My old chinchilla is sick: not eating, slow, fur loss. What to do?

Based on what you are describing it sounds as if your chinchilla is very ill. Because these animals are so small, anorexia for even a few days can be very dangerous. I would recommend taking him in to be evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. He may need a special Critical Care diet and fluids to get back to normal.

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 is quite likely that your chinchilla has tooth problems, however in order to properly diagnose this, he would need to have his head x-rayed. You can keep feeding him critical care, it will not hurt him, however try to find a dental specialist veterinarian who has experience with chinchillas.

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.

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.

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.

An upper respiratory infection in a chinchilla can be very serious. Left untreated, it can quickly progress to pneumonia. There isn't anything you can do or give at home to help him recover. He should be examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating chinchillas to confirm your suspicion of a UTI. Chillie will likely need antibiotics and supportive care to aid in recovery. Discuss payment plans or alternative financing such as CareCredit (www.carecredit.com) with your veterinarian. Financial assistance may be secured through local charities or Red Rover (www.redrover.org).