The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Chinchilla The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Chinchilla
Showing posts with label Chinchilla. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chinchilla. Show all posts

Monday, August 23, 2021

Male vs Female Chinchilla: Which One Should You Get? (With Pictures)


Chinchillas may be one of the softest, cutest rodents on the planet. When you finally decide to get a plush chinchilla—you have a big decision right off the rip. Should you get a male or female? Even at the pet store, do they really know the difference? Sometimes, trained professionals can get it wrong, too.

Chinchillas should stay in pairs or trios because they are social creatures. So, especially if you’re getting multiple, you might not want to get a little surprise birth of babies—no matter how cute they might be. Let’s go over the differences you can expect between the two genders and learn how you can tell yourself.

To read more on this story, click here: Male vs Female Chinchilla: Which One Should You Get? (With Pictures)


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Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Exotic Low Maintenance Cool Pets That Are Legal To Own



Have you ever wondered, how can you get your hands on some unusually exotic pet animals that can be part of your life?


Well you’re at the right place, so get ready to know some mysterious and incredibly awkward looking creatures from our blue planet that can be kept as cool pets.

Some people just don’t have the stomach for the usual cat and mouse animals, but prefer the challenge and thrill of owning something unique and rather eye-catching. It’s a great way to feed your exotic animal fetish and hobby-ish nature.

If you ever thought owning some exotic pets would be a colossal nightmare in care and possession, you would be surprised to know that the animals mentioned below are actually being kept as pets.

Note: It is your duty to ensure that you and your dream pet live in legal harmony according to your state law.

Here is the List of 30 Exotic Low Maintenance Cool Pets That Are Legal To Own.

To read more on this story, click here: Exotic Low Maintenance Cool Pets That Are Legal To Own


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Saturday, March 2, 2019

Chinchilla Sickness, Illness & Disease


The best cure to any illness, sickness or disease is prevention! A chinchilla will thrive and live a long and healthy life under the correct conditions but their health quickly breaks down when the basics of chinchilla care is not followed.

A chinchilla will generally hide any illness, sickness or disease very well as in the wild this would make them a prime target for predators. It is therefore important as a chinchilla owner, that you regularly examine a chinchilla to help identify any illness, sickness or disease sooner and prevent the condition progressing to a stage where it is hard to cure, or becomes incurable.

Chinchillas can acquire a disease, illness or sickness at any time and when they do, a chinchilla will go down-hill extremely rapidly, especially if you don't know what to do or what is actually wrong with them!

An understanding of the correct nutrition a chinchilla must have on a daily basis is of great importance, as improper feeding and unbalanced nutritional-ratios are one of the main causes of most illnesses, sickness or diseases in chinchillas.

The proper location and construction of the chinchilla cage is also essential for the prevention of many chinchilla diseases and illnesses. The cage must be housed in a quiet environment so a chinchilla can get a full uninterrupted night's sleep during the daytime hours and must be built to aid fresh air circulation daily. Dark or damp cages are not satisfactory nor are cages kept in a draughty area or in brightly lit areas.

To read more on this story, click here: Chinchilla Sickness, Illness & Disease


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Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Small Pets, Big Love: The Big Guide For Small Pet Lovers


The big guide for small pet lovers and everyone who loves little nose twitches, big floppy ears, or soft furry feet.

Small pet fun facts, a printable daily care checklist, and everything you need to know about how to love and care for: 

Rabbits, Guinea pig, Gerbil, Hamster, Rat, Mice
Specialty Pets, like Chinchillas, Hedgehogs, and Ferrets

To get your copy, click here: Big Guide For Small Pet Lovers

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Saturday, August 4, 2018

5 Common Health Problems That All Chinchilla Owners Should Be Familiar With


Chinchillas are rodents that are generally hardy pets. However, they do commonly develop a handful of problems that all chinchilla owners should be familiar with. If chinchilla owners are educated about conditions their pets potentially could develop, they can recognize abnormal signs in their animals and have them treated by a veterinarian as soon as possible to improve the chances of recovery. Common illnesses in chinchillas include:


Dental Disease
Chinchillas have open-rooted or continuously growing teeth that grow 2-3 inches per year. In the wild, they eat rough, coarse grasses that help keep these continuously growing teeth worn down. Many pet chinchillas are fed excessive amounts of dry, crumbly pellets, rather than fibrous hay, and as a result, they don’t chew enough and their teeth don’t wear down properly as they grow. In addition, their top and bottom teeth must meet properly to help wear them down as they grow.

