He's not going to make it =/

Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum

Help Support Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
P

prisskitty

Guest
My mom came to me yesterday and told me my chinchilla was sick. So I checked on him, he was being very still and inactive. I thought maybe because it was so hot in the house so I cooled him down and he was a little more active after that, but this morning he was face down in the bedding so I know theres something wrong. I syringed him some pedialyte and water to hope to keep his energy going until we get him to the vet since I don't have critical care.

He only pooped once last night and it was all broken up so I think it is constipation. What will the vet be able to do? A lot of times they do nothing and your animal still dies.
 
He has an appointment at 9 a.m. He was crying =(. And now so am I!
 
Veterinary Care

I am sorry to hear about your chin. I hope the vet can help you, a good exotics vet will do everything possible for your chin. The only thing I can recommend is to try to get your vet all the information you can by examining your chin's behavior, symptoms, anything in the cage or environment that may have caused the condition, any health problems in the past or changes to it's diet or environment.
If your chin needs costly testing or treatments, I recommend Petcard in Canada and Care Credit or Citi Health Card in the US. Petcard can give instant approval over the phone right from your veterinary office. Care Credit also provides instant approvals. Both can offer substantial limits. I am not sure about the approval times and limits with Citi Health Card, but I know it is widely accepted. Animal Friends Rescue Project can provide financial assistance if you have exhausted your other options, and Help-A-Pet will provide financing for low-income families, seniors and the mentally-challenged.

Hope everything works out well.
 
I'm so sorry, prisskitty. I'd just get him into the vet as quickly as possible. He will need metacam for pain, and propulsid and reglan to get his gut moving again. Keep giving him fluids, but only a drop at a time, or he may inhale it instead of swallowing. Massage his belly gently, in a downward motion, from his ribs to his behind.

Has he been eating, peeing, and pooing normally until last night?
 
I don't know that he has been eating normally because he barely eats, never really has to start with. But, unfortunate thing is I have been so busy lately with two jobs and college courses that I never get to see them anymore and I rely on my cousin and mother to play with them and take them out. All I can think of is from almost a year ago when he chewed up a trash bag. Other than that, is teeth are a nice dark yellow, but he's so under-weight for being an adult. He should be more than two pounds I believe. Plus his poops aren't round on the end anymore, they are skinny. :thinking:

Thank you for those financial assistance ones. My mom doesnt have a job and my two only support the household right now. So that should be a big help if we need surgery or anything major.
 
After all this time, I don't think the trash bag would be affecting anything.

As far as his weight, no, they shouldn't be more than 2 pounds. Adult chin weights vary, but even really large ones are about 900 grams, which is just under one pound.

It sounds like he is dehydrated, and its causing constipation. Keep giving him fluids--burrito him in a towel if you have to, and give him one drop at a time. He has to have fluids. If you don't have any critical care, grind up some pellets and mix with water. He may eat it as a thick paste, otherwise you can make it runny and give it to him a drop at a time.

The vet can help him, but he's got to have meds. Metacam for pain, reglan and propulsid to get his gut moving again, and possibly an antibiotic. They may also want to take an x-ray to check for blockages.
 
Yes I know they are going to do all that. That's why I am most likely going to apply for the care credit. But, I am not home with him right now and he is on his way to the vet right now but I did syringe give him pedialyte last night which he actually enjoyed, and then I gave him water this morning. If I don't have access to CC I can grind up herb grain infusion with all the vitamins and pellets.
 
I am sorry to read about your chin. Does he have a cagemate? Is it possible he had a fight with one? If he isn't pooing then constipation, blockage, gut stasis are all a possibility I was just throwing in other ideas in case they hadn't been thought of. If he hasn't been eating I would get x-rays done of his teeth. I had a girl lose a bunch of weight and it turned out she had dental issues. I hope the vet can help him!
 
I'm really hoping the vet can get his gut moving again; when a chin's gone into GI Stasis, it can be hard to bring them out of it. Is your vet experienced with chins?
 
Sug - A pound is around 450 gm, so a 900 gm chin would be 2 pounds. I have an 1100 gm chin here, so that makes the little heiffer 2-1/2 pounds. :)

Ask your vet for the critical care. If he doesn't have it, order it overnighted from menagerie on here. Her banner is rotating up above as wee companions. If he is constipated, you're going to need it, trust me. He will also most likely need rehydrated by the vet with subcu fluids, as you can't possibly get enough into him orally right now. It will also be a lot easier on him just to have the vet do it quickly.
 
No cage mates at all. Just a neighbor downstairs who is doing fine (who is a fatty at 3 pounds =/ but he's on a strick diet to keep that down).

The vet I went to is listed on here as having Critical care under Richmond VA. Wellesley Animal Hospital.

They have dealt with chinchillas, unfortunately the one who has dealt the most is in surgery all day today. But he is seeing an exotic vet. I just pray they can tell me what it is before it is too late.
 
What do you mean your chin is on a diet? What are you feeding him that makes him on a diet? A chin shouldn't be overweight unless you're feeding him tons of treats. And chins range in size so just because he weighs more than your other one doesn't make him fat necessarily..
 
Keep us informed. I posted that clinic and would like to know what you thought of him. I took my chin to a closer vet but they did not have the CC and Wellesley did. They were happy to sell it to me vs comming into their office and being seen again. I did talk to the vet at Wellesley on the phone when I needed the help. Good luck with your little chin.
 
alli713 said:
What do you mean your chin is on a diet? What are you feeding him that makes him on a diet? A chin shouldn't be overweight unless you're feeding him tons of treats. And chins range in size so just because he weighs more than your other one doesn't make him fat necessarily..
Click to expand...

He only gets three treats a week and he doesn't get a ton of pellets because he eats whatever you put in there. So I give him 1 oz a day of pellets and about 2 oz of hay. He's not like other chins that stop when they are full.
 
Oh really? I've never heard of a chin eating more than they need. At the very least I think I would always free feed hay. It's important to their teeth, and with chins you don't want them to not have any food because it's important to keep their gut moving. Or does he always end up with something to eat with the way you put it in?
 
alli713 said:
Oh really? I've never heard of a chin eating more than they need. At the very least I think I would always free feed hay. It's important to their teeth, and with chins you don't want them to not have any food because it's important to keep their gut moving. Or does he always end up with something to eat with the way you put it in?
Click to expand...

He always has food, always. I just don't give him a ton of it anymore. If he finsihes one ounce, I will add another. Because, lets say I fill the 2oz cup, well, by the next morning, the 2 oz is gone. So I only give him that limited amount at a time. But, if I am gone for a while I will fill it up. The hay not so much but its always in there. He just loves pellets. But, he was raised on nuts before I got him so I assume his eating habbit comes from some of that history of unlimited peanuts. Probably a mental thing.
 
Ah okay, that's good then. Sounds like it's working out for him.

Either way, good luck with your other one, I hope he pulls through.
 
Okay the doctor has him on pain medication and on fluids. She says hes not showing typical signs of blockage but perhaps just gas and cramps so she is keeping him for a couple of hours and keeping him on meds and fluids.

I didnt get approved for the carecredit probably because of my current credit card (which really shouldnt effect it) but they charged me incorrectly an over-draft fee which really makes me mad.
 
My mom offered he un-activated capital one fixed apr. I will just pay hers off.

I am not going to let money be an issue! He weighed in at 600 grams... and he's 2 years old =*(.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top