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Post by cwornham on Dec 11, 2016 8:08:02 GMT
Hello all!
We bought a chinchilla yesterday and was just wondering if anyone had any general tips and/or advise?
We currently own 2 degus and have been told chinchillas are reasonably similar when it comes to food etc but any other tips would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Camilla
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Post by polly on Dec 11, 2016 8:56:51 GMT
Chinchillas have different dietary requirements to degus so you need to research feeding carefully to make sure your chin is getting the correct nourishment. Basically no fruit or veg, fresh or dry. No nuts or seeds whatsoever and no chinchilla muesli. Good quality chinchilla pellets, Timothy hay which needs to be available at all times and clean water will be fine while you do your research 😊.
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Post by natnat899 on Dec 11, 2016 9:42:26 GMT
I would definitely recommend researching them, chinchillas do have similarities with degus but there are some huge differences as well. The dietary requirements are fairly similar in regards to treats and hay, though with their daily pellets you should as polly has said feed them good quality pellets (Charnwoods, Oxbow, Beaphar Care+, etc). I always check to make sure either the chinchillas or degus are allowed to eat it when I buy something new, I never feed the chinchillas something just because my degus can have it and vice versa. There is actually a thread on this forum discussing the differences between degus and chinchillas. deguworld.proboards.com/thread/19336/chinchillasI hope this helps
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Post by moletteuk on Dec 12, 2016 10:38:17 GMT
You need to introduce new foods carefully, but dried forage is recommended, chinchillas are designed to eat digestible fibre which is found in plant leaves, flowers and stems. Seeds are fed in Germany (not hemp seed), but there seems to be reluctance in the UK to feed them.
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Post by cwornham on Dec 12, 2016 11:19:36 GMT
Thanks guys, we spent a long time last night researching all about them and their typical characteristics/traits. We can't wait until he is settled in properly and gets to know us!
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Post by randomname on Dec 12, 2016 11:59:04 GMT
Can I respectfully ask why you chose to get a single chinchilla? You do realise they live in huge groups in the wild, so it's always recommended they live in at least a pair if possible?
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Post by polly on Dec 12, 2016 16:01:26 GMT
Pets at Home are usually responsible for selling single chinchillas, and advising purchasers that this is perfectly acceptable.
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Post by randomname on Dec 12, 2016 17:15:07 GMT
Does not surprise me sadly polly. Why they haven't been shut down long ago is a puzzle to me. The welfare world has very strong views on their "care advice" & health of their "stock". Maybe cwornham could think about finding their new chin a friend one day in the future though? Are plenty of lonely ones waiting in rescues for a forever home. Would definitely be beneficial to his/her mental health & longevity. I also have to ask what size cage the chinchilla is in - if it's a P@H recommended cage, I bet I can guess which one.... & it is not big enough for a degu, let alone a chinchilla. You're definitely doing the right thing by looking for more information, if we can help in any way just ask. Starting with diet is a great idea (all advice given so far is spot on - good quality hay & forage & pellets is fundamental) but you need to look at accommodation (size, suitable toys etc) & the ability to display as many natural behaviours as possible (having a friend, sand baths, wheel, opportunity to run free & bounce from ledge to ledge & digging/foraging)
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Post by cwornham on Dec 12, 2016 18:04:52 GMT
We did buy him from pets at home. He was in their generic cage all alone and we took one look at him and felt so sad that we had to but him. He'd previously had conjunctivitis and had been in their shop for a long time. In a few months we will look at getting him a friend as I know they need company.
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Post by cwornham on Dec 12, 2016 18:07:31 GMT
We bought him a brand new cage yesterday, as you said p@h recommended the same size cage we had our degus in originally (they have now been moved into a converted double wardbrobe!) our chins cage is 6 levels with plenty of space, I'm just worried he will be lonely in it now.
Thanks everyone, it's really great to get such good advice!!
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Post by polly on Dec 12, 2016 18:10:01 GMT
Well done for rescuing this poor little soul. I'm sure you will settle to caring for this little chin fairly easily.
