MishisM Chins

HOUSING
Do:
- Provide as much cage space as you can. The larger, the better.
- Provide pine shelves and ledges. Chins love heights and jumping.
- Keep your chin cool. 60-70 degrees is ideal.
- Make sure the room is well ventilated.
- Give plenty of wooden items to chew on – toys, ledges, houses. Some cardboard is okay.
- Provide hiding and sleeping spots – houses, fleece tubes, fleece hammocks.
Don’t:
- Let them get above 80 degrees. This can cause heat stroke.
- Give any plastic. It will be chewed and can cause impactions.
- Leave a large cage bare. The more ledges and things in there, the less height a chin might fall from.

BEDDING
Do:
- Kiln Dried pine shavings
- Aspen shavings
- Fleece liners
Don’t:
- Wire bottom (not recommended)
- Carefresh or other paper-based bedding (not recommended)
- Corncob bedding
- Cedar shavings

FEED
Do:
- High quality pellets (Oxbow, Tradition, Mazuri, PANR, PenPals). Can be bought by the pound from breeders or rescues cheaper than anything from a petstore. Have pellets available at all times, replace daily.
- Loose or cube timothy hay or other grass hays. Moderate amounts of alfalfa.
Don’t:
- Anything with treats in it, like Fiesta blend. Pellets should be the staple.
- Leave old food available. The chins may contaminate it.
- Use any feed older than 6 months.

WATER
Do:
- Keep fresh, clean water available at all times
- Use glass bottles or the heavy PVC, leakproof Edstrom bottles.
Don’t:
- Hang the bottle on the inside of the cage.
- Use plastic bottles.
- Leave leaky bottles on the cage.

TREATS
Do:
- Oats and rosehips.
- Wheat-based treats like shreddies are okay but some chins develop allergies to it. Watch for bloat.
Don’t:
- Give any treats to a chin until it is at least 6 months old.
- Raisins! This has been promoted for years as a preferred treat, but it contains too much sugar and is linked with renal failure.
- Any fresh fruits or veggies.
- Any nuts or seeds.
- Anything with sugar.

CHEWS
Do:
- Wood! Chins love to chew bark, but the wood must be processed (scrubbed, boiled, and baked) before they can safely have it. Some safe woods are apple, willow, pear, pecan, mulberry, grapevine and cholla.
- Pumice or lava. Lava bites, dots, and ledges are a huge hit.
- Cardboard. As long as there is no ink, paint, or glue on the cardboard, it is okay. Heavy cardboard is better than corrugated. Chubes are a hit!
Don’t:
- Unsafe woods such as cedar, maple, peach or cherry. More detailed lists of safe and unsafe woods are available online.
- Plastic.

DUSTING
Do:
- Use high quality dust. Blue Cloud or Blue Sparkle, again from breeders or rescues, will be cheaper than anything at the pet store.
- Allow them to dust 2-3 times a week for about five minutes at a time.
- Dust more often when it’s humid.
Don’t:
- Use sand or anything gritty.
- Use scented dust.

PLAYTIME
Do:
- Chin proof the area they will be in. They will chew any and everything, so anything you don’t want chewed or that they shouldn’t chew ought to be out of reach. Bathrooms are an easy room to chin proof, just remember to close the toilet lid!
- Provide chin safe toys for chewing, hiding, and playing.
Don’t:
- Use the running balls. They can cause heat stroke.
- Leave them unsupervised. It only takes a second to get hurt.

CLEANING
Do:
- Remove soiled shavings as often as possible or change liners every few days. A complete clean should be done at least once a week.
- Use vinegar and water solution to sanitize.
- Sand down stains on any wood objects.
- Bleach can be used on metal objects if allowed to completely dry in the sun before returning it to use.
Don’t:
- Let a dirty cage go! If you can smell it, it’s time to clean it.
- Use harsh chemical cleansers, especially scented ones.

HEALTH
Bloat – gas is very painful in chins and can cause a quick death. Don’t feed any sugar or too many treats. Wheat has been known to cause bloat as well.
Fungus – fairly common problem in chinchillas due to their dense coat. Don’t get them wet, keep them cool, and keep the room ventilated. Also, adding Tinactin to the dustbath can help prevent fungus.
Malocclusion – bad teeth. If you notice weight loss, drool covered chest, and teary eyes, your chin may have malo. It is painful and in many cases fatal. Provide plenty of chews to help keep the teeth worn down. Your chin may need handfeeding if they can no longer eat on their own.
Infections and Abscesses – Your chin will need antibiotics and, likely, handfed.
**Any of the above should prompt a vet visit. Make sure you locate a chin-experienced vet in case of emergencies.**
First Aid kits – it’s a good idea to have one on hand for emergencies. Blu-kote for fungus and wounds, Critical Care for handfeeding, Simethicone drops for bloat, saline drops for teary eyes are good things to have on hand.

RESOURCES
Chins & Hedgies
http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/
Largest chinchilla forum on the internet. If you have a question, the answer is here.