In your desire to be the best “pet parent” you can be, you will want to regularly check for any signs your chinchilla may be sick. Things to look for will be things like loss of appetite, loss of hair, drooling or swelling around the mouth, cuts or sores under his fur and lethargy. These could be signs of serious illness in your pet, so be sure to examine your chinchilla very closely on a daily basis.

Take the time to get to know your individual chinchilla(s); any thing out of his everyday, normal routine could be the sign of an illness.

Here is a quick, ten point, check list for you to follow when looking your pet over every day:

* eating or drinking more or less than normal
* difficulty in eating, drinking or moving
* coat that looks dull, is soiled or itchy; also look for any cuts or lumps
* discharge from the eyes, ears or nose
* soiling around his “bottom end” with feces or urine
* restlessness or lethargy – crouching or huddling in a corner or against the sides
* more or less urine, or an unusual color to it
* a foul odor comming from the ears, mouth or “bottom-end”
* feces that is abnormal in texture or color
* difficult or raspy breathing from the chest

A healthy chinchilla will have bright eyes, fresh breath, alert expressions, high energy and a good appetite. His fur should be smooth, shiny and full. He should also be very agile, move quickly around the cage and run excitedly to the cage door at feeding time. And, he should show a need, a demand, for social interaction with you and/or any cage mates he may have.

Again, be sure to note the importantance of getting to know your pets particular habits, patterns and reactions as being prey animals, chinchillas most often will not show any signs of illness until the condition is very bad; they are experts at hiding their sickness sometimes to the point of it becoming too late for affective treatment.

Chinchillas are by nature quite hardy creatures. However, they can suffer from a number of conditions and illnesses and it is important to detect these signs at an early stage. Getting to know your pet by handling, grooming and feeding him is most essential in recognising if there is a problem.

The first areas you will most likely notice when you pet’s health is suffering:

– The eyes
– The mouth
– The nose
– The ears
– The fur
– The droppings

Of course if you see anything that is imminent, get your little one as quickly to his Veterinarian as possible. But if you start noticing signs of him slowing down or any begining issues with the areas noted above, try to note down what you observe. Also, it is a good idea if you can take a fecal sample with you. Another important thing……do not attempt to “clean him up” before his visit; it will be very helpful for the doctor to actually see any discharge, blood-spots or build up of urine or feces for himself.

Be observant……getting to know your chinchilla(s) and getting him to his doctor as quickly as possible when ill could mean the difference between life or death for your little pet.