Chinchilla making unusual noise - does she need vet?

[danmill]

Hi people,
I really don't know what to do.
I've had my chins for about 3-4 years now, but over the last few days, one has started making an unusual noise.
It's different to their usual hooting sound, and sounds almost like a coughing/ screeching sound. She almost sounds like she's fighting or playing with the other, but she is nowhere near the other chinchilla.
I've managed to get a little bit of audio for you, but it's hard to catch her doing it. It tends to be worse at night.


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It usually lasts a lot longer than this, and is usually much louder. She seems to be doing it every 20 minutes or so. I've bought some new toys and treats for them incase it was boredom, but the noise is just getting worse.
I also caught her last night hanging out of the sandbath, and she was making lots of the noise, and then stopped and sounded like she was heavy breathing, and then went back to normal.

I've recently had a bug, and I'm wondering if she has caught it from me. Is that possible? And should I take her to the vet? It's the first time this has happened so I'm really not sure what is best to do, whether she is actually ill or just making different sounds.
She has no discharge from the eyes or nose, and is pooping and eating fine.

Please help!

[yasmin]

(I am not an expert on chinchillas but I noticed that your post has been here for several hours so I will try to help with what I know of degus and other rodents, and with what I have read in the Merck Veterinary Manual. I hope someone with Chinchilla expertise will respond to you soon.)

The fact that she is eating and pooping is good, and the fact that there is no discharge from the eyes or nose is also a good sign. I don't know if it is possible for her to have caught anything from you though I would think it would be the respiratory illnesses that would most likely be possibly contagious (not likely though).

I am not familiar with chinchilla sounds and I can't hear the sound very well on the audio link. The only thing that I can think of is that, if you think she is coughing, her throat may be irritated by either something stuck in it or the beginnings of a respiratory illness. Also, like many rodents, chinchillas cannot throw up. So, if you think she is coughing, a visit to a vet would be the prudent thing to do. If she starts becoming lethargic, then she must see a vet asap.

Has she been to a vet before? How old is she?

[moletteuk]

We don't have many regular chinchilla people, but somebody may turn up, we do have some links to further info here deguworld.proboards.com/thread/19578/links-information

If it continues then I would take her to the vet tomorrow.

It's highly unlikely you could pass on a virus but quite possible to pass on a bacterial infection which a cold can sometimes turn into if you develop a cough or something like that.

[danmill]

Thank you for your help guys
I took them along to the vet a few days ago (easier said than done!) lol

She had a listen to their chests and said that she couldn't hear anything like a chest infection, but I showed her a video that I had taken on my phone the night before.
She said that it sounded like a bad cough, but coming from the throat, rather than the chest.

We have both recently been to the doctors with a similar illness, and after telling the vet this, she said it sounds as if that is what they have. Although people say it's not possible for them to catch bugs from humans, she said that because we have a bacterial infection causing our cough, there's no reason why it cannot be passed on to the chinchillas. It doesn't happen often, but she doesn't see a reason why it's impossible.

On the day I took them to the vet, I noticed the mother had been coughing less, but the baby had then started, so it had been passed on to her

They are now on liquid antibiotics which should last about 5 days, but I'm already seeing an improvement They are coughing less and are getting more active again. They are off their food (which they may have a sore throat, causing this) but they are eating treats and hay fine.

Thanks again, really happy that they are recovering

[ilikedegus]

danmill

Thanks for posting the update - the information that the bacterial infection could have come from a human may be useful to someone else at some point, degu or chinchilla owner.

[yasmin]

Great to hear that they are feeling better.

Thanks for the update.