Velvet Khaki Chinchilla

The face and body of the chinchilla are khaki in color, with a white belly, pink ears, and red eyes.

The Velvet Khaki Chinchilla carries three genetic genes: Velvet Black, Sable, and Standard Gray.

Due to the influence of the Sable genetic gene, and Sable being a dominant gene, the eyes of the Velvet Khaki Chinchilla are red and the ears are pink.

In addition to the Sable genetic gene, the Velvet Khaki Chinchilla also inherits the Velvet Black gene, so it has the same velvet traits as the Velvet Black Chinchilla, and there are dark brown stripes on its front paws.

Khaki Chinchilla: also known as light khaki chinchilla, medium khaki chinchilla, dark khaki chinchilla, pure khaki chinchilla, pure brown chinchilla, chocolate chinchilla, velvet brown chinchilla. It is a mammal of the order Rodentia, family Chinchillidae, and genus Chinchilla, originating in the Andes Mountains of South America, which is the ancestral habitat.

Depending on the depth of the color, it can be further divided into many different strains. The depth of its color mainly depends on the amount of black genetic genes. The more black genes there are, the darker the color. Except for pure khaki, other khaki chinchillas have the same genetic composition, and the difference in depth is due to the different expression of black genetic genes.

If you like small pets, it is recommended to raise chinchillas. The scientific name of chinchillas is South American squirrels. Because their appearance is similar to the cartoon chinchilla in the movie "My Neighbor Totoro" by the Japanese anime master Hayao Miyazaki, they are called "chinchillas" by Hongkongers. Chinchillas can gradually respond to the love of their owners and become intelligent. Chinchillas do not only recognize one owner for their whole life or only listen to one owner's words, but they often "choose" someone who is closest to and dependent on their caring owner.

1. Long incisors - Like beavers, the incisors grow too long due to the lack of regular chewing on softwood blocks, pumice stones, etc., which affects chewing, leading to loss of appetite, weakness, and even starvation. Cut off the excessively long parts in a timely manner with bone pliers or pruning shears, and wipe the swollen lips clean with an antiseptic solution for 3 consecutive days.

2. Throat obstruction - Eating large pieces of feed or other foreign objects can cause difficulty swallowing, and chinchillas have a hard time spitting out the food they have swallowed into their oral cavity, making them prone to throat obstruction. After the obstruction of small pieces of food, chinchillas show restlessness, often making swallowing movements with their necks stretched and accompanied by coughing. The main symptoms are accelerated breathing or difficulty breathing, often resulting in rapid suffocation, congested eyes, inability to stand on all fours, and even death. Therefore, do not casually feed chinchillas hard or shell-bearing feeds, such as pine seeds and large grains. For mild obstructions, immediately drip-feed vegetable oil to lubricate the esophagus, enabling the food to be swallowed into the stomach. Severe obstructions often suffocate and die before measures can be taken.

3. Cardiac gastritis - Inflammation of the mucosal surface of the stomach, mainly caused by a large proportion of cereal feeds in the diet, lack of coarse fiber, feeding indigestible foods, sudden changes in feed varieties, overfeeding of delicious feeds, or gastric distention-induced cardiac inflammation. Eating mud, drinking unclean water, or eating moldy and pesticide-contaminated feeds can also cause gastric cards. This disease often occurs acutely, with sudden onset, depression, unbearable pain, loss of appetite, or refusal to eat. The chronic form is characterized by reduced appetite, moderate constipation, gradual weight loss, drooling, wetting of the lower lip and corners of the mouth, and tangled hair. Acute cardiac gastritis should be stopped feeding for 1-2 days, use soft feeds instead of granules, and feed fresh tender green feeds with grape fresh milk as a drink, and take 2-3ml of aluminum hydroxide gel orally. Chronic treatment mainly involves improving feeding management and drug therapy, with limited effectiveness.

4. Constipation - Constipation is mainly caused by improper feed, resulting in weakened gastrointestinal motility and malnutrition of intestinal muscles. An unstable feeding environment can also affect gastrointestinal motility and cause constipation. When chinchillas have constipation, there are no obvious symptoms in mild cases, just slightly smaller fecal pellets with fewer air pores and darker color. Severe constipation results in significantly reduced or stopped defecation, very small and dry fecal pellets. Affected chinchillas also stop eating and drinking, squat in one place, show reluctance to move, arch their backs, and show signs of pain and depression, with closed eyes. Long-term constipation leads to gradual emaciation, and significant weight loss is observed. In treatment, in addition to adjusting the ingredients, the following medications can be used: 2% liquid paraffin or soft soapy water for oral or rectal infusion, 5-15ml each time; a mixture of 10-15% hot vegetable oil and water for oral administration or enema, 5-15ml each time; rectal administration with a glycerin suppository can also promote defecation.

