Is my Chinchilla overheating?

Question

I have two chinchillas.

the temperature is about 77 degrees or so. I have two fans running. One of them blowing into the cage faintly, but not directly at the chinchillas.

Other than looking at their ears, is there a way to tell if the chinchilla is overheating?

If you're going to give an answer regarding the ears, please specify.

Answer 1

yes the devil is around

Answer 2

I'm unsure of any body language with Chinchillas overheating, but I will tell you that due to their thick coats, Chinchillas are sensitive to temperatures above 75 degrees and can start having health problems if they are above this temp. for an extended period of time. They are, after all, originally from the Andes Mountains. For this reason, they are not a recommended pet if you do not have air conditioning in your household.

So, I would see about getting a small air conditioner to at least cool the room that the chinchillas are in. This is really important!! Also, at PetSmart (and possibly other pet retailers) there is something called the Chin-Chiller you can purchase. It's a slab of granite a chinchilla can hang out on and it's small enough to fit in a cage. This could be a good temporary fix.

Here's another idea you can try:

Before having A/C, I lived in a very hot apartment that I was worried would overwhelm my pets, so I made ice bags that contained edible materials. They were essentially little bean bags, except, made with grains that are safe and edible.

For the ice bags, casing can be a clean sock, but I used an allergen-free pillow case that I made into smaller "pillows."

For the filling I recommend using the very same food you feed your chinchilla. It will freeze well and should be completely edible, should your chinchillas gnaw their way through. I recommend avoiding the use of rice or uncooked beans for the ice bags. Rice will expand in your pet's stomach -- very dangerous -- and uncooked beans can be potentially hazardous to small pets.

Anyhow, that's my 2 cents. Air conditioning set to 75 or below is best, but try the above suggestions and keep a watchful eye on the temperature in their immediate area. I hope you can keep them cool!

Answer 3

To be sure that they are not over-heating, I would wrap them in a cool cloth for a few minutes, once a day.  Be sure they are drinking lots of water, and they should be fine!