A condition called malocclusion occurs when the teeth don’t align properly, so that the teeth surfaces hit each other inside the mouth. Once the teeth grow so long that they hit, there is no room for them to grow longer, and they become impacted in the gums and jaw bone (like wisdom teeth in people). Both the front (incisor) teeth and back (molar) teeth can become impacted — a very painful condition when the chinchilla tries to chew. Overgrown, sharp edges may form along teeth surfaces, leading to cuts on the tongue, cheek, or lips. The roots of overgrown teeth may become infected and abscessed. The chinchilla may have difficulty eating, lose weight, drool, and paw at its mouth. If an owner sees a chinchilla exhibiting any of these signs, the animal should be examined by a veterinarian right away so that treatment may be started.

A chinchilla-savvy vet should perform a thorough oral examination and take x-rays of the animal’s head to assess the teeth roots. If the teeth are overgrown and impacted but not infected, the pet should be started on a softer, easier-to-chew diet (such as shredded veggies and chopped hay), or syringe-fed a liquid diet if it cannot chew at all. It should also be given liquid anti-inflammatory medication.

If x-rays show infected teeth roots, the infected teeth must be surgically extracted under anesthesia. Prognosis for chinchillas with dental disease is better when the animal is treated early on, before they become weak and thin. In general, however, dental problems in chinchillas are recurrent and lifelong.

Ringworm
Chinchillas are common carriers of ringworm — a fungal (not a parasite or worm) skin infection that causes hair loss and crusty, scaly skin, and which is transmissible to people and other pets. Skin on the ears, face, and legs is commonly affected; however, chinchillas have very dense fur and can carry microscopic ringworm spores on their thick haircoat without actually showing any signs. Owners who notice dry, flaky skin or patches of hair loss on their pets should have them examined by a veterinarian immediately. A veterinarian can diagnose ringworm by culturing the affected skin in special fungal culture media or by having a veterinary laboratory run DNA tests on the hair to see whether fungus is present.

Treatment involves thorough clean-up of all areas in which the chinchilla has been in contact to ensure that no infectious hair is left behind that could re-infect the affected animal, other animals, or people. Mildly affected animals can be treated with topical prescription medications applied to the areas of infected skin. More severely affected animals may require long-term treatment with oral prescription medications, as well.

Fur Issues
Chinchillas commonly develop two conditions that involve their fur. First, fur chewing in chinchillas is a common behavioral problem in which they chew on their own or their cage mates’ fur so that the haircoat looks patchy. Hair growing back into the chewed regions may be shorter and darker than the original fur.

Chewing occurs most often over the back and tail but can occur anywhere on the body. Theories about why chinchillas do this include stress, hormone imbalances, dietary deficiencies, underlying dental problems, boredom, the presence of other (parasitic or fungal) skin infections, and a genetic predisposition. The most widely accepted explanation is that fur chewing is a displacement behavior in response to environmental stress, such as from an overcrowded cage, the presence of aggressive cage mates or other predatory pets (such as cats and dogs), too frequent handling, or other anxiety-inducing circumstances.

A veterinarian can diagnose fur chewing by performing a thorough physical examination and skin tests to eliminate the presence of infections such as ringworm. Proper diet must be assured, too, to rule-out dietary deficiencies. The cause of fur chewing may be difficult to pinpoint; treatment may include elimination of possible stressors by providing a larger cage, handling the pet less often, removing other pets or aggressive cage mates, and ensuring a proper diet. Offering other, more appropriate things to chew on, such as hay and wooden toys, also may help.

The second common fur issue that occurs in chinchillas is fur slip. Fur slip is another name for the release of a large patch of fur in response to being grabbed or handled roughly.

