The domestic chinchillas are not likely to get sick if they are given basic care. It is essential that your chinchilla enjoy an appropriate shelter. This shelter should be dry, away from drafts and well ventilated.
Their diet must also be correct, since they have a delicate digestive system.
If these requirements are met, your chinchilla can live an average of 12 years, there are even cases that exceed 20 years.
Keep reading this article to learn all about chinchilla diseases.
Things you should know about chinchillas
Wild chinchillas are extraordinarily resistant animals Their natural habitat is in the Andes mountains, between 1,500-3,500 meters above sea level. This implies that the radical climate that exists in that place forges a very solid he alth in all the animals that live in that harsh environment.
The wild chinchilla in the Andean climate can be in broad daylight at 40º when it is exposed to the sun; and during the night it can be at -30º. This explains the enormous hair density of wild chinchillas.
The domestic chinchilla is a hybrid that comes from the only two species existing in nature: the Chinchilla Chinchilla and the Chinchilla Lanígera. Since the beginning of the 20th century, unsuccessful attempts began to captive breeding of chinchillas for the fur market.
Given the enormous number of hybrids with an extraordinary range of colors ranging from white to black, that chinchilla breeders produce for the pet market, today's animals have little to do with their primitives ancestors. They are not as resistant to the radical changes of extreme weather conditions, but precisely this weakness is their strength. They are much more adaptable to the home climate and live much longer
Alopecia
alopecia or hair loss can affect our chinchilla at various times in its life:
- During lactation, little chinchillas can pluck hair from their mother.
- Because of stress, feeling threatened, or the wrong temperature.
- As a consequence of ringworm or dermatophytosis.
As you can see there are different causes of hair loss that can affect your chinchilla, for this reason it is important to go to the vet and receive the proper diagnosisEven if it's ringworm, you can get it yourself because it's a zoonotic disease.
You can prevent this problem by regularly cleaning your chinchilla's cage and offering sand baths. Never ever bathe your chinchilla with water.
Heatstroke
As we have explained before, the chinchilla is born in a place of contrasts: intense cold at night and warm temperatures during the day. Even so, the chinchilla is a nocturnal animal since avoids the warmth of the sun at all costs.
If you have your chinchilla's cage near a heat source or it is summer, it can suffer heat stroke. Do not expose it to more than 20ºC.
If you see your chinchilla lying down, agitated or with thick saliva, it means that it is suffering from heat stroke. You must act as soon as possible to avoid death:
- Reduces the room temperature.
- Wrap your chinchilla in a cool, damp towel.
- Call your vet (you won't have time to get there).
- Follow the advice of the professional.
You can avoid this by constantly maintaining a correct temperature, use a thermometer near the cage to make sure.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea is usually common when we offer our chinchilla food such as lettuce (excessively rich in water), poorly preserved or unsuitable food. It can also happen when I change feed.
If we find excessively soft or liquid stools, not usual, it is best to go to the vet since being such a small animal it can dehydrate easily and die. Going to the professional will make sure that it is not a major problem such as an infection or bacteria.
Intestinal parasites
Parasites are usually a consequence of poor hygiene in the chinchilla's habitat. It may also happen that we adopt her sick or that she has been infected by other animals that we have in the home.
The most common symptoms are diarrhoea, hair loss and malaise.
In this case we also recommend going to a professional and finding out about the deworming that our rodent requires. It is very important to separate the chinchilla from the others if we have one.
Hair rings
If we are trying to breed our chinchilla, an option not recommended if we are not experts, it may happen that our male hair gets caught around his penisforming a ring of fur. As a consequence you can strangle him.
Observe your male's genitalia on a regular basis and you will be able to spot him if you see his penis sticking out. If it has happened to you you can try to remove it yourself at home but you must be very delicate so as not to damage it.
Other diseases that can affect your chinchilla:
- Bordertellosis: It is a respiratory disease and can also affect humans.
- Pasterellosis: It is transmitted by bites and scratches and its symptoms can be very diverse. With proper hygiene we should not worry about it appearing.
- Salmonellosis: It is common in rodents. The symptoms are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or enteritis among others. It can be transmitted very easily.
- Strep pneumonia: It is caused by bacteria and can cause meningitis.
- Rabies: All mammals are susceptible to this disease although it does not usually affect chinchillas. It is impossible to cure.
- Tiña: It is a very contagious skin disease (also to humans) the symptoms are red welts without hair. See a specialist as soon as possible.
- Malocclusion: It is the excessive growth of the molar. We will have to add a mineral complement to the affected animals.
