Do I have a TOV

[babygirlleelee]

How can you tell if your chinnie is a TOV? The reason I asked is I got one of mine today (phone call last night on her) and she doesn't have any papers at all. Someone at a nursing home got her and she was passed around as like a healing pet for the nursing home, a lady that worked there bought "Precious" and they kept her for 9 months and I got Precious today. She looks like a dark standard grey.

[Chrisanne]

At that age a TOV would be very noticeable. They have a mask over their face and veiling across the back. If you go look at the most recent pictures I posted in the updates section there is a black velvet there.

[babygirlleelee]

you can see pics of my chin at: http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v247/babygirl_leelee/Animals/ that is the chin I got today, she looks like a dark standard to me, how will I know if she is TOV? Because I was told you can't breed a TOV with a TOV and I am supposed to be getting a TOV in 2 wks.

[Chrisanne]

She is indeed a standard. I would say a medium standard. That is correct you can not breed tov to tov as there is a lethal factor involved. However, I would NOT recommend breeding that girl at all anyway since you have no background on her.



I'm splitting this into its own thread. Thanks.

[CrossCreekChins]

She is a medium standard gray...if she was TOV, it would make her a black velvet since that's what a BV is...a standard gray TOV. I also would advice against breeding her. With no background info, you have no idea if she carries genetic defects that can be passed down to the babies.

[MistyMeanor]

Agreed with everyone... you shouldn't breed her. Not to mention from the sound of your posts you are not ready to breed yet. Do you know about all the money and risks involved with breeding? Do you know what constitutes a high quality chin? (Just because its from a breeder doesn't mean its high quality). What food do you have them on?
You mentioned you needed a cheap cage fast. Did you buy another cage to put the male in incase the female rips him a new one? Did you know you should quarrenntine? You also mentioned straining some nasty dust to make it "useable" instead of buying new?
Do you have a chin vet nearby? Do you realize that something say like a c-section can run your $200-$2000? Do you have a digital scale? Do you have baby safe cages?

There is JUST the beginning of some of the things needed to breed. If you are breeding you need to be breeding to better the breed, and not just cause you think it'll be fun or cute.
Not saying that you think this... but all the time we see people coming along buying a male and female and not realizing the magnitude of what they have done. Then there are unwanted babies, or people coming not knowing what to do.
I'd really recommend either getting another female... OR another cage and just keeping them seperate as pets. Especially the female... she should not be bred at all!

[babygirlleelee]

Oh, I wasn't going to breed any for awhile. The male I am getting isn't old enough to breed at all. I am still reading up on breeding. I am not going to jump right into letting them breed. I am sorry I didn't post that in the first post.

[MistyMeanor]

Ok well thats good to hear cause your female needs to stay a pet. Make sure you get a pedigree with your new chin. You do have a seperate cage for him right? Make sure you get your chins on a good feed too. No pet store food.

[Chrisanne]

We're just trying to give you a heads up is all. The girl you have should definately not be bred though. No pedigree/background info, I would not breed them.

Just as an example. A lady that I know just had her first litter born yesterday. One of the kits was not strong enough to survive no matter what she did. Sadly, that kit passed on this am.

[babygirlleelee]

She was put on rabbit food with treats in it, and I bought regular pellets because the nearest store was closed and an hour away. The chin I have now came with a cage, yes I will be buying another cage for the male, I wasn't going to put them together. Yes, I have been told you need to quarinteen at least for 4 months to make sure. I can't buy new unless I get it offline. She isn't using the dust as of yet, because she has already had one bath before she was brought to me, I had already asked. Yes, I know that the prices in breeding run very high. I will have an extra cage for the babies, I would have a cage for my male, but my ferret is in that cage until his comes in. The nearest chin vet is 30 mins away. I have a digital scale but it doesn't way in grams, if it does I dont' know what button to push. Like I have said I have been reading up on alot of things way before I take action. I am planning on getting another female in the long run so Precious can have a cage mate. I don't want to breed for fun or because I think it is cute. I know there are alot of risks and stuff involved. Right now I know I am not financially stable enough to take on that. I mean, I have 2 boys and other animals so I know how hard and costly it would be. I should have updated and said I wasn't wanting to jump right into breeding. Sorry.