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Post by randomname on Dec 12, 2016 19:40:28 GMT
Ahh, sounds like you know what you're doing then. Sounds like he's got himself a great home now, lucky lad. Would loove to see pics of your degu cage, sounds awesome. How's his conjunctivitus responding to treatment? I only ask because I had a chin previously who came to me with it, he had treatment, it went away but came back a few months later. It was off & on for around 9 months until I pushed for xrays - turned out to be teeth issues at the bottom of it. He didn't have any other symptoms except the eye. Probably not the same for your little guy, but might be worth bearing in mind if it's recurrent.
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Post by cwornham on Dec 12, 2016 21:02:35 GMT
Hi, his treatment has finished and everything looks clear, but like you said, it could be reoccurring. Will keep an eye on it. Thanks much appreciated.
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Post by polly on Dec 13, 2016 20:17:29 GMT
I'd like to share the story of Zeus.
About eighteen months ago, I had cause to be in P@H and while waiting to be served, an assistant took a chinchilla out of his cage, dangled him upside down by the tip of his tail while another assistant tried to sex him. His screams could be heard throughout the store, and his little paws were in fists, and balled in his eyes. The verdict was that he was Standard Grey, and female. I intervened, took him in my arms and corrected their verdict. He was Homo Beige, and male. They said he had come into the store with another chin, but that this one had been sold, he had not been wanted. He came home with me the same day after a massive exchange with the store manager about his disgraceful treatment, incorrect feeding and general neglect.
He's happy now, named Zeus, and paired with a lovely Standard Grey cage mate, Flint who he adores.
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Post by deguconvert on Dec 13, 2016 21:55:24 GMT
@ Polly
Poor Zeus!! What awful treatment! I'm so glad you took on the manager and brought Zeus home!!
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Post by cwornham on Dec 15, 2016 23:15:07 GMT
Oh my goodness polly that is awful. It's so obvious that the staff have absolutely no idea about any of the animals, especially complex animals like chins. They should be banned from selling any animals at all. Every time I go in there it breaks my heart! (Hence why we always end up coming away with a new addition!) we'll have to build an extension at this rate.
In other news, our chin, now named Big Ron, is settling in well and slowly but surely beginning to trust us. He has even been sitting on my hand on his own accord. However, he does have a box at the top of his cage that he had in his cage at p@h to sleep in, but he hasn't been in it once since we got him... instead he chooses to sleep at the bottom of the cage in the corner. Any ideas?! I'm worried he might get cold so I have put hay there for him to snuggle up in. He doesn't seem too bothered.
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Post by polly on Dec 16, 2016 6:08:06 GMT
I wouldn't worry about chins feeling the cold. It's heat that is the concern. Chins can stand very low temps, but can suffer as the temps rise in Summer.
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Post by natnat899 on Dec 16, 2016 7:42:53 GMT
Mine have never taken to nest boxes, peanut used to worry me to no end, because he will sleep randomly in the middle of a shelf sprawled out on his side! A few times I've poked him to make sure he was still alive! Mine have a few places they like to sleep, they like tight or enclosed spaces most of the time (apart from peanut, he likes to be different). I placed the cardboard pets at home box we took them home in at the top of the cage; which mine love sleeping in, despite chewing it to pieces! We also have a standard cube (http://www.fuzzbutt.co.uk/stdcubes/) they love sleeping in, peanut likes being suspended so much he tried to do the same with his cardboard box! Needless to say it didn't end well, haha
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Post by goolover on Dec 16, 2016 8:59:44 GMT
That is amazing what you did polly, the poor little lad. Was in P@H awhile ago and just browsing as you do. One of their guinea pigs was breathing quite hard and fast so I asked an assistant he if knew about it. Said he hadn't noticed so said it needed to be seen by a vet. You could see it wasnt right just from looking at it. The person who would have brought it would have been landed with a sick pet, money out of the pocket straight away! Stories on here have given my fresh eyes when going into that store now and I will easily pull them up on something I see.
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Post by moletteuk on Dec 16, 2016 11:34:12 GMT
Maybe you could try the nest box in a different location?
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