Why is my chinchilla sitting still, squeaking, not eating or drinking?

Anytime a rodent such as a chinchilla stops eating and drinking for any significant length of time it is a definite problem. I would recommend taking Chilly in to the vet for a physical exam and some preliminary blood work. They will also be able to provide you with some Critical Care, which is a powdered formulation for syringe feeding of rodents and rabbits.

Thanks for reaching out about Cita and including photos. Decreased appetite and lethargy are general signs of illness, and not specific for any illness. A veterinary visit is recommend to assist in a diagnostic and treatment plan. Providing water via a syringe might help with dehydration. An ingested foreign body, dental disease, metabolic disorders (liver, renal) are a few of the possibilities. Good luck.

It sounds as she is suffering from a gastrointestinal condition, probably an infection. you will have to take her to an exotic pet specialist to get her checked, if it is an infection she will need a course of antibiotics.

Hello, A proper diet for a chinchilla consists about 70-80% hay. The most common reason for an herbivore to stop eating their hay is dental disease. Their back molar teeth can grow sharp hooks and points that grow into their gums, making it very uncomfortable to chew and grind their hay. I would recommend having RoRo seen by a veterinarian that is experienced with chinchillas. They will likely start with sedating her for a dental examination and then advise the next best step for her. I hope this has been helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I am sorry to hear that he hurt himself. Hopefully it is not a bad wound, but the only way to really evaluate it well would be to have a sedated oral exam. I am worried that he may have fractured a tooth. If he will let you ice pack his face it may be helpful with any discomfort. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

He might have eaten something spoiled that is causing this. withhold food for 12 hours then offer Chinny boiled boneless chicken and rice every 6 hours in small portions. if he is eating and not vomiting, continue with this diet for 2 days. After 2 days, you can put him back gradually on his normal food. If he continues with the severe diarrhea, take him to the vet to get treatment.

If he is eating a lot of hay, it's quite normal for him not to eat much of other things, but maybe he has some sort of teeth problem and might need to be looked at by a vet. if the bald patches are due to him running into the cage then it will grow back eventually.