[babygirlleelee]

I understand you trying to help me out, i mean that is what we are all here for, yall posted before I posted that one. I was gonna order some mazuri from a friend but I can't get ahold of her right now, she is the one I am getting my ferrets cage from. I don't have a cage for the male yet but I will by the end of this week, because in two weeks he is coming home.

[MistyMeanor]

Sorry I hope I didn't upset you. Its just being in this business we see all kinds that jump right into it. It's not fair to the animals. Just from the way you were speaking I assumed and wanted to make it clear what all is involved.
Yes the best thing you can do is research research research! :)

[babygirlleelee]

Oh, no, you didn't upset me, I should have said that before. I know there is plenty of time for me to breed. I definently don't want to jump right into it. I know yall are here to help, so I don't take anything yall say the bad way. I know it is yall trying to help, that is what I said before, that is what yall/we are here for. :D

[Janice]

So she's on rabbit pellets or chinchilla food right now? I'm just trying to be clear. If she's on rabbit food I will gladly send you a few lbs of Mazuri to hold her over until you can get ahold of your friend you were going to buy it from.

Everyone's already said it, but please, let precious be a pet and don't breed an animal you have no background on. :)

One more thing - You know to keep her seperated from your ferret right? Ferret are predatory and might attack/kill chinchillas.

HTH

[babygirlleelee]

Yes, I have been told to keep her seperate from my ferret and cat. I have been told by others that some cats and chins get along, but I ain't gonna take that chance. She is on rabbit pellets right now because that is all the store down here had, the nearest (sorry to repeat myself) is an hour away. I would pay you for the food but right now I am broke, could you take an IOU? Everyone would be witnesses to me having to pay you for it.

[babygirlleelee]

Oh, I am not going to breed precious unless I can find something else out about her background (which may be never). All I was told by the ppl I got her from was they had her for 9 months and the lady bought her from the nursing home so she was used to being held by the elderly, but of course I know that didnt' help me out none. The rabbit food they gave was mainly nothing but treats. When I get the money I will have to buy more dust too. I noticed it is not strained good so I don't want her rolling in her own feces, like she was before. They had dust and sand mixed in a cat carried for her to roll around in. Apparently she had never had timothy hay or alfa alfa which I spent my money on for her yesterday. I had to get her a new water bottle to for the fact the one she was drinking (if she could drink out of it) out of was hard to push the water out by pushing in the ball on the end, not to mention it had tape on it and hair all around the mouth piece. I mean I think she is poor. I think the ppl we got her from didn't know what they got into. The way the ppl acted is if I was to offer them 5 dollars for her they would have took it just to get rid of her. Also, I noticed last night she has a patch of fur missing under her chin between her front legs, I looked closer today and it looks like it had literally been ripped out. Are you supposed to feel a chins back bone through her fur? That is why I say she is poor because when you pet her you can feel it, and I mean just barely petting her.

[MistyMeanor]

Well if you can feel her backbone then she is malnourished and/or sick. Is she bald where her fur is missing? or is it just really short? She is either a fur chewer, or has fungus/ringworm. You really need to take her to a vet and get her properly nourished asap. Buy some nutrical (you can get it at petsmart or petco in the dog section) Its a high calorie supplement. Give a dallop every other day. In order to at least get her on Mazuri you are going to have to either have a petsmart nearby cause they now sell it. Or, you are going to have to have a feed store that carries it. Or, you will have to order online.
Some rabbit pellets are ok for chins, but not just ANY rabbit pellets for a lot have harmones in them that chins do not need or the levels of protein are not correct etc.
Why can't you order your chins products online?

