*~*Health and Illnesses*~*

Fur Chewing
Many discussions have been made as to the cause and problem of fur chewing. Unfortunately there is no true cure for this illness. Some blame in on poor breeding, while others blame it on stress, boredom or just bad habits (like us biting our nails or picking our nose).

Symptoms	Causes	Treatment	Prevention
Fur missing from the sides and shoulders of the chinchilla. A moth-eaten, chewed patchy appearance with the show of darker under coat (see picture). Chinchilla can chew itself and others it is in contact with.	Bad habit, boredom, stress, breeding, hormones, isolation, irritation of pregnancy can be very common.	No real treatment. If it suddenly occurs, look at any changes of food, environment or partner. Make sure a fresh supply of hay is given daily and toys such as; cuttlefish, toilet roll inner tubes and mineral blocks are given.	Avoid creating a stressful atmosphere, keep things quiet, cool not cold; avoid over and under handling. Provide plenty of stimuli.

Below shows a badly fur chewed female, the owner had left her 2 daughters in too long and as a result she became stressed and worn out. She also chewed her two daughters.
*Notice the back end. (Pictures courtesy of Lizz at www.chinnychinchin.co.uk)

Malocclusion
As chinchillas are members of the rodent family their teeth (and roots) continue to grow constantly, they can grow 2-3inches per year.
If the alignment of the teeth does not grow parallel, malocclusion can occur. Malocclusion is when the teeth begin to grow in a spiral shape into the chinchilla, they overlap when they meet. This is an incurable disease with agonising effects leading to death. Watery eyes and drooling are the most common symptoms; watery eyes occur when the roots of the upper molars rub on the back of the eyes, this causes the animal considerable pain and irritation.
It is genetically carried so a chin with or carrying malocclusion should NEVER be bred from.

Symptoms	Causes	Treatment	Prevention
Watery eye or eyes, pawing through food, loss of appetite, weight loss, lumps under jaw line, drooling.	Genetic makeup, sharp object trapped inbetween teeth, such as splinter from a log, broken teeth, too little or no gnawing materials, and calcium deficiency.	No treatment. Animal will have a shortened life with discomfort leading to immense pain. Chin will have to be put down.	Do NOT breed from a chin with or carrying malocclusion, give cuttlefish as an alternative to wood.

*This is how a healthy chinchilla's teeth should look.
This is how an unhealthy chinchilla's teeth look. - Note how the teeth grow in a spiral shape, growing into the eye sockets and jaw bone. A chinchilla bred from a chinchilla with malocclusion will not necessarily have it itself; it has a 50% chance and you cannot tell from just looking, at the 6mth age it is a good idea to have the chin x-rayed. This chin should not be bred from. Not all teeth problems in chinchillas are malocclusion; if you suspect any of the following please contact professional veterinary assistance: (Pictures very kindly supplied by the UK Research into chinchillas tooth disease at http://www.dacross.demon.co.uk/chinchilla/index.html)

Seizers
Seizers, fits or convulsions can be very scary! They literally looked dead and become very limp and lifelessness. I hope this helps if you run into this problem.

Symptoms	Causes	Treatment	Prevention
No symptoms leading up to seizure, just happens. Appears lifelessness, limp, uncomfortable even dead. Can have muscle spasms. Stretching of hind and fore legs, temporary movement loss (paralysis).	Constipation, becoming pregnant for the first time at an older age, lack of minerals, calcium or vitamins, excess salt or exercise, toxin infection, heat exhaustion and starvation, stress	If a deficiency add some vitamin and mineral drops to their water. Reduce intake of salt. Increase calcium with a cuttlefish.	Don’t let your chin run out more then 20mins it can become exhausted, and NEVER chase it round the room. Ensure fresh food is given daily. Don’t tease and overexcite by tempting treats.

Diarrhea
Another nasty I’m afraid. Like all illnesses in chinchillas this one is serious. It can often appear from nowhere and be very difficult to treat. Time, and catching it early is the great importance here.

