What to do if a chinchilla sneezes, coughs or has a cold

Chinchilla is a wonderful soft friend, communication with which brings a lot of pleasure to loving owners. The fluffy animal is distinguished by good health, but if the conditions of maintenance and care are violated, a cute rodent can get sick. What to do if a chinchilla sneezes, coughs or lies down with a high fever? In such situations, it is necessary to start treating the pet immediately, in weakened or young pets, a common cold can be fatal, a chinchilla specialist or a competent rodentologist should diagnose and prescribe therapeutic measures.

Chinchilla sneezing, coughing and runny nose

There can be several reasons why a chinchilla sneezes and rubs its nose:

• allergy to dust, litter, food or houseplants. An allergic reaction in small animals is accompanied by sneezing, itching, anxiety. rapid baldness and inflammation of the skin. Treatment consists in eliminating the source of the allergy (cleaning the cage, changing feed and filler) and taking antihistamines;
• foreign bodythat entered the nasopharynx. When feeding, particles of food or hay can enter the nasopharynx, causing reflex sneezing, a similar protective reaction develops when particles of dust, filler, and chips enter the nasal cavity. If a foreign body is suspected, it is necessary to urgently deliver the animal to a veterinary clinic to remove the object. It is highly not recommended to provide first aid in such a situation on your own;
• stress. Change of scenery, attention from large pets and children, neglect, injuries, sitting down cause stress in emotional animals, which is manifested by sneezing, screaming, hair loss, anxiety or numbness. In such a situation, it is advisable to create a calm atmosphere for a frightened pet, treat it with a treat, cover the cage with a dark cloth
• colds and their complicationsarising from a gross violation of the conditions for keeping a fluffy animal. Depending on the stage, a cold is manifested by sneezing, runny nose, cough, high fever, lethargy, refusal to eat. A veterinarian should treat a sick rodent, a cold is dangerous for the development of complications with sad consequences.

A runny nose in an exotic animal is characterized by vivid symptoms: wet nostrils, mucous snot flowing from the nose, accumulation of white or yellowish mucus in the corners of the eyes, lethargy, drowsiness, and frequent breathing. A runny nose in a chinchilla can develop against the background of:

• colds, it is desirable to treat rhinitis under the supervision of a veterinarian in order to avoid the development of complications;
• keeping a pet in a dusty room, in this situation, frequent cleaning and regular humidification of the air are necessary.

Cough as a symptom

A cough in a chinchilla can be a symptom of various pathologies, such as:

• allergies, chinchilla coughs, sneezes and sheds. To stop such a cough, it is necessary to eliminate the allergen and treat the animal with antihistamines;
• cardiovascular insufficiency, the rodent has a cough, wheezing, shortness of breath. Diagnosis and treatment of cardiac cough should be carried out by a veterinarian;
• colds, bronchopneumonia, bronchitis, trachitis in chinchillas are accompanied by dry or wet cough, wheezing, heavy breathing, weakness, discharge from the nose and eyes and require immediate treatment with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs;
• a foreign body in the throat causes a reflex cough. In this state, the chinchilla coughs, as if choking, there is an urge to vomit. You can shake the animal upside down, give your favorite treat to push the object through and urgently contact a specialist.

Colds in chinchillas

Exotic animals in nature live in a cool mountain climate with cold winds, so chinchillas are distinguished by good health. Colds in pets occur when the conditions of detention are violated: drafts, a decrease in the air temperature in the room below +15 degrees and high humidity. A loving owner during the acute stage of the disease can also infect a small rodent with a viral infection.

Cold symptoms:

• an increase in overall body temperature. The temperature above 38 ºС must be urgently brought down, an increase in temperature to 39 ºС is deadly for the chinchilla’s body;
• copious discharge from the nose and eyes;
• rapid breathing;
• lethargy, drowsiness.

A cold in chinchillas is dangerous for the development of severe complications: pneumonia, pleurisy, bronchopneumonia, tracheitis and high body temperature, which can cause death.

What to do if a chinchilla catches a cold?

A sick animal must be isolated to prevent infection of other chinchillas, the cage must be in a dry, warm place, frequent wet cleaning, control of air temperature and humidity in the room are recommended. The rodent is prescribed drinking a rosehip broth, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agents, depending on the condition of the rodent.

Can a chinchilla catch a cold from a person?

Chinchillas can become infected from a person with any respiratory viral infections transmitted by airborne droplets. At the peak of the incidence, it is recommended to minimize the communication of fluffy pets with a sick owner, to feed, change the filler and water in a protective mask. It is advisable to ventilate the room where animals are kept and carry out wet cleaning more often.

Chinchillas have an increased metabolism, so any diseases in furry rodents develop rapidly and are fraught with sad consequences. In order to avoid colds, the owner must carefully monitor the maintenance of the optimal microclimate in the room with animals. If a runny nose, cough, sneezing or fever appears in a chinchilla, one should not take time and self-medicate, the success of treatment directly depends on the timeliness of contacting the veterinary clinic and the appointment of therapeutic measures.