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Aquatic Giraffe posted:
A couple things about intros. - It's always recommended to keep the new chin in quarantine in case he has something contagious! It also helps them to adjust to new surroundings without being stressed. Many breeders recommend 30 days. My vet says 45. Superpet cages are fine for quarantine. - Here's a thread on introductions: http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13659 It's a long and slow process. He's a cutie pie  I'd take him away from the old chin though until he settles. If you only have one room, even across the room should be ok.
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Apr 25, 2012 21:44
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I got approval from a mod to post this. I'm hoping someone can help this little guy. Either adopt him, or know of someone that can take him in. I'm all the way over in Portland, OR, otherwise I would rescue him even though I'm at max chinchilla. He's in New York state. He's going to need a lot of care, so someone who knows what they're doing would be great. His situation is: - He was chased around by a dog - He doesn't have a cage and is currently living in a locked room Going by the photos he's in bad shape. http://buffalo.craigslist.org/pet/2933547767.html quote:I have a Grey male Chinchilla looking for him to go to a good home. I don't have time for him anymore and have to keep him in the spare room since him and the dog go at it with each other. But this looks much, much worse.  
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Apr 26, 2012 19:28
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SmellsOfFriendship posted:I got approval from a mod to post this. Are those ribs in that second picture?! With the amount of fluff chins have that shouldn't be possible  I hope someone adopts him and stuffs him full of good food and love soon.As for my new little guy it seems like the novelty of draining his bottle has worn off, so yay. He's also settled down a ton more in the past couple days. His sleep schedule is also mostly adjusted to mine now which is a godsend (I was going nuts with him bouncing all over his cage at 3 AM). He still squeaks all the time though, even in his sleep sometimes. It's not upset or angry or hurt squeaking, just... conversational squeaking I guess. Sometimes Dexter will hear him and respond, but most of the time he's talking to himself. He gets excited and squeaks louder if I'm paying attention and talking to him. It's adorable 
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Apr 27, 2012 05:31
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:Are those ribs in that second picture?! With the amount of fluff chins have that shouldn't be possible He looks really thin
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Apr 27, 2012 16:20
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Earlier this year my chinchilla had had a minor eye infection, so we took him into the vet to get some antibiotic gel. They gave it to us, and the infection cleared right up after about a week of treatment. Then it came back a month later. We took him in, thinking we just needed to use a different antibiotic, and the vet wanted to do xrays. We did them, and he says that he has tooth problems which makes his eye water and causes him to scratch it. The vet said that he should be fine as long as he isn't losing weight, is still eating, and is active but his eye keeps getting infected. The vet said that teeth problems aren't really treatable and they usually recommend euthanasia. After the second infection, the vet gave him oral antibiotics and painkillers in an attempt to have him eat more hay and grind down the back teeth. He seemed fine after the treatment ended. Today the infection is back, in full force. I started using the same antibiotic we were originally prescribed to make it so his eye is functional until this week when we go to the vet. I'm thinking that the vet is going to recommend we put him to sleep. Pretty lovely way to start a weekend. Anyone have anything similar like this happen? He's active, eating well and jumping around his cage like normal but his eye is all goopy. It feels really weird to have to put down an animal that acts completely healthy. The only animals I've had put down were barely able to stand, but this chinchilla is running around like nothing is the matter.
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Apr 28, 2012 02:38
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Bazanga posted:Earlier this year my chinchilla had had a minor eye infection, so we took him into the vet to get some antibiotic gel. They gave it to us, and the infection cleared right up after about a week of treatment. Then it came back a month later. We took him in, thinking we just needed to use a different antibiotic, and the vet wanted to do xrays. We did them, and he says that he has tooth problems which makes his eye water and causes him to scratch it. Is it malo? If the chin is eating, drinking and pooping there's still life in him. But it would probably be expensive. And be absolutely sure your vet is familiar with exotics. Here are a couple FAQs on malo: http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27 http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=847 Get a head x-ray!