Wild chinchillas have developed this mechanism to escape predators when they are captured. They release big clumps of hair to get out of a predator’s mouth when the predator grabs them. With normal shedding, chinchillas lose small amounts of fur gradually from all over their bodies as hair ages, falls out, and is replaced by new hair growing underneath. This process is gradual, so that obvious bald spots aren’t visible. With fur slip, however, a traumatic event precedes the hair loss, a large amount of hair comes off all at once, and a clean, smooth, bald patch is left behind.

Short, stubbly hairs may grow back in the bald patch within a few weeks after fur slip occurs, but return to a full, thick, normal coat may take up to several months.

Owners can prevent fur slip from happening by never grabbing the animal directly by the fur or skin and by always supporting the pet’s body from underneath the chest, abdomen, and hind end. Also, owners should never allow other naturally predatory pets, such as cats and dogs, near their chinchillas. These other pets may be good-natured and well-intentioned in carrying the chinchilla in their mouths to play with it, but may actually cause fur slip or worse injuries.

Heat Stroke
Wild chinchillas live in the Andean Mountains where it is cold; they have developed a thick fur coat to keep them warm in a cool climate. But as pets, chinchillas are very susceptible to overheating. They function best at environmental temperatures ranging from 55-70°F and should never be exposed to temperatures above 80°F. They also don’t do well with high humidity.

During the summer, or in warm climates, they should be kept indoors in air conditioned, dry areas, and they should never be exposed to direct sunlight without access to shade.

A chinchilla suffering from heatstroke appears weak and may be collapsed; it will need to be treated by a veterinarian immediately to cool it off with fluids injected beneath the skin, a sponge bath, and direct air flow from a fan.

Chinchillas with heatstroke must be treated as soon as possible or they risk stroke, organ failure, brain injury, and even death.

Gastrointestinal Problems
Gastrointestinal (GI) problems in chinchillas occur secondarily to other systemic illnesses and to other conditions that cause stress or pain. Chinchillas with GI disease may have decreased appetite, lethargy, decreased to no stool production, diarrhea, prolapsed (sticking outside the anus) rectal tissue, and a bloated, gas-filled belly. Several causes of GI disease in chinchillas exist, including sudden diet change, feeding excessive amounts of carbohydrates (typically chinchilla pellets) or vegetables, a reaction to treatment with antibiotics, GI parasite infection, and overgrowth of abnormal intestinal bacteria or yeast. Chinchillas with any of these signs should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

A veterinarian performing a diagnostic work-up for GI disease in a chinchilla might do a stool examination for parasites, abdominal x-rays, bacterial culture of stool, blood testing, and abdominal ultrasound. Once the veterinarian determines the cause of the chinchilla’s GI signs, in addition to specific treatment of the underlying cause, he or she can provide general supportive care for GI disease, including subcutaneous fluid administration, syringe feeding, pain relief, treatment with antibiotics and/or anti-yeast medications, and gas-relieving agents, as indicated.

Emergency surgery may be warranted in cases where a chinchilla is severely bloated or has ingested a foreign object that is obstructing the passage of food through the intestinal tract, but animals with these conditions are usually extremely debilitated and are poor surgical candidates. Rectal prolapse, often associated with GI parasites and overgrowth of abnormal GI bacteria or yeast, generally requires surgery.

A simple annual veterinary check-up helps keep chinchilla owners up-to-date about preventative medical care. Owners who are educated about common illnesses in their pets generally have healthier, happier, longer-lived animals with a better quality of life.

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Friday, August 3, 2018

Some Unusual Shelter Animals You May Not Have Known You Could Adopt


Although dogs and cats remain by far the most common pet to rescue and adopt, other kinds of animals do end up in shelters. From farm animals to small rodents and even reptiles, there are plenty of options if you’re looking to bring home a different kind of furry or scaly — friend.

While some of these animals end up in shelters because an owner moves away, plenty of them are abandoned by “impulse buyers” who change their mind after buying a needy breed of pig or chinchilla, experts say.

