Diagnosed with Malo

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eycamry

eycamry

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 3, 2009
Messages
196
Location
Irvine, CA
One of my chins was just diagnosed with pretty severe malo last night. In the xray, it is very obvious that the roots are going everywhere. Two of the bottom ones are extremely long that they might be poking out pretty soon. As soon as I saw the xrays, I immediately started crying because I thought that she would need to euthanized right away to relieve her from the pain. To my surprise, the vet actually wanted to give her metacam and keep her going to see if she can gain some weight. I am just super confused right now. Of course I don't want her to go, but I don't her to suffer like this. Sure, metacam can alleviate the pain for a while, but how long is it going to last before we have to up the dose? Are we going to wait until the two roots actually poke through her bottom jaw? I don't know what I am going to do at this moment. :cry3: Any suggestions or advices? Thanks.
 
I am so sorry to hear about your sweet girl. Hopefully someone with experience will come along shortly and give you some solid advice. All I can offer is that I think you should do what your heart leads you to do. We are blessed to be able to end their suffering, but that never makes it any easier. ((hugs))
 
From what I have been told when the roots are that bad, no amount of pain killer is going to stop the pain. I am SO sorry but I feel you really know what is best for her and need to let her go. Again I am aching for you and the decision you have to make
 
Malo in the roots is horrible. No amount of pain meds is going to help with that. Unfortunately its time to say goodbye. I'm very sorry for you.
 
My heart goes out to you. Think of three things she loves to do and write them down.Now think about if she is/can enjoy at least one of her favorites.If she can't enjoy her favorite things anymore you will know that you are making the right decision.I was told about this many many years ago by a older vet and it has yet to fail for me.It forces me to look at quality life as opposed to quantity or suffering.Prayers for you and your baby.
 
The thing is, she is not acting much differently from before. We cannot tell that she is in pain at all. We brought her to the vet 3 weeks ago because she was drooling a little and had an eye infection. The exotic vet was on vacation, so the other dr trimmed her front incisions and put her antibiotics. Now her drooling and eye infection is all clearred. The exotic vet came back this Monday and wanted to make sure that her roots were ok. That was why I brought her back yesterday for an xray. I was NOT prepared to see such horrific images of her roots. Hubby doesn't want to put her down because she is acting normally. I am hesitant too. Her cage mate will be so devastated if she goes. They've been together for their whole lives. Sigh.... I honestly don't know what I am going to do. I feel that I am still in shock.
 
Root elongation does not always cause pain when there is no malocclusion, and the chin can still eat and play, I know this for a fact since my 1100 gm chin had advanced elongation to the point the lower roots broke the jaw, he was normal until that point-I am a hawk when it comes to spotting dental issues and this chin was not in pain or any discomfort until the jaw break. This will go wrong eventually and the chin will suffer but for now IMO you can wait and watch but know there is nothing to be done and when suffering is apparent let her go.
 
Sorry for what you're going through. I have a chin that I keep saying I'm going to put down for losing weight over 200 grs since 01/01/13. She is not eating on her own, 2 vets don't know what is wrong with her, x-rays of head, full body, fecal test, no blood work couldn't get enough blood to send to lab. She's on all sorts of medicines, plus hand feeding. She's with 2 of her daughters from 2010. Her last baby was 08/01/12. I feel for you I know the pain.
 
Dawn, I didn't know root elongation and malocclusion are two different things. Vicki, my chin, seems to be just like yours. Was your chin on pain meds at all before the jaw was broken? What signs do I need to watch out for when the roots break the jaw? I want to minimize her suffering at that point. Thank you so much! I feel so much better after reading your post.

ticklechin said:
Root elongation does not always cause pain when there is no malocclusion, and the chin can still eat and play, I know this for a fact since my 1100 gm chin had advanced elongation to the point the lower roots broke the jaw, he was normal until that point-I am a hawk when it comes to spotting dental issues and this chin was not in pain or any discomfort until the jaw break. This will go wrong eventually and the chin will suffer but for now IMO you can wait and watch but know there is nothing to be done and when suffering is apparent let her go.
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Hi Lan, long time no chat. I remember we PM'ed back and forth back in 2010 when I lost my white Mosaic, Polly. Dr. Greek could not find anything wrong with her neither, but she eventually left us after losing a ton of weight. It is very devastating to see one of your beloved pets suffer yet you cannot do anything to help her. Prayers for your chin. Hope you will be able to figure out what is going on with her.

