A chinchilla's silent plea for help

 The idea of having a pet who doesn't make much noise can be a very good thing for some pet owners. But, the downfall for these little guys is that their silence puts them at a high risk of being forgotten about.

Cats, dogs and even guinea pigs can be very vocal when in need of something. Pets such as chinchillas, rabbits, hamsters and such are quietly tucked into a cage in perhaps a child's bedroom or the basement and with the hustle of life, it is very easy to let attention to them slip.

It is very important that before investing in a chinchilla, that you do your research and realize that these exotics require proper attention, and should something go wrong there will be expenses. Do not have the attitude of some people that they are not going to spend big bucks on a "rodent", if it dies it dies. Chinchillas are an exotic pet which will require a veterinarian who specializes in exotics. Don't assume your typical small animal veterinary clinic to understand the needs of your chin. Expect to drive a distance to find such a vet and expect to pay a bit more for the office visit. We have learned that even with proper care, things can go wrong and unless the owner is paying attention, these little guys can go downhill right before your eyes.

Our little Bugsy is now six years old and lucky for him we know his likes and dislikes enough to notice when his behavior changes. The teeth of rodents continue to grow throughout their lifetimes and they require chewing blocks and timothy hay at all times to maintain a healthy mouth. Even so, our Bugsy was trying to tell us something was wrong.

The first sign I noticed was matting of the fur under his chin. I detected perhaps this was from salivation but at first just kept an eye on it. I let it go about two weeks before another symptom displayed itself.

Bugsy loves raw almonds. Every day he looks forward to this special treat, at which he will grab it and park himself contentedly in a corner to munch away.  He continued to accept the nut but would then drop it and paw at his jaw with both front feet.

Something was not right.  He definitely had an appetite, his stools were fine, he was still active. But I did notice that even after using the dust bath, he still looked a bit "unkept". It can be hard to detect if a chin is losing weight because they look like a little ball of fur anyway. The proper weight for a chinchilla is between 500 - 700 grams. Turns out our little guy had dropped to 450 grams.

I did a little experimenting with softer foods to confirm my suspicion that I needed his teeth checked. He did manage to eat softer foods like shredded wheat, cheerios, rice krispees, and he could still nibble his raisin or bit of dried apricot.

At the veterinarian, it was discovered that he had developed spurs on his back molars which were painfully digging into his cheeks. Apparently this can happen even with the best of care for two reasons: in their natural habitat they have a more varied food supply with stiffer chewing materials, and its the consequence of humans over breeding them which results in a congenital defect in how their teeth meet up to grind their food.

So now I get to decide whether this "rodent" lives or dies. If I do nothing he will slowly starve. If I push it off to avoid making the decision, he will lose too much weight and may not survive the anesthesia or trauma of surgery. Or I can sign the consent form and expect to spend about $350 on him and just hope it is a once in his life time expense (of which there is no guarantee it won't reoccur).

The procedure involves filing down those spurs so his teeth meet properly when he chews. Supposedly the risks with modern anesthesia are minimal, and he should wake up with no problem, go home the same day with an oral medication for pain, and be fine.

So, the decision is made and the appointment is on the schedule. There are some who continue to snicker and call us fools with our animals. But I figure it was my decision to bring him into our home, and Bugsy didn't have a say with his adoption and subsequent care. As with every living thing, he deserves the chance to live a quality life without undue suffering.

Lucky for him, his silence was heard.

UPDATE ON BUGSY

It is now March of 2014 and we said our final good-byes to our Bugsy. After the above post was written back in April of 2013 we had Bugsy back to the vet again in June of 2013 for the same concern with his teeth.

It turns out that the veterinarian thought he was older than the Humane Society originally informed us. We thought he was about one year when we adopted him, but the vet thinks that based on the condition of his back teeth, at the time of the vet visit he wasn't six years, he was probably ten or order. We had had the spurs filed down, but the problem wasn't in an overgrowth. The problem was that his teeth were just wearing out.