[babygirlleelee]

She isn't a chewer, where this spot is it looks like someone literally ripped her hair out. It isn't scabbed over or anything, it is just bald. I may have to get her out and have a closer look. Yeah, I can order items offline, but I can't at the moment because i do not have the money to pay for anything. I have maybe a few dimes and pennies but that is it. Right now I am so broke it is pitiful. Where I live I am 30 mins away from one pet shop, but all that lady carries is food for hamsters, gerbils, and ferrets. The others like petsmart and petco are over an hour away, there is another called the fish bowl, but they are an hour away same with the one called Pet Paradise. I am like in the middle of all of them, which I really hate right now. I will have to arrange for my dad to take me and her to the vet, because the vet that takes chinnies is an hour away, but he takes payments, we have a vet down here, but he don't know anything outside of dogs.

[babygirlleelee]

Oh, did you know Misty that your ebay store is closed? I noticed it was in your signature.

[MistyMeanor]

She isn't a chewer, where this spot is it looks like someone literally ripped her hair out. It isn't scabbed over or anything, it is just bald. I may have to get her out and have a closer look. Yeah, I can order items offline, but I can't at the moment because i do not have the money to pay for anything. I have maybe a few dimes and pennies but that is it. Right now I am so broke it is pitiful. Where I live I am 30 mins away from one pet shop, but all that lady carries is food for hamsters, gerbils, and ferrets. The others like petsmart and petco are over an hour away, there is another called the fish bowl, but they are an hour away same with the one called Pet Paradise. I am like in the middle of all of them, which I really hate right now. I will have to arrange for my dad to take me and her to the vet, because the vet that takes chinnies is an hour away, but he takes payments, we have a vet down here, but he don't know anything outside of dogs.

Bald skin typically = fungus/ringworm. Read this: http://www.eotc-pets.com/fungus.html
This is very likely since she was kept in poor conditions, and was bathing in soiled dust. Not to mention stress can cause an outbreak. It can be highly contaigous to you and your other animals.
I by all means am not trying to be rude, but I am concerned with you not even having the money to provide all that is needed just for ONE pet chin, you being able to handle more than one and keep them properly fed, caged, toys, dust, medical care etc. The #1 things this chin needs like NOW is proper nutrition, proper feed, and clean dust and possible medical care. The vet also needs to look at her teeth in detail via xray to see if she has maloclussion. A chin that is malnourished is more likely to also develop maloclussion.
You need to buy some tinactin foot powder to put in CLEAN NEW dust. Dust shouldn't be re-used more than 2-3x, and not AT ALL even if strained.
Yes speaking of that, I need to change my link...

[babygirlleelee]

I am not able to provide all of this for the chin because I spent what money I had on her, diapers, household items (like toilet paper, dryer sheets, bleach, and washing powder), formula, buying her alfa alfa, timothy hay, wood sticks to chew on, water bottle, pine bedding, and rabbit pellets. When I got her the pet shops where already closed. The only one that wasn't closed due to it being sunday was the lady that lives 30 mins away that doesn't carry anything for chinchillas what so ever. I can't help it I had to have them necessities before hand. She seems fine, but like I said I don't know what all the ppl fed her, all I know is what they gave me. I don't know all she has been through, they might have pulled out her hair when trying to catch her to put her in the cage to bring to me, or she could have released it being scared. Like I said before I will have to get her down tonight and recheck that spot. I looked through the cage while she was laying down and it just looks bald. No you aren't making me mad or frustrated, I just can't help what my money HAS to be spent on.

