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andymilo

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Messages
268
Location
Toronto
it's taking every bit of my energy to even write this because i have received devastating news this morning...i took my chinny to the vet for xrays because of a suspected eye infection, that was later diagnosed by my current vet as spurs, which proved today to be malocclusion...he said it's one of the worst he's ever seen (he is an exotic specialist) and her teeth are growing upward into the eye causing the watery eye and towards into the jaw where he also felt lumps..i haven't been able to stop crying...and the pain is almost unbearable for me and i can only imagine the pain my little angel is feeling...the vet also did some blood work and said he will do all the research he can to figure out if there is anything at all that can be done...he also gave me some metacam to give her for the pain

she has been acting very drowsy and sleepy since i can home and i'm not sure if it's because of the anesthesia from the xrays or the metacam, or a combination of both...can anyone please offer their advice? i cannot have her living like this in pain...i just cannot...my heart is broken...she is not even 3 years old...when i rescued her 2 years ago i joined this forum and i would read stories written by devastated people in the same situation i am...i never thought i would be here writing one myself...i'm so sorry to anyone who has ever been in my situation and for any chin that has had to suffer from this...
 
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I'm SO sorry. This news is devastating to chin owners. I'm glad you have pain medication for her, as when the root is growing into the eye causing watering it must be very painful. There is no treatment to cure malocclusion. I would spend some time with her, give her all the raisins she can eat and prepare yourself to say goodbye to her. The both of you are in my thoughts.
 
I'm so sorry, it always makes me sad to hear when someone has to go through something like this. Spoil her to the extreme, like Laurie said give her all of the raisins you can. Enjoy the memories you've had together and say a goodbye with those memories on your mind to ease the sorrow.

Best wishes for the both of you.
 
I'm very sorry. :( Having had to put down 2 of my chins because of malo was the hardest things I had to do. I still miss them. CJ wasn't even 3 years old. I don't know how old Whiskers was as I bought him at a pet store but I had him for a few years before I had to put him down. Is it the roots or teeth that are growing upwards into the eye sockets? As Laurie said spend time and spoil her rotten. Hugs to you.
 
When a vet says that teeth are growing into the eye socket, they typically mean the roots.

Since the roots are elongated to the point that they are causing pain in her eye, the only thing that can be done for her is to be humanely euthanized. The vet could pull teeth, but it would only add to her suffering and prolong the inevitable result of malo.

Give her a bunch of spoiling and take her to be put to sleep as soon as you can manage it. You don't want to leave her in this much pain for too long.
 
thank you all for your kind words...it truly means a lot to me...i'm 23 years old and she is my first pet that i've solely cared for...i rescued her while i was in the caribbean and brought her back to canada with me...she is the love of my life...there are no words to describe the happiness she has brought to my life and how much i love her and always will...she is the craziest, silliest biggest troublemaker in the world...and she is perfect...

the vet said her teeth look almost perfect...they are flat and fit properly together...he said the problem is the roots of the teeth...he suggested perhaps grinding them down all the way but also said that the chances of that helping are very slim in a case like this...he said the only way was to surgically remove all her teeth...which is not something i would ever want to put her through...

i'm just not sure why she is so drowsy and what i should do tonight...should i force feed her critical care?? i gave her .3 cc of metacam a few hours ago and she has been sleeping and drowsy since...

i will call the vet in the morning...i would just like to spend some time with her and take some pictures with her...this morning her spirits were up and she dustbathed...i wish i had taken video then...
 
im so sorry to hear this. i agree with the advice you have been given above.

in regards to her being drowsy right now, my chin has been gassed (whats a better word?) for xrays and he was drowsy for a while as well.

play with your little one, give treats and chew toys. let her explore somewhere she hasnt (chin-proof of course). just let her know that she is the luckiest chin in the world. give another dust bath- sometimes to get extra cute, i'll put dust in my hands and gizmo washes his face and tries to fit in my hands.

just remember all the good times, and talk to her about them so she remembers too :D. im so sorry youre going through this. my heart breaks everytime this condition takes another chin. just know that we'll be here for you.

~~hugs~~
 
I am very sorry that you and her have to go through this. It is heartbreaking.

The drowsiness is probably because of the Metacam. 0.3 mL is quite a high dose.

Spoil her. Let her take another bath in the morning and get some good pictures then. :)
 
I'm so sorry :( I'm currently going through the same thing. We are doing one more x-ray on friday...my vet mostly does bunnies and guinea pigs and is still learning....but it isn't looking good. The most humane thing to do when the roots are going up and down are to let them go. Once again, I am so sorry.
 
I am so sorry to hear this.
I can not even imagine what you are going through right now. My prayers, and my families prayers are with you right now.
Just spoil her and try to make her the most comfortable.
I wish the both of you well...
Just make her feel like she is the only one in your life, make her the luckiest little chin in the world.
She deserves it.
There are no words for what you are going through, just spend the most time you can with her. I am just so sorry :(
 
I'm so sorry. My heart is breaking for you. Like the others said, spoil her some. She is a very lucky girl to have had someone love her the way you have. My thoughts will be with you.
 
My heart breaks for you. I went through the same thing a couple years ago.

Enjoy your last moments with her. Spoil her, tell her you love her. Know that she will be going on to a place where there is no pain. I will be keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers.

If she is having trouble eating pellets, you might try grinding them into a fine powder. I did that for my Ralph in the 2 weeks between his diagnosis and his appointment with a dental specialist, and he loved it. I also mixed CC and Lifeline in with the pellets. He was also on Metacam during that time.

We are all here for you. :heart5:
 
I'm very sorry about your chin. Take comfort that soon she will cross that rainbow bridge and be looking down on you with no pain. She is very lucky to have such a loving owner.

*Hugs*
 
I'm so sorry, it must be so very hard. I've had three rabbits with malocclusion, so I know how heartbreaking it is. How much you care for her shines through clearly in your words, I'm sure she has been very happy with you.
 
Please know that putting her to sleep is the kindest thing you can do for her--the decision you will make to have her put down is a loving and kind decision. She feels loved and cherished by you, and someday you will be together again.
 
I'm so sorry to hear this. I had to put my Lily down because of malo back in December. There's nothing like the bond you share with a beloved pet, and it is heartbreaking. When Lily first started showing symptoms I promised her I would do everything I could to take her pain away. When it came to the end I was able to look in her eyes and find a small amount of peace in knowing that I was keeping my promise and giving her relief. My thoughts are with you :hug:
 
I am so sorry you received such devestating news. I can only imagine how rough this is for both you and your chin. I know it must be heartbreaking to ring that putting your chin down is the best thing you can do for her :( I agree with everyone else, spoil her rotten. Give her treats, give her as much of your time as you can. Make this time memorable. Maybe get a chinnie portrait of her...something to have to keep her close to you when she is gone. I wish you all the best.
 
Like all the others have said, I'm so sorry to hear you are going through such a tough time. Although I'm new to the world of chins, I recently had to make a decision like this concerning my cat (she has massive tumors in her mouth). In the end, I ended up putting her down. But I know that is was the right thing to do. I had her for 17 long, happy years and I couldn't stand for her to be in pain. Spoil her, take loads of pictures, make an album of them. That's what I did, it helped make me at peace with my decision. *hugs* :heart5:
 
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