Hair Rings

One disadvantage to owning a male chinchilla, whether or NOT he is in breeding, is that he can develop a hair ring. A hair ring is when part of their fur becomes wrapped around their genitalia, and when the penis retracts in to the sheath, the ring becomes tighter, and the genital becomes swollen. The majority of male chinchillas are able to remove this on his own, but every now and then, human intervention is needed. This can occur from breeding, or from over cleaning. Symptoms can be a stained belly, no signs of urination, your chinchilla acting strange and uncomfortable, the genitals being swollen and/or discolored. If the chin does need human intervention, make sure you have some water based lubricant, and that you VERY SLOWLY remove the penis from its sheath, and do NOT overextend it! Remove the ring with your fingers if you possibly can, but if not, get very BLUNT tweezers to remove the hair ring. This whole act normally takes two people…one to hold the chin, and the other to try to remove the hair ring. If the penis is swollen, you may have to slowly work it back in to the sheath. If you are concerned with trying to do this yourself, many breeders and experienced, qualified veterinarians can show you how!