Like all other animals, chinchilla too have health problems even though they are usually robust, energetic and playful. They are exposed to daily threats of bacteria and fungi present in our atmosphere and here we will talk about some of them. As always, it is good to knip the problem at the beginning, failure of which, it may get complicated and more problem will arise from it. The common practise of spending time and looking at your pet daily is recommended as you will be able to catch even the slightest of change.

Eye Infection

A chinchilla with dull, watery eyes calls for attention as this maybe the start of an eye infection. It may also be accompanied by a white matter surrounding the eye or red swollen lids. This infection maybe caused by the dust particle present, reduction in the animal resistance due to improper diet or stress allowing the ever present bacteria to have an upper hand. As for the abovementioned, a visit to the veterinarian is recommended.

On the other hand, watery eyes(not infectious) can be also a tell-tale sign that the animal is suffering from a cold or pneumonia. As always, the desied room temperature for the chin is between 21 to 28 degrees celsius. Check the room temperature instead and if the chin upon touching its ear is warm and having a pinkish or reddish colour accompanied by wheezing or breathing difficulties, the animal may be suffering from cold or pneumonia. The treatment for cold can be done by giving the animal lots of drinking water and avoid dusting them until it cures. The flip side will be that it might lead to pneumonia and visiting the veterinarian will be the order of the day.

Fungus

As discussed above, temperature related features like weather is rather important to a chin, as hot and humid weather will result in chins having a common problem known as "FUNGUS" There are two types of fungus mainly:

1. The type that causes irritation to the skin and causes the fur to drop in patches exposing the skin, which is red or pink in colour. This fur loss can occur anywhere where moisture is present.

2. The type that causes fur breakage resulting in a uneven and thin coat of fur and also having bent or broken whiskers.

Like any other problems, the fungus can be eliminated by changing the dust bath and by adding some foot powder to the new dust bath. This is done regularly if you are in a warm country Bathing them at least once a week is generally acceptable but preferably twice a week. The problem should disappear after several days.

Diarrhoea

If your chinchilla's stools are wet and mushy, then diarrhoea is indicated.

When your chinchilla comes up with diarrhoea, there are a couple things you should do. First, ask yourself: is this new, or has this problem been going on for a while? Know your chinchilla's rhythms, and know if this is an indication of an ongoing problem. Diarrhoea can be a symptom of many things. If this is an ongoing problem, then check with your vet, and do what you have been doing.

If the diarrhoea is a new condition, you should have your chinchilla checked by a vet, particularly a vet experienced with guinea pigs and other rodents. Have your chinchilla's stool checked under the microscope as a wet mount [it must be fresh] for giardia and coccidia. Have your vet check the teeth (which takes a lot of finesse), making sure that the molars do not have spurs or points. If they do, they need to be burred down - a procedure best done under anesthesia. If your animal has giardia, then ask for Albendozol, not Flagyl. Flagyl is still the only accepted treatment for giardia, but unfortunately it kills no more than 50% of the parasite and has been implicated in liver failure in chinchillas. Albendozol, however, usually does kill the bug after 3 days of treatment and does not seem to have bad side effects because it is not absorbed into the blood stream. It does sometimes cause a little loss of appetite for a couple of days, but this usually passes.

If none of the above is present. Then give the chinchilla some Kaopectate for children. Cherry flavor seems to be most favored. Pour some into a teaspoon, and let your chinchilla lap up as much as it wants. If one or two doses in one or two days does not cure this, try some yogurt with a little Metamucil. Mix about 1/4 teaspoon into an ounce of yogurt and give to your chin. If this does not help, and the diarrhoea persists, have a longer exam by the vet including a complete blood count. Sometimes coccidia does not show up under the microscope but it can cause anemia because it causes hemorrhage.

While this is going on, go to a basic diet: pellets and hay only and a lot of water. You need to replace fluids your chinchilla is losing. You might want to put some Pedilyte into the water for electrolytes. Weigh your animal daily. If it is losing weight, then switch to alfalfa and grind up pellets and some calf manna and mix with baby food (fruits seem best, oddly enough) into a soft mush and get your animal to eat it. Weight loss is dangerous. If your chinchilla's weight drops below 14 ounces (400 Gm), your chinchilla is in danger of failure to thrive and needs to be fed frequently. Stay in close contact with your vet here, as this is probably a major problem.

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