Do Chinchillas Make Good Pets?
Ron Hines DVM PhD
Lots of my articles are plagiarized and altered on the web to market products and services. There are never ads running or anything for sale with the real articles - other than my time. Try to stay with the ones that begin with http://www.2ndchance.info/ in the URL box or find all my articles at ACC.htm.
Chinchillas are quick, perky little animals. I love them. If you have never met the acquaintance of one, they have a personality similar to a park squirrel.
Chinchillas have many characteristics that make them great pets. However, they are not suited for everyone. I do not suggest them for children because they are small and fragile and if they are squeezed too tight - they will bite. I prefer them to all other rodents because of their lack of unpleasant smell and unusually long life spans.
What Are Their Good Qualities?
Their good qualities include a beautiful soft lush fur, an inquisitive, boisterous nature and no objectionable noises. They are very low-maintenance pets.
What Are Their Not-So-Good Qualities?
On the down side, chinchillas are somewhat high-strung, and they have relatively short attention spans. They also do not tolerate hot weather or high humidity well.
Where Do These Animals Come From?
Chinchillas originated in the Andes Mountains of South America where they inhabit crevices in the rocks. Chinchillas come in a variety of colors. The most common color is silvery gray; but the also come in white, beige, ebony and sapphire (super-violet) color.
What Are Some Characteristics Of Chinchillas?
Adult female chinchillas weight about a pound-and-a-half and are a bit bigger than males. Chinchillas can live 12 to 20 years - an exceptionally long life span for a rodent. They also have an exceptionally long pregnancy, 111 days. So babies pop out ready-to-go like their distant cousins, the guinea pigs. Chinchillas will not thrive above 78 degrees Fahrenheit (25.8C) or in humidity over 40%.
Buying A Chinchilla
Unfortunately, pet stores are in business to make a profit - not to provide you with a friendly, healthy pet. Pet shops are the worst place to obtain a chinchilla. If you have not yet obtained your pet, go to a reputable breeder such as those that are members of The Chinchilla Club and ask the breeder for the phone number of satisfied clients in your area.
Chinchilla personalities are determined during their first month of age. They need to be handled and petted frequently after they are born or they will grow up skittish and aggressive. An ideal age to purchase your chinchilla is 10 weeks of age.
If possible, check both the parents and the youngster for problems before you become attached to a Chinchilla. Be cautious of watery or pasty eyes, drooling (tooth alignment problems), wool pulling or missing areas of fur. I prefer to buy directly from a breeder I trust or one who willingly supplies me with satisfied contacts who have purchased her animals. Most of the problem animals I see were purchased through pet stores. Common problems I see in pet store purchased chinchillas are wool pulling due to boredom and stress and malocclusion due to improper diet and genetics. Aggression is a problem in animals not socialized to people at a young enough age.
Do's-and-don'ts With Chinchillas:
Chinchillas allowed to run free in the house will slowly but surely chew it down. Besides this, through their indiscriminate chewing they will be exposed to many household toxins.
I like to keep a chinchilla in no smaller than a 6' x6' x 4' mesh cage with a galvanized droppings pan. If the galvanize is new, I wash it thoroughly with vinegar. The galvanized cage coating has been known to be toxic when chewed. Powder-coated metals are apparently safe. Imported Chinese-made cages may be coated with lead-containing paint. If you make the pen, the ABS plastic pan that is supplied with collapsible dog crates works well - it the chinchillas can not reach it to chew on (they need an exposed corner to get started).
Chinchillas love cardboard boxes to hide in and destroy as well as ledge shelves to bask on. They also love dust bathing. I supply them with cornstarch or corn meal in a shallow dish or crock. Beware of plastic toys or cage parts that the chinchilla might ingest.
The floor of your pet's cage should be solid - never wire. Wire floor housed chinchillas eventually end up with arthritis of the foot. I prefer pine shaving or corncob bedding. Chinchillas do not do well on cedar chips. Cedar smells pleasant, but it contains natural chemicals that can be toxic. That is why insects do not bother the tree.
Cages need to be cleaned every two days. You can sprinkle baking soda in the corner the Chinchilla uses to eliminate. Locate your cage out of drafts and strong direct sunlight.
As a food bowl, I prefer a human-quality food crocks (no lead glaze). All chinchillas need a water bottle with ball bearing sipper tube. It is a good idea to purchase a metal shielding for plastic water bottles as chinchillas quickly chew through the bottles.
A large specialty activity wheel is a real treat for active chinchillas. They can be purchased over the internet. Chinchillas need more exercise than most cages will accommodate. Chinchilla-proofing an exercise room is a challenge. These rodents will gnaw all wiring and wooden base molding and trim. Some bitters mist or triple no-chew spray from a pet store might discourage this behavior.
