Is a chinchilla lying on its side normal or a symptom of a disease?

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03/22/2019 Chinchillas are pets that are quite difficult to control. They are willful, self-sufficient and smart. They are usually quite active and constantly on the move. Therefore, when the owner notices that the chinchilla is lying on its side, it is worthwhile to figure out what is the reason for this behavior of the animal. This could be a sign of serious health problems.

Injuries

Your pets are very active and mobile animals, which is especially noticeable when placed in one cage or during the mating period. During the mating games of animals in the cage, everything literally turns over, so injuries can occur, especially if the feeders and drinkers are not secured securely enough. When the animals are boarded, at first they sort things out quite vigorously, which can also lead to undesirable consequences.

Injuries include:

In case of abrasions and scratches, the damaged skin is treated with hydrogen peroxide or chlorhexidine. Subsequently, they are lubricated with syntomycin or streptocide emulsion. In case of severe injuries, the victim is removed to ensure maximum rest.

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In case of dislocations or fractures, it is better not to try to help yourself. It is necessary to contact a specialist as quickly as possible. For open fractures of the limbs, amputation is usually performed.

Dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract

Diseases of chinchillas associated with the digestive system are directly caused by violation of feeding rules. This is an axiom. This category includes the following:

• catarrh of the gastrointestinal tract;
• tympany;
• flatulence.

Catarrhal inflammation of the gastric mucosa occurs due to eating low-quality feed, for example, affected by mold, or containing toxic substances. Cathars are distinguished:

Both the first and second types of chinchilla disease have similar symptoms. Animals lose their appetite, feces become liquid, the animal’s fur loses its shine, and exhaustion sets in very quickly.

With acidic catarrh, stools have an acidic reaction, which is associated with fermentation processes and the abundant formation of organic acids in the intestines. The color of the stool is grayish-brownish with an admixture of gas bubbles. The animal defecates very often.

Alkaline catarrh is characterized by putrefactive processes in the intestines. Liquid feces have a dark brown color, a very unpleasant odor and an alkaline reaction.

Tympany (stomach bloating)

Occurs as a result of eating unusual food (for example, fresh cabbage) or a large amount of wet, easily fermented food. As a rule, excessive stretching of the stomach walls under the influence of gases leads to hypotension (weakened motility) or atony (lack of contractions) of the stomach.

The animal is depressed, the abdominal wall is tense and painful. Often the chinchilla lies on its side, moaning. The enlargement of the abdomen is clearly noticeable; when lightly tapping the abdomen, a characteristic tympanic (drum) sound is heard.

In addition to pain, the increased volume of the stomach exerts mechanical pressure on the organs of the chest and abdominal cavity, causing a sharp deterioration in overall health.

To treat tympany, use a solution of lactic acid (in a five percent dilution) at the rate of 3-5 ml per individual. The animal is forced to actively move, which promotes the release of gases. Taking medications orally in case of tympany is ineffective; injections of painkillers and antispasmodics are prescribed to relieve pain.

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Flatulence (bloating)

More often it occurs simultaneously with tympany and has causes and symptoms similar to the latter. Accordingly, treatment for intestinal flatulence is almost the same as for tympany.

Tympany and flatulence can lead to death, and quite quickly. If the acute attack has been relieved, the animal is prescribed a starvation diet for 12 hours, and then for three to four days, fed with a half dose of food, paying special attention to the composition and quality of the diet.

One of the problems associated with feeding is constipation. In this case, the feces become small and dry. The animal hunches over, strains, and sits for a long time with its tail raised. Often, constipation is caused by complete replacement of roughage with concentrates and lack of hay. To facilitate bowel movements, flax seed, which has a laxative effect, is added to the diet. Advanced cases of constipation lead to coprostasis (stagnation of contents in the intestines) or rectal prolapse. If you are unable to cope with constipation in your pet, it is better not to experiment and show it to the veterinarian.

What diseases cause gait disturbances?

The main coordinators of normal gait and balance are the human eyes and inner ear. Accordingly, poor vision, infectious diseases of these organs often disrupt balance and, as a result, change his gait. The use of alcoholic beverages, drugs, and uncontrolled use of medications, including sedatives, also occupy a significant place among the causes of impaired gait.

