What causes chinchillas

There is no living being in the world that is not subject to any disease. Chinchillas are no exception. Diseases of chinchillas in most cases are not contagious, since these animals live in isolation. But there are also diseases that even a living in an apartment, not a walking chinchilla, can become infected with. The main signs of the disease in the animal is a change in behavior. A sick animal tries to hide from prying eyes, becomes lethargic, refuses to eat.

Most of the diseases in chinchillas are associated with improper feeding and maintenance. Chinchillas also have hereditary diseases and diseases that occur against the background of stress.

Owners need to know the diseases of chinchillas and their symptoms in order to be able to navigate in time and provide first aid to animals.

Diarrhea in chinchilla

The medical name “enteritis” is one of the diseases caused by an improper diet. Chinchillas often “ask” for something tasty from fresh fruits or vegetables. But if you give animals a treat, indigestion will inevitably occur.

Symptoms of the disease will be:

• softening of litter;
• wool stained with feces;
• the appearance of a smell from feces.

Every owner of a chinchilla faced this disease. Therefore, the technique “what to do if the chinchilla has diarrhea” has long been worked out. First of all, the animal is put on a strict diet of hay and water. No grain or other food is given in this case.

Since severe dehydration occurs with diarrhea, it is necessary to ensure that the chinchilla drank. If the animal is very ill, you will have to force-feed him with a syringe. Instead of water, you can give a decoction of oak bark. It is not recommended to use pharmaceutical preparations without the supervision of a veterinarian due to the animal’s too small weight.

If the veterinarian prescribed antibiotics, suspecting an infectious disease: salmonellosis, then after a course of treatment for the chinchilla, it is necessary to restore the gastrointestinal flora. To do this, you will have to use the litter of a healthy chinchilla, fill it with water, and, after insisting for 30-60 minutes, “give out” the infusion to a sick animal. Bacteria excreted from the gastrointestinal tract along with litter will quickly restore the intestinal flora in a diseased chinchilla.

Constipation

The disease is the opposite of diarrhea and often occurs in chinchillas due to eating dry food with a lack of water. Because of this, it is necessary to ensure that water is always freely available to animals.

Since the chinchilla cannot poop, over time, the animal’s stomach swells up. Through the abdominal wall, you can feel the intestines with hard feces. With constipation, a pain syndrome occurs, and the animal begins to take care, becoming lethargic and inactive. There is a refusal of chinchillas from food.

In this case, a simple diet is no longer enough. What to do if a chinchilla has constipation:

• several times a day, forcibly drink to the animal 1-2 ml of liquid vaseline oil;
• vaseline oil enemas;
• make the animal move.

Vaseline oil is not absorbed by living organisms, passing through the entire intestine and covering the walls of the gastrointestinal tract with oil. This oil will do no harm. Movement improves gastrointestinal motility.

In advanced cases, chinchillas are given Cerucal injections of 0,3 ml twice a day.

Chinchillas don’t usually swallow wool because they don’t lick themselves like cats do. But if animals are poorly kept, dead hair can get into the feed and be eaten. The second option for getting wool into the digestive tract of a chinchilla is a fight with another animal. If the intestines are really clogged with a hairball, Malt paste can be used. But for this, you must first make sure that the disease has arisen due to wool and there are no other reasons.

Flatulence

This disease is a direct consequence of feeding succulent feed to chinchillas by loving owners. Especially foods high in sugar. In the intestines of the animal, these feeds begin to ferment, releasing gas. Chinchillas are not adapted to the release of gases through the anus, which is why flatulence or bloating develops. Symptoms of this disease in chinchillas:

• hard round belly;
• soreness when touching the abdomen;
• lethargy, the animal prefers to lie down;
• refusal to feed;
• hard breath.

The latter may be a sign of another disease. You can’t cure swelling on your own. Treatment should be started as soon as possible and only under the guidance of a veterinarian.

Poisoning

The disease occurs when feeding spoiled food. Symptoms of poisoning in chinchillas are very similar to signs of a foreign body getting stuck in the throat.