Chinchillas have an insatiable desire to gnaw. That is because chinchillas, like all rodents, have teeth that grow out continuously through life. These teeth must be continually worn down by gnawing. Be sure there are plenty of things for the pet to chew within his cage. Good chewing blocks are pieces of hard rock maple, non-resinous pine, fruit woods and beech. Deer antler and bone also make good gnawing blocks.
Given its choice, a chinchilla will select a diet far too rich for itself. They love pizza crust, chetos, raisins, apple and the like. However these items given more than occasionally will soon lead to digestive upsets, loose stools and eventual death.
The Chinchilla's primary diet (90%) should consist of chinchilla or guinea pig chow (Mazuri 5M01, ZuPreem, Purina or equivalent). This can be supplemented with coarse alfalfa and timothy hay, endive, escarole and spinach. Some alfalfa is entirely too rich. Do not feed beans, corn, sweet potato apples and carrots. They are too rich in carbohydrates and sugars.
Carbohydrates , including sugars, poison the normal intestinal flora (bacteria yeasts and molds) of the chinchilla. Raisins, bits of fruit and fruit roll-ups should be reserved as occasional treats and training aids or not given at all.
Keep a mineral/salt block from a feed store or chinchilla supply in the cage.
I have never read that chinchillas needed vitamin C. Guinea Pigs do require vitamin C. However, many owners feed rose hips to chinchillas. These should be OK in minute quantities (no more than 10 iu ascorbic acid per day).
Training Your Chinchilla
Chinchillas are relatively easy to train. The secret is in using food treats as encouragement. They should quickly learn to come to the scent of a raisin. Next, use a cupped hand as a cradle for the animal while coaxing him with a raisin in the other hand. Soon it should trust you enough to hop into your outstretched hand and hop to your shoulder and let you pet him/her.
Chinchillas are creatures of habit with strong internal clocks. Play with the pet at the same time each day and let him know what to expect.
Portions of cement blocks allow for your chinchilla's toenails to wear naturally. You may still need to trim them every 3-4 months with a human toenail clipper. I suggest that you have your pet's fecal specimen examined twice during the first year of life. After that examination is optional.
You may want to clip the hair surrounding your pets anus to prevent soiling. Generally, chinchillas with soiled posteriors are chinchillas that are eating too rich a diet. Any change in consistency of their droppings is a cause for concern.
Chinchilla Health:
Teeth
Because chinchilla teeth grow up to 10 inches a year, tooth apposition problems are relatively common. Some feel this problem is genetics; others feel it is due to improper calcium/phosphorus content of their diets. Both factors probably play a part in this condition.
Lead paint
Lead paint ingestion in houses constructed before the late 1960's can also be a problem. Beyond these problems, chinchillas generally have healthy long lives. This is another reason they make great pets.
Ringworm
I occasionally see Chinchillas with ringworm. Sometimes, the pet's fur coat appears normal - but it is the owner who develops a ringworm lesion. Another form of ringworm is also common in large chinchilla farms - particularly those supplying the fur trade. It is caused by a similar fungus, T. mentagrophytes. Chinchillas with this problem loose their hair and develop and scabby red spots on their nose, feet, and around their eyes. Two medications, griseofulvin or itraconazole will cure it.
Intestinal Problems (Enteritis)
This is caused by feeding the wrong diet, crowding or poor sanitation. Pet shop stress can also be a factor. When the pet's diet does not contain sufficient fiber or contains too much carbohydrates, their "good" bacteria die and organisms such as E. coli, salmonella, pseudomonas or giardia take advantage of the situation. Treating them is a challenge because they are so small and have minimal body reserves to fall back on.
Respiratory Infections
Pneumonia, sneezing and upper respiratory infections and eye drainage are problems associated with poor sanitation, crowding, improper temperature and a deficient diet. You can avoid these problems by purchasing your pet from a reliable source. Once the pet has this problem, only TLC and antibiotics might cure it. Even once your pet has recoverered, it may still harbor the bacteria for a long time. So you must continue to keep it in a low stress situation.
Slobbers
When a chinchilla's teeth do not line up properly they will overgrow and cause the pet to drool and loose weight. This is called malocclusion. In many cases, the problem is genetic. In others, it is due to an early mineral-deficient diet. If your pet developes this problem, its teeth will need to be clipped or sawed off periodically.
Barbers
This is only a problem when several chinchillas are kept together in close quarters. It is the chinchilla without the missing fur that is the culprit. It it do to boredom and stress.