In the wild, as these animals age they eventually fall prey to a predator when they cannot eat properly and lose their strength. In captivity, all you can do provide them with softer foods and when the time comes, if it is apparent that the animal is suffering, to humanely have them put to sleep.

A year ago, we were given a supply of antibiotics and pain medication to give as needed whenever we noticed the drooling begin again. He was supplied with his usual food and hay, but in case he couldn't eat those we had cheerios, shredded wheat, graham crackers, sliced almonds and dried fruits available. At this point, we weren't too concerned with weight gain from too many treats. We were happy if he ate, period. 

Bugsy passed away peacefully during the night of March 17, 2014, curled up in a nest of hay inside his igloo. He had weight loss but we were surprised how quickly he passed away on his own. 

With sadness, we put the cage and supplies into storage. Our son had these chins (Bugsy on the left, Chili on the right. Chili lived to be about 10 as well) during his growing years and being he is in college, I suppose that chapter is now written.

One More Cat in the Kitty Choir

Every rescue carries an endearing story of how it came into the lives of its adoptive family. Once when I was telling my veterinarian how the particular cat on her exam table came to be here, her uninterested voice simply said, "There will always be cats." I remember thinking to myself that her heart definitely hardened since the period in her life when she entered the field of animal care.

 Yes there will always be cats, and if we join the ranks who look the other way, "out of sight, out of mind", then that particular cat will most likely soon no longer be anyone's concern.  Statistically it will become a victim of the ways of the wild and perish without anyone to mourn it's loss.

We've always had one too many cats, yet once you're set up for cats, it's like eating potato chips and you make room for one more. We don't go looking for more ways of tying ourselves down with responsibility or debt, but if a little lost soul seeks our doorstep over that of another, he must have sensed something to override his fear.

That is exactly what happened with the little girl in the pictures. My husband had a business luncheon at a restaurant in a busy area whirling with traffic. It was raining and miserable outside and as the group exited the building a skinny little cat was seen wandering around the parking lot. With the work day not yet over, everyone had things to do and places to be, therefore a stray cat was seen but not really seen (if you know what I mean). 

Except for my husband.

This little cat must have picked up on the empathetic energies from this man, therefore followed him to his car, and just sat there. What was he to do? He had to get back to work but his heart couldn't just leave her there in the rain with the odds very great that she wouldn't survive the day without getting hit by a car. Looking around, wondering where she could have come from, he did what every good husband does. He called his wife and asked what to do.

By the time he came home, he picked up on three things that made this cat special.

 1. She came to him and let him pick her up without fear.

2. She sat on his lap the entire hour car ride home.

3. It became obvious that this cat couldn't hear a thing. 

How a deaf cat crossed those busy roads just shows how sharp are the survival skills and senses of our animal friends.

The restaurant was called Bones Grill, so we named her Bonesy. As can be seen by these pictures she didn't remain skin and bones for very long.

The fact that Bonesy had something wrong with her was picked up on immediately by the other cats. The animal world doesn't take kindly to a weakness, therefore Bonesy had to toughen up quick to gain acceptance amidst her new household. There was plenty of scowling and head bopping but since she acted indifferent to it all without fear or backing down, peace ensued pretty quickly.

Bonesy is a very loving little girl and being she doesn't get spooked by sudden noises as do most cats, she is at total peace with the world. 

A special needs pet has plenty to teach us about making the best with the cards dealt out by the life we were given. This cat has shown us how to enjoy the warmth of the sun, the smell of the wind, the joy it brings a person to greet him cheerfully at the door.  

Very important and most difficult for we busy humans, is allowing ourselves the time to relax in someone's arms with no where to be but in the moment at hand.

A Pet's Holiday Wish

The windows are drafty,
 warm perch is now cold,
Bare is the landscape,
 bird's songs are long told.

The air is so charged,
 nerves wired and tight,
It's just so different,
 our impulse is flight.

The talk is just fine, 
 of peace, love and hope.
Yet actions speak different, 
  seem only to cope.

A tree I can't climb, 
 shiny balls not for me.
What is it all for, 
 if not play toys for me?

