Limp/motionless...?

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LovinTheSmallAndFurry

LovinTheSmallAndFurry

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 25, 2011
Messages
547
Location
Dirty South
Later tonight we're supposed to have severe weather (tornadoes), so I was preparing by putting my chins in their carriers and then putting them back inside their big cage (just to be on the safe side).

My 1 yr old Mosaic male chin--Mr. Man--has always given me a hard time when I've gotten him out for hair ring checks, etc. It took forever to get him out earlier, but he was acting like normal (he's been eating/drinking/chewing on wooden toys normally, coming up to the front of cage). When I finally got him out I decided to go ahead and do a hair ring check--I hadn't done one in awhile (last few times I had there'd been almost nothing there).

I'm holding him, he's squirming, and I finally extend the penis so I can see the foreskin/etc. I see a tiny piece of hair, pull it out, and suddenly a goop of semen/urine comes out of his penis. I'd never seen that before, and assumed he was in his sexual maturity stage. I remove the goop, slide his penis back, and I realize he's completely stopped moving. I look at his mouth and it's slightly open. His eyes are glazed.

I immediately put him in his travel cage, and he's totally limp, no sign of life. My boyfriend and I put an ice pack wrapped in fabric under him (the house did not feel anywhere near 75 degrees). We put a fan close by and held him, examined him (briefly). It looked to me that he was not dead, but in shock of some kind.

I have never experienced anything like this with my chins. I've made an appt. with a chin vet in two hours. I don't know how to gauge if he's still alive. It's been over 15 minutes and he hasn't moved, yet he's not at all stiff.

I suspect that between all of the bouncing in his cage, plus me holding him, plus checking for the hair ring that I overheated him. :banghead:

Please, please be kind in your thoughts/suggestions. If he is dead when I arrive at the vet I will do a necropsy just to be on the safe side (his sister in the cage above him is as happy as a clam).

Thank you.
 
I don't know what to tell you but it sounds like he's in trouble. Do you have an emergency vet nearby? I think two hours might be too long.
 
Two hours is definitely too long. Call them back and explain the emergency of the situation and see if they can get you in now. Most clinics will not turn away an animal that is in a dangerous situation. If not, I would get looking for an e-vet or someone that can see him now asap and get the chin there.
 
I agree with the others. Get him in to be seen now. This is a true emergency and your chin can't wait to be seen. Take him and go. Good luck and let us know what happens.
 
At the appt. time I was to take my chin to the vet, multiple tornados touched down in my area, including the exact town where the hospital is located. We have continued to have tornados/strong storms, and the news informed us not to get out at all (because of all the damage).

My chin hasn't made any changes. However, after several hours now, his body is not stiff (though his feet are a little), his ears still have color in them, and his body is not cold. I don't know what that means....? I have kept the room he's in a cool temp.

The best I can do is take him tomorrow morning.... it doesn't appear that he has a heartbeat, but I've read so often on here how chins will seize or stroke and then just pop out of it.

Anybody have a clue what's happened? Or if I should even try the vet tomorrow?
 
I'm so sorry. I agree that it is more important for you to stay safe. Thank goodness he doesn't seem distressed. Yes, he needs to get to a vet as soon as it is safe, it seems likely to me that he may need to be put to sleep. My thoughts are with you at this difficult time, Theresa
 
He may have had a drop in blood sugar from the stress. He may need a little glucose.

Have there been any changes with his condition since you last posted?

I would think you should be able to see if he is breathing, even if it is shallow.
 
feistychins said:
He may have had a drop in blood sugar from the stress. He may need a little glucose.

Have there been any changes with his condition since you last posted?

I would think you should be able to see if he is breathing, even if it is shallow.
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Yes, I read that, so I took a raisin (from the cabinet, I've never given them to my chin) and we gently forced a little into his mouth, but it was clamped shut like a trap.

We even read that sometimes submersing them in slightly cool water up to their chest will "snap them out of it." We tried that, nothing.
We kept looking for ANY sign of life--the temp of his body, his eyes, my bf listened to his chest. Nothing.

We towel dried him and put him back in his carrier cage. Unfortunately my car is messed up so I have no way to take him to the vet. But it wouldn't do any good. He's gone. :tantrum: :cry3:

I just wish I knew what happened, if it was something I did/didn't do. I swear our house was not hot (I can't stand heat), and he was (or seemed) fine up until I checked for the hair ring.

I considered doing a necropsy, but I can't bear to have him cut up. Judge if you want, it's how I feel.

Thank you all for being supportive and helpful. Yesterday we were in and out of our storm shelter, and I feel like he was fortunate he didn't have to deal with that.

He was barely a year old. R.I.P. Lao Tsu/Mr. Man
 
addictedtochins said:
I'm sorry, RIP Mr. Man till you shall meet again. I can hardly imagine what shock you must be in
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Thank you, AddictedtoChins. It is a shock. We've lost a number of rats this past year--many in a similar way--but I'd always hoped/felt I would be able to see signs of distress in him or his sister. He'd eaten all his food the night before, arranged all his wooden logs in rows, and he LOVED to sleep in his hammock, every single day.

Sigh. I appreciate everyone's kind thoughts. I fully expected him to live a long life. :no:
 
I worry that you had rats die in the same manner. Could they have gotten something poisonous?? I would definitely have the chin necropsied so you can find out what is going on with the chin and the rats.
 
I am so sorry for your loss. It makes it so much harder when you don't know why he seemed fine one day and was gone the next. May he rest in peace.
 
So sorry for your loss.

I understand about not wanting the necropsy. He could have had a stroke or heart attack. My main concern would be if you have other chins. You may want to have them get a physical just to be on the safe side in case it was not his heart.
 
Mt. Zion Chins said:
I worry that you had rats die in the same manner. Could they have gotten something poisonous?? I would definitely have the chin necropsied so you can find out what is going on with the chin and the rats.
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I completely agree. Also, perhaps the OP lives in a place near a toxic area. There was recently a story in the news about a few high school girls in New York who developed a strange movement disorder, and their school is near a toxic dump site. I would get a necropsy for your other chin's safety, and for your own safety.

Nevertheless, I am so sorry for your loss :(
 
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