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Apr 28, 2012 03:16
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My vet specializes in exotics and dentistry, so I'm hoping he knows what he's talking about. We had a head xray done, and the front three molars' roots on the right side of his head are starting to press up against his eye socket, which is what is causing the eye irritation. In the links you gave, it looks like that is one of the major indications that euthanasia should be done. The vet said that there is a procedure that can be done where they remove the upper molars entirely (both sides, as the chinchilla would develop more teeth problems from only eating on one side of the mouth) but it would cost a grand, plus he probably wouldn't survive the surgery. If he did survive, he would have to be fed through a syringe for the rest of his life. That doesn't seem like a very good quality of life. It's just strange that he has zero symptoms of malo except for the weepy eye and the xrays saying that he has it. But I suppose hiding symptoms of illness is pretty common in rodents.
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Apr 28, 2012 03:34
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So the rescue I got Bailey and Clover at felt so bad about Bailey's death that they practically shoved another guinea pig in my hands, plus medical records and as much information as possible since I had the paperwork proving Bailey's death was inconclusive. So uh, this new guinea pig's name is Pepper. I'm still pretty upset over the whole thing so I'm having a hard time getting used to her, but thankfully Clover and her get along very well. Pepper is only a few months old, apparently the previous owner bought two guinea pig females and one of them turned out to be pregnant, so Pepper is apart of the resulting litter.  I'm kind of apprehensive but her and Clover get along so well that I feel like I can't complain.
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Apr 28, 2012 16:12
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Bazanga posted:My vet specializes in exotics and dentistry, so I'm hoping he knows what he's talking about. We had a head xray done, and the front three molars' roots on the right side of his head are starting to press up against his eye socket, which is what is causing the eye irritation. In the links you gave, it looks like that is one of the major indications that euthanasia should be done. Awww, yeah, poor baby. That does sound like malo Good luck.
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Apr 28, 2012 17:02
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Bear Rape posted:I'm kind of apprehensive but her and Clover get along so well that I feel like I can't complain. She's cute. It's great that you got her, they do SO much better with a friend.
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Apr 28, 2012 20:29
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 Guinea pig get out of that tube you're a pig you can't even. Also that ferret will murder you. Also some good news! Pepper is settling in well and seems to actually enjoy being handled, so that's nice. she acts like she was handfed and handled a bunch before I got her.
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May 1, 2012 15:26
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You can't imagine how wet that tube would be inside of 30 minutes. Before I gave up on the endless quest for cutesy cage furniture and toys, I found myself uttering the phrase "god drat it why would you choose to pee THERE" more often than I'd like to remember.
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May 1, 2012 18:23
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kazmeyer posted:You can't imagine how wet that tube would be inside of 30 minutes. Before I gave up on the endless quest for cutesy cage furniture and toys, I found myself uttering the phrase "god drat it why would you choose to pee THERE" more often than I'd like to remember. We bought one of those ferret tunnels when we first got our pigs. Within 30 minutes they peed in it, and laid in their pee. That is when we took a cube grid, bent like you would to make a hay rack, and covered it in fleece to make a better tunnel with no floor. They love that thing.
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May 1, 2012 19:09
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Can I ask Pygmy Hedgehog questions here? This is Tama, who is usually adorable and adventurous but can occasionally be a bit of a... prick   I bought her a wheel but she poops as she runs, which results in 180 degrees of smeared feces mashed into the plastic every morning. I don't want to have to clean this poo poo every day, but I've heard that steel mesh wheels can trap their little footsies and cause broken ankles. Can anybody recommend a wheel that is safer than steel mesh, but less easy to thoroughly befoul than solid plastic? Also, her cage is a little too small, so any awesome cage recommendations would be great... OH, or if anybody knows where I can get transparent tubing/piping with a diameter of at least 6 inches, it'd be totally cool to give her a tunnel that runs from the cage, under my couch, to another smaller cage across the room. Any general hedgehog care tips would also be appreciated! I've done a lot of reading but there's no substitute for goon experience! Suntory BOSS fucked around with this message at 09:46 on May 2, 2012 |
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May 2, 2012 09:41
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I was going to say I know a number of places you can get transparent or translucent acrylic piping with an ID of over 6", but then I looked and realized the pricing on that size is upwards of $70/foot. Probably more than you want to spend on a hedgie run. One site I had saved sells theirs in 6' lengths and they're $389 for a single, $302 each for 2-9. Ouch. Clear PVC seems to run about the same.
