Caring for your Pet Chinichilla

General Health

With the right environment, nutrition and care chinchillas can live to 20 years of age. The average however is around 10-12 years.
There are some health problems to be aware of when taking on a chinchilla. As mentioned in the feeding sections their teeth are very important. Their teeth should be yellowish in colour and the top set of teeth should overhang the bottom. Their teeth are open rooted meaning they continuously grow. The incisors can grow 2-3 inches a year. If the teeth are not being worn down properly by the diet the veterinary surgeon can trim the teeth down. Signs that a chinchilla has dental problems are drooling, not wanting to eat, change in faecal size. Some problems are however inherited and need to be monitored closely. If chinchillas are born with an inherited dental problem they should then not be used for breeding as a dental problem is one for life.

Heat strokes can also be common in chinchillas if not given the correct environment. Bright sunlight, lack of water, poor air flow and excessive heat can cause this. If the animal gets too hot they need to be cooled immediately. Any air conditioning or fans should be placed onto the chinchilla.

It can take awhile for chinchillas to become friendly as they tend to be timid animals. Some of them can take up to 6 months to build a trust with their owner. In order to gain this trust when approaching the cage you will need to do so carefully and quietly as chinchillas do not like loud noises. Speak quietly and offer a small treat at the edge of the cage e.g. a raisin. Once the chinchilla is confident it should approach the treat and take it. Once it does this you can reach into the cage and offer the treat. Eventually you should be able to stroke their backs and start to build the trust.

Housing

Chinchillas need a sizeable cage even though they are quite small animals. Cages are usually built from strong wire mesh. Plastic should never be used anywhere in a cage as chinchillas may chew it and cause harm to themselves. They like wooden shelves to sit on and a wooden house/box to sleep in.

There also needs to be the following items; a hay rack, a water bottle, a food bowl (which cannot be knocked over), a dust bath (filled with chinchilla dust or sand) and some litter (wood based cat litter or wood shavings are suitable), newsprint on newspapers is not good for chinchillas and therefore if newspaper is used should be kept out of reach. Sawdust is not suitable as is too fine and cedar wood should also not be used as cedar can be harmful to chinchillas.

Chinchillas like to bathe at least once a day but do not leave the bath in there as the coats can become too dry.

If there is more than one chinchilla they will play together and keep each other company. It is generally recommended that you keep either two females together or a male and female combination where the male is neutered (if you are not planning on breeding). Single chinichillas will need a lot more love and attention.

Sometimes the change to the new environment can be stressful for the chinchilla. This may cause their behaviour to change and you may find that they hind constantly, they can spit at you or even spray urine at you. This can be common and it will just take time for them to feel happy and secure in their new environment. The position of the cage can be a big influence. It needs to be in a quiet area where people are not constantly walking past etc.

Chinchillas can sometimes start to chew their fur. This can be due to stress, poor diet, boredom. Unless they are making themselves sore it is not anything to worry about. The hair will grow back .

They can also get hair rings. This is where a ring of hair gets attached around the penis. The chinchilla will be unable to remove it itself and if not removed can be fatal or seriously injure him. It is a painful condition meaning they may appear lethargic, anorexic and may seem to be cleaning themselves all the time.

Feeding

Chinchillas should be fed on good quality pellets. Examples of these include Duggins,Charnwood, Harrisons, Argo and Henry Bell. These quality foods contain all the vitamins and nutrients the chinchilla will need although a couple of treats may be given as an extra. Mixed foods such as Charlie chinchilla should be avoided as the chinchilla will often pick out the pieces they want meaning they do not get all the nutrition they need. Too much protein in a diet can be dangerous for a chinchilla. The protein content should not be more than 28%. Too much vitamin A can also cause liver damage.

Chinchillas need a high fibre diet to help maintain and wear down their teeth. A cuttlefish can also be given to chew on as this will provide calcium for the teeth. Hay needs to be given alongside the pellet as hay contains good fibre content. Oxbow Timothy hay is a good, popular choice. Fresh water should be available at all times.

All treats offered to a chinchilla need to be low in salt, sugar, fats and oils therfore food such as biscuits, crisps etc should be avoided. Nuts and seeds are often high in fat so again should not be used as treats. Treats which can be given are fruit e.g raisins, banana chips, apple, pear, grape, vegetables e.g. carrot, parsley. Vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage should be avoided. Dried herbs, oats and commercially made chinchilla crackers can be used. Only one or two treats a day should be fed as they are extra on top of the pellets. Too much fruit and veg can also cause digestive problems. As chinchillas do not have a gall bladder eating too much fat can build up fatty deposits which could then lead to liver disease.

When feeding a chinchilla it is best to have a set routine and the best time of day to feed them is in the evenings when they become more active. Chinchillas have a very senstive digestive system and therefore it is best to try and keep them on the same pellet food. If you need to change the food it will need to be done gradually by mixing some of the old pellets with the new and needs to be changed over a period of at least 4-5 days.

Chinchillas are copraphagic meaning they eat their own faeces. They will usually eat the softer ones as they contain good bacteria which they can then take back into their body.

Plastic bowls should be avoided as can cause damage if chewed. Earthware and stainless steel bowls are ok.

Breeding

Breeding chinchillas can be very difficult and is not recommended for novices, for example certain colours of chinchilla should not be bred together. A female should not be mated before the age of 9 months although she will only mate if she feels comfortable in her surroundings.

Gestation period for a chinchilla is 111 days (this is the length of pregnancy)

The doe will not look too much different until getting near the end of the pregnancy where you may notice she’ll start to sleep more on her side and may eat and drink less. During the last few weeks it is best not to handle her too much.
Litters are usually small; only one or two kits. Kits are born with teeth and are fully furred. The kits can weigh anywhere between 25 and 60 grams. They should gain around 2-4 grams a day and they should be weighed regularly to make sure they are reaching the correct weight as there can sometimes be problems where the mother cannot make enough milk. If this is the case you may need to supplement the kits.
The doe (female) should have no objection with the kits being held.
Weaning begins at 8 weeks but it is perfectly fine to keep the kits with mum until they are around 10 weeks old. They should not be homed until they are 12-14 weeks. The cage should be made suitable for kits. There needs to be a flat surface for them as wire mesh can cause injuries. Pieces of carpet can be used and also provides a soft resting area.

Neutering

If neutering to prevent unwanted kits it is advisable to neuter the male chinchilla. Neutering chinchillas if not as common as it is in cats and dogs and does present quite high risks of complications such as death, therefore it is advisable that you discuss the risks involved with your veterinary surgeon. Chinchillas become sexually mature at around four mouths but it is not recommended that they are castrated until six months or more.