Any pathology in the human nervous and muscular system can lead to gait disturbances. We are talking, first of all, about pinched intervertebral discs.

If we talk about more serious causes of changes in gait, then diseases such as multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and Parkinson's disease come to the fore. Loss of sensation in both limbs in diabetes leads to loss of balance and instability.

There are a number of different diseases that are accompanied by gait disturbances.

Spastic hemiparesis causes a hemiplegic gait. In the case of such a disorder, the patient experiences a change in the position of the upper and lower extremities relative to the body. Those. the elbow, wrist, fingers are bent, the shoulder is turned inward, the leg in the joints - knee, hip and ankle - is extended. In milder cases, the arm is in a normal position, but its ability to move when walking is still limited.

Paraparetic gait can be observed in people with varying degrees of spinal cord lesions and spinal cord injury.

Limited flexion of the foot on the dorsal side causes a gait with a very sonorous name - rooster gait. Due to full or partial foot drop, the toes brush the surface during a step and the person must lift the foot as high as possible to avoid this.

Weakness in the proximal muscles of the leg, which occurs with myopathies and spinal amyotrophy, causes a person to walk waddling from side to side. This disorder is called the duck walk.

Parkinsonian (akinetic-regid) gait can be recognized by the following signs: the patient’s back is hunched, his legs are bent, and his arms are bent, while a resting tremor can be noticed. The patient begins to move by leaning forward. While walking, a person takes mincing steps that make a shuffling sound.

Apraxic gait can usually be observed in patients with bilateral frontal lobe lesions. The symptoms of gait disorders in this case are very similar to parkinsonian ones. But there are a number of differences: the patient is easily given some of the movements that make up the process of walking - while he can lie or stand. But as soon as one needs to start walking, a person is not able to do it. Having finally moved forward, the patient stops again. Such attempts to move are repeated several times.

Choreoathetotic gait - it is characterized by disruption of the walking process by sudden movements, made as if through force.

Legs set wide apart, steps of different lengths and speeds are signs of a cerebellar gait. A patient with this disorder can close and open his eyes and still be able to remain balanced. However, as soon as he changes his position, his balance is immediately lost.

Sensory ataxia - This disorder exhibits features similar to cerebellar gait. They differ in that the patient loses his balance as soon as he closes his eyes.

If a person falls on one side while walking, we are talking about vestibular ataxia.

Hysteria is also often accompanied by gait disturbances. It is typical for her to have simultaneous disturbances in balance and walking. A person suffering from hysteria is simply unable to stand without outside help, much less move.

Dental diseases

The main problem in rodent dentistry is malocclusion (also called “hooked teeth”). This disease is caused by improper wear of the crowns of the incisors and is characterized by an incorrect bite.

The main causes of this pathology include:

• genetic predisposition;
• metabolic disorders in the body;
• absence of roughage and mineral stones for grinding teeth.

Since the incisors of rodents grow throughout their lives, the animals must constantly grind them down against something that is strong enough and at the same time does not injure the oral mucosa. When normal grinding does not occur, the incisors continue to grow and the angle of closure of the teeth changes. Thin sharp edges appear on the teeth - hooks that injure the oral mucosa and tongue. With this disease in chinchillas, the earliest symptom noted is drooling. If your pet's face and chest are constantly wet, and the fur around the mouth is sticky, you should pay attention to his teeth.

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In the early stages, the situation can be corrected by placing special mineral stones or unsanded branches of deciduous trees 2-4 centimeters thick into the cage. If the disease is advanced, you need to go to a clinic where the animal’s teeth will be trimmed using special dental equipment. If bite problems are associated with genetics or metabolic disorders, such trimming will have to be done once every three to four months.

Gnawing fur

It happens that chinchillas gnaw out whole pieces of fur on themselves or their relatives.

This happens from stress after transportation, from being placed with another animal, or pregnancy.

