The wild Chinchilla lives in the polar climate environment of rock crevices, caves, shrubs, and other habitats in the Andes Mountains in South America, located in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru at an altitude of 500-1200 meters. The temperature difference between day and night is very large, which is the habitat for the shrubs, flowers, and fruits that they like to eat. They can also hide under these thorny shrubs to protect themselves. There are some indigenous tribes called Chinchillas by the Spaniards living there. They like to use Chinchilla's fur as bedding and enjoy eating their meat, which is where the English name of Chinchilla comes from: cinchilla). In our country, it has several names: biologists call it the South American squirrel, the breeding farm calls it the silk mouse, and the fur industry calls it blue-purple.
1. Overgrown Incisors - Like beavers, the incisors grow too long due to a lack of regular gnawing on softwood blocks and pumice stones, resulting in difficulty chewing, weight loss, and even starvation. The overgrown part should be promptly cut off with bone pliers or pruning shears. Clean and disinfect the swollen lips with an anti-inflammatory solution for three consecutive days.
2. Throat obstruction - When eating large pieces of feed or other foreign objects, chinchillas have difficulty swallowing and find it difficult to spit out the food they have ingested into their mouths, making them prone to throat obstructions. After a small obstruction occurs, chinchillas show restless movements, often stretching their necks and swallowing, accompanied by coughing. The main symptoms include accelerated or difficult breathing, fast onset of suffocation, bloodshot eyes, inability to stand on all four legs, and eventual death. Therefore, do not feed chinchillas hard or shell-bearing feeds such as pine seeds and large beans. For mild obstructions, immediately administer plant oil to lubricate the esophagus, allowing the food to pass into the stomach. Severe obstructions often result in suffocation and death before measures can be taken.
3. Gastritis from Cardiotoxicity - Inflammation of the gastric mucosal surface primarily caused by a high proportion of grain feeds in the diet, a lack of coarse fibers, feeding indigestible foods, sudden changes in feed types, excessive consumption of tasty feeds, or gastric flatulence-induced cardiotoxic inflammation. This disease often occurs acutely, with sudden onset, mental depression, extreme discomfort, decreased appetite, or refusal to eat. Chronic manifestations include decreased appetite, moderate constipation, gradual weight loss, excessive salivation, moistening of the lower lip and angles of the mouth, and tangled fur. For acute gastritis from cardiotoxicity, fast them for 1-2 days, replace pellet feeds with soft feeds, provide fresh and tender green feeds, and use grape-fresh milk as a drink. Administer 2-3 milliliters of aluminum hydroxide gel orally. Chronic cases mainly require improvements in feeding management and medication, but the effects are minimal.
4. Constipation - Constipation is mainly caused by improper feeding, resulting in reduced gastrointestinal motility and malnutrition of the intestinal muscles. An unsettled feeding environment can also disrupt the nervous system and cause abnormal gastrointestinal motility leading to constipation. Mild cases of constipation in chinchillas have no obvious symptoms other than slightly smaller fecal pellets, which are dark in color and lack pores. Severe cases involve a noticeable reduction or cessation of defecation, very small and dry fecal pellets, loss of appetite, refusal to drink water, squatting in one place, reluctance to move, hunching, pain, mental depression, and closed eyes. Long-term constipation leads to gradual emaciation, significant weight loss, dehydration, and deep-set eyeballs. Treatment includes adjusting the feed ration and using the following medications: 2% liquid petrolatum or liquid soapwater administered orally or by rectal infusion, 5-15 milliliters each time; 10-15% hot vegetable oil mixed with water administered orally or by enema, 5-15 milliliters each time; rectal administration of an enema may also facilitate defecation.