Snickers said:
Sorry for what you're going through. I have a chin that I keep saying I'm going to put down for losing weight over 200 grs since 01/01/13. She is not eating on her own, 2 vets don't know what is wrong with her, x-rays of head, full body, fecal test, no blood work couldn't get enough blood to send to lab. She's on all sorts of medicines, plus hand feeding. She's with 2 of her daughters from 2010. Her last baby was 08/01/12. I feel for you I know the pain.
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eycamry said:
Dawn, I didn't know root elongation and malocclusion are two different things. Vicki, my chin, seems to be just like yours. Was your chin on pain meds at all before the jaw was broken? What signs do I need to watch out for when the roots break the jaw? I want to minimize her suffering at that point. Thank you so much! I feel so much better after reading your post.
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The chin has no symptoms, ate like a pig and chewed like a demon, the vet was startled at the extent of elongation upper and lower on a 1100gm chin that looked very healthy. He went from normal to a drooling lethargic mess in a short period of time, like overnight if I remember correctly.

I have a couple of chinchilla skulls (I collect malo skulls) that have perfect teeth and gross elongation. Malocclusion and elongation are not the same, you can have malo without elongation, elongation without malo or you can have both.
 
eycamry said:
Hi Lan, long time no chat. I remember we PM'ed back and forth back in 2010 when I lost my white Mosaic, Polly. Dr. Greek could not find anything wrong with her neither, but she eventually left us after losing a ton of weight. It is very devastating to see one of your beloved pets suffer yet you cannot do anything to help her. Prayers for your chin. Hope you will be able to figure out what is going on with her.
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I remember you. I just thought you got out of chinchillas.
 
That's why I go by my three favorites rule.That way I cannot deny (which emotionally we are all prone to doing that.the three things are written on a card and placed where I can find them) that an animal is no longer enjoying a quality life.It has served me well for many years and has allowed my pets to have a quality life until they are finally healed by the Master's touch.
 
So sorry for you: I've lost two chins to root elongation too. They were both diagnosed in quick succession, but their outcomes were quite different.

As they were both still eating well and acting normally, our vet said they had good quality of life, and that we could start them on metacam and and monitor them carefully, with the intention of putting them to sleep when it became clear that their quality of life had diminished.

Poppy went downhill fast, and was gone within 6 weeks of the diagnosis. Jasmine did well on the metacam, and stayed with us for a lot longer.

I know a lot of ppl will disagree with this, and say that I should have had them euthanized immediately, but I think so long as they were eating and drinking and playing normally, then they still had good quality of life while on the metacam.

You will know when it is time to let go: for me, I knew when they stopped eating and started losing weight fast.

I will always be grateful that I did not have them put to sleep straight away, as they had "extra" time to play, and I had time to properly say goodbye.

It is all about quality of life, in my opinion. If she is doing well, and on metacam, then I don't see why she can't enjoy a little more time with you.

*big hugs* to you xxxx
 
The acting and eating normally.... to me that's not always a sign that the chin feels ok. Its survival, nothing more. Even dieing animals try to function. Its a instinct right up to death. How much pain do you have to be in to stop eating when you are hungry? To me that's just mean to wait that long. If you want a few more days to say good bye, then by all means go ahead. But the end result is the same and pain meds will only do so much. Each case is different. If the chin is popcorning around like a.kit... then it feels ok. I would rather pts a day early than wait too long and have them suffer. Good luck with your chin.
 
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Vicki passed away on Thanksgiving day peacefully. I don't think she was in pain because she was on Metacam and was behaving absolutely normal the day before. It could be just that it was her time. We didn't know how old she was when we rescued her and her cagemate 9 years ago. We are going to miss her tremendouly, so is her cagemate. =(
 
Awww, Ellen, I am sorry you lost your little girl. She may have been really really old, and it was probably just her time to go. :( It still hurts so much to lose them regardless of how long they have lived.

I hope that you are doing alright and that her Vicki's friend isn't too depressed.
 
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