Dragonflye,
One of my chinchillas, Clarence, recently underwent bladder-stone surgery. Like your little fella, my little guy had one large bladder-stone within his bladder only (some can spread into the urinary tract). If you opt to have your chin undergo surgery, I would like to share with you my recommendations for a healthy and fast paced recovery.
First, I am going to create a list of items for you to have on hand-
Fleece - You can purchase fleece at a fabric store, or you can do what I did, which was buy a Snuggie.
Critical Care - This is going to be the most effective way for your little guy to receive his nutrients and fluids during the toughest part of recovery.
Spare cage - This is to eliminate the risks associated with recovery. I will explain further down.
Syringes - To feed and administer fluids.
Time, time, and time - I was by his side every three hours, and actually pretty much all night and day during the first several days.
Treats, chew toys, hay, and all other necessities.
The first few days were the toughest. He was in a significant amount of pain, despite the pain medication and antibiotics prescribed to him by his surgeon. Honestly, I believe that his pain level, in comparison to his level of pain prior to the surgery, was equal or less; bladder-stones can cause an extreme amount of pain for our chinchillas.
Days 1-3:
I was only able to get Clarence to eat small amounts of timothy hay on his own, but he refused to consume any fluids. I created a mixture of 50/50 Critical Care and purified water (the only water I give to any of my animals) and administered as much as he would take every three hours. The important part is that he not only consume at least 3 ml each time, but that he also poops within twenty-four hours of his procedure.
I purchased a large rubber-made bin from Walmart and sanitized it prior to use. I also washed the Snuggie using the "hot" setting and sterile solutions of which to clean it properly without adding chemicals. I lined the bottom of the bin with the Snuggie, gave a large amount of hay each day, gave apple sticks to chew, corn cob to chew, rice pops for treats, new food (I'll mention this below) to eat, his tree stump (hideaway), and whatever else his little heart desired to combat boredom.
It was very tough taking care of him. He was extremely stubborn when I made my feeding attempts, but he soon realized that I would not put him down and stop trying until he consumed what I was giving him. He slept a lot the first day, was active the second day, and really active the third day.
Days 4-7:
Clarence began eating and drinking on his own around day five. This also coincided with the end of his medication treatments. I allowed him to play in one of my spare bathrooms on the third floor of my home, and also brought his brother upstairs to provide him company whilst he played. Clarence played like he did the first two years I had him, which I think is around the time his stone began its formation within his bladder.
I continued to provide the Critical Care mixture during this entire period. I wanted to ensure that he did receive all of the nutrients his body required for a speedy recovery.
Days 8-16:
Clarence resumed his normal behavior, of which only includes age one thru two. From two to three, he became lazy, looked stressed out all the time, and did not allow me to pick him up, nor did he allow me to pet his side, tummy, or back.
He had his staples removed at the end of this period.
Post Recovery:
I had a difficult time reintroducing Clarence and his brother Charlie following recovery. Charlie had already claimed the territory, of which consists of an entire bedroom, three tier cage that stands at over seven feet high, and all the fun toys within their living area. I ultimately had to place them into a spare bathroom at the first level of my home; a neutral zone, then pressure wash their cage, super clean their entire room, throw away anything that could be tossed out, and give Clarence and Charlie five days to slowly rebuild their relationship. I allowed them to play with each other on a set schedule - day one/two hours and then two hour incremental increases for each subsequent day.
I had to replace their Oxbow Essentials with another brand that did not contain any alfalfa - the most common culprit of bladder-stones in chinchillas due to high levels of calcium. This was a tough one for the fellas and I actually did so by starting at 50/50 then 60/40, then 70/30 and so on.
No dust baths during recovery, this including three days post removal of the staples. Count the staples when they are placed and ensure that the amount counted is what the vet removes. I had to take my little guy back two weeks after the staple removal to remove two more. The staples were hidden beneath healing flesh, and not even I could see them for two weeks.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. It took multiple visits to the animal hospital and a threat from me before they finally did an X-ray to find the underlying cause of his chronic illness. I had Clarence at the best vet in upstate NY in less than thirty-six-hours to undergo surgery. I know this is not an option for everyone, and I am fortunate enough to have a really good career, but I do recommend the surgery at anytime you are capable of doing it. If funds are a concern whatsoever, there is an option called Care Credit. They will allow monthly payments.
Please contact me if there are any questions and I will gladly assist you.
Below is the link to my little guy's surgery (pre and parties post):
http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48313