For that reason, Dana Puglisi of AdoptaPet.com, which has listings for more than a dozen species of shelter animals, said that it’s important to read up on animal needs if you’re interested in adopting an atypical pet.

“It’s very easy to look at an animal and say, ‘That’s such a cute animal, I want it to be a part of my life,” Puglisi tells NBC. “It’s another thing to take on the actual day-to-day responsibility for caring for that pet.” 

In addition, some states have restrictions on what kind of animal you can keep as a pet, so Puglisi said she also suggests checking local laws before reaching out to a shelter.

Below are some of the unusual shelter animals you may not have known you could adopt:


Cows
Holy cow, indeed! In areas with more farmland, shelters and sanctuaries like Animal Place in Grass Valley, Calif. may have cows that were rescued from factories. Be sure you have the space and resources to adopt a shelter cow, though, as they need at least 80 square feet of space and over 20 gallons of water a day.




Chinchillas
According to ChinchillaRescue.org, chinchillas are noisy and nocturnal, so it’s best to avoid keeping them in their new owner’s bedroom. Since rescue chinchillas are of unknown parentage and may not be neutered, owners should plan to keep them apart from opposite-sex chins in order to avoid accidental breeding.




Pigs
The right breed of pig can make for an adorable rescue animal — and a shelter is often the best way to find one. Puglisi said that more and more pig owners are abandoning their pets after being tricked into bringing home baby farm pigs that put on hundreds of pounds as they grow up. If you have the space, you can adopt one of these larger abandoned pigs, but shelters also have plenty of smaller breeds, like Vietnamese miniature pot-bellies.




Parrots
Parrots (as well as other tropical birds like parakeets) are often left behind at shelters when owners move away or become unable to keep caring for these sometimes needy birds. As with some other animals on this list, though, be sure to check local regulations if you choose to adopt — parrots aren’t allowed to be kept as pets in some states.



Goats
If there’s anything to learn from the recent goat yoga fitness craze, it’s that these farm animals can serve as fun, furry additions to the family. While regular-size goats can be found in some shelters, a few also have pint-sized pygmy goats up for adoption for anyone short on space. Who knows, they might even eat the weeds in your yard.



Horses
Equestrian lovers can adopt either full-size or miniature horses, like Smooshy, a dwarf miniature horse adopted by actress Kaley Cuoco of “The Big Bang Theory.” Mini-horses in particular are seeing a surge in shelters right now, Puglisi said, as “impulse buyers” purchase and then abandon the horses they use to emulate celebrity horse owners.




Snakes
From king snakes to corn snakes to Colombian boa constrictors, there’s plenty of shelter serpents snakes that you can adopt into your home. Most snakes are carnivores or omnivores, and they require a steady diet of other animals in order to be well-fed — so be prepared to keep “mousicles” inside your freezer.




Ferrets
These tail-wagging mammals make for active, friendly pets to adopt or even house temporarily through foster programs for older or sick ferrets. Watch your fingers, though — ferrets are also known for biting.



Bearded Dragons
They may not be quite like the Viking pets in “How to Train Your Dragon,” but shelter bearded dragons can let you support shelters while (sort of) living out a mythical animal fantasy. Sometimes known as “beardies,” these reptiles originated in central Australia and are often kept in zoos. They’re considered one of the easiest reptiles to care for, but still need a specific light pattern and large tank.

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Friday, December 25, 2015

Humans Benefit Greatly from the Companionship of a Pet: How Pet Therapy Has Changed Assisted Living


It doesn't take a scientist to know that pets make humans feel good; anyone who's ever stroked a dog's fur or felt a cat's thrumming purr knows this. Science can, however, tell us how and why pets can be therapeutic. Just 15 minutes bonding with an animal sets off a chemical chain reaction in the brain, lowering levels of the fight-or-flight hormone cortisol and increasing production of the feel-good hormone serotonin. The result: heart rate, blood pressure and stress levels immediately drop. Over the long term, pet and human interactions can lower cholesterol levels, fight depression and may even help protect against heart disease and stroke. This is why pets for the elderly can be so beneficial.


