Hello, i have a question i have a 2year old male chinchilla, i only recently learned about fur rings and the necessity to check, so i went ahead and did so, there was no fur ring but the skin was dry and kinda flakey, it doesn't seem painful to him but it looks uncomfortable. I've never seen him hump or have an erection, but i have seen him cleaning himself. what can i do about his dry skin? Thank you
Hmm, I’ve never heard of something like that happening outside of situations where a fur ring has been on for a long time (paraphemosis), but you would have easily noticed that during the check due to the huge swelling and pain. Is it on the shaft or the foreskin?
If it doesn’t seem like it’s bothering him, I’d first try reducing how often you give him dust baths, unless you only give them twice a week or less. Make sure you are only using quality dust like Blue Cloud or Oxbow, sand or other additives can cause overdrying or buildup.
If that doesn’t clear it up in a week or so, I would recommend extending it like you’re doing an exam if it’s on the actual shaft, then flushing it gently with warm water and a syringe. It could be that there’s an accumulation of dust or gunk in the foreskin drying it out.
If it’s on the external forskin and it looks clean, you can try using a small amount of all natural, unscented lotion that doesn’t leave much residue. I use Aveeno oatmeal lotion for Stitch’s ears when they get a bit dry. Don’t use bag balm on it, though it’s great for feet and ears, it has a small amount of menthol in it which would be terribly uncomfortable!
If neither of those help, or if he’s showing discomfort or cleaning it more than usual, I would take him to the vet as it may be a fungal issue. Usually you’ll just have to put some cream on it for a week or so, and make sure his bedding is clean and always dry.