Heat Stroke
Because these pets are native to the cool, dry Andes Mountains of South America, they do not take heat or humidity well. They do best in the United States when their quarters are well ventilated, shaded and air conditioned during hot weather. Sudden colapse or weakness in a hot environment may signal heat stroke. These pets will be breathing rapidly and may feel hot to the touch. They should be misted off and massaged immediately with cool water to which a drop of dish washing soap has been added.
http://www.2ndchance.info/chinchilla.htm
Training Your Dog Does Not Have To Be Hard
Many people like having pets, such as dogs. Puppies, like most baby animals, have mischievous streaks. Use the advice in this article, and train your dog properly.
Buy chew toys so that your puppy can deal with painful teething. Immediately replace it with one of his designated chew toys. To help your dog cope with painful teething, give him a wet washcloth that has been frozen.
Encourage your dog to be as active as possible. Dogs can become bored easily. Dogs with no enthusiasm will be harder to train than active dogs. When your dog is happy and well-exercised, he will be more willing to pay attention to his training. Before every training session, prepare your dog by taking them for a walk.
Dogs tend to concentrate on one thing to the exclusion of everything else unless that concentration is interrupted. With frequent practice, your dog will begin to focus on you and the signals you are giving him instead of other distractions.
Keep your dogs tied at a safe distance from each other. The two chains could get tangled up. This could panic you dogs as he tries to get free and he could potentially hurt himself. In the case that a large dog and small dog become entangled, the large dog's rope or chain could cut off air circulation to the small dog, and it could be severely injured or die.
If your dog barks a lot, try getting them accustomed to whatever causes the problem. It might be a noise or simply coming into contact with other animals or people. As you begin getting your dog accustomed to these situations, he will be less likely to bark.
When you are in the initial stages of training your puppy, teach him his name first to help create a bond. Simply start by calling his name as often as possible. Once he learns his name, you can encourage him to come to you when called. These are the commands your dog should learn before anything else. Spend a lot of time getting to know your pup, and building a loving relationship with him so he knows who to trust. When he trusts you, he ends up being more responsive to all sorts of training.
When you are house training your puppy, remember, what goes in, must come out. To ensure that your dog's bowel movements remain regular, feed him or her some high-quality food a minimum of twice per day during the same times daily. Doing so allows you to gain a clearer picture of when your puppy might need to relieve himself outdoors.
Grooming is very important. Be sure to research any special grooming and hygiene requirements associated with the breed of your dog. If you have a dog that requires a lot of grooming, make sure that this is done frequently. Properly grooming your dog is important to keep them content and healthy.
By being consistent in toilet training, you dog will learn to wait until he is outside to relieve himself. Spend plenty of time with him, and go outside with him once an hour. When the dog relieves himself outside, give him praise. If your dog has an accident in the home, do not scold him. Screaming at your dog only frightens him, and is not going to make him understand that the behavior was wrong. Instead, give the pet every chance to succeed by taking it outside as soon as you remove it from the crate and roughly 15 minutes after it eats or drinks.
To achieve results when training for obedience, it is necessary to routinely spend sufficient amounts of time on the task at hand. Consistency and repetition are the keys to learning. Also, as you spend more time with your pet, he will begin to trust you more fully and will want to obey. Your dog needs to consider you as a leader and this will occur if you remind your dog he has to obey you everyday.
Dogs are capable of knowing the right and the wrong things to do with proper and consistent training. Everyone in your house needs to set these boundaries too. You must be consistent with dog training.
Though you actually can teach older dogs some new things, it is important to take note of medical problems or other conditions that could reduce an older dog's readiness to perform certain tasks. If your dog is affected with a physical disorder, they may not be able to engage in physical activity. Training could help a dog stimulate its cognitive functions, which is very beneficial when it comes to older dogs. You also need to be looking out for any pain your dog may be in if they are older.
Fear is the number one cause of a dog biting. This is common behavior for a dog that feels as if he is trapped, threatened, or scared. Never use force to train your dog. Doing so may result in injury to you. This builds trust in the dog, and he will see you as his faithful master.
Stay consistent when you train your dog. You have to use the same words, tone of voice, reward system and do your training in the environment in which the commands will be given normally to ensure the dog picks up what you're trying to teach it.
As you have read, pet owners choose to train their dogs for many different reasons. Everyone knows that dogs have a strong desire to please. A dog that is trained properly will be give you fulfillment and joy in your life. Hopefully, the information contained here has provided you with some inspiration and ideas to help you train your adoring pet and friend.