Pet Care & Senior Living

One of the biggest concerns of allowing seniors to bring their beloved pets to assisted living communities is that the program needs to ensure the pets' well-being. Duvall, Washington veterinarian, Dr. Kevin Sievers, comments on the importance of the pets' needs: "Humans benefit greatly from the companionship of a pet. An animal in the life of a senior can give them new meaning and improve their well-being, so it is important for seniors to have a pet in their living environment. I also think it's very important to remember the health needs of the pets. Seniors can forget to properly medicate or even feed their pets. Senior living communities need to be able to help their residents care for their pets to ensure the health and happiness of both the seniors and their pets." So the key to an overall healthy relationship for both the senior and the pet is to have a pet friendly assisted living community that can ensure proper care for the pet, if the owner is not capable.

Fortunately, many senior living communities are on board with this service and even have a Pet Care Coordinator at their communities to help make sure all the pets are well cared for and are up-to-date on vaccines and veterinary care. This ensures the pets are groomed, fed, walked and happy when they otherwise wouldn't be if the senior is not able to perform these responsibilities.


Pet Therapy’s Amazing Impact on Quality of Life

For seniors, the benefits of a furry companion can be life-changing. Walking a dog is great cardiovascular exercise, but just the simple act of caring for a pet-petting, brushing, feeding-provides both mild activity and a means to stay engaged with the world. Pets can make the elderly feel needed, and that feeling can translate into a greater sense of purpose and self-worth. During what can be a lonely time of life, the unconditional love of a cherished dog or cat can be a bridge to more socialization with others, lowered stress, mental stimulation and a renewed interest in life.

In the past, a move to a nursing home or retirement community meant giving up this important bond with the animal world. While many retirement communities, assisted living facilities and nursing homes still don't allow pets, it's great that many of these assisted living communities have decided to integrate pets into their communities, as the pet therapy benefits to the elderly is overwhelming.

"We don't just let them in," says Steve Winner, co-founder of Silverado Senior Living with a chuckle, "we require them. Pets are an integral part of what we do." From the start, Silverado has embraced the power of pets and pet therapy for the elderly to make happier lives for those affected by dementia.

Assisted living communities in the Silverado network not only have dogs, cats and fish on site, but also miniature horses, llamas, chinchillas, and even baby kangaroos. "We ask senior residents to help us care for them," says Winner. "The responsibility of caring for other living beings builds self-esteem."

Pets are not only beneficial to their owners, but have also proven to have positive effects on other senior residents at assisted living facilities. "Sometimes new residents can be withdrawn and not very communicative, and it's the first interaction with an animal that draws them out," says Winner. "They're pulled out of their shell by the pets."

Pet Therapy’s Impact on Sundowners Syndrome & Dementia

Pet therapy for the elderly has also proven to be a powerful tool for what's known as "Sundowners Syndrome" evening periods of increased agitation and confusion in those with Sundowners Syndrome & Dementia 's. Animals' non-verbal communication and profound acceptance can be soothing for those with difficulty using language; some may even connect with memories of their own treasured pets.

The San Diego Humane Society's Pet-Assisted Therapy Program has noticed how even the most profoundly affected patients have displayed improved appetite, more social interaction and tactile and cognitive stimulation after interactions with pets. "Animals provide unconditional love and emotional support in a way that is unparalleled. Our Pet-Assisted Therapy program brings the joys of animals to people who are otherwise unable to have an animal in their life, such as those living in facilities such as convalescent homes, hospitals, mental health centers, children's homes and juvenile detention centers," says Judith Eisenberg, Pet-Assisted Therapy Coordinator for the San Diego Humane Society. "What an animal can give and teach is a powerful source of healing and personal connection." In this way, pet therapy is an excellent way to provide an extra dimension of happiness to senior citizens.

We encourage you to contact communities individually to learn about their pet policy and find out if there are weight or breed restrictions as well as community pet care programs.
  



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Saturday, March 14, 2015

How To Properly Pet Animals


Picture of children petting a dog
Learn how to interact with animals and you’ll have more furry friends than you know what to do with.




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