• The animal needs to be isolated; it is better to cover the cage with a dark cloth and try not to disturb it.
• If within 5 days
  the pet does not gnaw out fur on new areas of its body, then there is a chance that all the fur will grow back and the animal will get rid of its bad habit.
• If a chinchilla does not stop chewing its fur
  , it may be lacking vitamins A, D and E, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and methionine.

Hair chewing is difficult to cure, and it is worth trying all known methods.

• Then you just need to choose a rich food.
• Perhaps the animal needs to undergo a course of treatment with vitamins
  , that is, they are administered intramuscularly for 10 days.
• You can feed your pet multivitamins for 10 days, and after another 10 days repeat the course.
• You can add lard to the animal's food
  , then the feeder will need to be washed daily. This treatment will take the longest.
• But with each method, you must put a mineral salt stone and hay
  .

Pododermatitis

Pododermatitis is a foot disease characterized by peeling in the initial stage and the appearance of cracks and ulcers in advanced cases. It is believed that a predisposing factor in the development of pododermatitis is keeping animals in cages with a mesh floor.

If ulcerated areas appear on the feet, pathogenic microflora often enter and develop in them. It is necessary to keep the cage clean and periodically check the condition of your pet's paws. As a rule, animals that are sometimes allowed to walk around the apartment are the least susceptible to this disease.

Video

Watch the video - the veterinarian's comments about the open fracture of the chinchilla:

The modest size of a chinchilla does not mean that its diseases are not serious. On the contrary, the situation is getting worse: tiny paw-teeth need to be treated very carefully. If you are not confident in your abilities, do not torture the animal - entrust your pet to the veterinarian.

Carefully monitor the condition of your pet - have time to save a small, defenseless soul.

I don’t know who did these calculations, but the result is this: 25 thousand hairs are located on one square centimeter of a chinchilla’s body.

It was this beautiful fluffy fur that almost caused the animal to disappear from nature: since ancient times it was used to make magnificent outfits for noble people.

Chinchillas especially suffered when European immigrants poured into South America, in the mountains of which they lived, and simply began mercilessly to exterminate the owners of such valuable fur. But, probably, the time has come to stop, and now the number of wonderful animals is being restored, and hunting them is prohibited.

In recent years, chinchilla breeding and keeping animals as pets has become increasingly popular. Naturally, with a new direction new questions arise, including how chinchillas sleep.

Historically, chinchillas in nature are more active after sunset. They are also called twilight animals.

Therefore, when choosing a pet, you need to be prepared for the fact that its activity increases in the evening and night, i.e. Your interests and those of the little animal are radically different: he will sleep during the day!

And it would be good not to deliberately disturb him at this time, because forcibly interrupting sleep (as, indeed, for a person) threatens the chinchilla with stress and a decrease in immunity. The chinchilla wakes up in a split second from the slightest irritant - rustling, quiet steps.

Violent fun at night is usually characteristic of young individuals

. Those who are older (look at the animals here), and even if they are burdened with offspring, behave quite quietly and decently.

But if the owner himself wanders along the corridor in the middle of the night, making his way to the toilet or the kitchen, slamming the refrigerator door, turning the lights on and off, then even the calmest chinchilla will turn into a night reveler.

Hypothermia and colds

Thick and dense fur perfectly protects from the cold, but the absence of sweat and sebaceous glands leads to the fact that wet fur immediately loses its properties. If your pet gets wet, you should immediately wrap it in a soft towel and place it in a warm place until it dries completely.

We must remember that your pet is extremely sensitive to hypothermia and drafts. A cold for these animals often ends in death, since bronchitis and bronchopneumonia develop very quickly against the background of hypothermia.

At the first signs of a cold (sneezing, runny nose, difficulty breathing), an urgent visit to the veterinarian is necessary.

Salmonellosis

Salmonellosis is one of the most dangerous, but not so common, diseases of chinchillas. The danger is that the disease is transmitted to humans. The source of the disease is food or water contaminated with bacteria. The disease can occur in two forms:

• Spicy,
• Chronic.

