Sick Chillas

I had to take Mocha and Pinball to the v-e-t this morning. Mocha’s teeth are a little out of align and Pinball is having some sinus/respiratory issues.

Pinball has always had a wheezing sort of noise in his nose and he’s always sneezed a lot more than Mocha, but I don’t want to let it go on anymore. It’ll just be better to get it checked out.



Andrew started noticing Mocha drooling a while back. I didn’t know about it until I had held him a few weeks ago and accidentally brushed my thumb against his mouth. So, I googled it and find out it could be malocclusion. This isn’t the best fate for a chinchilla. Basically his teeth aren’t growing in the right direction and could need filing. I did some more research to find out that this doesn’t always mean a death sentence and could be caused by a slight calcium and Vitamin C deficiency.

So, the vet called this afternoon to give me an update. Mocha's front teeth are out of align, but the molars are good. Usually when the front are out of align, the molars are bad, too. This could be good or bad. Good that the rest of his teeth are fine, but bad because she wants to x-ray to make sure there aren't any fractures causing this abnormality. She said Pinball may have an allergy to the pine bedding or to the dust we give them, but she's going to do some tests to find out for sure.

I'm glad they are getting checked up on and fixed, but I'm not glad for the cost it's going to be. :( But, the hardest part of it all is the fact that I'll have to leave them overnight.... How can I make it??

Our "Chillas"

I would like you to meet our “children.” Well, they are not human children, but both our parents call them their “grand-chillas.”

This is Mocha (the ebony/black one).

And this is Pinball (the standard/grey one).

They are our chinchillas. And aren’t they adorable?!? Mocha just turned one on May 3^rd, which is also our anniversary. Yeah, he was born the day we got married, and when I found that out about him I just had to have him. Pinball will also be one this month. We got them from a breeder who lives in Tennessee back in July last year. By the way, if you ever think of getting a chinchilla, I recommend finding a breeder close to you; even a hobby breeder would be great. They know all about the ones you are trying to purchase and can set you up with a pet that will best compliment you. They can also tell if you’re not ready for one and can give great advice. And best of all, most breeders will meet you and work with you if they live further than you’d like to travel.

When we got them, we still lived in an apartment. The pet fees for a cat or dog were too expensive and the land lady let us have small caged pets without any fees. We really wanted to get a rabbit because I had fostered a rabbit from a society that is now called Huntsville Friends of Rabbits and I just love rabbits. However, with the loose hay, the dander, and other allergens, I was not able to keep the rabbit. Andrew and I weren’t married yet, but every time he came over he had a severe allergy attack soon after, and I noticed I wasn’t sleeping well and had headaches a lot. We had to give him back. That was a very sad day.

Well, after we got married we wanted a pet and I started researching rabbits, how to live with allergies to rabbits, and other things. Andrew made the suggestion of getting a chinchilla. I thought it was a little strange because they had always been in the “too exotic animal for me” range. So, I researched all I could about chinchillas and found out they are, in a sense, hypo-allergenic. They do not have dander, LOVE condensed hay cubes, and, most importantly, don’t get flees or other pests most pets get. The only draw back was the dust baths they have to have.

Most everybody said they loved their chinchilla and had next to no allergy problems with them. We were sold.

So then we traveled to Chattenooga, TN to meet the breeder to get them.

They are so cute, and yet so spoiled. Keep checking back here for chinchilla adventures and stories. We’ve got plenty. :)

Have a great day!

Lee