Choosing a Vet
As a pet owner it’s your legal obligation (as well as moral!) to take your chinchilla to the vet if they get sick. Chinchillas often go downhill very quickly so it’s vital you are registered with a vet in advance, do not wait until your chinchilla shows signs of illness before looking for one.
As prey animals, chinchillas will do everything they can to hide any signs of illness because any weakness would make them an immediate target for a predator. Chinchillas do not "feel a bit under the weather" like people do - if a chinchilla looks poorly then it’s likely the situation is already serious and needs immediate attention.
As prey animals, chinchillas will do everything they can to hide any signs of illness because any weakness would make them an immediate target for a predator. Chinchillas do not "feel a bit under the weather" like people do - if a chinchilla looks poorly then it’s likely the situation is already serious and needs immediate attention.
Vet care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
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Did you know that in the UK, vet care must be available at all times every day of the year? This means that even if your chinchilla gets sick in the middle of the night on Christmas Day they are still entitled to treatment then.
Different countries may have different regulations so please make sure you know how to get emergency treatment where you live. Emergency treatment may be at a different practice and you might have to ring a different number, so please find and save this information in advance. Ideally you want to see an exotics vet but any vet is much better than no vet and they will still be able to stabilise and treat your chinchilla. In an emergency, time is crucial and you don’t want to delay by having to spend time finding your nearest emergency vets. This is why you must know this information before an emergency occurs. |
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Choosing a Vets Practice
Chinchillas are classed as exotics and have only been kept as pets fairly recently, therefore it can be hard to find a vet that is knowledgeable in their care. Search for practices that specialise in the treatment of exotic animals and check if they have knowledge of chinchillas and are able to treat them.
Online reviews and speaking to other pet owners are also good ways of finding a reputable clinic. It is usually fairly quick to register your chinchilla at the vets and you can always change if you don’t feel happy with their level of care. Taking your chinchilla along for a check up can be a good way of determining how knowledgeable your vet is in terms of chinchilla care specifically.
Vets treating chinchillas should have a good understanding of the relatively common condition, malocclusion, that affects chinchillas. They should explain that X rays must be taken in order to be able to see and diagnose the internal side of malocclusion where the roots grow into the eye sockets or nasal cavity. This cannot be done from looking at the teeth from the outside.
Online reviews and speaking to other pet owners are also good ways of finding a reputable clinic. It is usually fairly quick to register your chinchilla at the vets and you can always change if you don’t feel happy with their level of care. Taking your chinchilla along for a check up can be a good way of determining how knowledgeable your vet is in terms of chinchilla care specifically.
Vets treating chinchillas should have a good understanding of the relatively common condition, malocclusion, that affects chinchillas. They should explain that X rays must be taken in order to be able to see and diagnose the internal side of malocclusion where the roots grow into the eye sockets or nasal cavity. This cannot be done from looking at the teeth from the outside.
Warning signs your vet does not have good knowledge of chinchilla care:
If your vet does any of the following then their knowledge of chinchillas is not accurate. Unfortunately many vets only receive minimal training on chinchillas and this is often all grouped into the same category as other small animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters, who all have very different needs to chinchillas.
Tells you it’s ok to feed certain fruit and vegetables in moderation - this is never ok, it can cause serious health conditions such as bloat, seizures and fatty liver disease
Tells you your chinchilla is overweight based on outdated information from when chinchillas were smaller. Unless your chinchilla is considerably over 1000g with a bulge on their head that extends over their skull, has bald fleshy patches on their underbelly and loose flabby skin on their stomach then it is highly unlikely that they are overweight. It is very rare for chinchillas to get fat on a healthy diet and cases of this are far more the exception than the rule. In contrast, limiting the food intake of a healthy chinchilla can cause serious harm.
Suggests neutering your male to improve temperament and help them get along with other males. Neutering a chinchilla is a risky procedure and does not change their temperament. Males with compatible personalities will get along with each other so there is no need to neuter them.
Neutering a male to go with a female also risks his life. If he survives the operation, he will still have to wait 8 weeks before he can go back with the female as he can still get her pregnant until then. By which point they may have been apart for so long they don’t recognise each other and fight anyway. Spaying a female is even riskier again and shouldn’t be undertaken, apart from in rare medical circumstances.
Neutering a male to go with a female also risks his life. If he survives the operation, he will still have to wait 8 weeks before he can go back with the female as he can still get her pregnant until then. By which point they may have been apart for so long they don’t recognise each other and fight anyway. Spaying a female is even riskier again and shouldn’t be undertaken, apart from in rare medical circumstances.
Affording vet bills
Vet bills for chinchillas are often particularly expensive as they’re classed as exotics. Consider if you needed to pay £/$500 for your chinchilla’s treatment tomorrow, would you be able to? Unfortunately if you can’t afford this or your situation is likely to change in the future meaning you’re no longer able to, then you shouldn’t get a chinchilla. This may seem harsh but unfortunately as the owner, you’re completely responsible for your chinchilla’s care and all the costs involved.
If your chinchilla does get sick and you can’t afford treatment then you still must take them to the vets immediately. In the UK vets are required to provide emergency treatment to a minimum level to ease pain and suffering, even if you are unable to pay for this. As this care will be the very minimum level, explain your situation to the vets as they may be able to offer a payment plan to help you spread the cost of the treatment required. Charities in the UK such as PDSA vet care, Blue Cross Animal Hospitals, and the RSPCA may be able to help with vet bills depending on your circumstances.
Aside from enquiring about payment plans from your vets, other ways of affording treatment include putting money aside each month into a savings account, taking out a low interest credit card or bank loan, creating an online fundraising page or borrowing money from friends of family if you’re able to. In America, Care Credit is a company who specialises in helping you finance veterinary care.
For more information on how to get help with vet bills in the UK please see money’s and pets4homes’ help guides.
If your chinchilla does get sick and you can’t afford treatment then you still must take them to the vets immediately. In the UK vets are required to provide emergency treatment to a minimum level to ease pain and suffering, even if you are unable to pay for this. As this care will be the very minimum level, explain your situation to the vets as they may be able to offer a payment plan to help you spread the cost of the treatment required. Charities in the UK such as PDSA vet care, Blue Cross Animal Hospitals, and the RSPCA may be able to help with vet bills depending on your circumstances.
Aside from enquiring about payment plans from your vets, other ways of affording treatment include putting money aside each month into a savings account, taking out a low interest credit card or bank loan, creating an online fundraising page or borrowing money from friends of family if you’re able to. In America, Care Credit is a company who specialises in helping you finance veterinary care.
For more information on how to get help with vet bills in the UK please see money’s and pets4homes’ help guides.
Insurance
You may be able to take out pet insurance for your chinchilla but please ensure you know exactly what this covers. For instance many policies will not cover genetic conditions and therefore may exclude treatment for malocclusion, seizures and conditions affecting the core organs such as heart and kidney failure. Unless the insurance covers all of these conditions, your money would often be much better spent putting it into your own personal vets fees savings account. Your savings will quickly build up if you put some aside each month and the money is all yours when you need it, rather than only benefiting if and when you do make an insurance claim.
Re-homing
If you’ve exhausted every option and are unable to raise funds for the treatment needed then unfortunately you may be left with no other option than to re-home your chinchilla to a responsible home or rescue.
As mentioned, UK vets will always provide treatment to a minimum level to prevent suffering, however they are unable to provide free on-going treatment.
As mentioned, UK vets will always provide treatment to a minimum level to prevent suffering, however they are unable to provide free on-going treatment.
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