Welcome to Desert Chins! Follow us on Facebook for our most recent updates!
Welcome to Desert Chins! Follow us on Facebook for our most recent updates!
Please reach us on our Facebook Page and send us a message if you cannot find an answer to your question.
At this time we are only providing transport for Arizona residents. I am willing to meet half way locally in the Metro-Phoenix area. If you are outside our limits (Please see our Facebook pinned post) You MUST make an effort to meet closer.
Please understand that Chinchillas are not cheap pets. Their vet bills can be rather hefty. Common problems that you will go to the vet for is Overgrown teeth/Malocclusion. Over grown teeth can cause tongue entrapment as well with poor dental health and will present itself as drooling, dropping food out of the mouth or not eating at all. Gastrointestinal health issues are also common. Which can rage from GI stasis (not eating or pooping), bloat, diarrhea & more. Chinchillas are also an animal that eats what it chews instead of dropping items chewed. If you have plastic items this can cause a GI foreign body obstruction which can be fatal. Also to be aware females can also get a pyometra (like canines). Chinchillas are normally intact unless it is medically necessary for a spay from such or from other reproductive issues. Please plan for the unexpected and realize just because the animal is small does not mean they will not acrew a rather large bill.
We are in Arizona, Chinchillas NEED to be kept in temperatures ideally between 65-70F. This means they must be kept in a room of the house that has AC (not a fan!) at all times. This is a MUST and not optional! A Chinchilla will overheat in temperatures over 75F. Overheating can cause serious problems such as: Heat stroke or seizures which are a #1 cause of accidental deaths. Overheating generally shows as lethargy, “lazy ears”, warm ears, and laying on their sides. Chinchillas with lighter colored ears will also have red ears.
It’s important to cool your chin down as soon as possible and consult your exotic veterinarian if you suspect overheating. Fans do NOT cool down Chinchilla's! They move the air but this is not sufficient alone to cool them down.
**If you can not commit to the temperature needs of AC please reconsider a Chinchilla as a pet.**
We are a rescue Chinchilla's, however have various experience with other exotic animals and there may be a time we can accept other species. We can provide for: Hedgehogs, Degus, Sugar gliders and Rabbits if space permits. Please send me a private message on Facebook to further discuss. If we cannot take in an animal we can try our best to help direct you in the right direction.
If you can no longer provide care for a chinchilla that was adopted out to you from Desert Chins Rescue that you will reach back out to us and we will take back the chinchilla at any time and you understand that you will NOT be refunded cost of the adoption fee.