Let us know when its over, 
 We'll stay out of the way.
You're too busy to notice, 
 a' bustling all day.

Give us a few boxes,
'n ribbons to shred.
A pat now and then, 
 should suffice if we're fed.


A moment of silence,
a thought to be said.
Please think of those,
without a warm bed.
 
This Holiday Season,
a time for good cheer.
Extend some warm wishes,
a paw to hold dear.

Alone on Christmas,
is no place to be.
Is there a place in your heart,
a spot under your tree?

Adopt a pet
  

                       Happy Holidays to all!

Eat Your Greens! Guinea Pig Care

Our little guinea pig, Bubba, added so much interest to our household. During my daughter's college years she worked a summer at a local thrift store. It was a hot July day and a woman comes to the store with a guinea pig asking if they would accept it as a donation. Policy was and still is that the store does not accept live animals. This woman was persistent in not going home again with it, and worried she would just leave it sit there my daughter made a quick phone call and arranged to take the little thing. 

Bubba was already grown so we never really knew how old he was when we got him. We lost him after having him for four years so my guess is that he was between 5 and 6 years old which is around the life expectancy for a guinea pig. 

We think his type was an Abyssinian (Aby, or Abby), which is one of the oldest breeds of guinea pigs. It is recognized by the symmetrical rosette (hair radiating symmetrically from a center) and erect ridge patterns on its body and head. The fur is coarse and is found in a multiple of colors and color combinations. Our little guy was mostly white.

First thing we did was get him out of the ridiculously small cage he was in. I really hope that isn't what he was kept in all the time in his previous home. We found the perfect pen at a flea market just for rabbits or guinea pigs. It was four feet long and two feet high with plenty of space for him to run around. It had two big doors in the front and a larger door on the top, perfect for the frequent necessary cleanings. Guinea pigs love to stay cool and Bubba would make his water bottle drip so the bedding underneath would be wet and refreshing to his hot little belly during the summer. Nice for him but as we know wet bedding quickly turns in my mind to manure. 

When the kids were small we had our share of hamsters, rats (my sister went to Vet Tech school and adopted two of the lab rats from the program), guinea pigs, mice (for my husband's Florida King snake) and chinchillas. So we learned, sometimes the hard way, how to care for these animals. 

Though widely sold for odor control, cedar bedding is not the best choice for rodents who are low to the ground and have their noses right in the bedding. Use plain pine or aspen shavings for your bedding. Cedar on a continuous basis can become toxic to the liver over time. Being low to the ground and in a typical cage setting, guinea pigs can't do much to get away from their own droppings. It is very important to clean out their bedding at least once a week. If this job is neglected you will soon notice a visibly unkept looking little friend having no choice but to lay in its own waste.  In addition, little manure balls may collect on the tender pads of your guinea's feet. They get hard and make walking painful. Should this happen, soak its feet in warm water before attempting to pull off the packed balls.

Another important thing we learned was that guinea pigs, rabbits and chinchillas cannot share the same food. Even though the pellets look the same, nutritionally they are different. Guinea pigs cannot process their own vitamin C so it is imperative to supplement this vitamin. You can buy vitamin C drops to add to the water bottle and guinea pig food does have extra vitamin C added to it but since we can never be sure how old is the food or supplement when we buy it, it is best to supply fresh greens.  

Bubba absolutely loved greens so it was easy to supply the necessary 10 mg vit. C needed daily.
Whereas our chinchilla loves seeds and dried fruit, Bubba did enjoy an apple slice but adored his greens. From spring through frost he looked so forward to his treats from our outside weeds. Just be sure there are no herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers used on any of these pickings. From our garden he loved kale and calendula and from our foraging he loved chickweed, plantain, timothy grass,clovers, purslane, wild strawberry, chicory and of course dandelion. Below is a full list of safe wild plants. Our fridge supplied carrots, spinach and celery. Don't use iceberg lettuce. It has little nutritional value and can cause diarrhea.