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May 2, 2012 13:04
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RazorBunny posted:I was going to say I know a number of places you can get transparent or translucent acrylic piping with an ID of over 6", but then I looked and realized the pricing on that size is upwards of $70/foot. Probably more than you want to spend on a hedgie run. One site I had saved sells theirs in 6' lengths and they're $389 for a single, $302 each for 2-9. Ouch. Clear PVC seems to run about the same. Wow, I'd never have imagined a tube of plastic could run so high  Thanks a ton for checking!
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May 3, 2012 00:08
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Suntory BOSS posted:Wow, I'd never have imagined a tube of plastic could run so high I've looked at the small stuff for costume projects, so I knew there was bigger. You may be able to find clear tubing of some other material that would be cheaper. I mean, Habitrails don't cost hundreds of dollars, so they've got to be using something cheaper. PVC and acrylic are just the two that immediately came to my mind because they're sturdy. I've seen clear plastic mailing tubes up to three inches in diameter, I wonder if anyone makes that in a larger size? Now you've got me curious, because I'm looking at getting back into keeping rats and I would love to build them a tube system...
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May 3, 2012 00:39
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Here is a thread where people post pictures of their hedgehog cages. There are also FAQs on there for anything you might want to put together.
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May 3, 2012 00:47
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I just bought a golden hamster and she's fantastic. She lives in a re-purposed 30 gallon aquarium and I've got a question: I realize that hamsters are fairly nocturnal, but it seems to me that Daisy gets active unusually late, usually around 10-11. Once she does emerge from her house she's as active as can be. I don't want to change her sleep cycle because I don't want her to run at night or anything (the noise from the wheel actually helps me sleep, believe it or not), I'm just wondering if there's some reason she comes out so late, and if there's anything I might do to influence her to start waking up earlier so I can interact with her more before I go to bed. I wake up pretty early and work for much of the day. Also, regarding taming: I've had her for a week today. She'll take a treat that I'm pinching between fingers and eat it without me dropping it. She'll also take a treat off the end of my finger. She also no longer runs away when my hand gets near. While I feel she's gone fairly fast so far, I haven't been able to get her beyond that stage, to where she'll start taking a treat that's slightly further back on my hand. My goal is to be able to pick her up as soon as possible, because I have to take her out of her terrarium for cleaning and I don't like to stress her out by grabbing her when she isn't ready.
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May 3, 2012 08:01
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I don't have a lot of advice for taming her, but I do have some for getting her out of the cage without too much stress for now. I had a robo that never liked people, so what I did was get a tupperware container she could fit in with some bedding. Poke holes in the lid and put some treats in the container. Hold the lid close to the top with enough room for her to get into while tipping the container toward her. When she climbs in just lower the lid and set her aside to clean.
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May 3, 2012 10:37
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Thanks again RazorBunny and aptly-named AwesomeKristin! That hedgehog cage thread helped me solve my poopy wheel problem- the Flying Saucer hedgehog wheel is apparently much easier to clean.
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May 4, 2012 00:14
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 http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm302546.htm?source=govdelivery Kaytee recall for salmonella
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May 4, 2012 00:32
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Is it just their forti diets, what about their dental bites?
