strange lump on tail base?

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Susan, I've seen raised patches from fungal infection but nothing like the lump that has been shown in this thread. Raised patches of skin are usually only slightly raised, not lumpy like that - that's far more than an inflammatory response; it's abnormal. As you suggest, that photo is far more indicative of an abscess than a simple fungal infection (if that is what has been diagnosed).


I am interested to hear the vet's explanation for what he thinks is going on.

OP, what has the vet suggested is happening, did he take skin scrapings, & what has been prescribed for treating this chin?
 
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When Cuda had fungus, he developed a large lump on the underside of his neck after I treated him with blu-kote. The vet said it was a skin infection likely from an allergy to the blu-kote, it wasn't attributed to the fungus, and I was given oral meds, one for the infection and one for the fungus.

What makes your vet so positive that it is ringworm and not something else? What did the vet do?
 
he looked at it with a blue light in the dark , the lump is raised i mean its not a huge one as in sticking out...its rough... i noticed when i had applied blue kote that there was an open wound on it, a little tiny bity red spot..i informed him on this and he came to a conclusion that she might have been chewing or irratating it.. he prescribed me "derma vet ointment" i think is what its called. i dont see any technical prescription name on it... he said it was the safest thing because he wasnt safe giving the oral medication because of the dosages for her size....

i brought her to my regular vet because my exotic vet couldnt see her until alot later....and i wanted to get it looked at as soon as possible...

He by all means didnt question one time that it was NOT ringworm in any kind of way..i told him how it developed that fast and it didnt make him think differently.. im going to start applying her medication to see if that will help.. if it doesnt i will bring her to my exotic vet as soon as possible for another diagnosis..

also i saw where someone had mentioned about allergy to the blue kote....it did not get that size till i applied the blue kote onto it, i dont know if that may have triggered it somehow but when i saw it , it was a small scabby looking thing then it turned into that.

i understand that it might in a way be better to bring my chinnies to the exotic vet but i trully do not know how much they know about chinchillas.... i know dr. rich in new orleans i believe knows a good bit but i heard he is a little out there..... has anyone been to him?? I think rick , from new orleans chinchilla rescue uses him, but i have not always heard good about that vet........
 
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Get a second opinion from a proper, chinchilla competent vet. Your vet has provided an ointment which contains 4 ingredients as a "cover-all" - I would suggest he does not know what he is treating so he's trying to treat everything. The ointment also contains a steroid.
http://www.drugs.com/vet/derma-vet-ointment.html
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By virtue of its four active ingredients, the ointment provides four basic therapeutic effects: anti-inflammatory, antipruritic, antifungal and antibacterial. Triamcinolone acetonide is a potent synthetic corticosteroid providing rapid and prolonged symptomatic relief on topical administration. Inflammation, edema and pruritus promptly subside and lesions are permitted to heal. Nystatin is the first well tolerated anti-fungal antibiotic of dependable efficacy for the treatment of cutaneous infections caused by Candida albicans (monilia). Nystatin is fungistatic in vitro against a variety of yeast and yeast-like fungi including many fungi pathogenic to animals. No appreciable activity is exhibited against bacteria. Thiostrepton has a high order of activity against gram-positive organisms, including many which are resistant to other antibiotics; neomycin exerts antimicrobial action against a wide range of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Together they provide comprehensive therapy against those organisms responsible for most superficial bacterial infections.

Derma-Vet Ointment Indications

Nystatin, neomycin sulfate, thiostrepton and triamcinolone acetonide ointment is particularly useful in the treatment of acute and chronic otitis of varied etiologies, in interdigital cysts in cats and dogs, and in anal gland infections in dogs. The preparation is also indicated in the management of dermatologic disorders characterized by inflammation and dry or exudative dermatitis, particularly those caused, complicated, or threatened by bacterial or candidal (Candida albicans) infections. It is also of value in eczematous dermatitis; contact dermatitis and seborrheic dermatitis; and as an adjunct in the treatment of dermatitis due to parasitic infestation.
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The photo shows an area which looks very like a typical abscess - it may well be secondary to ringworm but you don't actually have a proper diagnosis at this point. You need one.

A Wood's Lamp will show up more than just the presence of fungal infection & some fungal infections do not fluoresce anyway so it is not indicative - you need skin scrapings to be sure.
A Wood's lamp is a device that emits ultraviolet (UV) light in the 365 nanometer range and is commonly used by dermatologists to assist in the diagnosis of various pigment and infectious disorders. The examination is performed in a dark room, allowing the Wood's light to shine directly on the affected area for a few seconds and looking for any changes in color or fluorescence. Normal skin does not fluoresce under the light of a Wood's lamp. If a fungal or bacterial infection or pigment disorder is present, Wood's lamp examination can strengthen or lessen the suspicion of a particular diagnosis, based on the color of fluorescence of the affected skin being illuminated. In addition, subtle changes in color may be detected as well.
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Ditto the scraping. Cuda's neck didn't glow,so the vet took skin scrapings, which they both looked at under the microscope for an initial diagnosis and then sent away for a specific diagnosis. He was 4 months old at the time, and the vet had no problems prescribing oral meds. You need to get this chin to a chin-savvy vet to be treated properly.
 
i dont know what exotic vet to go to....i use the one in hattiesburg but i know rick at new orleans chinchilla rescue uses dr rich in new orleans but like i said i dont know , because i have heard negative things about him......so im just really lost on what to do... if this vet mis diagnosed it what makes me think they wont either?? ughh this sucks.... i guess i can try and call and make an apt with my hattiesburg vet as soon as possible.. thank you all for the help im going to call them today and see what i can set up ...
 