In the first case, signs of the disease: severe diarrhea, refusal to eat, rapid weight loss. Treatment of the acute form of salmonellosis rarely brings positive results - the animal dies from exhaustion within a few days and most veterinarians, having diagnosed the disease, advise euthanizing the pet. The chronic form can develop over a long time, periodically accompanied by severe diarrhea and apathy, refusal to eat, and anxiety. Diagnosis of the disease in the chronic stage can only be done by testing for resistance. Treatment is prescribed by a veterinarian depending on the severity of the disease and the condition of the animal.

Self-treatment is more likely to lead to the death of the chinchilla.

Dermatitis

Most skin lesions are itchy, and your chinchilla will itch. The reasons can be completely different: from hypovitaminosis to the presence of fleas or ticks in the animal, which is rare, since skin parasites are not very comfortable in the dense fur of these rodents. Dermatophytoses (lichen) are more common. These are skin lesions caused by the development of pathogenic fungi.

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To understand why your chinchilla is itching, carefully examine the animal. And, if you find raised, reddened, flaky areas of hairless skin, it’s time to pay a visit to the veterinary clinic. A specialist will be able to correctly identify chinchilla diseases and their treatment will be successful.

Slobber

Drool is a dental disease.

Chinchillas come in two varieties

such a disease:

• when the animal has sharp edges of its molars;
• improperly grown incisors.

The cause of the disease

Usually it is an incorrect jaw structure. Over time, the sharp edges of the teeth begin to injure the inner cavity of the mouth, and salivation increases - saliva flows down the corners of the mouth.

Both pathologies are usually detected in the third year of life of animals, and can be inherited.

• If the disease is advanced
  , the animal always has a wet neck, chest and front paws. The same symptoms appear when the incisors grow incorrectly.

  As a result, the animal’s mouth may not close at all, and the teeth will injure the gums.

• To avoid this, you need to cut off the sharp edges of the molars with a drill
  , break them off and grind them with a tool. The operation is performed only under anesthesia. This can extend the animal's life by six months. Afterwards the edges will grow again.
• If the growth of the incisors is impaired
  , they can be trimmed with pliers. But this will only save the animal for a few months. The teeth will no longer grow normally, and it is likely that the animal will die from exhaustion.

Why does a chinchilla lie on its side?

Domestic chinchillas are active, furry creatures who love affection and delicious food. Most often, pets spend the day in a sitting position. If a chinchilla lies on its side, this may be a symptom of a serious illness or the imminent death of the small animal. If a chinchilla lies on its side, it is advisable to contact a veterinarian with your unusual pet to rule out possible pathologies or prescribe timely treatment to save the life of the wonderful rodent.

In what state is it normal for a chinchilla to lie on its side?

If a chinchilla lies on its side and sleeps peacefully, and after sleep actively plays, eats and cheerfully communicates with its owner, then there is absolutely no reason for concern, it’s just that an unusual pet at home is comfortable sleeping in this position.

Unusual sleeping positions can also include lying on your back, curled up, or stretched out to your full height.

The chinchilla may also lie on its side as it gets used to its new place of residence. When the environment changes, the emotional animal gets a lot of stress; for the first days it sits and sleeps with a hunched back. Subsequently, the animal adapts to its living conditions and can take a comfortable position, including on its side.

With good appetite and activity, this position is not a pathology.

Pregnant chinchillas often lie on their sides and back in the later stages, which is absolutely normal behavior of the animal during the gestation period.

The sounds they make

When communicating with children, a chinchilla may make a sound similar to whining. She may also whine when she is bored or when someone of the opposite sex is nearby. When a pet whines, but does it less often and sharply, it means that he is looking for something or asking, for example, to open the cage, give him food, or if the cub is lost.

If a chinchilla is interested in something, it will squeak easily and quickly. She makes this sound especially often when she runs around the apartment and new premises, since there is a lot of interesting things around. When a male shows interest in a female, he begins to grunt frequently, thereby indicating this. He also begins to beat his tail, trying to attract attention. In response, the female may react aggressively; she will begin to quack loudly and sharply, and if the male does not stop pestering her, she may even bite him. At this moment it is better to monitor their behavior.

