Post-surgery Question

[Cindy]

My chinchilla Holly had pyometra surgery last night and they kept her overnight just to make sure she was okay. I called every hour and the vet tech said that she was eating and keeping down critical care, but not drinking any water. I picked her up this morning and brought her into work in a carrier so I could keep an eye on her. She has a water bottle attached to the cage, but just in case, I syringed a little water into her mouth. Does anyone know if this is the right way to go about making sure she's getting water? If so, how often should I be doing this and with how much water? Poor thing is so tired that I don't want to disturb her too much, but I definitely want to make sure she stays hydrated.

 

[peachydays]

I would mark the water line on her bottle with a piece of tape so you can see if the level goes down at all. Be careful when you're syringing water, because chins can aspirate easily. If you're still feeding her critical Care, she might not drink much on her own since she'll be getting her hydration from the CC. I hope she makes a speedy and full recovery!

 

[Claire D]

If you are syringe feeding then it is unlikely she will drink. Chins don't drink much anyway so they get plenty of water from syringe food - as you tail that off, you will notice her drinking more.


If she's post-pyo surgery then you could well be in for a few ups & downs - pyo & the resulting surgery is hard of chins & they need a lot of intensive post-op care.
Pain relief, warmth, critical care & constant monitoring are all important - if she is not pooping then you need to get gut stimulants sooner rather than later as stasis is the last thing you need.
You need to make sure she is getting plenty of CC into her & she is peeing & pooping.

http://www.davidson-chinchillas.co.uk/pages/initial_post_operative_care_of_chinchillas_following_surgery.php

 

[Cindy]

I was watching her at work and she was looking extra lethargic and still not drinking so I brought her to her normal vet (the surgery was done at an emergency clinic) and they're keeping her in a incubator for the day, and making sure she's eating and getting enough fluid. Hopefully she'll be okay. Thanks for the advice you guys!