Posted in: Chinchilla
An Experienced Vet is Worth the Search - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:01 AM
Establishing a good working relationship with a veterinarian can be a challenge for any pet owner, but is a special challenge for the exotic pet owner. The exotic pet owner must find a vet who is willing to see their pet, knows something about their pet, and has the facilities, equipment and materials to treat their pet.

Posted in: Chinchilla
Chinchillas Staying Healthy With Pellets and Hay - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:01 AM
The chinchilla's process of consuming food is quite different than other animals. They should have a lot of roughage and fewer nutrients. One of the things that they must have enough of is pellets.

Posted in: Chinchilla
Having The Right Exercise Wheel For Your Chinchilla - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:01 AM
With a cage for your chinchilla, they should also be some chew toys, a television and a wheel for exercise. This way they'll have plenty of things to do while they're in the cage. In order for the wheel to fit in properly, you should measure the door of the cage. Even though your pet will still get their outside exercise, a cage is strongly recommended for exercise inside.

Posted in: Chinchilla
How To Cure Some Health Problems of Your Pet Chinchilla - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:01 AM
As with humans, prevention is the key for your chinchilla to staying healthy and not getting sick. Even though precautions are taken, sometimes steps are still missed. It is crucial that your pet's cage have fresh food and water daily. Their cage should always be kept clean and their food should not contain fungus or insects. Any violations of these can cause adverse effects for your pet. Keep in mind your chinchilla has a sensitive digestive system. It cannot easily get rid of bad food from their system. This means they could get sick.

Posted in: Chinchilla
How To Find A Good Pet Sitter For Your Chinchilla - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:01 AM
When you have an exotic animal such as a chinchilla, because they're in the exotic animal family, they need special care. So if you're going away, you'll need someone to take care of your pet. However, it can't be the same kind of person who can pet sit dogs or cats. They have to be someone who is experienced in taking care of exotic animals such as chinchillas. Where do you find someone who fits that mold?

Posted in: Chinchilla
How To Keep Chinchilla Coats Healthy - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:01 AM
Chinchilla coats have to stay healthy and clean. In order to do that, your pet chinchilla must have dust baths on a regular basis. The dust baths also help to keep their coats silky, shiny and keeps the coats looking thick. Your pet enjoys these types of baths because they get to roll and flip in the dust. As long as they get to move around, they're fine, hence the reason for rolling and flipping in the dust.

Posted in: Chinchilla
How To Keep Your Chinchilla From Suffering In The Heat - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:01 AM
Heat and high humidity are not kind to chinchillas. Their bodies cannot survive grueling heat and high temperatures. Their thickness of their fur is higher than other animals. In fact, they have the highest thickness of fur than any land animal worldwide. It is the thickness of their fur that causes them to be resistant towards heat, especially high heat and humidity. If they come in contact with this, they can suffer from brain damage or heat stroke.

Posted in: Chinchilla
How To Re-home Your Chinchilla - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:01 AM
Re-homing your chinchilla is not necessarily a delight to accomplish. However, if you are in a situation where you can no longer properly care for your chinchilla, the best thing to do is to seek out someone who can give it the love and care that they need. It will break your heart to let your pet go, especially if you've become bonded to it. It's also better if you let someone else handle it rather than let it suffer and die.

Posted in: Chinchilla
How To Select The Right Vet For Your Chinchilla - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:01 AM
When an owner is looking for the right veterinarian for their exotic pet, they want someone who can relate to their pet's special needs. They must also have the available resources to take care of their pet on an ongoing basis.

Posted in: Chinchilla
How To Set Up A Home That Your Pet Chinchilla Will Love - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:01 AM
When chinchillas are out in the wild, their fur is their protector from the elements. When they are captured and turned into pets, adjustments have to be made in order for them to be comfortable and survive.

Posted in: Chinchilla
Prevent Your Pet Chinchilla From Experiencing Environmental Stress - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:01 AM
There are ways you can prevent your pet chinchilla from experiencing environmental stress. You as the owner should make sure all their needs are satisfied. You should also make sure that you are reliable enough to take care of their needs. Your pet depends on you to take care of them physically and emotionally.

Posted in: Chinchilla
Should Your Child Take A Pet Chinchilla To School? - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:01 AM
If your child asks you if they can take a pet chinchilla to school, please show wisdom and tell them no. There are obvious reasons why. Under no circumstances should a child take a pet chinchilla, or any pet for that matter to school (unless it's a seeing-eye dog). They should not be stored as pets at school.

Posted in: Chinchilla
The Effect Of Exercise For Chinchillas - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:01 AM
Chinchillas raised on a ranch get treated differently than those that are raised by breeders and pet owners. Breeders and pet owners raised and treat their chinchillas like pets; ranchers treat their chinchillas like livestock. To the ranchers, this is a business and they could care less about the animals getting adequate exercise or any exercise at all. Their main concern is making a profit at the animal's expense. Don't tell that to the breeder or pet owner. In order to sustain their livelihood, they make sure that their pet chinchillas get in enough exercise to get them through each day.