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May 4, 2012 01:25
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Awesome Kristin posted:I don't have a lot of advice for taming her, but I do have some for getting her out of the cage without too much stress for now. I had a robo that never liked people, so what I did was get a tupperware container she could fit in with some bedding. Poke holes in the lid and put some treats in the container. Hold the lid close to the top with enough room for her to get into while tipping the container toward her. When she climbs in just lower the lid and set her aside to clean. Thanks, I'll do that; I've got the materials already . I've just been a little worried since, in my research, I ran across some people saying that prey animals like hamsters and other rodents aren't so forgiving as animals like dogs and cats when you upset them. I don't want to mess her up for life or anything by handling her before she's ready.
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May 4, 2012 01:59
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Suntory BOSS posted:Can I ask Pygmy Hedgehog questions here? Were you not acquainted with the joys of hedgehog ownership before you got one? Cleaning poop-covered wheels comes with the territory. What kind of wheel do you have? The ones made from plastic buckets are pretty easy to clean, but it's a lot easier if you spray them down with lukewarm water and then let them sit for 15-30 minutes before trying to clean them. Yes, the wheels must have a solid running surface. Rodent wheels have injured hedgehog feet and legs and must be avoided. Cube and coroplast (C&C) cages are popular with hedgehog owners as well as guinea pig owners. Six square feet should be considered a minimum amount of floor space for a hedgehog. Any tube long enough to reach that far isn't a good idea. Getting a hedgehog out of it when it doesn't want to come out without hurting it sounds challenging. For the best care information, visit the International Hedgehog Association (hedgehogclub.com) and the Michigan Hedgehog Owners Group pages (mihog.org). There is a *lot* of really bad and outdated information out there, in print and on the web and still being recommended by some people. Those two sites have the latest in hedgehog care information. Also consider joining the forums at hedgehogcentral.com and/or chins-n-hedgies.com both of which have large communities of long-term hedgehog owners.
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May 4, 2012 02:38
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Suntory BOSS posted:Thanks again RazorBunny and aptly-named AwesomeKristin! That hedgehog cage thread helped me solve my poopy wheel problem- the Flying Saucer hedgehog wheel is apparently much easier to clean. Ugh, those wheels suck. I don't know why some people use them. The hedgehog has to run at a ridiculous angle. One hedgehog I took in came with one. She kept running tilted at a 35 degree angle on her new bucket wheel for a while until she got used to being able to be upright. A bucket wheel is what you want.
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May 4, 2012 02:42
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w8wtf posted:Ugh, those wheels suck. I don't know why some people use them. The hedgehog has to run at a ridiculous angle. One hedgehog I took in came with one. She kept running tilted at a 35 degree angle on her new bucket wheel for a while until she got used to being able to be upright. That's actually a funny image.
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May 4, 2012 03:00
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Back to the moving chinchillas thing I brought up a few weeks ago: I'm mostly decided on driving out to Texas with the chinchillas in the car with me as my road trip buddies. However, it's a 20 hour trip so I'm going to have to stop in a hotel for at least a night or two depending on how ambitious I am with the driving. The fuzzbutts are gonna go batshit insane if they have to be cooped up in their carriers for 2 or 3 days straight. Would y'all recommend getting a pair of bigger pet crates for the trip so they have more room to move around, or should I get some sort of exercise pen for them to set up wherever we stop for the night? I guess I could set up the chinchilla mansion cage when we stop but that's kind of a pain the rear end to set up and take down. Or should I just make them suck it up and deal with it for a couple days? I'm probably gonna ask the chins n hedgies forum too, but I'd like your opinions as well.
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May 4, 2012 06:02
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Awesome Kristin posted:That's actually a funny image. Look at it this way. You want to go running, and have the choice between level ground (a bucket isn't perfect but it's as close as we can get, and buckets used for brewing beer are bigger and better than standard 5 gallon buckets) or running across a steep hillside, with one leg always higher than the other, and that's the difference between a bucket and a Flying Saucer. On top of that suckiness for the hedgehog, at speed the disk bounces up and down on its spindle, which provides a nice loud 'clack clack clack' metal against metal soundtrack for your attempts to sleep at night.
