Extremely long read ahead! I've been researching possibilities, cures, support, everything, for over a month now. I'm resorting to this because you guys seem knowledgeable and friendly; I don't expect a miracle answer, just more so support since there's not much anyone can do at this point. Talking with my friends who don't have chinchillas makes me feel like I don't have any friends, (I mean who would say "lol so you're having fun" to someone who has a dying child? No one. This is the same, isn't it?) so hopefully this will make me feel a little better about the situation.
Almost two months ago now I noticed my ~9 year old chin Bubble, The Boo, Honey, (One chin! He has many loving pet-names) making some odd 'dog-toy' squeaking noises when he ran. I knew something was wrong then, but no one would listen to me, and 'he looks fine' was what I got as an answer.
You're probably wondering why I didn't take him to the vet then and there, well, I wanted to, but I have horrible experience with vets, and live in a city that might as well not have running water. Two exotic vets in the entire province, and I've researched my ^&@# off. First experience taking him in was to a Dr. Dibblee I think her name was, Hfx. Bayers Road vet for any of you who might be from around here. Her and her henchman tried charging me over 800 dollars for tests they didn't even do. Did I mention they pointed to the bill with their middle finger and told me I should probably just have him put down?
My mother's boyfriend took his cat there. Once. The poor animal was sick for one day, they charged 1000 in testing and put him down the same day. The illness from years ago is still a mystery, but it's either an allergy to Alfalfa, or he just can't break down fats/proteins very well. (The chin, not the cat!) I know how to keep that under wraps now.
This is going to be the longest post ever, I'm really sorry in advance! This has been months of pent up emotion here, so much frustration. Anyways.. so the squeaking went away after about 3-4 days, and stayed away for a week. After that, it started up again, and I kept an eye on him. It turned into raspy breathing, gasping, etc, very quickly, so I made an appointment with the only other exotic vet in the city.
The doctor is actually very friendly, I like him, but doesn't seem to trust my judgement whatsoever. I've had this guy for almost 10 years, he's my child, if I say "This sound is not normal" don't tell me "Chinchillas do make noises sometimes.." The new vet put him on Baytril, a drug you guys all seem to know a little too well, and a drug I've also come to view as "That useless time waster/stress-inducer".
He started him off on a very, very low dose, then we worked up to a higher dose. About THREE WEEKS went by on Baytril, when he at first said it would be a one-week thing. Along with the Baytril he was put on a couple doses of Metacam. His condition went up, and down, making the situation all the more frustrating. One day he'd be perfectly fine, running around, eating, bright-eyed, jumping up and down and tackling my hand when he gets a little too excited, the next day he'd be deathly ill. He literally had a seizure he was getting such little oxygen to his brain. Next day, repeat the cycle.
If he were in a constant state of suffering, then I would have put him down. But since his state changes within hours, he was 'perfectly healthy' and it would have been (And still is) an impossible decision to make. I took him to the vet multiple times, the entire staff knows me, and him, at this point. I had x-rays taken and his lungs and heart look perfectly fine; Again, making the situation event more frustrating. You know that feeling when you want something to be clearly wrong so you at least know WHAT you're dealing with?
I was told "It's either post-pneumonia or something in his throat, which we can't deal with.. You'd have to see a specialist and it would cost thousands of dollars" and was sent home with more Metacam. It's been a few days since then, and the cycle continues. The past two days he seemed perfectly healthy, you'd never know he was sick. But the past 20 or so hours (I don't sleep anymore btw) he's been lethargic, gasping, sneezing, with zero droppings. He's been eating, drinking, running.. I give him critical care along with his Metacam on a daily basis, he's been getting CC every single day since this started.
Almost everything someone could suggest, I've tried, aside from baby-medicine which I see some of you are using with success. Throughout this ordeal I've almost come to believe that his breathing issue is connected to his gut rather than his actual... breathing. I just can't connect that in my brain, how is that even possible. When his droppings slow down, THEN he has breathing issues..
Again I'm apologizing for the long post! It's just been so long, wrapping up 1-2 months in a single thread!
Since I did have x-rays taken, I saw the inside of his guts, and they were filled with food, and he had some big gas pockets. Could gas stop him from pooping for a day at a time? And rasp/gasp/wheeze? Seems a bit much.. I don't think that this entire situation was caused by something as simple as gas.. Especially since at multiple points I had to take him into a steaming hot bathroom/sauna to get him to breathe again. When he rasps for too long he gets mucous build-up that I kinda have to.. melt away.
He's definitely a trooper, as I'm typing this he's eating at his bowl. I'm sitting here waiting for a return-call from the vet, don't even know what to say to him at this point though.
Since I know it'll be asked, his food is Oxbow pellets, and Pestell Timothy (A Canadian brand) I tried Oxbow hay, but I got that around the time he got sick, so I'm pretty paranoid of using it now, even though it probably has absolutely nothing to do with his illness. He used to get Oxbow Vit C and Papaya supp. every day, but since all this happened, he's been cut off anything treat-like, it just seems to make him worse. He's been getting enough CC as well, his entirely stuffed guts on the x-ray are proof of that.
