Some Silver Tabby Chinchillas give the illusion of being all gray, but if you look closely, their undercoat is actually white. However, the majority can be distinguished. The scientific name for Silver Tabby Chinchillas is South American Nutria. Because of their resemblance to the cartoon Silver Tabby Chinchilla in the movie "My Neighbor Totoro" by Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, they are called "Silver Tabby Chinchilla" by Hong Kong people.
Silver Tabby Chinchillas are very gentle, active, and curious. They like to jump around and are inquisitive. They sniff and bite every new thing before examining it. Silver Tabby Chinchillas have an average lifespan of 15 to 20 years and are not prone to aggression. When confronted with enemies, they either run away or use the tactic of urinating towards them. When playing with each other, they often stand face to face and urinate on each other.
Due to the incompatibility of the white gene in homozygous form, the genotype of Silver Tabby Chinchillas is a white gene combined with a standard gray gene. However, the white gene can combine with other dominant or recessive genes, resulting in varying degrees of white appearing in the offspring, especially at the tips of their tails. The majority of white Chinchillas have gray fur due to the influence of the standard gray gene. The distribution of gray on the body of each white Chinchilla is different, with some forming symmetrical and beautiful patterns on their faces, and others having gray fur all over their bodies with only a white tail. We call Chinchillas with both white and gray fur "White Mosaic". Some Chinchillas are pure white, called "Pure White" or "Wilson White". Although they are rare and precious, they are definitely not pure white albino because their eyes are still black. The standard gray gene does not affect their fur color.
Silver Tabby Chinchilla originated from the Andes Mountains in South America, where they reside in caves and crevices at an altitude of 1,600 feet. The local weather is dry with extreme temperature differences between day and night. Silver Tabby Chinchillas rely on tropical plants such as tree bark, tree roots, and cacti for their sustenance. As a result, they are highly resilient and well-adapted to the environment in China.
It is recommended to keep the Silver Tabby Chinchilla for small pet lovers. They have a very gentle and lively personality, likes to jump around, and is active and curious. They will sniff and bite every new thing they encounter to study it. The average lifespan of the Silver Tabby Chinchilla is 15-20 years. They do not have any proactive aggressiveness, and when encountering enemies, they will only run away or spray urine at them. When they playfully fight with each other, they often face each other and urinate.
1. Constipation - Constipation is mainly caused by improper feeding, weakened gastrointestinal motility, and poor intestinal muscle nutrition. Restless feeding environment can also cause neurological disturbances, leading to abnormal gastrointestinal motility and constipation. When chinchillas suffer from constipation, the symptoms are mild and not obvious. The shape of the feces may slightly change and the feces may be darker and lack pores. In severe cases, the fecal excretion significantly decreases or stops, the feces become small and hard. The sick chinchilla stops eating and drinking, stays in one place, is reluctant to move, arches its back, shows signs of pain, feels lethargic, and closes its eyes. Prolonged constipation results in gradual weight loss and noticeable weight reduction. In the treatment, apart from adjusting the feed, the following medications can be used: oral or rectal administration of 2% liquid petrolatum or soft soapy water, 5-15 ml each time; mixtures of 10%-15% hot vegetable oil and water, oral administration or enema, 5-15 ml each time; rectal administration of enemas can also promote defecation.
2. Intestinal Obstruction - Worsening constipation can lead to intestinal obstruction. Some chinchillas suffer from trichobezoar due to eating fur, which forms hairballs in the digestive tract and causes obstruction. In addition, the food contains a high amount of crude fiber, or a large amount of antibiotics are used to treat diseases, which can reduce the ability of microorganisms in the intestines to digest crude fiber and cause constipation, leading to secondary intestinal obstruction. Therefore, it is recommended to use broad-spectrum antibiotics as little as possible or not at all, and to use sulfonamide drugs for inflammation, which is relatively safe. Constipation is the initial symptom of intestinal obstruction, and acute symptoms of intestinal obstruction rarely occur suddenly, so all symptoms are manifested as constipation. Sick chinchillas quickly become dehydrated, with sunken eyeballs. Mild abdominal distention is common, and hard feces can often be felt in the abdomen. Sick chinchillas show abdominal pain, extend their front limbs forward, lie on their abdomen, and severe cases lie on their backs with limbs curled up. Duodenal obstruction is the most obvious. Preventive measures: When constipation occurs, high vigilance should be maintained, and efforts should be made to relieve constipation and prevent secondary intestinal obstruction. When intestinal obstruction has already occurred, the treatment should focus on relieving constipation. If the use of oil laxatives is ineffective, 10%-20% sodium sulfate can be tried or deep enemas with soft soapy water can be used, combined with purgatives, which are effective for mild intestinal obstruction. For severe intestinal obstruction, where the intestines are already inflamed or necrotic, the use of purgatives is not only ineffective but also poses a risk of intestinal rupture and perforation. In necessary cases, surgical treatment can be performed.