Symptoms	Causes	Treatment	Prevention
Weak and listless, droppings appear loose, stick to cage, paper lining, other chins. Weight loss, dehydration in more serious cases droppings can be covered in mucus or contain blood.	Too many treats, such as raisons or prunes. Infection, change in diet, un-fresh hay or water (and bottle), youngsters gorging on food when weaned.	One of the best treatments is brown well done/burnt toast, the charcoal is good for the problem and helps dry up the Diarrhea. Give this a few times daily. Allow only fresh pellets and water for 24hrs (no hay or treats). If more severe sometimes it is best is to starve the chin for 12hrs, allowing only water. Burnt toast, pellets and water for the next 24hrs. You can also allow your Chin 1tsp of yoghurt; You can give 2 or 3tsp of this during the 24 hour period after the starvation at various times during the day. Your chinny will love it as well as it helping to make him better. This helps balance out the bacteria in the digestive system. Kaolin liquid (available from chemists) can be given daily, 1-3ml.	Clean cage and accessories. Fresh, regular balanced diet with vitamin and mineral blocks as supplements. Treats in moderation only. Avoid disturbing nocturnal cycle.

Constipation
Constipation can just happen and in most cases it is more uncomfortable for the chin rather then life threatening. Nevertheless it should be treated will care and respect as untreated it can be very serious.

Symptoms	Causes	Treatment	Prevention
Chin can appear lifelessness, uncomfortable, stretching up on hind legs, lack of appetite droppings small, hard thin.	Excess treats, pregnancy or after the birth, lack of exercise	If not severe it can be treated with extra raisons and a couple of prunes work wonders. If more serious you can also administer a teaspoon full of Syrup of Figs using a pipette. Or 1ml of liquid paraffin per day.	Regular exercise. No excess diet 1-2tbsp of fresh pellets per day.

Bloat
Not to be confused with constipation, bloat is a rare occurrence when hay is freshly cut and fed to chins without sufficient maturing.

Symptoms	Causes	Treatment	Prevention
Chin can appear lifelessness, uncomfortable, a bloated ‘doughy’ belly. Loss of appetite leading to weight loss. Sticky droppings covered in brownish mucus.	Too many greens. Un-matured hay being the biggest cause.	Regular exercise. 1ml of milpar liquid (available from the chemist) given 3x daily until an improvement is noticed.	Regular exercise. Only feed well-matured hay.

Fur Fungus
I have experienced this in my chinchillas, it was very worrying but cleared up once I began the treatment. Don't treat this delicately. Take action immediately and also protect yourself as it can spread to you as well.

Symptoms	Causes	Treatment	Prevention
Loss of hair, usually on nose, eyes and genitals; places where the chinchilla cleans a lot through irritation. And on the feet and tail. Spreads on entire body. Chins can become withdrawn, lifeless and loose appetite leading to weight loss.	Damp and humid atmosphere, damp hay releasing spoors that cause the infestation.	Isolation from the herd - Is HIGHLY contagious. Clean and sterilize all cages, baths, food bowls and water bottles used by infected chin(s). Throw away all chews, blocks and toys also used. Antifungal powder or athletes foot powder in the bath.	Clean cages regularly. Only give fresh hay, check for damp in debris. Add 1tbsp of athlete foot powder to all baths.

*Notice the missing patch of fur on the chest. (Pictures courtesy of Lizz at www.chinnychinchin.co.uk)

Respiratory Problems

Symptoms	Causes	Treatment	Prevention
Chin can appear lethargic, runny nose, rubbing of nose, sneezing, chest pains (can appear to have hunchback like stance) wheezing, heavy or shallow breaths, loss of appetite, weight loss.	Drafts, infection, cold, damp and stress.	Quiet and warm conditions. TLC	Keep away from infected hosts; avoid placing cage in drafty, damp, or humid areas.

***Thanks to Lizz at www.chinnychinchin.co.uk for the use of her information***