Chewing tail until it bleeds

[jacd061506]

This isn't any of my chins...but my fiance had a co-work come up and ask if they knew why their chinchilla might be chewing his tail until it bleeds... My fiance text me and I gave a few answers (could be fleas, an injury or break) but I was curious if there might be other reasons.
There is only one chinchilla and they are debating putting it down if they can't figure out what to do....any suggestions are greatly appreciated! I'm going up there during their break tomorrow to talk to the guy about it (my fiance knows almost nothing about chins). I'm also going to see if they will let me take it before they put it down and have my vet look at it to see what might be wrong.
Thanks everyone!

 

[AZChins]

It definitely could be an injury, nerve damage or even an infection under the skin. Do you know how severe this problem is? I don't think that a simple injury like this would warrant putting a chinchilla down! I'd take him to the vet and see if we could do something. Even if it had to be amputated or a portion amputated, it would be alright. Chins do fine with that type of surgery. However, some people are unwilling to spend the money to have a surgery done on a chinchilla.

I hope that the chin will be alright. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you can get him in to see a vet.

 

[jacd061506]

I don't know how severe, but I'm going to talk to the guy tomorrow (hopefully) and I'm hoping to see if they would let me take it to my vet just to see whats going on. Maybe help them out a bit if I can, they have kids and he said they will be heart broken but he doesn't know what else to do, though I don't think they've gone to the vet.

 

[Gabby88]

What concerns me is the fact that the owner jumps directly into putting him down. It makes me think that no matter what the problem is, they won't spend any money to fix it, so they'll just have him euthanized anyway.

They shouldn't have bought him if they weren't willing to pay for vet care, first of all. Is there any way you could take him if they won't help him or treat him?

 

[AZChins]

Poor little thing! I hope it's something superficial that takes very little to get it to heal. Be prepared for it to be really bad...most of the time when people tell me they have a hurt chin and need help it turns out to be really horrible. I don't want to scare you, but it could be really awful and the chin may have more than just that issue. They really should have gotten him to the vet as soon as they saw he had a problem. I'm so grateful for people like you because you are willing to help out that little chin so he can have a better quality of life.

 

[greychins]

Poor little thing! I hope it's something superficial that takes very little to get it to heal. Be prepared for it to be really bad...most of the time when people tell me they have a hurt chin and need help it turns out to be really horrible. I don't want to scare you, but it could be really awful and the chin may have more than just that issue. They really should have gotten him to the vet as soon as they saw he had a problem. I'm so grateful for people like you because you are willing to help out that little chin so he can have a better quality of life.

Have to agree with this. Every time we've had a rescue dropped off with some "minor" health problem, it's always turned into a pulling out the credit cards to pay the major vet bills. But hopefully that won't be the case here.

I once had a case where the chinchilla had malo and was chewing her tail out of stress. Like fur chewing, but she went for her tail. Not like the malo was good news, but nothing was medically wrong with the tail. Maybe there are other cases where the chin starts chewing the tail as a form of fur chewing... and this has just gotten bad.

Good luck trying to get the chin and taking him to a vet. I don't like that they jumped immediately to putting him down - those type of people are usually the ones that see animals as disposable and would rather put the animal down and get a new one, rather than treat the animal they have. I will never understand that. But hopefully you can help. Best of luck.

 

[chins1222]

i dont know about chins but i also own sugar gliders and they will self mutilate from pain, illness etc. but they can also SM from depression and things like that. maybe he just isn't being given proper care(too small of a cage, improper diet , stuff like that) and that is causing him to chew at his own tail?

idk but i hope you can help this little guy

 

[feistychins]

I think even considering putting a chin down for something like this is crazy. It sounds like they don't really care about the chin or want to bother to try to help him or resolve the issue.

 

[ChinCity]

I am doing my daily dose of CnH (yes, I am an addict) and came a long this thread.
Any news on what was wrong with the chinchilla?

I can't understand why people don't treat their animals more like family members. As soon as I get one, they become part of the family!
Oh honey you're not feeling well - you're sick, well I guess I have to get rid off you now and get a new husband/child. Sorry...