Pathologies in which the chinchilla falls on its side

South American rodents are distinguished by good health, but if the rules of feeding and maintenance are violated, the furry animals are exposed to various infectious and non-infectious diseases. If the chinchilla is lethargic, refuses to eat and lies on its side, most likely the pet is sick. In this case, you must urgently contact a veterinary clinic or call a specialist to your home to provide first aid and prescribe appropriate treatment for your little pet.

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Diseases in which a chinchilla may lie on its side.

If the chinchilla is cheerful and eats well, then most likely it is her habit to sleep on her side.

Stroke

It is observed with frequent stress, injury, intoxication, and in older animals.

The disease is characterized by clear symptoms:

• an apathetic chinchilla lies on its side and breathes heavily;
• refuses food;
• Increased thirst and aggression may occur.

Brain pathologies

If the cerebellum is damaged due to trauma or compression by a tumor:

• the fluffy animal falls on its side when moving;
• lies on its side with an extended limb;
• refuses food;
• a distortion of the muzzle may be observed;
• strabismus and vomiting.

Epilepsy

The pathology can be congenital or acquired. It manifests itself in seizures of varying frequency and intensity, during which the animal falls on its side, arches its body and convulses.

Heatstroke

Staying in a room with a temperature above + 25 degrees is deadly for a chinchilla. If your chinchilla overheats:

• lethargic;
• refuses food;
• lies on his side and breathes heavily.

Video: when a chinchilla is hot

Lack of B vitamins and calcium in the diet

It is characterized by seizures in which the chinchilla falls on its side and twitches in convulsions.

You need to watch a chinchilla sleeping on its side

Rabies

Unvaccinated chinchillas can become infected with rabies from the bite of a sick animal while walking outside. The disease is very dangerous for humans.

Rabies in chinchillas manifests itself:

• aggression;
• impaired coordination;
• drooling;
• convulsions;
• paralysis of the limbs.

Sick animals die.

If a chinchilla lies on its side and breathes heavily, refuses to eat and communicate, you cannot waste time and hope that the disease will go away on its own. In this condition, a small rodent urgently requires specialist help; self-medication or neglect of the pathology can cause the death of a beloved pet.

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Causes of low heart rate

Despite the fact that the maximum frequency indicators can be called conditional and individual, depending on a number of factors (undoubtedly, within certain limits), the pulse is below 50 beats/min. - a sign of the presence of a disease. Its reduction to forty beats poses a threat to health and life, since the brain suffers from oxygen starvation. If it does not exceed forty beats within seven days, this is a sign of bradycardia, and with a progressive decrease, you should urgently seek professional medical help.

Almost all initiating factors of a pulse below normal are related to pathological conditions. For convenience, experts divide them into different categories, which can be found in our table.

Category of causes What is it manifested by?

Physiological

There are a number of natural factors and external influences that initiate a low pulse at normal pressure. Such conditions are not dangerous. This:

Night sleep - when a person sleeps, all processes in his body slow down, including heart rhythms and blood circulation. At the same time, if the air in the room is stale, too cold or hot, the heart rate may drop critically; Air temperature: the lower it is, the lower the heart rate. This phenomenon is due to the body’s protective processes, they are not related to hypothermia or frostbite; Hormonal changes during adolescence. In the period from 12 to 17 years, the pulse rate can range from 30 to 200 beats. This happens due to a “shake-up” during the period of restructuring of the body, its maturation; Professional sports. Many athletes have such a well-pumped heart muscle, and the heart itself has an increased volume, that the prerequisites are created for the development of the so-called “athletic heart syndrome,” in which the heart rate does not exceed 50 beats/min.

It is worth saying that this phenomenon is not very beneficial for health due to oxygen starvation of the brain, as well as a high risk of malignant heart tumors and heart attacks.

Cardiological

The reasons for low blood pressure and low pulse may lie in the weakness of such a vital organ as the heart. They occur in the following diseases:

Decreased local blood supply - ischemia; Ischemic necrosis of myocardial tissue due to lack of blood supply - myocardial infarction; Heart failure syndrome due to decompensated myocardial dysfunction; Primary damage to the heart muscle of a non-inflammatory nature due to dystrophic and sclerotic processes in the heart cells is cardiomyopathy; Inflammatory processes of the cardiac muscle membrane of an infectious, allergic or rheumatic nature - myocarditis; Congenital and acquired heart defects due to anatomical features, scar formation, pumping function failures.