A very important part of the guinea pig diet is a good quality grass hay which should be available at all times. Buy timothy hay or orchard grass rather than alfalfa. Alfalfa is too high in calories and can cause unwanted weight gain. Being the teeth of guinea pigs never stop growing it is very important to provide a continuous supply of hay. Chew blocks don't do a very good job in keeping their teeth trim. Whereas hay keeps both front and back trim, chew blocks only help with the front teeth. 

Guinea pigs are herd animals and are happiest when not alone. If raised together it is possible to house two of the same gender in the same cage but watch for fighting as they mature. It depends on their personalities and size of the cage. We have the chinchilla pen right next to him and there is always a cat or two sitting there so I hope he wasn't lonely. 

Bubba loved attention but didn't like being held. Trimming his nails always resulted in nervous shedding of hair all over the place and a lot of squealing. I miss the sound of his squealing to let me know it is morning and he wants his daily weeds.

 Having this little guy helped all of us learn the importance of adding fresh greens to our diets. Especially in the spring when these plants are young and tender and our bodies are so in need of their cleansing action after a long winter of heavier foods.

Adopting this little guy wasn't just another pet to take care of. Each little soul gives back plenty to us if we just take the time to pay attention.

1. Grass (common grasses are edible, avoid ornamental grasses), cat grass/wheat grass is also popular and can be grown in pots or containers.
2. Clover (Trifollium repens or Trifolium pratense)
3. Dandelion (Teraxacum officinale) - pick leaves, stems, flowers (even root OK)
4. Anise (Pimpinella anisum)
5. Blackberry leaves (Rubus plicatus) - pick young & tender leaves and shoots
6. Calendula (Calendula officinalis) - leaves and flowers
7. Caraway (Carum carvi)
8. Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis)
9. Chickweed (Stellaria media)
10. Cleavers / Stickyweed / Goosegrass / Bedstraw (Galium aparine)
11. Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
12. Cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaeae) - berries, leaves in moderation
13. Cow Parsley (Anthiscus sylvestris)
14. Dog Rose (Rosa canina) - ripe fruits
15. Duckweed (Lemna minor) - aquatic
16. Fennel (Foeniculum capillaceum)
17. Field Violet / Wild Pansy (Viola tricolor)
18. Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)
19. Lemon Mint / Melissa (Melissa officinalis)
20. Linden / Lime Tree (Tilia cordata or Tilia platyphyllos) - flowers with
    pale yellow leaflets
21. Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)
22. Peppermint (Mentha piperita)
23. Plantain (Plantago major or Plantago lanceolata)
24. Raspberry leaves (Rubus idaeus) - pick young & tender leaves and shoots
25. Spearmint (mintha spicata)
26. Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
27. Shepherd's Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)
28. Silverweed (Potentilla anserina)
29. Vetch (Vicia x)
30. Yarrow (Achllea millefolium)
31. Whortleberry / Heidelberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) - berries, leaves in
    moderation
32. Wild Chamomile (Matricaria chammomilla)
33. Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) - berries and leaves

Smitten by a Kitten

 We can learn a great deal about human behavior by observing our animal friends.  These two kittens are a prime example of how differences in personality can help or hinder attaining personal success and happiness in life.

They came into our household at the same time, already bonded with each other. Maybe it was the difference in their ages or maybe the little one just missed that important window of human contact during his young life, but they adapted in entirely different ways.

Both these kittens were given to a pet store as your typical "barn cats" from unspayed domestic shorthair outside cats. They weren't your typical cute little furballs who melt the hearts of shoppers and often find homes easily. These kittens were growing out of that pudgy stage and becoming "cats". In other words, no one was looking back twice. So they languished for two weeks and the pet store owners wanted their cage space for something else. Poster's forward personality finally landed her some attention and a home, not only for herself, but for her little friend, whom no one noticed because he stayed in the back of the cage trying to make himself invisible.