With that many chins, you need to really work on finding a vet that actually knows what they are doing, before something really bad happens.
 
yea but when i call they can easily lie to me and tell me they know alot about chinchillas....thats why im concerned about who to trust...i would imagine if rick goes to dr rich he must be ok because rick is a finatic freak about his chinnies health so do you think i should just go with dr rich instead of my normal exotic vet??
 
Asking some basic care questions rather than just 'do you see chinchillas?' is a pretty good way to start. Ask what kind of meds they prescribe for common issues (fungus, stasis, etc), if they are familiar with malo, are they willing to work with you for a diagnosis or treatment if you're not comfortable with what they are doing.
 
Sometimes you have to go to multiple vets to find a good one. I've had that where I've wasted money on meds for a chin from a vet who didn't know what they're doing. Yeah, it's expensive and it sucks, but it's worth it to try to find one who knows what they're doing.
 
Dr. Pence at the same clinic is also a favorite vet there, if you think Dr. Rich is not a good choice. She does filings with sucess and has treated other chin owners chins besides Ricks.
 
oh ok that is great then...no i just heard from some people that they didnt like dr rich but regardless if dr rich has my chins best interest in her hands then i have no problem going to that one!! i will call and make the apt today as soon as my boss throws up the new schedule at work!!! thank you all so much for the help,it sucks i wasted 70 bucks but i guess in the long run it doesnt matter as long as my baby is healthy!
 
chinchillalover0927 said:
but i know rick at new orleans chinchilla rescue uses dr rich in new orleans but like i said i dont know , because i have heard negative things about him......so im just really lost on what to do...
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chinchillalover0927 said:
...i would imagine if rick goes to dr rich he must be ok because rick is a finatic freak about his chinnies health so do you think i should just go with dr rich instead of my normal exotic vet??
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chinchillalover0927 said:
n...no i just heard from some people that they didnt like dr rich but regardless if dr rich has my chins best interest in her hands then i have no problem going to that one!!
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I think the fact that forum members are not jumping in to recommend the vet speaks volumes. Ask yourself why that is & then have a slow, careful read through the Arlington thread - that has some interesting discussions around the advice etc from the vets at the surgery you are considering.
Also have a look at this:
http://www.gregrichdvm.com/pdfs/care/chinchillas-care-sheet.pdf
Ask yourself what forum members would say of a vet recommending fresh fruit & veggies for chins & a yearly health examination to check the mouth ............
 
I will also bring to your attention this thread about a chin called Lily. Bear in mind when reading the thread that this is the same combo of "rescue" & vet - the full story is not there but it went on for ages (before this incident she had 22/23 months of continual burring every 6-8 week)- to the detriment of the chinchilla - until she was finally PTS.
I will also add that there were publicly posted other "issues" with this whole situation which are still available on other forums to read.

http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12730&highlight=Lily+teeth
 
GEEZ, I remember that vet now, he used rongeurs to clip the teeth down to the gum line-literally and told her that he thought it could be a cancerous mass that caused the malo, then told her it was a birth defect and that he would just keep clipping them down to the gum line, people told her including me that was not right but she worshipped him and Rick. And BTW, Rick adopted Lily out to Aimee 2 hours after he got them in, he did not believe in quarantine and she had 8 or 9 chins already.
 
Dr. Rich insisted on yanking the teeth out of the mouth of a chin with malocclusion (even though we REPEATEDLY asked the owner not to do this), who had had many trims and filings, then the chin died in agony instead of being put down humanely. It probably didn't help that she was threatened repeatedly with lawsuits and all manner of stupidity by the great "rescue" that thrust the chin upon her.
 
im going to go back and read this but i do remember the issue with aimee and the chin adopted out with rick....... i dont remember everything but i remember the story some what..im going to go back and read up on it again, all of the threads you posted... i really hate to bring my chinchilla to someone like that........i guess im going to hunt around online and look for an exotic vet somewhere!!! now im really concerned, i thought i had my exotic vet and then dr rich to fall back on..ughhh this really sucks

also no it has not grown anymore at all....the "lump" has actually gone down and now it just looks like dry skin there....so im slightly confused... i checked as soon as i got home from work. thanks everyone for trying to help me, i really do appreciate it..
 
im not having any luck really......... i found one in baton rouge which is 2 hours away that im going to give a call tomorrow morning.....i understand that some vets dont know the proper care of a chinchilla like dr rich but does that make them less knowledgable in diagnosing them?? (thats a serious question by the way, it kind of sounds cockyish but its not lol)
 
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