Toxicological

Low blood pressure and low pulse can develop due to interaction with toxic substances when:

Acute intoxication with poisons at work, consumption of food containing them, radiation therapy; Self-medication with taking pharmacological drugs not prescribed by a doctor; Deficiency or excess of potassium, sodium, magnesium in the body due to taking vitamin complexes that are not suitable in a particular case; Following diets that do not include carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins important for the body; Alcohol abuse, tobacco smoking, drug use.

Associated pathological conditions

A complex of functional disorders due to failures in the regulation of vascular tone of the ANS - vegetative-vascular dystonia; Malfunctions of the endocrine system - diseases of the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, diabetes mellitus; A decrease in the level of red blood cells and hemoglobin in the blood - anemia; Respiratory diseases, characterized by narrowing of the trachea due to inflammatory processes; Severe diseases of infectious etiology, characterized by blocking of receptors that control the functioning of the aorta and valves; Swelling, hemorrhages, neoplasms of benign and malignant etiology in the cranial cavity.

Low heart rate in the elderly is associated with age-related changes in the body. It often develops due to concomitant diseases or a natural slowdown in the body’s metabolic processes.

Chinchilla diseases - symptoms and treatment

Poisoning

Poisoning can happen if a chinchilla eats unsuitable food or food that is not suitable for it.

In case of poisoning, the animal may refuse to eat; At the same time, the chinchilla is lethargic and weakly active. Drooling is common.

In case of serious poisoning, treatment, unfortunately, is not always effective - but timely action will help increase the chances of curing the chinchilla.

Possible remedies that will help with chinchilla poisoning:

• enterosgel
• gamovite
• catozal (to speed up metabolism)
• traumeel

To prevent dehydration, you can administer saline solution in a dosage of 10 ml, as well as glucose solution.

Lichen

It is an unpleasant scourge for any animal, and chinchillas are no exception.

With this disease, areas appear on the body where hair is partially or completely absent. In this case, irritation may occur in such areas. It often happens that the first manifestations of lichen are found in the area of ​​the animal’s nose and ears.

Hair loss in chinchillas can be caused by various parasites. If you live in a city, it is advisable to scrape the affected area of ​​skin. A specialized laboratory will help identify not only the parasite itself, but also select a drug that will effectively deal with it.

If your city does not have a specialized laboratory where such an analysis can be performed, you can use broad-spectrum drugs.

It is possible to use the following drugs in the treatment of this chinchilla disease:

• Vakderm-F – injections of 0.3 ml with an interval of 1-2 weeks. The drug can only be used for adults, because it can slow down or completely stop the animal's growth process. Use is permitted for chinchillas from 6 months of age.
• Lamisil and Exoderil - suitable for both adult animals and small chinchillas. The affected areas of the body are treated with a spray twice a day for 14 days.

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It should be noted that lichen is a highly contagious disease. Therefore, a chinchilla that has been diagnosed with lichen should be isolated from other individuals and any contact should be excluded - a quarantine regime is appropriate. To minimize the likelihood of infection with lichen, you can use fungistol, and it is also necessary to carry out regular hygiene of rooms and cells. Using a bactericidal lamp will not hurt.

Conjunctivitis

Bacterial inflammation in the eye area occurs quite often in chinchillas. In this case, the animal will experience discharge, which, depending on the extent of the process, can be scanty or abundant; sometimes purulent contents may be discharged. For a bacterial infection, antibiotics can be used for treatment.

In general, the following remedies can be used to treat conjunctivitis and inflammation of the eye area in chinchillas:

• ointments – tetracycline, hydrocortisone
• Maxidin drops
• colloidal silver rinsing
• in case of damage to the cornea, clouding of the vitreous body, it is possible to use an already proven product - Taufon drops (or analogues)

Bites

Sometimes these rodents can be aggressive. Chinchillas do not always manage to get along with each other. This is a sure way to cause injuries, scratches, bites, and abrasions. Bites can be superficial or deep.

