chin Seizure??????

[yummychinchillatoys.com]

What causes chins to have Seizures?

What can we do to help stop them?



My Fionna has Seizures... I noticed the 2nd week I had her... It was early in the morning and I heard this loud noise.. I looked and saw her flopping in her cage... I went and picked her up and held her.. It lasted about 1 1/2 -2 minutes... Then she just sat there another couple of minutes, then she was fine and I put her back in her cage... It seems like they happen every 3 to 4 weeks... The same thing every time.. How can I help her...

 

[ABBY W.]

Seizures can be caused by a number of things. Hypocalcemia (a lack of calcium) is one cause. Check her teeth and make sure they are a dark yellow color. That is how a healthy chin's teeth should look. If her teeth are white she needs more calcium in her diet. You can give cuttle bone or a tums with calcium once a week to boost her calcium levels.

Another cause is overheating. A chin can get overheated if they have been playing too hard, or if the temperature is not properly regulated in their area. Make sure you are keeping her area at a cool temperature, 65-68 degreees. Never let the temp higher than 75 degrees for any period of time.

Head injuries or neurological damage can also cause seizures. I don't know if anything can be done about this, other than to try to make sure she is in a safe environment where she can't fall from a high place or hit her head on something during the seizure.

There are probably other causes that I haven't thought of right now. Maybe someone else can give you some more information.

 

[yummychinchillatoys.com]

well i have her in a single story FN.. All her ledges are pretty low... I use fleece liners so the bottom is soft.. I have her granite tile on her biggest shelf in fear that she would fall and land on it and hurt herself... So the bottom of her cage is all just the fleece liner.. I am a very hot natured person so I keep my house AC at 72 degrees... Her teeth are a dark yellow.. She is a very healthy chin... So I know it's not lack of Calcium... The lady i got her from never said anything to me about her ever having any seizures... It just really scares me because she is my baby... I love her so much... Thanks for the advise on everything..

 

[Tanya]

I am sorry to hear that Fionna has Seizures.
I think your chin should see a vet. As seizures can be caused by a number of things as ABBY already said.

Including thiamine seizures, symptoms are the tremors, staggering, shakes. Chin should get Vitamin B complex.

Toxicity:toxic fumes,lead poisoning (chewing on walls with lead based paint), mercury poisoning,chewing on pvc ,THE CHEMICALS IN PVC ARE TOXIC! Even sanding or cutting pvc releases toxic fumes. ("When cutting the PVC pipe, do it in a well ventilated area and away from birds. Toxic fumes occur during cutting of PVC pipe.")

Low blood sugar, usually happens when chin is active and then collapses,animal may be limp. Karo syrup should be rubbed on the gums or raison can be given.
The signs of low-calcium seizures are usually rigid bowed body with the nose curled towards the tail.
Hope your vet can find the cause.
Fingers crossed here.

 

[blacksettingsun]

Fluffernut has seizures due to low blood sugar. If he's out bouncing around for any significant amount of time, he HAS to have karo syrup or a piece of raisin. He used to have at least one seizure a day regardless of playing. I do not recommend giving dried fruits to a chin, but he now gets a piece of raisin (not a whole one) every day. As long as he receives a little extra sugar at night when the chins get fed and watered, he seems to be doing well.

There are a lot of causes for seizures, and they have pretty much all been touched on in the posts above mine. A trip to the vet should be in order for her.

 

[kdr13]

I had a chin who was older (about 11 yrs old) when she started getting seizures. I took her to the vet and we did all kinds of tests and they couldn't find anything wrong with her except she was old. So, when she had a seizure I would just comfort her the best I could and she would come through them. I don't mean to scare you but then one night Toji was running around fine and went into her cage (she alwayz went in when she knew she was going to have one) and had a stroke and died. The vet said it was probably just a seizure that got really bad. Toji was a rescue and at 14 years old she had a long life. I hope your chin does too! I think you should see a vet but if they can't find anything wrong, dont' be upset.

 

[starleomach]

There are also some links to salt and seizures you don't have a salt/mineral block in the cage do you?

 

[yummychinchillatoys.com]

No, no salt blocks in the cages. I rarely even give her treats anymore.. Just pellets and hay. and every night I give her sticks to chew on...

There are also some links to salt and seizures you don't have a salt/mineral block in the cage do you?

 

[Anne-Lise]

Something that wasn't mentionned yet comes from the food. I am aware of one chinchilla that used to have seizures. She was eating crappy food. When the chin was switched to a good feed, she stopped having seizures pretty quickly. Probably has to do with a deficiency, maybe one that was talked about above. What is your chin eating?

 

[yummychinchillatoys.com]

I feed all 12 of my chins Mazuri....

Something that wasn't mentionned yet comes from the food. I am aware of one chinchilla that used to have seizures. She was eating crappy food. When the chin was switched to a good feed, she stopped having seizures pretty quickly. Probably has to do with a deficiency, maybe one that was talked about above. What is your chin eating?

 

[Essentia]

Could too high protein cause seizures? I have absolutely no idea, just figured I would ask since I know some people have had issues on Mazuri in the past (never heard of seizures, just soft poo).