Health
Hair Rings.
Fortunately
this is something I've only had to deal with once. It is quite common in younger,
inexperienced males. With this condition, a ring of fur builds up around the
base of the penis after mating, preventing the full retraction of the penis
back into the sheath. Older males know how to clean themselves off afterwards,
younger males quite often do not. If not found soon enough the penis will
often dry up and swell, leading in the worst case scenario to loss of blood
supply and gangrene.
To deal with this condition I would recommend having someone to help as this
requires someone to hold the chin securely while you remove the hair ring.
Make sure your fingers are wet using warm water and carefully expose the penis.
The hair ring will often be at the base of the penis. Using blunt scissors
carefully remove the hair ring taking care not to cut the penis itself. This
can take quite a while, so be very careful and patient. You might have to
moisten the ring itself to loosen it enough to get the scissors through it.
Ensure you keep the penis moistened during this with either water or KY jelly
(do not use anything that is scented or could cause irritation). Carefully
replace the penis in the sheath.
If the penis has become swollen or blackened urgent veterinary attention is
required. The swelling will need to be reduced and antibiotic treatment to
prevent infection. If the penis has become necrotic i.e. due to gangrene then
it may need to be amputated. If the chinchilla is strong and healthy this
should not cause it too much trouble in the future unless you want to use
the male to breed, which for obvious reasons will not be possible.
If the penis has been out for some length of time you may find that the male
has problems keeping it inside due to stretching of the sheath opening. In
this situation the vet may need to insert a purse string suture to hold it
in.
I would recommend using an Elizabethan collar for a few days after wards to
prevent the chinchilla worrying the penis and preventing healing. You vet
may have these in a size to fit your chinchilla, otherwise I import suitable
collars from