I've asked my vet multiple times "Shouldn't I have a probiotic?" but he just tells me to use the CC, and I do. .... Okay I think that's about it?! Thank you to anyone who reads this.
Almost two months ago now I noticed my ~9 year old chin Bubble, The Boo, Honey, (One chin! He has many loving pet-names) making some odd 'dog-toy' squeaking noises when he ran. I knew something was wrong then, but no one would listen to me, and 'he looks fine' was what I got as an answer.
You're probably wondering why I didn't take him to the vet then and there, well, I wanted to, but I have horrible experience with vets, and live in a city that might as well not have running water. Two exotic vets in the entire province, and I've researched my ^&@# off. First experience taking him in was to a Dr. Dibblee I think her name was, Hfx. Bayers Road vet for any of you who might be from around here. Her and her henchman tried charging me over 800 dollars for tests they didn't even do. Did I mention they pointed to the bill with their middle finger and told me I should probably just have him put down?
My mother's boyfriend took his cat there. Once. The poor animal was sick for one day, they charged 1000 in testing and put him down the same day. The illness from years ago is still a mystery, but it's either an allergy to Alfalfa, or he just can't break down fats/proteins very well. (The chin, not the cat!) I know how to keep that under wraps now.
This is going to be the longest post ever, I'm really sorry in advance! This has been months of pent up emotion here, so much frustration. Anyways.. so the squeaking went away after about 3-4 days, and stayed away for a week. After that, it started up again, and I kept an eye on him. It turned into raspy breathing, gasping, etc, very quickly, so I made an appointment with the only other exotic vet in the city.
The doctor is actually very friendly, I like him, but doesn't seem to trust my judgement whatsoever. I've had this guy for almost 10 years, he's my child, if I say "This sound is not normal" don't tell me "Chinchillas do make noises sometimes.." The new vet put him on Baytril, a drug you guys all seem to know a little too well, and a drug I've also come to view as "That useless time waster/stress-inducer".
He started him off on a very, very low dose, then we worked up to a higher dose. About THREE WEEKS went by on Baytril, when he at first said it would be a one-week thing. Along with the Baytril he was put on a couple doses of Metacam. His condition went up, and down, making the situation all the more frustrating. One day he'd be perfectly fine, running around, eating, bright-eyed, jumping up and down and tackling my hand when he gets a little too excited, the next day he'd be deathly ill. He literally had a seizure he was getting such little oxygen to his brain. Next day, repeat the cycle.
If he were in a constant state of suffering, then I would have put him down. But since his state changes within hours, he was 'perfectly healthy' and it would have been (And still is) an impossible decision to make. I took him to the vet multiple times, the entire staff knows me, and him, at this point. I had x-rays taken and his lungs and heart look perfectly fine; Again, making the situation event more frustrating. You know that feeling when you want something to be clearly wrong so you at least know WHAT you're dealing with?
I was told "It's either post-pneumonia or something in his throat, which we can't deal with.. You'd have to see a specialist and it would cost thousands of dollars" and was sent home with more Metacam. It's been a few days since then, and the cycle continues. The past two days he seemed perfectly healthy, you'd never know he was sick. But the past 20 or so hours (I don't sleep anymore btw) he's been lethargic, gasping, sneezing, with zero droppings. He's been eating, drinking, running.. I give him critical care along with his Metacam on a daily basis, he's been getting CC every single day since this started.
Almost everything someone could suggest, I've tried, aside from baby-medicine which I see some of you are using with success. Throughout this ordeal I've almost come to believe that his breathing issue is connected to his gut rather than his actual... breathing. I just can't connect that in my brain, how is that even possible. When his droppings slow down, THEN he has breathing issues..
Again I'm apologizing for the long post! It's just been so long, wrapping up 1-2 months in a single thread!
Since I did have x-rays taken, I saw the inside of his guts, and they were filled with food, and he had some big gas pockets. Could gas stop him from pooping for a day at a time? And rasp/gasp/wheeze? Seems a bit much.. I don't think that this entire situation was caused by something as simple as gas.. Especially since at multiple points I had to take him into a steaming hot bathroom/sauna to get him to breathe again. When he rasps for too long he gets mucous build-up that I kinda have to.. melt away.
He's definitely a trooper, as I'm typing this he's eating at his bowl. I'm sitting here waiting for a return-call from the vet, don't even know what to say to him at this point though.
Since I know it'll be asked, his food is Oxbow pellets, and Pestell Timothy (A Canadian brand) I tried Oxbow hay, but I got that around the time he got sick, so I'm pretty paranoid of using it now, even though it probably has absolutely nothing to do with his illness. He used to get Oxbow Vit C and Papaya supp. every day, but since all this happened, he's been cut off anything treat-like, it just seems to make him worse. He's been getting enough CC as well, his entirely stuffed guts on the x-ray are proof of that.
I've asked my vet multiple times "Shouldn't I have a probiotic?" but he just tells me to use the CC, and I do. .... Okay I think that's about it?! Thank you to anyone who reads this.
