Something is not right with my Cherry :( (x-rays included)

[chin_gal]

Hello CnH,

I know I haven't been around much, but I really need your help. This morning Cherry scared the heck out of me. I was walking by her cage when she let out this awful scream. I looked at her, and she appeared to be choking. It reminded me of what a chinchilla does after they aspirate a little water, but she was up on one of her ledges. It was really scary. Her incisors were showing, and it was like she was choking.

After that, she settled down but kept up what looked like a cough. I took her to the vets, and at first she wasn't doing it, and they said her lungs sounded fine. They watched her for a while, and that's when she had another choking fit. They immediately said to do x-rays. The x-rays showed that her lungs were normal, but that the area that should be void of mass (I forget what he called it, I think it began with a c or s? I will circle it in the x-ray), has something there. He said it could either be cause by an infection, so he prescribed oral baytril. He said it could also be a tumor, and if the antibiotic doesn't work he wants to do an ultrasound.

I am so worried about her. I was bawling like a baby the entire time I was there. I am now really worried about the baytril as well, because I know what it does to their appetite. The vet didn't sell critical care, so I'm about to call around to try and find some. I also I figured I'd post here as well to get some opinions of what's going on with her. I have never seen anything like this before. It's awful.

Here are the x-rays. The area I circled on the one is where the problem is.

This is the same x-ray as above, but circled

If anyone has any insight, it would be very much appreciated. I am giving the baytril a shot, but I'm still so scared for her, especially because so much is still unknown.

 

[Riven]

Since I'm sure you'd remember colon, it's probably the cecum, similar to our appendix, but they use theirs and we don't. I can't enlarge the xrays to really look at them, but a mass there might also be a blockage, is she pooping? Not sure how that would affect the whole "choking" thing unless it is a blockage and she's so backed up nothing can move. There have been cases of that with humans, basically their puking out feces because it has no place else to go...

reduction in appetite is greatly reduced with the shot. I do see a lot of air pockets in the xray, I would recommend that TickleChin look at them she has a lot of experience with GI issues and probably has more insight into the xrays, if you have a larger image it might be helpful to upload it to photobucket and post the link so it can be enlarged to see it easier.

 

[chin_gal]

Thank you Riven. Yes, it is the cecum! I couldn't remember for the life of me. She is pooping, and she was even eating this morning. The vet saw her stool (she pooped several times on the exam table) and said it was normal.

Yeah, I wish I could have gotten the injection, but by the time I remembered, they already had the oral prepared. My mom did find the critical care when going to my dog and cat's vet to pick up some flea preventative, so I do now have critical care on hand.

Here is the largest I can get it. The program they gave me on the CD with the x-rays on it won't allow me to use any of the tools, unfortunately. It won't let me zoom at all (I click it, but nothing happens).

Here is the one:

And unfortunately, the first x-ray I posted doesn't really get any larger.

Thank you so much again! I really appreciate it.

 

[Riven]

Yea, it's not right... but I can't place exactly what it is... I would do some simethicone ( baby gas drops ) due to the amount of air in her belly, and acidophilus.

What dose and schedule did the vet recommend? I suppose that a cecum could get inflamed, similar to us having appendicitis... but I don't know that even with it being inflamed it would look like that.. And I think it's too flat and long to be a tumor, I mean it's possible but usually they tend to be more... round. But if it was blocked she wouldn't really be eating or poo'ing because that's a pretty large mass, like the size of a kit, but there is no calcification. I'd really love to hear some other input if anyone has any thoughts....

 

[chin_gal]

Thank you! My mom is heading out to pick that up for me now (the simethicone and acidophilus). The dosing for the antibiotic is .3ml of 10mg/ml (in dextrose) baytril every 12 hours for 10 days.

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

Every 12 hours seems like a long time to me, but then again I've never had to give it.

 

[Kansas City Chinchillas]

Every 12 hours is normal for baytril

 

[Riven]

Glad they mixed it with Dex, that makes it easier to get down.

Remember to give the acidophilus 4 hrs after the Baytril or the Baytril will cancel it out.

 

[lolanu]

Her belly looks filled with air or gas, as Riven said. Caboose had a case of bloat and her belly looked like that, I also did belly massages and a warm rice sock on her belly to help, when she wasn't trying to bite me. Read that on here, can't remember where, but it helped her a ton. I hope your baby gets better!

 

[chin_gal]

Thank you so much! Sorry I haven't updated until now but it's been a hectic evening. I gave her the first dose of baytril (and acidophilus) and have been giving her the simethicone. She seemed to be doing a lot better after the simethicone, she hasn't been 'coughing' (which she was doing all this morning, it looked liked coughing/hicupping) or anything, and seemed much more active than earlier. However, just about 10 minutes ago she had another bad choking fit. It is seriously breaking my heart. She has only been given her first dose of baytril though, so I'm hoping I start seeing improvement within the next few days. It's so weird though, because when she's not coughing or choking, she seems completely fine. But I don't know if it's when she moves a certain way or what that she just completely loses her breath or something. I just have no idea.

Sorry if any of this isn't quite clear, but I'm so exhausted. I will update again in the morning. Thank you so much again!

 

[Riven]

The vet checked her mouth and throat right?