3. Intestinal Torsion and Intestinal Invagination - This disease occurs suddenly during mating, chasing, or fighting, and during intense exercise. Once the disease occurs, it causes severe pain, trembling of limbs and the whole body, inability to stand, and sometimes squealing. Severe cases can result in death. On autopsy, twisted or invaginated intestinal tubes with mucosal bleeding and bleeding are directly observed. Since this disease occurs suddenly and causes rapid death, there is often no time to take measures before the sick chinchilla dies. In the rescue process, manually straightening the intestines can be effective for some sick chinchillas.
4. Vitamin Deficiency - Various nutritional deficiencies are caused by deficiencies in feed preparation and should be prevented with treatment as a supplement. The most common vitamin deficiencies are vitamin A and B1 deficiencies. When vitamin A is deficient, chinchillas often suffer from keratinized dermatitis, respiratory infections, decreased reproductive performance or infertility, obvious dry eye or night blindness. Sick chinchillas often show signs such as dull eyes, cloudy appearance, unshiny and inelastic fur, and weight loss. The breeding rate of male chinchillas decreases significantly, sexual behavior disappears, female chinchillas have extended or absent estrus, pregnant chinchillas experience interrupted pregnancy or fetal absorption or miscarriage. Vitamin A deficiency in pups can result in emaciation and difficulty in survival, or blindness. To supplement sick chinchillas with vitamin A, 100 international units per chinchilla should be supplied daily, and proper supplementation should be provided through feed after 1 week. When there is a deficiency of vitamin B1, the coordination of chinchilla movement is affected, they become nervous, easily agitated, and the typical symptom is convulsions, with sudden spasms in limbs and body. After a spasm occurs, the chinchilla can move normally, but if the disease progresses, it can lead to death. In the treatment, a large dose of vitamin B1 should be administered, continuously for 2-4 weeks, with a daily dosage of 10 milligrams per chinchilla.
Silver Tabby Chinchillas always give the impression of being quiet. Animals that are too quiet are not easy to understand. Silver Tabby Chinchillas with a calm temperament are generally cheerful. They don't make noise, bark, or run around when they meet strangers. They also don't spray urine or bite forcefully, so they are generally gentle when held.
The teeth of Silver Tabby Chinchillas grow continuously throughout their lives, and they must be constantly worn down to ensure their health. Otherwise, if the front teeth become too long, it can make it difficult for the chinchilla to chew and affect its health. If the back teeth become too long, it can cause excessive tooth root growth into the brain, leading to death in elderly chinchillas. Grinding stones available on the market can help chinchillas grind their front teeth, while back teeth need to be worn down with chew sticks and Timothy grass. The most economical and convenient chew stick is probably the disposable birch chopsticks sold in supermarkets. Disposable bamboo chopsticks are not suitable for use as the bamboo fibers can cause digestive system problems in chinchillas.
The standards for a healthy Silver Tabby Chinchilla:
1. Active, lively, with agile running and jumping movements, smooth walking without shaking. (Chinchillas with these characteristics are generally healthy)
2. Fine, dense, and even fur, no exposed skin or dandruff even when blown on, with a tail fur that is sparsely stiff and no bald spots or dandruff. (Chinchillas that are bald may have fungus or fur biting syndrome)
3. Active, but not exaggerated. After normal play and mischief, they can calm down. No sudden fur biting, restlessness, crazy jumping, or hitting the cage. (Chinchillas sleep during the day, and when timid ones encounter strangers, they may jump and panic for a short time, make noise, or even lose fur, all of which are normal phenomena)
4. No eye discharge or redness around the eyes. (Silver Tabby Chinchillas with lots of yellow-green eye discharge or redness around the eyes have inflammation)
5. Clean genital area, no loose stools or dirt. Normal chinchilla stool should be relatively hard and oval-shaped, about half a centimeter long, black-green or black-brown. (Chinchillas with soft, loose stools and dirt around the anus have digestive diseases)
6. No damage, bloodstains, curled tail, symmetrical limbs with no deformities, and the ability to open their mouths and eat normally. (Chinchillas with these characteristics definitely have no fractures or external injuries)
7. Able to defecate and urinate normally, with no frequent urination or urinating at any time. (Male chinchillas with congenital frequent urination, unable to urinate smoothly, may be unable to reproduce)
8. Both front teeth are the same length, yellow in color, covered by the lips, with no exposed teeth or drooling. (Chinchillas with excessively long teeth, white teeth, and drooling are unable to eat and may have gingivitis. Chinchillas with broken teeth but intact roots will have no major problems after the new teeth grow)
9. Blowing air on the back of a chinchilla and not seeing the skin after the fur is blown open is a sign of good lineage.
Chinchillas usually moult every few months. The old fur is shed starting from the neck and continuing to the tail. This cycle is influenced by the weather and is not seasonal. Chinchillas moult approximately every three months as their fur grows, so they moult irregularly throughout the year. Usually, the shed fur falls onto the bottom tray of the cage, and some may stick to the wire mesh. During the moult, it is recommended to groom off the shed fur from the chinchilla, as it not only makes them look more dashing, but also prevents the fur from flying around.
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