5. Intestinal obstruction - Aggravated constipation can lead to intestinal obstruction. Some chinchillas suffer from trichophagia, in which they ingest hair that forms hairballs in their digestive tract, causing obstructions. Furthermore, excessive content of coarse fibers in food or extensive use of antibiotics to treat diseases can reduce the ability of intestinal microorganisms to digest coarse fibers, resulting in constipation and subsequent intestinal obstruction. Therefore, avoid using broad-spectrum antibiotics as much as possible or not at all, and use sulfonamide drugs for anti-inflammatory purposes as they are relatively safe. The initial symptom of intestinal obstruction is constipation. Acute symptoms of intestinal obstruction occur less frequently, so they manifest as symptoms of constipation. Diseased chinchillas rapidly become dehydrated, and their eyeballs become deeply recessed. Mild abdominal swelling is common, and hard fecal masses can often be felt in the abdomen. Affected chinchillas show abdominal pain, stretch their forelimbs forward, lie on their abdomens, and severe cases may lie on their backs with their limbs curled up. Obstruction in the duodenum is the most pronounced. Preventative measures: after constipation occurs, remain highly vigilant, take all necessary measures to alleviate constipation, and prevent subsequent intestinal obstructions. When intestinal obstruction has already formed, treatment should focus on promoting defecation. If oil-based laxatives are ineffective, try using 10-20% sodium sulfate orally or deep rectal infusion with a solution of liquid soap, in combination with laxatives, which are effective for mild cases of intestinal obstruction. For severe cases, where the intestine is already inflamed or necrotic, laxatives are not only ineffective but also carry the risk of intestinal rupture and perforation. In such cases, surgical treatment may be necessary.
The feeding of the Pure Black Chinchilla can refer to the key points of feeding Chinchilla. Due to the taboos in the breeding of Pure Black Chinchillas, not everything can be given to them. Therefore, novice owners can refer to the following articles to further understand the feeding of Pure Black Chinchillas.
The Pure Black Chinchilla is mischievous and cute, and it is a total foodie. As soon as it sees something delicious, it will jump in the cage and want to eat it. We can't indulge the Pure Black Chinchilla and feed it whatever it wants to eat. The digestive system of the Pure Black Chinchilla is different from that of humans and is very fragile. If it eats something inappropriate, it will be harmful to its body.
Feeding the Pure Black Chinchilla mainly consists of staple food, which can be supplemented with hay and occasionally some snacks. The main food for Pure Black Chinchillas is usually in the form of granulated food made from grains, grass powder, and various trace elements after being crushed and pressed. It meets the nutritional needs of Pure Black Chinchillas. Common varieties of hay include alfalfa and Timothy grass. Alfalfa is rich in protein and calcium and is incomparable to other hays; Timothy grass has a higher fiber content.
The digestive system of the Pure Black Chinchilla is too fragile. Supplementary food can include specialized snacks such as dried apples or raisins, but they should not be fed in excess as it can cause stomach problems. Pure Black Chinchillas should not be fed with foods containing additives and preservatives, as well as fresh vegetables and fruits with high water content, as it can cause diarrhea. However, they can occasionally eat fresh apples. It should be particularly emphasized here that Pure Black Chinchillas should not be fed with soybeans, as the consequences are unimaginable. It can cause bloating and, in severe cases, intestinal obstruction, endangering their lives!
Usually chinchillas change their fur every few months. The old fur will start to shed from the neck and continue until the tail. The shedding cycle is not regular and depends on the weather. Chinchillas shed their fur every three months or so as the fur grows, so they have irregular shedding periods throughout the year. Usually, the shed fur will fall onto the bottom of the cage, and some may stick to the wire mesh. Brushing off the shed fur during the shedding period not only makes them look more spirited but also prevents the fur from flying everywhere.
The correct method for brushing a chinchilla's fur:
For pet chinchillas, they do not need grooming like cats or dogs. A simple brushing can be done at home. The method of brushing a chinchilla's fur is very simple. First, cover your leg with an old towel and hold the chinchilla's tail. Then, use a round-toothed and sparse comb to slowly brush off the shed fur from the back, tail to head. Repeat on both sides. The white fur from the neck to the belly does not need to be brushed.
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