 

[chin_gal]

He checked her mouth out without sedating her, and didn't really get a good look as she was giving him a really hard time. I'm not sure about her throat, but if it was, it was just during the general exam. He didn't seem concerned with her mouth, and only mentioned a 'cavity' (which I thought was bizarre) being a possibility, and that he'd have to sedate her to check. I think after the x-rays found what it did, he took that and went with it. Unfortunately, he's not my regular vet. I had the hardest time getting her in somewhere that would see her, and all of my regular vets couldn't. I ended up at a vets office that I've never been to before, and while he definitely knows more about chinchillas than most vets, he seems a little lacking in his knowledge on them. For anything further than her follow-up there, I'll be taking her to my regular exotics vet.

And she's still making the choking sounds. Even now, I just woke up, and I heard her doing it again. It's only a few times a day she even does it, and when she's not doing it she seems so normal (eating [even on the baytril so far she's still eating], drinking, and being active).

This morning will be her 4th dose of the baytril. How long does it usually take for baytril to start working so I have an idea that an infection is even a possible cause? If it were to be an infection, when should I see an improvement?

 

[ticklechin]

Did the vet do a ultrasound? That looks like thickening of the cecum-it can be caused by bacteria, it can be a tumor, if its a tumor the poo will be normal right up to the point when it becomes blocked, and cecal tumors don't look like tumors, since the tumor is in the cecal walls, if its bacterial you usually have digestive symptoms. A good ultrasound tech should read it to determine what you are dealing with-I am sad to say I have seen that before twice and I hope I am wrong and its not a tumor but I looks like DJ and Titos initial x-rays . You are seeing gut pain with her choking, I would want this chin on pain meds until diagnosis.

 

[chin_gal]

Thank you Dawn! No, the vet didn't do an ultrasound yet, but he said that is the next step if the antibiotic doesn't work (since that more or less rules out infection). I really hope it's not a tumor, but I know it's a very real possibility. She's 7.5 years old, and while she's not exactly young, she's not old either. She has so much life left in her. What do you think the outcome would be if it is a tumor? Is that something that is inoperable, or would she have a chance?

I didn't have any luck yesterday being Christmas, but today I picked her up some pain medication. They prescribed her .05 cc of Metacam once a day for 14 days. She has a follow up coming up in a week, so this should keep her comfortable until then I hope. I know I have said this a million times, but she is breaking my heart. All I want is for her to be alright again. It's so hard seeing her acting so healthy (when not having a painful episode), and knowing something could be seriously wrong with her.

 

[ticklechin]

If it was what I dealt with with my two boys is was inoperable and they were PTS. The vet gave me the option of heavy duty pain management which I declined.

 

[chin_gal]

Thanks, Dawn. I'm sorry that happened to your two boys.

I haven't heard Cherry have another one of those choking fits yet today, but she is sneezing an awful lot? Could this just be from all the meds, or do you think I should be worried?

 

[ticklechin]

Sneezing is not normal with the meds-when you say choking sound, does the chin sound like a frog croaking and does the chin heave when doing it? The boys made a choking motion from the pain, but never a noise. The only time I heard noises when the chin is doing the choking motion is during a URI when the chin is trying get their breath. Can you hear the chin breath when then chest is held up to your ear? Can you get a video of her doing it and post it?
The more I think about this you may have two different things going on here and the thickening of the cecum was found by accident.

 

[Tillygizmo]

Dawn, I just started typing that same thought and then I looked up and read that you already mentioned it. That is my best guess here as the choking and something wrong with the cecum is probably completely unrelated.

Now that she is on ABT maybe the URI is clearing up (i.e. mucus moving around causing sneezing). I personally would reach out to the vet again just to mentioned the sneezing is becoming more frequent but that is because I don't know if it is normal.

 

[chin_gal]

Sneezing is not normal with the meds-when you say choking sound, does the chin sound like a frog croaking and does the chin heave when doing it? The boys made a choking motion from the pain, but never a noise. The only time I heard noises when the chin is doing the choking motion is during a URI when the chin is trying get their breath. Can you hear the chin breath when then chest is held up to your ear? Can you get a video of her doing it and post it?
The more I think about this you may have two different things going on here and the thickening of the cecum was found by accident.

When she does this choking motion, she lets out a painful squeak/scream. And I don't hear anything abnormal with her breathing, and the vet said that her breathing was fine. The x-rays showed her lungs were fine, as well.

I got a video after I saw this response, but I can't get the video trimmed (it's 54 minutes of the camera sitting in front of a carrier waiting for her to do it) and have it keep the sound. I am still working on it, but for now, here is the silent video. As I said, when she makes the motions, she also lets out screaming noises. She's been doing this ever since the morning I took her in to the vet. The vet wasn't positive either what it was, but assumed it was because of what was wrong with her cecum.

http://youtu.be/dh_ajHi_wvo

Oh, and I notice now that she's chattering her teeth a lot, as well. I'm guessing that's because she's in pain?

Dawn, I just started typing that same thought and then I looked up and read that you already mentioned it. That is my best guess here as the choking and something wrong with the cecum is probably completely unrelated.

Now that she is on ABT maybe the URI is clearing up (i.e. mucus moving around causing sneezing). I personally would reach out to the vet again just to mentioned the sneezing is becoming more frequent but that is because I don't know if it is normal.

I am going to give them a call tomorrow and see what they say and if they want me to bring her back in before the follow-up. I just have no idea what could be wrong with her now.

 

[Tillygizmo]

Its okay...just try to relax. You are doing what you can ...if the choking sneezing becomes more frequent tonight I would say go to an E vet but I think calling in the A.M. is alright for now. Just talk to her and keep her distracted ...your a good mommy