[MistyMeanor]

I am not able to provide all of this for the chin because I spent what money I had on her, diapers, household items (like toilet paper, dryer sheets, bleach, and washing powder), formula, buying her alfa alfa, timothy hay, wood sticks to chew on, water bottle, pine bedding, and rabbit pellets. When I got her the pet shops where already closed. The only one that wasn't closed due to it being sunday was the lady that lives 30 mins away that doesn't carry anything for chinchillas what so ever. I can't help it I had to have them necessities before hand. She seems fine, but like I said I don't know what all the ppl fed her, all I know is what they gave me. I don't know all she has been through, they might have pulled out her hair when trying to catch her to put her in the cage to bring to me, or she could have released it being scared. Like I said before I will have to get her down tonight and recheck that spot. I looked through the cage while she was laying down and it just looks bald. No you aren't making me mad or frustrated, I just can't help what my money HAS to be spent on.
Trust me, I know the feeling of money problems too. I have been out of work 7 months, and my parents have been supporting me. I have 21 chinchillas, 3 prairie dogs, and a service dog. But your chins health and well being is a nessacity too. The point I am trying to make is that if you barely have enough money to even take care of your household and other priorities and not enough at this time to go ahead and do what NEEDS to be done for this animal such as providing proper feed, and clean dust... then how can you take care of two? When you can't even starting off buy ALL the nessacities it takes to own a chin, not just a couple of things and still using dirty dust, and feeding rabbit pellets.
My point is that if finanically you were not as prepared as you needed to be, maybe you shouldn't have taken in this chin... or especially get a new mouth to feed and take care of. It just sounds like you are already over your head, and over your budget and you only have one and have plans to get another.
Do you see what I am saying??

[babygirlleelee]

Yes, I see what you are saying and like i said before she isn't using the dust also i get paid thursday. Also, like I said before I will take her to the vet tomorrow, since he does take payments. Janice offered to give me some mazuri (which I haven't heard from her yet) and I told her I would pay her back when I can. I don't know how much my pay check would be. My friend Amanda I have been trying to contact her so I can get some Mazuri (buy some) off of her. The other chin I am getting he comes with everything but a cage and that I am planning on buying the end of this week after I get her feed and the first vet bill paid.

[babygirlleelee]

Also, please don't think I don't care for my new chin, because if I didn't I wouldn't be posting on here.

[MistyMeanor]

Oh no we know that... Its hard to say what we want to say on here without coming off as judgemental. I trust that you will do your best and that you just hit a hard place in the road to start off but will do better here on out. :)

[babygirlleelee]

Okay, I just got her out and examined that spot and the hair is just seperated or you can say parted I guess. I will still take her to the vet on the teeth though, she did have a stick to chew on, but it took up almost all of her cage and it kept her from jumping. I took 2 more pictures of her, one of my husband holding her and another where she was sitting on my shoulder. Yeah, we all hit hard places, but I hit mine all at once, which I really hated. I thought the boys had more diapers than that. She will soon be the queen of this palace. I put her back up because the cat wanted out and shortly fuzzball (our ferret) will be out as well.

[babygirlleelee]

I really do appreciate you all trying to help me, yall are good friends. By the way my name is Leslie.

[Janice]

Leslie, PM me your address so I can send the food out.

[babygirlleelee]

I just pm'd you

[babygirlleelee]

Update:

I just got back from the vet, he said her estimated age was 2 years. He said that she weighed 613 grams, he said she could put on a few more grams, he checked her teeth (didn't do an x-ray) and said that her teeth were fine and you could tell she had wood or a salt wheel to chew on to keep her teeth filed down. He said that was all the hair was was parted. He also noticed that she is shedding, not releasing her fur. He also checked her ears (i don't know why) he said they were fairly clean, but I could try to clean them with animal cleaner or barely use a swab. He checked her to make sure she hadn't had any broken bones that hadn't been tended to, which she hasn't had any at all is what he said, by feeling. He also felt her uterus (i guess you could say) to see if she has had any previous litters, and he said her uterus is still small so he would say she hasn't had any. He said only an x ray could determine for sure. He said everything was a okay with her and if I had any worries about her to call him or come back in. Other than that I have a healthy chin. I haven't ever heard of ear cleaner for chinchillas, I didn't know they needed it. A swab I would be afraid of using. Well, that is the update, I just had gotten back home, and I am going to go put her up and let her rest. She is shaken up a little bit from the ride.

