Chinchilla husbandry: an overview of correct care
Abstract
Chinchillas are increasingly being kept as pets in the UK and are occasionally being seen in veterinary practices. They are small, long-lived rodents that are generally most active during the night. They have soft dense fur which may become detached if handled roughly. They are social animals and benefit from being kept in pairs or small groups. Chinchillas require large multi-level cages as they are active animals and like to jump.
Diet should consist of hay, chinchilla nuggets and occasional high fibre treats. Many of the conditions encountered in veterinary practice are as a result of inadequate husbandry or diet; dental disease, digestive disorders, diabetes mellitus and heatstroke may all be seen. Their active nature means chinchillas are also prone to traumatic injury.
Veterinary nurses can play an important role in educating owners (and prospective owners) about the needs of their pets.
Chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera) are small rodents that originate from mountainous regions in South America. They live in large social groups at between 3000 and 5000 metres, living in burrows or rock crevices. They are adapted to survive the low temperatures encountered at these altitudes and have very soft dense fur. This soft fur was highly prized and hunting hugely reduced wild chinchilla numbers and they are now listed as an endangered species. The chinchilla has since been farmed for fur production. Increasing numbers of chinchillas are being kept as pets in the UK (Figure 1) and are increasingly encountered in the veterinary practice. Wild chinchillas are a yellow grey colour; however selective breeding has resulted in the commonly seen blue grey colour. There are now a variety of colours available including beige, white, sapphire, charcoal, ebony and violet. Domestic chinchillas are larger than wild chinchillas. This article outlines the husbandry and care of chinchillas; many chinchillas presented for veterinary treatment have conditions that result from incorrect diet and husbandry.
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