Poisoning:

• urge to vomit;
• lethargy;
• possible bloating or diarrhea;
• vomiting;
• foam and mucus flow from the mouth and nose of the animal.

When a piece of wood or another object that the animal entertained gets stuck in the chinchilla’s throat, the symptoms are very similar:

• urge to vomit or vomit;
• salivation;
• sneezing;
• mucus and foam from mouth and nose.

It is very difficult to independently determine the cause of a chinchilla disease, therefore, when such symptoms appear, the animal must be taken to the veterinarian as soon as possible.

Rectal prolapse

The disease is often the result of constipation and attempts by the animal to poop or very intense diarrhea. This picture looks creepy: 1-2 cm of bloody rectum falls out of the chinchilla’s anus. If measures are not taken immediately, the intestine dries up in the air and the disease ends with tissue necrosis.

The intestine should be immediately lubricated with an antibiotic ointment to prevent drying out and infection with pathogenic microorganisms. After that, the animal is taken to the veterinary clinic. It is better if the reduction of the intestine in a chinchilla will be carried out by an experienced doctor.

Uterine prolapse

Most often occurs after whelping. Nothing can be done on your own with this disease. The female is taken to the veterinary clinic, constantly moistening the prolapsed uterus with chlorhexidine, saline, furacilin solution or another disinfectant, but not a scalding liquid.

Mastitis

If there are microcracks on the nipples of a whelping chinchilla, staphylococcal bacteria, the causative agents of mastitis, can penetrate through them. Mastitis usually occurs after whelping, although the disease can develop without whelping. Mastitis symptoms:

• redness of the breast;
• elevated temperature;
• pain while nursing.

The disease is treated with frequent massages of the mammary gland, since it is unlikely that it will be possible to squeeze an antibiotic ointment into the nipple. Too small. If possible, you can try to milk the milk from the diseased gland.

General injections of antibiotics of the penicillin group can help well, but with the milk of the female, the antibiotic will get to the puppies. Therefore, here each owner of the animal makes his choice.

hair ring

specific disease in males. A ring of wool is sometimes formed on the penis, squeezing the penis. It is not difficult to determine the presence of such a ring:

• lethargy;
• refusal to feed;
• lack of urination;
• on examination, a protruding penis is visible;
• the tip of the penis turned blue.

The ring must be removed as soon as possible. If the coat is “fresh”, the penis is lubricated with petroleum jelly or oil and the ring is carefully removed. If the hair has already dried to the penis, you will have to carefully cut the ring with nail scissors.

Hooks on teeth

These formations usually occur due to malocclusion, when the teeth are closed at the wrong angle. The disease is usually genetic.

The second case of the appearance of hooks is the lack of solid food in animals. Chinchilla teeth grow constantly. This is a common feature of all actively chewing animals. If the animal does not have the opportunity to grind down the incisors, the teeth grow and begin to injure the tongue.

With a lack of solid food for chewing or due to an incorrect bite, the back teeth can also grind incorrectly, forming sharp edges that injure the cheeks and palate of the animal.

Signs of hooks on the teeth of a chinchilla:

• refusal to feed;
• exhaustion of the animal in the absence of symptoms of other diseases;
• salivation.

The chinchilla breeder will not be able to cope with this problem on his own, since the hooks on the teeth must be removed surgically.

Stomatitis

The disease is a consequence of the weakening of the immune system and the development of pathogenic microorganisms against this background. Symptoms of the disease:

• wet hair near the animal’s mouth due to increased salivation;
• unpleasant smell from the mouth;
• refusal of food.

The disease is treated by washing the oral cavity with antibacterial drugs several times a day.

Conjunctivitis

Due to poor maintenance, the eyes of animals can become clogged with dust or irritated by mold spores. Conjunctivitis can be both mechanical and infectious. With a mechanical one, a mote gets into the eye and the animal begins to cry.

What to do if the eyes of a chinchilla are watery:

• check for specks under the eyelids;
• rinse eyes with saline;
• drip with antibiotic drops.