Think about how we stand in our own way, fearful of the unknown, paralyzed by our own fears and insecurities. Apprehensive of anything new, many of us avoid a challenge because we lack confidence in our abilities. The only way to learn is through our mistakes. Anything worth achieving is worth the uphill struggle and feeling of accomplishment. The fear of failure often leads to the sour grapes attitude. We convince ourselves that a job, a relationship, a certain decision wouldn't have worked out anyway or we'd just get hurt in the end so why bother. Remember the classic children's book "The Little Engine That Could" where the little train says, "I think I can, I think I can" as he chugs slowly but surely up that intimidating hill, or the line from the song, "Try and try and try again, try all over again".

The first few days in their new home has been fascinating for these new arrivals.

Poster 13 weeks

Poster was bold and showed no fear towards the other cats nor the two dogs. She faced her new situation with confidence and didn't run and cower as did fearful Fret. Because of her attitude she was quickly accepted and after a few hisses no one bothered her again. Being she didn't run away, no one took to bullying her and now there is harmony.

Fret 11 weeks

Now Fret on the other hand, still spends his days in the bedroom peering out at the world beyond that cat door, but too fearful to acclimate himself. Whenever Poster leaves his side and is scoping out the rest of her territory, Fret is left behind, alone and meowing pitifully. He just needs more time I'm sure, but it is just so interesting to observe how important is the satisfaction of basic needs. Be it animal or human,  only when basic needs such as food, water, shelter and safety are met, are we free to go to the next level of interest and priorities. Once the basic needs of survival are met, then we have the drive to put our energies into emotional, spiritual or psychological needs. Hopefully once Fret feels safe and secure, he'll seek out the desire to love and be loved. All just waiting for him once he frees himself from that black cloud brought on by stress and anxiety. How many of us can relate?

Speaking of stress and anxiety, a pet waiting at the door can be the best remedy out there.

Update on Poster and Fret:
It is now December and these two have been with us for three months. As you can see, Fret has made friends and is now a happy little guy.

Adoption Saves Lives

 June is Pet Adoption Awareness Month and October is Adopt a Dog Month, but spreading the word about animals is important anytime of the year.

Sutton and Riley July 2009

Choosing the right type of dog is so very important. Puppy faces melt most hearts and it is so easy to choose on looks alone without doing the necessary homework to increase the probability of that puppy staying in a forever home.

Do you live in the city, suburbs or open country? Do you plan on walking your dog whenever it needs to go out or do you have a fenced in yard? Most shelters won't adopt out a dog if the potential owner admits the dog will be outside tied to a box. Is anyone home during the day or will the pet be alone or confined to a crate for long, lonely hours? Is the breed known to be of a gentle nature with children? Is it a working dog requiring lots of exercise and stimulation to keep from getting into trouble out of boredom? Is it the bird dog or hound type that will take off at the first door left open?

Dogs are very loyal to their people family and are devastated when separated or taken from their familiar surroundings and comfort zone.  So please take the decision to bring a pet into your home very seriously. The average lifespan of a dog is 10 - 15 years. Though dogs do adjust to a new home, they may spend the rest of their lives mourning the loss of their original family.

A great book to better understand dog behavior is Dogs Love To Please..We Teach Them How
by September Morn (hover your mouse arrow over the links)

Many annoying behavior problems such as barking, chewing, jumping, leash manners, etc.can be addressed without creating fear or anxiety in your dog.

Though those little faces through the pet store windows are precious, we chose to avoid dog breeding for profit and sought out adoption. We started with Petfinder.com and found our puppies through an organization in our area called Peaceable Kingdom. These boys were part of a litter of five brought all the way from Georgia by wonderful volunteer drivers and taken care of by a foster family until they could be placed. When we found their listing there were only these two left.

Anything can be a toy

 I feel dogs do best when they have each other for play, companionship and get into less trouble when not anxious or bored, so we kept them together and brought both home. In some ways this was asking for double trouble since they feed off each other and tend to adopt the pack mentality at times. But overall they are very content and are much better when they have to be left home alone.