5. Intestinal obstruction - Worsening constipation can lead to intestinal obstruction. Some chinchillas suffer from trichobezoar due to eating fur, which forms a hairball in the digestive tract and causes obstruction. In addition, a high content of dietary fiber or the use of large amounts of antibiotics to treat diseases can reduce the ability of gut microorganisms to digest fiber, causing constipation and secondary intestinal obstruction. Therefore, try to use broad-spectrum antibiotics sparingly or not at all, and use sulfa drugs for inflammation, which are relatively safe. The early symptom of intestinal obstruction is constipation, and acute symptoms occur less frequently, so it manifests as all symptoms of constipation. Diseased chinchillas rapidly dehydrate and have sunken eyeballs. There is often slight abdominal distension, and hard feces can often be felt in the abdomen. Diseased chinchillas show abdominal pain, stretch their forelimbs forward, lie down on their bellies, and severe cases lie on their backs with their limbs curled up. Duodenal obstruction is the most obvious form of intestinal obstruction. Prevention and treatment measures: Be highly vigilant when constipation occurs, do everything possible to eliminate constipation, and prevent secondary intestinal obstruction. When intestinal obstruction has already developed, the main focus of treatment is to promote defecation. If the use of oil-based laxatives is ineffective, try using 10-20% sodium sulfate or deep rectal enema with soft soapy water, combined with a laxative, which is effective for mild intestinal obstruction. In severe cases of intestinal obstruction, where the intestines have already become inflamed or necrotic, the use of laxatives is not only ineffective but also carries the risk of intestinal rupture and perforation. Surgery may be necessary.

6. Intestinal torsion and intussusception - This condition occurs suddenly during the breeding process when chinchillas chase or fight each other or during intense exercise. Once it occurs, it causes severe pain, trembling of the limbs and body, inability to stand, and sometimes squealing, and it can cause death if severe. On autopsy, twisted or telescoped intestines can be directly observed, with mucous membrane bleeding acutely and bleeding. Since this disease occurs suddenly and progresses rapidly, measures are often not taken in time and the diseased chinchillas have already died. In cases of rescue, artificial straightening of the intestines can be effective for some diseased chinchillas.

The feces of Velvet Black Chinchilla are normally odorless, but the urine still has a slight smell, so it is necessary to use bedding that can absorb urine in the cage. Generally, cages with a bottom barrier can choose wood shavings, cat litter, paper grass, and other absorbent materials. However, it is worth noting that although pine shavings have a strong deodorizing effect, the substances contained in pine may cause asthma in Velvet Black Chinchilla. Raw pine shavings that have not been processed are not suitable for Velvet Black Chinchilla.

Velvet Black Chinchilla cages should not be placed in direct sunlight. The living environment of Velvet Black Chinchilla should maintain air circulation, but it should not be directly blown by air conditioning or placed in a windy position, otherwise it is easy to cause uneven heat in Velvet Black Chinchilla's body and cause colds, diarrhea, etc. Do not place Velvet Black Chinchilla in aisles or places where other people often walk and disturb them. One or two sides of the cage should be against the wall and cannot be placed in the center of the room. However, pay attention to not sticking to walls with wallpapers or wall panels because Velvet Black Chinchilla may chew and swallow them. Try to place the Velvet Black Chinchilla cage on a chair or table so that it has a broader vision and can observe the surrounding environment. Do not place it directly on the ground. The key points of the living environment for Velvet Black Chinchilla are: quiet, avoiding light, high position, dryness, and ventilation.

The chinchilla belongs to the plateau animals and is not prone to illness. The chinchilla is very clean and does not have parasites. It will take a sand bath by itself and can spend the weekend on its own, so there is no need to worry about care. The chinchilla is a strictly vegetarian animal, so its feces are oval-shaped dry particles with no odor, and there is no problem keeping it indoors. The chinchilla's fur is very soft and does not shed like dogs and cats. If you want to raise a chinchilla, it is recommended to start feeding it after weaning at around 2-3 months old, so that the chinchilla is most likely to reach understanding and closeness with the owner.