New to Chinchillas and need help! Ear problems

[amm4]

Hello,
While we are new to Chinchillas (and this forum) I have done a lot of research and very happy to have rescued our Chins. The condition of their living environment (their cage) was absolutely disgusting, there was so much dried on poop and pee that even a power washer would not get it clean. We have bought them a brand new cage, new pellet food, plenty of Timothy Hay, put down tiles so their feet are not always on cage wires, proper chew toys, etc.  I feel we have done well for our Chins. We have two of them, Apollo is black and Zeus is gray. Zeus, his ears a much different than Appollo's and that is where I am concerned. Zeus's ears do not have any fur, you can see the veins and his ears appear to have dark freckles/spots on them, and look like dry skin. Appollo's ears have some fur, can't see the veins, and look normal.  Since Apollo doesn't have any issues (other than being afraid of us), I am not sure if this is just how Zeus is or if it's a result of his previous environment. Any advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! 

I don't know how to insert an image in here, if you have further questions let me know and I will do my best to answer them. Thanks for the help! 

[deguconvert]

img10.deviantart.net/3c13/i/2008/178/1/f/chinchilla_close_up_by_villa_chinchilla.jpg

Just did a quick google search for Chinchilla ears, LOL, and that is one of the images I found. Are his ears like this?

[winic1]

Here's a link on how to post photos:

deguworld.proboards.com/thread/8318/add-photos-posts

And a video demonstration:

deguworld.proboards.com/thread/16328/host-post-photos-photobucket

[randomname]

Hi@amm4, welcome to the forum. Great to see more chinchilla owners here. Firstly, thank you so much for rescuing them (they can't say it, so I will )  Sounds like you've done them a huge favour, imagine living like  that for 20+ years . When you say the cage has mesh floors, do you mean it's a mesh cage? Often times the ones we see for chinchillas are really much too small & cruel, can you maybe post a picture? Chins need a huge amount of space & room to jump up to 6 foot. Don't forget a sand bath too 


As for the ear thing, if it's the same as in the first picture (that deguconvert posted) then it's normal. Greys & beiges often have hairless ears. The skin feels smooth & normal, but looks freckly. Nowt better than a freckly ear tickle imho. 

If you're worried, you could always book them a quick healthcheck appointment at your vets. Would be a good idea to get them registered & find out if your vet knows anything about chins (most don't) & if not, ask them to find a local specialist, so if any thing happens in the future, you know you've got a good vet lined up. I'd say the 2 things that you need to keep an eye on are their poops (!) & their teeth/eyes. If their poops are small, hard or not many you need to get hay/forage into them, get their guts moving. If they eat or drink with a head tilt, have weepy eyes or drop a lot of their pellets or hay when they're eating, there may be teeth problems. These are the most common things to go wrong. I guess that yours may need watching for foot problems as well, as mesh floors + dirty conditions could have lead to bumblefoot or other bacterial infections to the foot pads. 

Give them time to settle in, I adopted 2 boys a few weeks ago & one is still skittish with me. They are mardy beggers & sulk if there is even a small change. Zeus & Apollo have been through a lot of changes in a small time, but they will appreciate the cleanliness & better food & environment. It may take a while, but they'll relax. Spend some time sitting by their cage late at night (as they're nocturnal & hate being bothered through the day, midnight is prime chin time) & talking in a low voice. They'll interact more & more with you. 

Looking forward to seeing their 'photos, haven't seen many black ones. Bet they're beautiful boys.

[polly]

Chinchillas are crepuscular, not nocturnal randomename. That is, they are most active at dawn and dusk, but have short bursts of activity during the hours of daylight.

[randomname]

The research confirms that's true of domesticated chinchillas, but they have adapted to fit human patterns. Wild chins are both crepuscular & nocturnal, never diurnal. I have kept a crepuscular routine for the rabbits for years - I feed them just before dawn & twilight as nature intended. Even when I have to get up at 3am in the summer! Obviously each creature we live with has their own personalities & patterns too.  Am sure Zeus & Apollo will make it clear what time is best for them. The two chins I have now are definitely influenced by the witching hour, could set a clock by them! What's your chins' peak time? Do they have/watch a tv? (odd question, but am debating getting my guys one)


Edit: I'll start a new thread for that though, no hi-jacking here!

[skardsen]

Nov 15, 2016 11:30:39 GMT polly said:

Chinchillas are crepuscular, not nocturnal randomename. That is, they are most active at dawn and dusk, but have short bursts of activity during the hours of daylight.

Crepuscular is not a precise term, nor is it exclusive of diurnal or nocturnal habits.