Fungus(ringworm) can be spread in several ways, airborne spores, from person to chin, from chin to chin through direct contact, or through shared dust baths. Another cause is damp hair, this is why its essential to completely dry your chin if they become wet. It most commonly appears on the extremities of the chin, but can be on the neck and back.

Symptoms:
- scaly skin
- hair loss
- crusting
- scabbing
- pink rings

Treatment

- quarantine the sick chin
- disinfect the cage and all surrounding, and discard any dust that the chin used, and also disinfect the dusting container
- you have the choice of taking it to the vet to receive an anti fungal cream OR
- you can use a cotton swap with isopropyl alcohol and carefully clean the infected spots, and then using another cotton swap apply an antifungal powder, I recommend Tinactin, but gold bond and Desenex are options as well.
- Offer short periods of time in a dust bath that contains a medicated antifungal powder twice daily, for the first week. You can do this in addition to taking the chin to the vet, or you can try this alone, but like any other chin ailment, if you do not see an improvement, always seek the advice of a vet who specializes in chinchillas.
- Cover most sides of cage if possible to prevent the spread of airborne spores