Chinchilla: Tips And Tricks
The chinchillas are exotic small rodents normally inhabit geographical area south of Brazil. These small-sized mammals are regarded as excellent companions when one gets know-how about their activities, meal plan and medical care. I have discovered lots of important aspects to be presumed prior owning a small animal pet companion.
The wire home is considered the fundamental element for the cute friend. It is advisable to go for a housing that will keep the companion a satisfied and a healthy member of the family. Stainless steel is the best material for pet house. The basic specs of rodent pet`s lodging tend to be a special design, a couple of floors, 1 - 2 access doors.
The pocket furry rodent residence guarantees excellent access and in addition can help simple maintaining. The specialized kit may include wood made home, drinking water supply, food dish.
Next in the chinchilla animal good care usually is to have an understanding of fundamental dietary issues as well as opting for meal routine that's going to make it easier for you to maintain the exotic herbivore pet happy. Organic grass is considered the predominant ingredient of the exotic nocturnal rodent eating plan. High fiber content food products which includes plants may be the right way to treat your chinchilla.
Reduced fats as well as high fibre botanical goodie happen to be important. The suggested everyday use of vegetation is considerably more than 1 / 2 of monthly diet plan. Hard pellets incorporating nutrients and vitamins are frequently important for a exoticchinchilla food plan.
Normally you could add some fruit chips or almonds to the typical food stuff. However they are generally organic, goodies are unable to be an alternative for basic nutrient elements and keep in mind that transformations to the menu really need to be made step-by-step. As part of the eating regimen, the consistent delivery of clean tap water is normally the key for this exotic animal companion. Be certain that there certainly is sufficient it in the water bottle.
Essential section of tiny creature care is without a doubt dry bathe in a special container. They need organic dust bathing as a minimum two times in 7 days to keep their very soft coat strong. That is why small exotic chinchilla dads and mums need to obtain a plastic basket and pumice sand.
The chinchilla is loving small creature.
Tips All Cat Owners Need To Know
Cats are very loving and fun animals. Adopt one and you should soon find yourself spending many happy hours playing with it. To keep your cat happy and active, introduce new toys and games often. Fun with a cat does not always involve the expenditure of money. Use these tips to have better days ahead.
Any drape cords should be hidden so the cat cannot grab hold of them. Whenever cats jump on these cords, they might get tangled up in them. This is incredibly dangerous as it could be fatal for your cat. All drape cords should be fastened and kept away from any harm that might come to the cats.
If you're thinking of getting a cat for a pet, you should look to the local shelter. Shelters all over the country are crowded with marvelous cats, and most provide veterinarian care with the adoption fee. You're literally saving their life.
Your cat probably spends a lot of time grooming himself to perfection. However, if it has a lot of hair, hairballs can occur. There are special foods that can ease this issue. The are specially formulated cat foods that help reduce the instances of hairballs, which is not only good for your cat, but also good for you and your feet in the middle of the night.
Keep your cat active and entertained to avoid boredom. Although you may believe that cats just lie around, this isn't the case. They need their exercise. Unfortunately there are too many cat owners who don't properly exercise their cats. If your cat is bored, it might develop a depression, obsessive compulsive behaviors or ruin some of your furniture. Provide your cats with the toys and space it needs. If your cats are kept inside, set up a carpet lined scratching pad or post. There are many climbing structures that can be purchased or made for cats who enjoy heights.
Avoid bladder crystals and stones by feeding high quality food. Your cat will experience considerable pain when he has to pass these crystals, and it's not an easy (or cheap) problem for your veterinarian to fix. Food with a low magnesium content will help. Read the labels. Fish usually has more magnesium than poultry.
You might find that your cat sleeps all day and wants to be active at night. The result is that they active while you're sleeping. If your cats are busy keeping you awake early, just close your bedroom door. This will ensure they don't pounce on you at nighttime, or wake you up in other ways.
You can tap fellow cat owners for advice if you're having problems with your pet. It is possible to work out the problem yourself, but help from others can be invaluable. You can find several cat forums online where you can ask questions, or you can choose to simply call your vet for advice too.
Never punish the cat if he or she causes a mess outside the litter box. Improper box care on your part causes the mess, not the cat. If you get mad, they'll never use the box again.
Prior to adopting any long-haired cat, make sure you understand the extra work involved. While long haired cats are soft and look great, understand that there will be a lot more fur around the rest of the house. If you don't mind cleaning, get a long-haired cat. Long-haired cats usually suffer from hairball problems too.
You should feel proud about caring for your cat. You have offered to give your home and your love to your animal. You and your cat will form a bond that will last as long as you both will live. If you give your cat love, you will get it in return.