If there are no motes, and the eyes continue to water, most likely, this is the beginning of an infectious disease. In this case, it is better to go to the veterinarian to find out the reasons, while the inflammation is still weak and the eye has not festered.

A more severe form of conjunctivitis is purulent.

Very often this is a sign of a general infectious disease resulting from hypothermia and weakened immunity. Local diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms include inflammation of the lacrimal canal. This disease is usually closely related to the incorrect position of the molars. If the animal constantly forms hooks on the back teeth, one must be prepared that sooner or later the lacrimal canal will also be blocked.

What to do if a chinchilla has an eye fester:

• before examining a veterinarian, gently wipe the eyes of the animal with a decoction of calendula, chamomile or other suitable infusion;
• go to the veterinary clinic to determine the cause of the disease;
• follow the doctor’s recommendations.

Self-medication here can only do harm, since with a general disease it is necessary to treat not the symptoms, but the cause. And if the lacrimal canal is clogged, it will be difficult for the chinchilla breeder to clean it due to the small size of the animal. In addition, tooth extraction may be required.

Ear infection

This disease is also a consequence of unsanitary conditions. If heavily soiled, the outer ear can become inflamed. It worries the animal. The chinchilla tilts its head down with a sore ear, shakes its head, tries to scratch the auricle. In advanced cases, the disease turns into purulent inflammation and otitis media. In this case, antibiotics are indispensable.

How to treat a runny nose in a chinchilla

If we exclude the above cases of expiration of mucus from the nose, a runny nose in a chinchilla may occur as a result of hypothermia. In this case, the body’s defense systems are weakened and the animal becomes ill with what is commonly called a cold. In fact, this is the activation of some pathogenic microorganisms when favorable conditions occur.

Symptoms of the disease will be:

• sneezing;
• body temperature is above 38 ° C, while the normal physiological temperature in chinchillas is 36,1-37,8 ° C;
• coryza;
• general depression of the animal.

Sneezing is often the first sign of illness. But sneezing can be a simple reaction to dust or some irritating smell. If the animal sneezed a couple of times and stopped there, you don’t have to worry.

But if the animal sneezes a lot, you need to take action. What to do if a chinchilla sneezes:

• to measure the temperature;
• thoroughly clean the cage;
• if the temperature of the animal is elevated, contact your veterinarian for a course of treatment.

Given the general fragility of these animals, the first thing to do if a chinchilla gets sick is to contact a veterinarian. Provided that you can find a specialist in these rodents. Otherwise, you will have to act at your own peril and risk.

Also, a runny nose can be caused by an allergic reaction to any irritant. Allergens are difficult to calculate even in humans, so in the case of a chinchilla, it is easiest to completely change the litter and food and wash the cage thoroughly. But most often the case is in molds found in poor-quality hay.

Spasms in a chinchilla, what to do

 A fairly common disease in chinchillas, which has various causes. Due to the fact that convulsions can occur for various reasons, their treatment and prevention are also carried out by different methods.

Signs of seizures:

• sometimes convulsions begin suddenly, but there are cases when the animal shows increased activity before the attack;
• directly during an attack, the chinchilla falls to the floor, shakes, the head can be thrown back.

Seizures are unlikely to be confused with any other disease.

Causes of seizures and ways to stop them:

• hypovitaminosis: lack of B vitamins. Introduce a small piece of very dry dates or raisins into the diet (1-2 berries per day);
• hypocalcemia. Pierce a course of calcium gluconate and add yogurt to the diet;
• hypoglycemia. Increase the calorie content of feed or start feeding young animals;
• stress. Eliminate irritating factors and drink sedative drugs;
• epilepsy. The use of special drugs prescribed by a doctor;
• spinal injury. You can’t fix it, you can only prevent it. If you do not drag the animal by the tail too sharply.

When catching by the tail, the animal’s spine can be damaged and thus provoke the appearance of convulsions.

First aid for seizures:

• warm and calm the animal;
• inspect the chinchilla for external damage;
• make an injection of dexamethasone at a dose of 0,1 ml;
• give chinchilla 1 pc. raisins or a piece of dates when the animal comes to its senses;
• take the animal to the veterinarian for examination.