Posted in: Chinchilla
The History of the Chinchilla - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:01 AM
This exotic animal was named after the Chincha people of the Andes region. The Andes Mountains in South America. Chinchilla actually means "little Chincha". Back around the close of the 19th century, the animals were known for their thick and soft fur.

Posted in: Chinchilla
Want A Chinchilla As A Pet? Here's Where To Start - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:01 AM
If you want a chinchilla as a pet, you can keep a domestic chinchilla. They are known to have nervous tendencies and are night owls. They like to stay up at night and be active. They also don't care for someone holding them. However, they can be friendly animals, but it will take a while for them to get used to their owner. They're not easily coerced into getting close to people. The owner has to earn their trust, just like a human relationship.

Posted in: Chinchilla
Water And Supplement Treats For Your Chinchilla - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:01 AM
Like humans, chinchillas need water. Their water should be fresh and changed daily. This is crucial because if this is not followed, bacteria can grow and it would affect the chinchilla's health. It's not a good idea to have them drink from standing water in a bowl. They'll be sure to catch bacteria that way. Also, they may accidentally tip the bowl over and then you have a wet mess. A preferred vehicle for drinking water would be a water bottle. The bottle should be placed on the side of the animal's cage.

Posted in: Chinchilla
What You Should Know About Buying A Chinchilla - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:01 AM
Chinchillas are available for purchase from breeders or pet stores. When you purchase one from either place, you're probably getting a reputable one. Beware of those who are amateur breeders. They try to sell their chinchillas also, but it's usually in classified advertisements. Personal preferences decide on whether or not they should buy the pets from breeders or pet stores.

Posted in: Chinchilla
What You Should Know If You're Allergic to Chinchillas - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:01 AM
Chinchillas are capable of emitting proteins that cause allergies. This can happen through the presence of saliva or urine. They are also known to shed their fur every few months. The hay and dust that come from chinchillas seem to be the biggest factor in people that have allergies. It is not advisable to have a chinchilla for a pet if you are allergic to hay and dust from them.

Posted in: Chinchilla
Your Pet Chinchilla And Environmental Stress - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:01 AM
Environmental stress can affect your pet chinchilla in different ways. This type of stress results in either health or behavioral issues. Your pet can experience the following: anti-social behavior that includes biting, fighting, spraying urine, fungus, or irritation of the eyes. Your pet can also feel angst toward other chinchillas, biting the fur, gnawing on their cage or even depression.

Posted in: Chinchilla
How To Discipline Your Pet Chinchilla - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:00 AM
When you want to discipline your chinchilla, you have to be mindful of how you do it. Please note that they are not responsive when you verbally berate, hit, or smack them in anger. The physical actions can result in wounds and abscessing. The physical actions don't serve a purpose because your pet already has a sensitive body. Chinchillas are already fearful and chewing them out verbally will do nothing but escalate the situation. The negative verbal actions are not effective at all.

Posted in: Chinchilla
How To Get Your Chinchilla To Trust You - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:00 AM
If your chinchilla is not tamed, it may take them a while to get used to you. Just like with human relationships, you will have to earn their trust before they allow you to form a close bond with them. You will have to provide your pet with a lot of love and care. Don't get discouraged if after a few months, they still don't reciprocate. It just means it may take a little longer than you thought. It is much easier to get a baby chinchilla to trust you than it is an adult.

Posted in: Chinchilla
How To Keep Your Chinchilla's Cage Clean And Safe - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:00 AM
Before you put your pet chinchilla in their cage, it must be cleaned thoroughly. Once they've made it their home, you should clean it at least once a week. To keep the cage smelling fresh, you can use baby cornstarch powder or baking soda (preferably the Arm & Hammer brand). It should be sprinkled in the areas where they urinate. Usually, your pet won't venture into those areas, but if they do, they may contact a fungus.

Posted in: Chinchilla
How to Groom Your Chinchilla Properly - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:00 AM
Chinchilla dust allows your pet to stay clean. If they were still living in the Andes Mountains, they would have to use volcanic ash to stay clean. Oils and dirt stay in your pet's coat because of the dust. The dust then causes the oil and dirt to be released from your pet. This is the process of how the chinchilla's fur is cleaned.

Posted in: Chinchilla
Mistakes To Avoid When Purchasing A Chinchilla - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:00 AM
The maintenance of exotic pets is different than say, a dog or a cat. With a dog or a cat, you don't have to spend a lot of time caring for them as you would a chinchilla. In addition to spending more time with a chinchilla, you will have to spend more money. This is because a chinchilla is a specialized pet and specialized pets cost more because they require different maintenance than regular animals. Before you run out and get one, please keep in mind some things that you'll need to know or at least consider before you jump in with both feet.

Posted in: Chinchilla
What To Do When Your Child Wants A Chinchilla For A Pet - Aug 14, 2008 - 1:12:00 AM
Let's say your child wants a pet. Ok, you think, "I can deal with a small puppy or a kitten". Hmm......so you think. What if your child told you they wanted a chinchilla for a pet? A chinchilla? Yes, your child says again, a chinchilla. You think, they probably don't know how to spell it, let alone pronounce the word.