Golden Chinchilla, also known as Chinese squirrel, long-tailed chinchilla, silky squirrel, or chestnut squirrel, is originally from the Andes Mountains in South America. It closely resembles both rabbits and squirrels, with a pair of large and bright ruby-colored eyes, pink ears (without ear spots), and a mixture of white and beige fur. The fur is dense and the front limbs are short with 5 toes, while the hind limbs are strong with 4 toes, making them adept at jumping.
Golden Chinchilla, also known as Chinese squirrel, long-tailed chinchilla, silky squirrel, or chestnut squirrel, is originally from the Andes Mountains in South America. It inhabits caves and crevices at an altitude of 1,600 feet. The local weather is dry, with extreme temperature differences between day and night. Golden Chinchilla primarily relies on tropical plants such as tree bark, tree roots, and cacti for survival, making it highly adaptable to the environment in China. Its fur is mainly used for insulation and to prevent moisture loss. However, in the 16th century, Europeans discovered the incredibly soft fur of this small animal and began hunting Golden Chinchilla in large numbers. By the early 19th century, Golden Chinchilla was on the brink of extinction. Fortunately, an American named M.F. Chapman brought back eleven of them to California and successfully bred them, allowing us the opportunity to raise these adorable little animals today.
It is recommended for pet lovers to keep chinchillas. Most chinchillas are gray, followed by beige, velvet black, and some special colors may even appear after several generations. The International Chinchilla Association divides chinchillas into 17 different colors. However, the fur color of chinchillas is mainly controlled by seven different pairs of genes.
1. Intestinal torsion and intestinal intussusception - This disease occurs suddenly during mating when chasing or fighting each other, or during intense exercise. Once the disease occurs, it causes severe pain, tremors in the limbs and the whole body, inability to stand, and sometimes a squeaking sound. It can cause death in severe cases. During autopsy, twisted or folded intestines can be directly observed, with acute bleeding of the mucosa and signs of bleeding. Since this disease comes suddenly and causes rapid death, often there is not enough time to take measures, and the sick mouse has already died. During rescue, manually straightening the intestines can be effective for some sick mice.
2. Vitamin deficiency - Various nutritional deficiencies are caused by defects in the feed formulation, and prevention should be the main focus, with treatment as a supplement. Common vitamin deficiencies include vitamin A and B1 deficiency. When there is a deficiency of vitamin A, the mice often suffer from keratinized dermatitis, respiratory infections, decreased reproductive performance or infertility, obvious dry eye disease or night blindness. The affected mice often have dull eyes, cloudy in appearance, dull and non-elastic fur, and weight loss. The breeding rate of males significantly decreases, sexual behavior disappears, females have extended estrus cycles or do not go into heat, pregnant mice experience interrupted pregnancies, and the fetuses are either absorbed or aborted. Vitamin A deficiency in offspring can result in emaciation and difficulty in survival or blindness. Administering 100 international units of vitamin A per day to each sick mouse and appropriate supplementation through feed after one week is recommended. When there is a deficiency of vitamin B1, the coordination of movement in chinchillas is impaired, they become nervous and easily agitated, and the typical symptom is convulsions, with sudden spastic contractions of the limbs and body. After a spasm occurs, the chinchilla can resume normal activities, but if it continues to develop, it can cause death. Treatment should involve administering a high dose of vitamin B1 for 2-4 weeks, with a daily dosage of 10 milligrams per mouse.
3. Calcium and phosphorus metabolic disorders - A calcium and phosphorus metabolic disorder can occur due to a lack of calcium and phosphorus in the feed, an improper calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, or a deficiency of vitamin D in the feed. The typical symptom of this disease is sudden muscle spasms throughout the body, which is similar to the spasms caused by vitamin B1 deficiency. However, the spasms caused by this disease often occur before or after feeding, and the important distinction is that the spasms caused by this disease do not include swinging motion. Affected mice stick their bellies to the cage floor, their limbs become stiff, their forelimbs extend forward, and their heads tilt backwards. Treatment measures include increasing the calcium and phosphorus content in the feed, adjusting the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio and the vitamin D content. Alternatively, inject glucose and calcium into the muscles, 1-1.5 milliliters per day, once a day for 3-5 days.
4. Hair loss - The fur of chinchillas is valuable, and hair loss is a big loss, which frequently occurs. There are two reasons for hair loss in chinchillas: a lack of unsaturated fatty acids in the feed and neurotic hair loss caused by agitation. After hair loss, the skin loses its value for making fur. Symptoms often include a combination of both reasons, with neurotic hair loss being the main cause. Whether in the cage or during activities such as artificial feeding and watering, the affected chinchillas lose hair scattered or in clumps. The cage is covered with remnants of fur, and the skin becomes exposed, appearing keratinized and scabbed. Chinchillas with this disease cannot be used for breeding. Oral administration or adding unsaturated fatty acids to the feed, along with feeding at the same time, is recommended and it is best not to delay overnight. Daily administration of 2 pills of linoleic acid for 3-5 consecutive days can yield certain results.
The food intake of Golden Chinchilla is not very large. One meal can be eaten multiple times. In the wild, they live in harsh conditions. Golden Chinchilla mainly feeds on the bark, stems, and branches of herbaceous plants or shrubs, cacti, hay, and seeds. For household feeding, refer to the following content to determine which foods are edible and which are not.
Seeds, peanuts, almonds, raisins, dried fruits, and other snacks are all loved by Golden Chinchilla. However, these snacks can cause many diseases. For example, seeds and peanuts are rich in fat, and the digestive system of Golden Chinchilla has limited ability to digest and decompose fats, which can easily cause slow intestinal peristalsis, resulting in constipation or even intestinal obstruction. Various dried fruits and fruits containing a large amount of sugar can also disrupt the digestive system of Golden Chinchilla, causing diseases. Therefore, it is not recommended to feed Golden Chinchilla with such foods.
Golden Chinchillas usually change their fur once every few months. The old fur will be shed starting from the neck until the tail. This cycle is not affected by seasons but by the growth of the fur, so Chinchillas change their fur irregularly throughout the year, about every three months. Usually, the shed fur will fall to the bottom of the cage, and some may stick to the wire mesh. During the Chinchilla's shedding period, combing off the shed fur not only makes them look more elegant but also prevents the fur from flying everywhere.
Here is the correct way to comb a Chinchilla's fur:
Generally, pet Chinchillas do not need grooming like cats or dogs. Simple combing can be done at home.
The method of combing a Chinchilla's fur is very simple. Firstly, place an old towel over your leg, then grip the Chinchilla's tail, and slowly comb off the shed fur from its back to its head using a round and sparsely toothed comb. Comb both sides. The white fur from the neck to the abdomen does not need to be combed.
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