For large wounds, you need to immediately begin helping the animal. Take him to a place where he will be protected from the encroachments of other individuals - provide the chinchilla with maximum peace. It is advisable to clean the damage from blood, and treat the wounds with hydrogen peroxide and Levomekol. Injections of Catozal and Traumeel will speed up the recovery of the body.

It happens that with strong bites the animal refuses food. In this case, you need to administer saline and glucose. Moreover, vitamins can also be diluted in the latter to maintain the animal’s strength. If this works, you need to force-feed the chinchilla; if not, be sure to continue using glucose in combination with saline solution.

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Chinchillas often bite and damage each other when mating. Therefore, it is better that someone is at home at this time, and if aggression occurs, the animals should be immediately placed in different cages.

Invasion

For chinchillas, infestation is a serious disease. When infested, a chinchilla may refuse to eat, and its behavior will become lethargic, apathetic, and weakly active. The chinchilla may develop severe bloody diarrhea. In case of invasion, it is possible to perform a complex surgical operation to remove the affected part of the intestine, but the likelihood of a positive outcome is low.

Diarrhea

For diarrhea in chinchillas, it is possible to use oak bark, as well as medicines - Smecta, Linex. It is important to stop the dehydration process - therapeutic measures must be started quickly. During treatment, the animal's diet should consist primarily of hay and liquid.

The cause of chinchilla diarrhea can also be previous treatment with antibiotics - often after completing a course of drugs, dysbiosis develops in the intestines. You can restore normal intestinal functioning by using boluses from a healthy animal.

Constipation

When constipated, a chinchilla's belly is swollen, the animal experiences weakness, and the boluses are small. In such a situation, the main task is to restore intestinal motility. For this purpose, the animal should walk a lot, but it is also possible to use a number of therapeutic agents:

• Vaseline oil - given to drink several times a day or injected into the rectum using a syringe
• in severe cases, the use of Cerucal injections is justified

The possibility of a chinchilla swallowing its own hair with the formation of clots and, as a result, intestinal obstruction has not been proven in chinchillas - however, if there is suspicion, the use of Malt paste is possible.

Rectal prolapse

This problem in chinchillas in most cases is a direct consequence of constipation, the manifestations of which were described above. Constantly straining to have a bowel movement eventually leads to bowel prolapse. In this case, part of the bloody intestine (usually no more than 2-3 cm long) comes out of the anus.

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In case of prolapse of part of the intestine, restoration measures must be started as soon as possible, otherwise necrosis of the prolapsed area is possible. For self-reduction, the prolapsed area must be lubricated with ointment and then adjusted using a thermometer. After a few days, the chinchilla should have a bowel movement.

It is better to trust intestinal adjustments to experienced veterinarians and not to do them yourself - this procedure requires some skill.

Dental diseases

Dental diseases are also common in chinchillas. At the same time, their color changes, and the animal may develop “drooling” when the teeth grow incorrectly. At the same time, sometimes the chinchilla is wet in the neck area. If it progresses, the teeth may take on an unsightly shape. The skin on the animal's face may also be damaged.

It is easier to deal with the problem in the early stages. It is not always possible to cure a neglected process.

For treatment, special feeds enriched with phosphorus compounds are used, and vitamins must be added to the diet. It is possible to add sodium phosphate in powder form to the feed.

If a chinchilla has lost a tooth, the place where it fell out can be treated with Metrogyl Dent gel.

Inflammation of the feet

Inflammation of the feet sometimes occurs in chinchillas, and in most cases the hind legs are affected. If this condition is not treated, surgery may be required in the future. To treat pododermatitis, special medications are used, which a veterinarian will help you choose.

Colds

A chinchilla can get a cold. An animal’s body temperature is dangerous at about 38 °C, and at 39 °C there is a risk to the chinchilla’s life. When a chinchilla has a cold, they often develop a severe runny nose.

To speed up recovery, you need to insulate the place where the animal is, eliminate possible drafts, and clean the nest from dust. Also an important factor in a quick recovery is enhanced nutrition.