Quite a handful in more ways than one

Wonderful with our cats, the loving relationship goes both ways. As long as the pet in question is not a chicken, it will be fine with them. At the time we got these dogs, we had lost our beloved lab only a few months prior, and within two weeks were losing chickens to either fox or racoons. We needed the scent of dog on the place. We knew the mother was a Keeshond and the father was anyone's guess but figured a mutt mixture would be fine. Our prior dogs were labs and were fine with the chickens. We found out differently with these guys. As long as they know there is a fence between them and the birds they ignore them, but should there be a weak spot in my chicken system...let's just say I found out the hard way.




Sutton and Riley are three years old now and all grown up. My children are out of the house, busy with their own lives, yet visits spent at home are always met with the a total abandon of doggy manners.

All grown up!

Chinchilla care and Hair Rings

Chili 2002 - 2011

Having children often means experiencing the joys and sorrows of loving and losing pets.
Sometimes I worry I've damaged my kids with all the heartache, but I also know they wouldn't be the empathetic, warm people they've grown up to be without the experience of responsibility and dealing with the stages of grief when they pass.

We've had the hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, rabbits and even rats (from the lab when my sister was in school for veterinary technician). But when my son asked for a chinchilla at the age of eleven we hesitated. I believed rodents just don't live long enough to invest that kind of money in an exotic animal. But come Christmas there was a complete set-up, pen and all, at a local pet shop. A woman was turning it over because her child wasn't taking proper care of it and she didn't want it to become her job. So since the price was right and these animals have a much longer life span than a rabbit or guinea pig (15+ years vs. 4 - 5 yrs.) we brought Chili home for the holidays.

Not knowing a thing about these critters, we did our homework and thought we did everything right. He was about 1 - 2 years old when we got him and by five years later, my son was 16 and drifting further away from paying what I thought was enough attention to Chili.
So we kept an eye out for a companion at our local Humane Society and eventually adopted Bugsy (he looked like a mouse to me with those eyes so different than Chili).

Putting two adults together is often a 'hit or miss' but being both were males it worked out great. I think it was that Chili was so easy going. Where my son could walk around with Chili sitting on his shoulder, Bugsy was more of a spazz and would leap off and be very hard to catch. I don't think he was handled very much as a baby.

We always assumed that we would have both chinchillas all the way through our kids' college years and beyond. What happened caught us off guard and I can't believe with all the information I had I never heard to look out for what is called a 'hair ring'.

Though rarely home, our son didn't worry about Chili's care because he knew I'd take care of him when he couldn't, and Chili had Bugsy for company. So we didn't notice anything wrong until what seemed like overnight Chili looked weak and thinner.
What we found was a fuzzy looking penis which upon inspection was tightly wound hair that had pulled back into the sheath and cut off urine flow. We don't know how long it was like that but obviously long enough to compromise his bladder and kidney function.

We removed him from his cage and kept a careful eye on him to see if he could urinate, which he did so hoped there wasn't permanent damage.
We found an exotic veterinarian within an hour's drive who was wonderful but told us up front how delicate these creatures are and stress alone can cause further illness.
We spent eight days in round the clock care making sure Chili was fed a critical care gruel type food, received an antibiotic, eye drops, and kept hydrated using an eyedropper. IV fluids weren't an option, poking needles would just have been too stressful.

It was two steps forward and one step back. Every time we thought he was doing better, he'd then become very weak all over again. We just kept telling ourselves if his kidneys weren't working properly he wouldn't have lasted more than a day or two.
Nine days after we first discovered the hair ring we met a new day saying goodbye to our little friend.
Needless to say we really bonded to our little chinchilla after all that, and will miss him a great deal. I feel guilty that maybe if I had paid more attention it all could have been prevented. But I also am realistic that with a busy household and multiple pets sometimes we just have to accept 'what is'.

Hopefully our experience will prevent this from happening again. Jared has two friends who have these exotic pets and neither ever heard of hair rings. Normally chins can remove any caught hairs while grooming. We now know to periodically inspect the penis by pulling back on the sheath and look for any trapped hairs. I doubt Bugsy will appreciate our poking but that is the way it's going to be.