User:Naiwen Xu/sandbox

Offspring
There is no obvious seasonal variation in the reproductive organs of the male chinchilla. They have good sexual desire and breeding ability all year round. The breeding season is mostly from November to May in the Northern Hemisphere and from May to November in the Southern Hemisphere. The female chinchilla's gestation period is 110 to 124 days. The females can have babies 2 times per year and 1 to 6 litters each time they give birth. The newborn chinchilla is borned with hair and can run immediately after birth. The birth weight is about 1.2 ounces (35 grams). The breastfeeding period is about 45 days (six to eight weeks). Chinchillas become an adult when they are about 8 months old. Generally, their average lifespan is 10 years, though some can live up to 20 years.

Bloat
The disease often occurs in post-weaning pups or artificial suckling pups. The main causes of bloat are feeding improper food, a sudden change in diet and gastrointestinal infections or obstructions. It may occur when the pups eat hard food before the digestive system is fully developed. In addition, unclean food, irregular feeding, insufficient mother’s milk, and the use of fresh milk instead of milk powder to feed the pups may lead to the disease as well.

(1) Symptoms

Chinchillas with bloat may be lack of energy and enthusiasm, rolling in the cage, and gurgling in the stomach. They may also decrease appetite, stop producing stool.

(2) Preventions & Treatments

In the early stage of the disease, under the premise of ensuring that the chinchilla does not run away, let it run freely for several hours in the house, and the chinchilla can regain health. It is also beneficial to gently massage the stomach of the affected chinchilla. If the bloat is caused by a sudden change in diet, the original feed should be restored immediately. If the bloat is caused by artificial suckling, the original formula of 50% of condensed milk and 50% of boiling water can be changed to 30% of condensed milk, 60% of boiling water and 10% of glucose.

Diarrhea
The chinchilla pups that initially eat feed are prone to diarrhea.

(1) Symptoms

Chinchillas with diarrhea may be lack of energy and enthusiasm accompanied by symptoms of sepsis, quickly becoming dehydrated, and producing watery stool.

(2) Preventions & Treatments

The main prevention and treatment of the disease is to supply vitamin-rich feed and clean and fresh water to chinchillas. Every early spring and late autumn, the temperature of the chinchilla's house should be relatively stable.

Fur issues
Hair loss can be divided into two types: hair loss caused by malnutrition and hair loss caused by skin diseases. Hair loss caused by malnutrition can occur in all ages of the chinchilla, causing dysplasia. The skin disease may be caused by parasitic or fungal skin infections.

Fur chewing
Chinchillas may chew on their own or their cage mates' fur. Fur chewing often occurs due to environmental stress, heredity, hormone imbalances and dietary deficiencies. Chinchillas are under stress when the living environment changes suddenly, the cage is overcrowded, the aggressive mates or other pets are present, and the breeder touches them too frequently.

(1) Symptoms

Fur looks patchy after fur chewing. The new hair growing back may be shorter and darker than the original fur.

(2) Preventions & Treatments

The preventions and treatments include providing a larger space, avoiding other pets or aggressive cage mates to stay with the chinchilla, handling the chinchilla less often, and supplying a proper and nutritious diet.

Skin disease
A skin disease caused by sarcoptes scabiei parasitic on the skin is commonly known as scabies. Another skin disease caused by a fungus is known as ringworm.

(1) Symptoms

The infected chinchilla has redness and swelling, especially in the limbs, toe palm, ear and neck, etc. The haircoat loses, forming a yellow-white scab. The infected part is itchy, so it is often seen that the infected chinchilla uses claws to scratch the cage.

(2) Preventions & Treatments

To treat ringworm: Trim the hair around the infected area and rub the infected skin patches with iodine. A medicated anti-fungal cream can also be applied.

To treat scabies: Trim the hair around the infected area and rub the infected skin patches with camphor oil. Generally, after 3 to 4 times rubbing, the infected area will be improved and the new hair will gradually grow back in the infected area.