Myths

This page is under construction.

Common Health Myths:

*Grains are good for chinchillas. Oats help chins gain weight, etc.

False. A recent study by the webmasters of ChinCare.com has determined that adding grains to the diet of chinchillas is detrimental to their health. It creates an imbalance of phosphorus in the diet. Phosphorus binds to calcium, which in turn blocks it from being absorbed. Chinchillas with calcium deficiency are prone to health issues such as malocclusion and brittle bones.

*Epileptic chins can't have shelves.

False. When shelves are no more than 6" apart and staggered like steps, they are perfectly fine for epileptic chins. In fact, I'd recommend them in most cases, because exercise helps combat seizures. All our epileptic chins have shelves every 6" in their cages. Each shelf is 12" in width and overlaps the shelf above and below it by at least an inch.

*Epilepsy is extremely rare in chinchillas.

50-50. Epilepsy is rarer in grey chins and more common in white and black velvet chins. This is due to those mutations.

*Epilepsy cannot be treated. The only option is to put the chin to sleep.

False. Epileptic chins can be successfully treated with phenobarbitol. They can also get chamomile flowers and basil supplemented to their diets to counter act the seizures. If the seizures are not frequent (once a week or less), medication may not even be necessary. If your chin is on phenobarbitol and has been for any length of time, vet supervision is needed to wean your chin off. NEVER mess around with anti-seizure medications, doing so can be deadly.

*There is no such thing as an epileptic chinchilla.

False. Sadly, this is a common belief among the less knowledgeable "chin expert" vets. Epilepsy does occur in chinchillas, though the occurence is not generally common. If your chin has seizures, and your vet denies this is possible, or discounts them and tells you they're not serious, seek another opinion. If you're in the Lexington area, Dr. Gilpin at Gainesway Animal Clinic is an excellent vet. He knows all the tests to run, and he's got experience prescribing phenobarbitol.

*Fur Chewing is genetic.

50-50. It's not the fur chewing itself that is genetic, it's the tendency towards anxiety. A chinchilla with anxious parents is more likely to also be anxious than one who's parents are not anxious. It is the anxiety that is genetic. Fur chewing, on the other hand, is a learned coping mechanism, much like fingernail chewing in people. In most cases, fur chewing can be stopped and reversed. In rarer cases, a chinchilla is such an habitual fur chewer that it will chew fur even when it is not under stress.

*Chinchillas can be obese. (Such as 'omg my chinchilla is obese! I have to put him on a diet!')

50-50. What most people mistake as being obese is actually due to the type of chinchilla. Brevicata chins are blockier and stockier than Lanigera chins. The space between the floor and their tummies is minimal. Their noses are blunt, their tails shorter, and all this contributes to what looks like an obese chin. Lanigera chins look similar to giant mice, and there's generally space between the floor and their tummies as they're running around. Their noses are pointier, their tails are longer, and they generally look skinnier. On rare occasions, chins can be obese, but it is generally due to having a small cage, no shelves, and no wheel or out-of-cage playtimes.

*Chinchillas will overeat pellets and hay.

False. When left to their own devices, chinchillas will eat only when they are hungry. They do not overeat pellets or hay. Nine times out of ten, when a chinchilla is fatty, it is due to a lack of exercise, and lower quality pellets. Or too many treats. The best remedy is to switch to high quality pellets, and to have regular out-of-cage time.

Occasionally, a chinchilla will come in who's been on a rationed diet. He or she will have been fed only 2 Tablespoons of pellets a day and never more. In those cases, the chinchilla will often fall asleep at the food dish, and will seem to eat during its every waking moment. Even these chinchillas are not overeating. What they are doing is catching up for lost time. They are finally free to take in as many calories as they need to be healthy, and so they are taking advantage of that.

What chinchillas will overeat are treats. Just think about it for a second. If you had the choice of unlimited salad or unlimited candy, which would you choose? Most of us would go for the candy, particularly if it's chocolate or else fat-free. Chinchillas are the same. They've got a sweet tooth just like every other animal, and they will overeat sweet foods. This is why treats must be strictly rationed.

*Chins do not get fatty liver if they stop eating.

Some chins do and some chins don't. Chins CAN get fatty liver if they stop eating, if, for instance, the chin is overweight. An overweight chin's body can't process the fat stores properly and it develops fatty liver as a result. Or perhaps a chin unknowingly has genetic fatty liver. If that chin stops eating, it can die very quickly from fatty liver. If a chin is malnourished, it can (and will) develop fatty liver. Malnourishment results from not eating, or not eating enough, for extended periods of time. Not every single chin will get fatty liver if s/he doesn't eat for a day. The issue is knowing which chins those are. You can't just look at a chin and say "oh, s/he won't get fatty liver if s/he doesn't eat for a day." It is always better to take your chin in if s/he stops eating, because you simply cannot tell what is going on inside of them. It is always better to be safe than sorry.