Young chinchilla very ill, can find no vet to help

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.
I don't want to say this but I will, when a chin is in stasis the intestinal tract can die and no amount of motility drugs will jump start it. It sounds like what has happened here, if this was my chin and its been this long with no improvment I would be looking to have the chin put down. Stasis and bloat is incredibly painful, without x-rays or a ultrasound to see if anything is happening and the amount of time involved the prognosis is poor and I would not want my chin to suffer anymore. Shock is a real possibility right now from the pain and that can also kill a chin.
 
Thanks for that, I tried with the massage and he seems to be into it, sort of.

Without the ability to give injectible medication, without the ability to give him xrays or a US, the prognosis seems very, very dim.

He was sneezing too yesterday. Is it of any use to keep feeding him since he can't take out anything? I'm afraid he'll get a rupture or choke during force-feed, although I am extra cautious.

This about not absorbing the oral medication is reality, most probably.
I feel devastated and also criminal for not providing to him all help possible. It's awful, he has been my constant company for the last 1,5 year and helped me through very difficult situations and now...

:/

edit: can I give him any painkiller apart from meloxicam? It seems like I can't have access to it because at the drugstore they told me it's for veterinarian use (no vet drugstore available). I REALLY don't want him to suffer and he seems totally out of shape.
 
Last edited:
Buprenorphine, Butorphanol, Flunixin meglumine, Carprofen are some strong pain meds that can be used. I am at a loss for advice at this point being "blind" as to the diagnosis-if the stasis has allowed the digestive tract to die or allowed the food in the digestive tract to stall and dehydrate then there is nothing you can do, without the x-ray or ultrasound the only humane thing to do it put him down since there is no surgery to do I am sad to say, this will not resolve on its own unless we are talking about death, which is very real but he is suffering before nature takes its course. Without vet care at this point I would find a vet to put him down, JMO.
 
Headlines, I have been following this thread, but since you have had plenty of good advice given, I felt no need to post. I feel the need now.

I am sad to say that I have to agree with Dawn on this, 100%. Without proper vet care, the only thing you are doing is dragging out what will end up being a very painful death. There have been no signs of improvement, and in fact, I see that his condition is turning in another direction completely.

You've done all you can for him, now you need to make the choice that all pet owners need to make at some point. You need to make the choice between quality of life and quantity; to decide if you are keeping your friend alive for yourself or for him. It sounds to me as though he needs to be relieved of his pain, and you are the only person who can do that for him.

Sometimes we try too hard to do everything we can do, because we think with our hearts instead of our heads. Without proper vet care and the right prescriptions, this poor boy is just going to continue to suffer until his body finally gives up the fight and he dies. It would be much more humane, and much more of a relief for both of you, if you took that decision upon yourself instead.
 
Headlines, after following this thread for sometime, I also have to agree with Peggy and Dawn. They know their chinchillas very well, and with your veterinary situation as you described it, I really do think the best thing to do for your baby is to send him to a better place. I'm so very sorry that you have to make this decision, and I am sending you all the love in the world to help these next few days (in which you decide what to do) be as easy as they can be for you.
All the love in the world,
Brittany
 
I'm using my last shot -a young vet who's working on his bachelor thesis on exotic pets. I tried to contact him in the morning, but he's out of town. He said he will contact me as soon as he gets back in the evening.

I don't know if he will have any idea about chinchillas or anything, but I will try this and if nothing comes out, I will stop medication and force-feeding and take him to be put down. After all, today is day 6 of medication and according to the first vet that prescribed the meds, it should have been the last.

Thanks everyone for your advice, it proves that you have been more helpful than any veterinary 'expert' here.
 
One thought I had, where did you get your chin? If it was a breeder or pet store call and ask who they use for chin vet care. I hope the vet can help, you and your chin are in my thoughts.
 
Sorry, i don't have any knowledge to share, but I just wanted to tell you that my heart with you and your baby. I hope that the young vet can do something for your baby. I am crossing my fingers for you!!
 
The vet hasn't called yet (he said he would) BUT my chinchilla has started pooping.

I was massaging his belly when he first did.
:O
 
while i agree with everyone that he needs a vet.......while waiting and in addition to massage perhaps you could let him out in a chin proof area to move around and get that gut moving and hopefully producing some more poop. i hope he pulls thru but if not i hope his passing isnt painful.
 
At the risk of sounding like some sort of bizarre cliche - Where there is poop, there is hope. Normally after 6 days of what your guy has gone through, that would be the end of it. Someone must be watching out for this guy if he's started to poop again.
 
Yay for poop. I've been following this thread but stayed silent because I have no words of wisdom. My fingers have been crossed for you. I hope your chinnie continues to give you poops.
 
At the risk of sounding like some sort of bizarre cliche - Where there is poop, there is hope. Normally after 6 days of what your guy has gone through, that would be the end of it. Someone must be watching out for this guy if he's started to poop again.
Click to expand...
:hearts:
 
Are you getting him up for exercise? I am amazed that he is pooing! I would get him up, and run him around a chin proof area for as long as you can-like 15 min at least a few times a day. Up the time with the massage, I would also keep up with the meto, simethicone and feeding-feed him smaller meals more often during the day. Now we have movement and poo we can assume there is no impaction and were dealing with just stasis. If you are feeding water, continue and add more during the day. I would like to see at least 20ml a day given in small amounts during the day. If you can, wake up during the night at midnight and give him a massage and run around session, it will help from having things stall again.
 
I haven't had to go through this with my chin, but it seems that you have been doing very well with your chin's dilemna, without the help of a good vet, and I am so hoping that he is indeed making a turn for the better. I will be sending good thoughts to you and your chin for a full recovery!
 
I've got major updates.

I took him to the clinic where I work today and persuaded the radiologist and we x-rayed him. Then in co-operation with a vet student in Uni, we found out that:

1. he has multiple abscesses under and near his teeth in the back of the mouth (at least 4 very visible in the x-ray)
2. he has his stomach full of food and fluids
3. he has gas both in his stomach and intestines
4. he has too much poo in his intestines
5. his diaphragm is being pushed forwards because of the stomach/intestines situation and he is short of breath at times

after studying around with books from the local library, we came to the conclusion that the tooth pain is so severe that his GI system is almost completely paralyzed. This also explained the unstable head on the onset of the symptoms.

So, now he is on antibiotics 3 times a day, on Metacam twice and the metoclopramide stays 3 times a day 20mins before force-feeding.

He is finally peeing and he is pooping, not much, but he is.
If there is no change towards the better until Friday, we will most probably put him down, since the abscesses are too many and there is no surgical option to release the pus and relieve the pain (which must be excessive because this tooth condition is really close to his brain).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top