[Lixx]

Please don't take this as negative, but if you are having finacial difficulty providing for this chin, I strongly urge you not to get the second one. You are obviously a caring person, but in this world, that is unfortunatly not enough. Please reconsider your finances before getting another chin.

[babygirlleelee]

The reason I wasn't financially stable at the time is because I had bills coming out the rear. Precious has her Mazuri and everything now. She is doing just great. She got some new dust that I had ordered offline, by a company my husband has ordered many fish supplies from for his sal****er aquarium. I only have precious, I am not going to be getting the one male, that I was going to get before, I started having doubts about him. I am gonna try to hold off on getting anymore animals, due to the fact the cat I have is expecting and it is driving me nuts, because I will have to provide for her and her kittens when they are weaned and try to find them all good homes. I thank you all for helping me out. Precious got some treats, mazuri, and some oats close to a week ago. Thank you all though.

[babygirlleelee]

I wonder why it stared it out. It was supposed to be S A L T W A T E R, but it blocked the, oh nevermind, lol, I just found out what that spelt. I understand why now.

[CrossCreekChins]

I wonder why it stared it out. It was supposed to be S A L T W A T E R, but it blocked the, oh nevermind, lol, I just found out what that spelt. I understand why now.
ROFL!!! It took me a minute too!! It edited it! That's so funny!!

[MistyMeanor]

The reason I wasn't financially stable at the time is because I had bills coming out the rear. Precious has her Mazuri and everything now. She is doing just great. She got some new dust that I had ordered offline, by a company my husband has ordered many fish supplies from for his sal****er aquarium. I only have precious, I am not going to be getting the one male, that I was going to get before, I started having doubts about him. I am gonna try to hold off on getting anymore animals, due to the fact the cat I have is expecting and it is driving me nuts, because I will have to provide for her and her kittens when they are weaned and try to find them all good homes. I thank you all for helping me out. Precious got some treats, mazuri, and some oats close to a week ago. Thank you all though.

Good I really hope this is the case, as a lot of us have seen you posting on other forums for free/cheap animals that you want. And asking about breeding. We are definately here to help you out any way we can... but within means, yanno?
I am so glad you took her to the vet. It sounds as if he was pretty thourough. Although I will say without X-ray there is absolutely no way he can know if her teeth are ok, for maloclussion is in the molar root. It's good her front teeth are good though.
As far as her ears are concerned I wouldn't honestly clean them with anything unless you just wanted to solely clean the outside, and/or she had some kind of infection. I don't know anyone that cleans their chins ears except Melinda but hers had a severe infection. Anyone else got any ideas?

[babygirlleelee]

Yeah, I was wanting to breed at first, but it wasnt' going to be for awhile anyways, and the male I was going to get, the lady had sent me some pictures of him, one picture he looked so healthy, the next picture he looked underweight, and the 3rd picture she sent me, he looked so poor, so I said I didn't want to get that chin after comparing pictures. I mean, I am afraid he may be sick or something, and I dont' want to take that chance, plus right now the only papers that would have came with him, were just saying who his mom and dad were. I love precious, and I will stick with her for awhile before I get anymore, if I do get anymore, it will probably be females anyways so Precious can have a cage mate or two or three. I have plenty of mazuri, but come next week, I am going to order some more I believe and some more chinnie dust, since chinworld has a good price on theirs and I was told they are good to order from, I was also going to buy some tile for the floor of her cage and shelves, because she needs to rest her feet, I also need to get some toys for her.

[MistyMeanor]

Sounds like a plan! oh also, www.lonestarchinchilla.com I have found to have the best prices on Mazuri AND dust. I personally don't order from chinworld cause their shipping is high, and sometimes they take forever to send. You may want to check it out.

[babygirlleelee]

I will check out the site. Thank you Misty. I am so glad I got Precious. Another reason why I may wait to get anymore chins is for the fact my cat just had her kittens last night.