But measures help only if the disease in the chinchilla is not congenital and the spine is not damaged.

Fleas in a chinchilla, what to do

One of the advantages of chinchillas over other pets is that these rodents do not have ectoparasites. The fur of chinchillas is so thick that fleas or ticks cannot get close to the animal’s body. Attempts of insects to crawl onto the fur are stopped by the animal with sand baths.

If the chinchilla itches, then the reason is not fleas, but pododermatitis or allergies. Fleas jumping around the apartment did not appear from the animal, but from the entrance, basement or through the window. It is necessary to disinfest the apartment, and ideally also the entrance, basements and neighboring apartments.

Even if the chinchilla was taken from very poor conditions and the animal lost a significant part of the fur, so that the fleas could settle on the rodent, that’s okay. It is enough to treat a chinchilla with the same preparations that are used to kill fleas in other pets.

pododermatitis

If the skin on the soles of the paws is damaged, pathogenic bacteria can enter the wounds and cause inflammation. Signs of pododermatitis:

• severe itching;
• the animal bites its paws;
• anxiety;
• refusal to feed is possible;
• in the later stages, sores, corns and corns appear.

Pododermatitis is treated relatively easily, but it is necessary to carefully approach the treatment. Wounds 3-4 times a day are washed with chlorhexidine and lubricated with antibiotic ointment.

Why does a chinchilla shed, what to do

And again a myth. Normally, chinchillas do not shed. But they can lose hair as a result of:

• stress
• hypovitaminosis;
• allergies;
• lack of nutrients when feeding young animals;
• fungal diseases.

If it suddenly seems that a domestic chinchilla is shedding, the animal must be urgently carried to a veterinary clinic for a diagnosis. Fungal diseases are dangerous because people get sick with them.

Since all skin diseases are outwardly very similar to each other, then only a veterinarian can specifically say what to do if a chinchilla loses hair. Engage in self-diagnosis and treatment in this case should not be.

To prevent fungal diseases, you can add 1 tsp to the bathing sand. Fungistop. The drug is harmless to chinchillas, but inhibits the development of fungi.

salmonellosis

Infectious and dangerous even for humans form of enteritis. Infection occurs through food and water contaminated with the faeces of sick animals. The main symptom of this disease is diarrhea. Usually occurs in two forms: acute and chronic.

The development of the acute form occurs very quickly, with profuse diarrhea. As a result of exhaustion and dehydration, the animal dies. Young growth can fall even without visible signs of illness.

In the chronic form, diarrhea is replaced by normal feces. But the animal gradually becomes exhausted and dies. In both forms, the disease very rarely ends in recovery, so prevention is much more important.

Suspicious animals are separated from the main herd into quarantine. Outwardly healthy chinchillas are tested for resistance. But for a pet, the chance of contracting salmonellosis is quite small. This danger lies in wait for animals on chinchilla farms.

Rabies

Many have heard that the main carriers of such a dangerous disease as rabies are wild foxes and squirrels. Accordingly, people have a logical question “do chinchillas get rabies.” Maybe they need to do annual vaccinations?

Theoretically, all mammals are susceptible to rabies. In practice, the virus is transmitted strictly from saliva into the blood of the next victim. Rabies is not carried on shoes, clothes or paws. They cannot be transmitted through the urine or feces of a sick animal. Need a bite.

Chinchillas do not walk, they simply have nowhere to meet a rabid animal. Even if the chinchilla manages to find problems for itself, the size of this animal is similar to that of a rat. And the rat is a natural food for the main predators that carry the virus. In other words, in any case, the chinchilla will not survive the encounter with a rabid animal and will die before it gets sick.

Therefore, we can say with confidence that chinchillas do not get rabies. If they are not specially infected.

Conclusion

These are almost all the main diseases that a chinchilla owner may encounter. In addition to possible fractures and electric shocks after gnawing wires. If possible, it is better not to treat chinchillas on your own, but to entrust the animal to specialists.