Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[gizmorover]

Has anyone had a paraplegic chinchilla? My chinchilla is currently experiencing paralysis in his back legs with the paralysis he had a prolapsed penis. We took him to the vet she put a stitch in his penis to help it retract, put him on pain meds and antibiotics. I am also feeding him Oxbow Critical Care to help him gain weight back. This happened about a week ago, we are not sure if he hurt himself in his cage or if it is old age since he is 14 years old. Since the injury he has not shown signs of stress besides decrease in eating. He will eat nuts, sunflower seeds and a little bit of hay on his own, but not his pellets, hence why I started him on OXbow. He is very hand friendly, as I hold him like a baby and loves human interaction. My first goal is to get him back to eating on his own, what I am wondering is if anyone has experienced having their chinchilla paralyzed and if you chose life over euthanization any tips for us in helping him with any obstacles he might have.

[Flint]

Nuts and sunflower seeds should NOT be given to chinchillas due to the high fat content! Has your vet carried out x-rays to check for any fractures or broken bones. A prolapsed prnid is generally an indication of pain.

[gizmorover]

My pet has already been seen by an exotic vet. He had no fractures in his xrays, she believes it is based on geriatrics, he is 14 years old. Yes I know sunflower seeds and peanuts are high in fat content, he has eaten them his entire life 2-3 a day and he is still underweight.

My question is does anyone have any tips on having a paraplegic chinchilla, his diet is being monitored by his vet.

[Flint]

Excess fat in a chin's diet can have a detrimental effect on liver function, especially in an older chinchinlla!

[gizmorover]

Again do you have any advice on living with a paraplegic chinchilla? My chinchilla has no fat on him, he is skin and bones right now. Again he is only eating about 20 ml of Oxbow Critical Care a day, and a few bites of hay...and 2-3 peanuts and maybe a sunflower seed. Refusing all other food. I am not asking about his diet.

[Flint]

Your chinchilla is not in a good way. From what you have described, the question I would ask myself is ' Is it fair to keep this chinchilla going?'' Quality of life in compromised, chinchillas love to run and jump, yours cannot, nor can he feed himself correctly. I believe that issues are occurring with your chinchilla that are, as yet, diagnosed, ref the weight issue. I think it is now time to ask yourself what is best for your chin.

[gizmorover]

Flint no offense, but you are not a doctor. I took my chinchilla to a second exotic vet and now have spent over $700 on him. The vet said he looks great and he is very impressed on how my chinchilla shows ZERO signs of stress and is easily handled. He enjoys being held, played with and interacted with. I spend hours a day with him right now. After another series of xrays it was discovered that he actually has a spinal cord infection, which is normally seen in dogs and not as much in chinchillas. He is now on a safe round of antibiotics, pain medicines, anti-inflammatory and digestive medications to see if we can clear it up. The vet is not confident that it will work, but we are going to try. I had a family member who was paralyzed for over 20 years of his life, he enjoyed playing baseball, football and riding a bike too...we did not euthanize him because he could no longer enjoy those things. Instead he found other things he enjoyed. When my chinchilla shows signs of stress, decline further in health then I will make that decision. FYI- he hasn't had peanuts in over a week and is now eating his hay pellets and hay. He is able to move around in his oversized one story cage. He has figured out how to eat without having to prop up, enjoys his lava rocks and wood sticks, etc. I continue to care for him and will do all I can to make this final stage in life comfortable and fulfilled. Sorry I guess I just love my chinchilla that much.