Is it ok for my chinchilla to have the bottom of his back feet cracked and dry?

Question

Ok my chinchilla, Chip, has dry and cracked bottoms of his back feet? Does that call for a trip to the vet or cause him any pain? He hasn't shown any sign of pain though. Also he has a little red lump on (i think) his pinky toe on his back feet but on each foot. And again has not shown any sign of pain. I would just like to know if your chinchilla has this or if it is a health problem needing attention.Thank You.

Answer 1

I think it's best if you just take him to the vet and have it checked out just in case. Sometimes not all animals signs of pain are noticeablee check to make sure he is still able to walk or whatever because if he isn't walking then there might be a problem. Good luck!  

Answer 2

What I would do would be to get a Q-tip wet with boiling water and try dabbing at his paws. This can be very difficult, as you chinchilla will struggle, but do the best you can. You should also try putting a humidifier by his cage, so that the air around his cage isn't too dry. Try these methods for a couple of days, and you can also put a small amount of lotion and moisturizer on his paws. After a few days, or if your chinchilla starts showing signs that its in pain, you MUST take it to the vet, unless you want your chincilla to be in a lot of pain. Also, watch your chinchilla carefully to see that it can still walk and make sure that his feet don't become infected.

Your chinchilla's dry feet can be caused by if it is walking on cage wires very often, so if this is the case, you can line the bottom of his cage with about a half inch of tissues or other bedding from pet stores.

There is also a product called Bag Balm that you can buy at pet stores, so if your chinchilla's dry feet become more serious, try this.

Good luck and I hope that you can cure your chinchilla's dry feet!