Post-alter behavior

[Mandy]

Hello all,
I got my chinchilla Mozart neutered yesterday. He was done at noon.
The vet said everything went well. I trust this vet and he is the only one I use. He has done 'emergency' surgery on my other chinchilla and the chin was fine.

I can't remember how my other chinchilla acted after his operation as I was very ill at the same time.

My current chin who was done yesterday has 'not cared for' people for a while..so kacking/acting like he was going to bite when stressed is his go-to.

However, today he looks weary and I can see him sitting funny and not wanting much to do with his bum. I'm going to mark his bottle to be sure he is drinking and eating.
Is this behavior normal for a chinchilla after being fixed? He is not total lethargic. He will try to leave the carrier if I open it.
I will purchase critical care if needed, but again..he won't let me get close to him at this time.

Can someone tell me if how he is acting is normal and will last a while?
I hear him clack his teeth every now and then and know some soreness must be normal..am just worried.
Any stories of experience welcome.


Thank you.

 

[Stackie]

Did you receive any pain medication for him? It sounds like he is exhibiting signs of pain. Some veterinarians will not give pain medication after a spay/neuter so that the animal takes it slow and decreases the chances of tearing the stitches. However I think it's always a good idea to at least get a day's worth of pain medication to take the edge off a bit. A painful chinchilla will not eat and will act rather depressed. The teeth clicking you are hearing is a sign of pain.

More than likely if he is in a considerable amount of pain, he will not eat. Give him awhile but if you start to notice that he wants nothing to do with food and is not going to the bathroom, you will want to start hand feeding.

If you have any concerns you should call your vet.

 

[Mandy]

No, I did not.
And that reminds me..I was given a medication for my other chinchilla..but I believe that was an antibiotic. I still have the bottle..it was .4 cc of something that I do not recall te name of..it is not on the bottle. Not important for this though.
Thank you for bringing that up as I have another male I hope to get done and I will bring it up.
I asked here as putting in a call to the vet (if not an emergency) leaves me with no guarantee my call will be returned before closing tonight. Obviously if this is was a problem I would take action.
Would it be a bad idea to put a call in and ask for pain medication if I do not see him eating/drinking by tonight? Sooner or later?
And say he does not start eating or drinking, at what point do I stop waiting and start feeding by hand. Im sure I can contact a local vet to get CC or have some over-nighted somewhere..really should have had this before his surgery in case..that is my mistake.

 

[Mandy]

And just a little good news..so my questions above are not in need of reply.
I got him to drink water out of a shallow container (which I will remove once he's had his fill.)
I also got him to hold and nibble hay. =] so it looks like he's well enough to eat. Will still see about ordering CC for backup in the future.
Unless this is a bad idea..I would like to soak some pellets in water and make it easier to eat. He seems to only want things that are easier/quicker. (like the one-bite hay piece and the water outside of a bottle)

 

[Claire D]

TBH he should have pain medication as a matter of course (I've never understood why vets operate on small furries and then don't give pain relief for a few days post-op) - I would still ask for some anyway so that he is more comfortable. As Stackie quite rightly says, a chin in pain will not eat properly.

This page might help:
http://www.davidson-chinchillas.co.uk/pages/initial_post_operative_care_of_chinchillas_following_surgery.php

 

[obcsed]

I had two neutered and both had pain meds for a couple of days after. It really helped them. They were eating and drinking well right after getting home.They did not want to move around much though. I quit using one vet because she was so dead set against using post op pain relief. Even my dental chin gets it for a couple of days after a filing.

 

[Mandy]

Thank you for the link.

So it's not too late for me to get pain medication from the vet to give to him?
I'll call tomorrow then.

He is still eating good though..has been munching his hay cube like a Champ. Drank a very good amount of water this morning as well.

Edit: Also forgot to mention his wounds were closed using glue. I need to find a pair of gloves to pick him up from now on..but for tonight I'm about to try to pick him up without any to check him. Eh..

 

[tunes]

Just curious - any particular reason you are castrating all your males?

 

[Mandy]

So Mozart may live with my female Misty. Neither are 'people chins'..but get along with other chinchillas. I figure it'd be nice to let them live their days with a buddy.

Then Rafi so he can go back in with his mother.
All pairs get along great, but can't be allowed together for obvious reasons. (I understand pairs can turn at any time, but it's worth a fair shot.)

Milo is my other male..he won't be altered as he is kept alone. (total mommas boy)