keep your hand as low as possible, as this poses
less of a threat to the animal, and gently hold the animals
ear, not too hard, as it is possible to burst blood vessels
in the chinchilla’s ears, this should make it sit quietly, then
put your other hand in and pick the animal up.
To calm a frightened chinchilla, as with most small animals,
cup your hands over its eyes and gently rub around its ears.
When holding a chinchilla it is important that it feels safe
this is best achieved by holding the tail firmly between your
index and middle fingers while the chinchilla sits on the palm
of your hand, holding the animal by its shoulders with your
other hand.
Once used to this the animal should sit quite still on your
palm without the need to be held by the shoulders.
Diet
The most important food a chinchilla can be given is good quality
hay. This mimics the sort of foodstuffs a chinchilla would eat
in the wild, giving them lots of gnawing action and therefore
keeping their teeth healthy as well as digestive sustem.
Chinchilla’s digest their food in two stages, this involves
firstly eating food and then re-ingesting a food pellet straight
from the anus, and then finally expelling a fully digested waste
pellet.
The commercially available chinchilla pellets are well balanced
and contain about 17% protein, and most chinchillas will eat
about 1 to 1-½ tablespoons (1oz) per day. These pellets should
not be kept for more than 2 – 3 months after the date of purchase
and stored in a dry lidded container.
As we said before, hay is a vital part of the chinchilla’s
diet, and one animal will eat about a handful each day. The
use of a hayrack will reduce the wastage, as any that has been
trodden on will not be eaten. Any hay on the floor of the cage
should be removed daily and disposed of.
Under normal conditions the pellets and hay is all the food
the animal will need to keep fit and healthy, however treats
can be offered, the golden rule being to feed very small quantities
of not too ofetn. Some of the foods that can be given include
grass, clover, comfrey, dandelion, plantain and dock.
Also small quantities of carrot and celery tops and edible
leaves from trees and shrubs such as hawthorn, willow, apple,
raspberry and blackberry will also be accepted. Always make
sure that any foods collected from the wild are washed thoroughly
and have not been contaminated by chemicals or the waste of
other animals.
Chinchillas, like most animals, have a sweet tooth, and given
the chance will eat more than is good for them.Raisins are,
for this reason, a firm favourite but because they are preserved
in mineral oil, they like most fruits will act as a laxative,
but small amounts fed in a controlled way will do no harm.
Cooked mixed flake cereals are also popular but should never
replace the pellets completely.
Chinchillas have delicate digestive systems, therefore it is
imperative their food bowl and water bottle are washed daily
to stop any bacteria forming. We only use boiled tap water in
our chinchilla bottles.
Nuts and oily seeds such as rape and sunflower should be avoided
and remember that the chinchilla’s digestive system cannot cope
with large quantities of rich, moist food.
Bathing
Chinchilla’s are special in that they bathe in dust, and although
this can be a very messy affair, it is also one of the highlights
of keeping this wonderful animal.
Only sepiolite dust should be used, given to them once a day,
for about 20 minutes, and always removed after to prevent it
becoming too soiled. The dust should be offered in a deep sided
container and about 1” in depth.
Specially formulated to ensure a balanced but varied diet.This
palatable Alfalfa-based mix includes raisins, carrots and flaked
peas. It is high in fibre low in fat providing a correctly based
diet for healthy chinchillas.
Health
Eyes
If your chinchilla has recurring eye problems (such as a white
discharge) and your vet has checked out your chinchilla’s mouth
and his teeth seem fine, an x-ray should be carried out. This
way the vet can see if the root of the teeth are growing upwards
and causing pressure on the eye socket.
Chinchillas have what is called an open root – if the teeth
aren’t used constantly (by gnawing and grinding on lots of hard
foodstuffs and hay) they keep on growing – inside the mouth
as well as up towards the eye sockets and down through the jaw
(the same as degus and in some cases, guinea pigs).
By giving your chinchilla lots to gnaw on – like timothy hay
and hard foods – you are doing your best to keep their teeth
healthy – as well as their general health too.
It must be stated here that there is no substitute for good
veterinary advice when treating your small furries. If you know
of a good specialist in this field please email us with their
details.
Teeth
Teeth problems are the curse of chinchillas – see under ‘eyes’
above. If your chinchilla has difficulty eating and/ or has
a wet chin, then you must see a vet immediately. While their
teeth may seem healthy to look at, there could be problems with
the roots causing pain and inability to eat as they grow up
towards the eye socket or down through the jaw.
Fur chewing
A chinchilla can become a fur chewier, it is not really understood
why this behaviour occurs although a dietary deficiency or boredom
have both been suggested as a cause, although this does not
seem to adversely affect the animal, once started this is a
very difficult behavioural problem to cure.
Chinchilla’s can also suffer from fur fungus; this condition
is recognised by a lot of broken whiskers, scabs on the ears
and/or missing clumps of fur, this can be treated but is best
avoided by good care and cage hygiene.
Heat
During the summer chinchilla’s can suffer from heat stress;
the normal rectal temperature is 97oF (37oC). Any higher and
the animal will have problems keeping cool, and in extreme cases
can even fall into a coma. At the first sign of overheating
remove the animal to a cooler position and lightly dampen its
ears and feet with a cool cloth. Seek veterinary advice.
