It was a very bad day today, though all of my girls are fine.
I fostered two boys last year for a few weeks and then they went to live with one of my coworkers who had always wanted a chinchilla. They were doing really well, and her husband and little girl had completely fallen for them. Everyone was very happy.
Today she called me because she didn't have anyone else to call. One of the chins wasn't acting right, she said. I asked her to describe how he was acting, asked a few other questions, and told her to take him to the vet ASAP. He was lethargic, laying on his side, and almost non-responsive. She said he was fine last night, and that he seemed a little off this morning, but that when the afternoon hit, he went downhill fast. She called a vet (one of the few exotics spec. within two hours of where she lives), and the vet couldn't look at him until 5:00 - it was 2:30.
She called me back and told me this, and I told her I was coming to look at him (for what it was worth) and that if necessary we would get him to the vet as an emergency case - they don't often turn you down if it's an emergency.
I got there, and I saw him. He looked awful. His front legs were hairless, and he obviously hadn't been grooming himself. His cagemate was perfectly fine and nicely groomed, so he seemed healthy enough, though scared. I picked the little guy up (he didn't resist at all even though he hadn't seen me in over a year), and he felt really light. I turned him on his back, and his tummy looked like a balloon. It was fairly tight, too. I felt around on his tummy, and I could feel a line of bead-type objects, which I'm assuming were fecal pellets that were sitting in his GI tract. He started to react when I was feeling his stomach, but he still could hardly hold his head up, and his limbs were all cold to the touch. He was in pain; I could just see it.
It broke my heart, but I think I gave her good advice. I told her that I thought it was GI stasis or severe bloat, and that his odds at this stage were not good. He was literally getting worse by the minute as I was holding him, and his breathing became labored. I told her that at the very least, she needed to find a vet near her to euthanize him since there was little doubt that he was in quite a bit of pain. I also told her that I'm not a vet, and if she wanted to take him to a vet to try to save him, I would go with her gladly. She couldn't stand to see him in pain anymore, so he was euthanized at 5:00 this evening.
Was what I told her right? Though I had never had a chin with bloat or GI stasis, I knew the symptoms from reading on here - a belly that feels full of gas, and a line of fecal pellets. I felt awful, but I didn't want to sugarcoat things for her. He was obviously in pain, and there is no one near her who knows much about chins vet-wise other than my vet, which is almost two hours away from her. I made sure she knew it was her decision, but I worry that I pushed her one way or another.
Poor little guy... at least he's better now.
I fostered two boys last year for a few weeks and then they went to live with one of my coworkers who had always wanted a chinchilla. They were doing really well, and her husband and little girl had completely fallen for them. Everyone was very happy.
Today she called me because she didn't have anyone else to call. One of the chins wasn't acting right, she said. I asked her to describe how he was acting, asked a few other questions, and told her to take him to the vet ASAP. He was lethargic, laying on his side, and almost non-responsive. She said he was fine last night, and that he seemed a little off this morning, but that when the afternoon hit, he went downhill fast. She called a vet (one of the few exotics spec. within two hours of where she lives), and the vet couldn't look at him until 5:00 - it was 2:30.
She called me back and told me this, and I told her I was coming to look at him (for what it was worth) and that if necessary we would get him to the vet as an emergency case - they don't often turn you down if it's an emergency.
I got there, and I saw him. He looked awful. His front legs were hairless, and he obviously hadn't been grooming himself. His cagemate was perfectly fine and nicely groomed, so he seemed healthy enough, though scared. I picked the little guy up (he didn't resist at all even though he hadn't seen me in over a year), and he felt really light. I turned him on his back, and his tummy looked like a balloon. It was fairly tight, too. I felt around on his tummy, and I could feel a line of bead-type objects, which I'm assuming were fecal pellets that were sitting in his GI tract. He started to react when I was feeling his stomach, but he still could hardly hold his head up, and his limbs were all cold to the touch. He was in pain; I could just see it.
It broke my heart, but I think I gave her good advice. I told her that I thought it was GI stasis or severe bloat, and that his odds at this stage were not good. He was literally getting worse by the minute as I was holding him, and his breathing became labored. I told her that at the very least, she needed to find a vet near her to euthanize him since there was little doubt that he was in quite a bit of pain. I also told her that I'm not a vet, and if she wanted to take him to a vet to try to save him, I would go with her gladly. She couldn't stand to see him in pain anymore, so he was euthanized at 5:00 this evening.
Was what I told her right? Though I had never had a chin with bloat or GI stasis, I knew the symptoms from reading on here - a belly that feels full of gas, and a line of fecal pellets. I felt awful, but I didn't want to sugarcoat things for her. He was obviously in pain, and there is no one near her who knows much about chins vet-wise other than my vet, which is almost two hours away from her. I made sure she knew it was her decision, but I worry that I pushed her one way or another.
Poor little guy... at least he's better now.