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May 4, 2012 14:26
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:Back to the moving chinchillas thing I brought up a few weeks ago: If you are worried about it then I would just get a bigger carrier for the trip. They will be fine as long as you keep them cool.
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May 4, 2012 15:21
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:Back to the moving chinchillas thing I brought up a few weeks ago: The Midwestern playpens fold and don't take up much space
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May 4, 2012 16:04
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w8wtf posted:
I was envisioning something made up of lots of smallish segments, so the animal would never really be too far in the tube to be removed easily, but I can definitely see your point.
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May 4, 2012 16:38
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RazorBunny posted:I was envisioning something made up of lots of smallish segments, so the animal would never really be too far in the tube to be removed easily, but I can definitely see your point. Yes, we used the modular ferret tubes for a while, we just had to tape over the holes to prevent feet/toes from getting caught, and then lined the bottom with pieces of fabric (yes, our hedgehogs are spoiled rotten). That might be an option. Even in a short run, a hedgehog that has decided to turn itself into a spiky ball can be difficult to extract.
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May 4, 2012 19:10
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I'm beginning to think I own the world's smartest hamster. I bought her a ball yesterday and got her into it using a treat. After she ran around for about 10 minutes (mostly crashing into walls), I gave her an hour of rest and then wanted to have her in the ball again so I could take some pictures. No treat she went right in. If only I could get her to do that with my hand.
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May 6, 2012 15:59
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SmellsOfFriendship posted:
How utterly unsurprising, considering they're the worst pet product company pretty much ever.
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May 6, 2012 18:06
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Serella posted:How utterly unsurprising, considering they're the worst pet product company pretty much ever. I think Hartz may still have the edge on that one.
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May 6, 2012 18:38
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RazorBunny posted:I think Hartz may still have the edge on that one. I concede the point.
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May 6, 2012 18:49
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I've had Amal three years today  It's been quite the 3 years working with him after a neglect situation. So many missing chunks of flesh in my arms.Aquatic Giraffe, if you go with a pen, I really like the Marshall Ferret one. My chinchilla can't jump out of it, but some can. If yours can jump high (mine is afraid and can't jump that much) you can get the cover. My single chinchilla is still too violent with other animals to try for a chin buddy yet. He does have a safe, stuffed chinchilla from Quality Mutation Chinchillas. He humped it so many times at first but now he puts it to bed and feeds it. Usually his bed is on another shelf, but he brings his baby over to the food and brings it part of his bed and gives him toys. In this picture, I didn't put any of that there, it was all him.  I have posted critter pictures in basically every thread today, oh god I'm so sorry. e: when I upload pictures to SA, should I resize them even smaller so when you click the thumbnail it isn't so giant or does it look fine? I bought this account in 07 but never posted til now so I am clueless. anima fucked around with this message at 15:31 on May 12, 2012 |
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May 12, 2012 15:28
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Personally I just open the image in a new tab if it's thumbnailed and my comp auto-resizes it so it's not a big deal to me, but if you click to enlarge it then it does take up quite a bit of space, so whatever you want to do I suppose. Here are some newer pictures of my piggies. This is Pepper, she's definitely grown since I've gotten her. She's growing on me more and more, and while not exactly "affectionate", she doesn't seem to mind eating snacks out of my hand now.  And here's Clover. She looks a lot better from when I first got her and she was underweight.  She clung to my hand like that the whole time I was clipping her nails.
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May 12, 2012 15:57
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| # ? May 15, 2024 18:28 |
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This thread has been around long enough that this is now my third post celebrating the birthday of my bestest ever pig, Fuji. She 'turned' 7 on Friday! (It's more like the anniversary of the day I got her, so she's probably more like 7yrs 2mo at this point.) I've had guinea pigs for close to 20 years now and despite my best efforts, I'm lucky to keep most around for 5 years, let alone 7. Fuji is a trooper and I hope to have her around long enough to make another post like this next May.    The next day, I let the whole herd share the leftovers:  Full album: http://imgur.com/a/UQrYc
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May 13, 2012 17:10
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