Limp chin

[jmacey23]

Hi, so my 3yo chin, Dusty, had an episode tonight.
I took him out to play at 11:20pm cuz he was making noises and hadn't been out that day. I took him out and we were playing in the bathroom when after 5 minutes he started running around in circles then plopped down and went limp. I freaked and brought him into my room and after 15 minutes I was able to get him up and regain control of his limbs. He seems normal now (it's 1:35am I couldn't sleep cuz I'm worried).
Btw it was 68 degrees and we've played in the bathroom before because it's chin proof.

Can anyone explain what happened? Is he sick? Should I be worried? Do I call the vet first thing in the morning?

 

[Retrogeir]

I'm no expert at all of course, but the fact your chinchilla randomly went limp could be a seizure. This is mostly basing off experiences with other pets, I haven't seen a chinchilla do that personally, but it sure does remind me. Particularly about low blood sugar, since your pet was exercising when it happened. I'm not sure why he was running around in circles though, perhaps someone with more experience can shine their wisdom on? If you cant find other answers or you really are concerned, you might want to contact a vet just to make sure he doesn't have any underlying causes of it. If you really are unsure and running out of time, a vet who has experience should be trusted.
Hope its not anything too bad.

 

[Pepperpot]

Circling suggests a seizure, or slight stroke. I would suggest your chin is checked by an exotic vet just to be safe. Once one seizure is experienced, it is possible that more could possibly follow. Please let us know how you get on.

 

[jmacey23]

Thank you guys. I've scheduled a visit. I'll let you know how it goes

 

[ticklechin]

If the chin has the symptom before you go, video it so the vet can see.

 

[jmacey23]

Ok I took Dusty to the vet today. She said it could be low blood sugar, low calcium, but it's most likely a vitamin B deficiency. So she gave him a shot of B and recommended I check the food i feed him (I'm gonna switch to Oxbow) and give him leafy greens (like spinach). The spinach will give him both vitamin B and calcium. The vet said Dusty can be given a vitamin B shot once a week, if necessary but the changes she stated should work. So I'm gonna keep a close eye on him and report back with any progress, good or bad. Thank you again for all the help guys!

 

[EBB]

What food were you feeding before?

 

[Cuddlebug]

Leafy greens could make things much worse since they can cause diarrhea and bloat. Be careful.

 

[Dreamlite]

I would find another vet. Chinchillas can not have leafy greens. That can lead to gut issues (stasis, diarrhea, bloat). Seizures can be caused by low calcium but you can easily check that at home. Are his teeth a healthy orange? If so then thats not the cause. Low sugar can cause seizures (common cause) but this is usually brought on by young age (under 7 months), excessive play time or improper diet. Oxbow is a wonderful food for chins. Seizures can also be genetic. Where did you get him from? If you got him from a breeder they will want to know so they can watch for other issues in the lines. Heat stroke can lead to seizures. I know the room was 68 but for some chins thats too warm. The more dense the fur is and the more active the play time, the lower the temp needs to be. I keep my chin room at 60 and i still have one or two that get hot at that temp.