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Pokie's broken leg

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Debbie.nl.ca:
My first chinchilla broke his leg 6 weeks ago.
He had a cast change at 3 weeks, when I first became worried that his foot wasn't getting a good blood supply.
The cast came off Thursday, and all seem ok. Now he's chewing at the site of the break.The foot seems dead to me, life less, and a paler pink then the leg.
I'm so afaid I'm going to loose him.
I just had to put down 2, and Cody is not doing as well as has been, though he just had a trim.
This is the worst I tell ya. :(

bossanovachin:
Debbie, sometimes they chew at a healing wound because it itches. See this thread on CnQ: http://www.chins-n-quills.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91559&page=1&pp=15

It's about a chin who had an amputation. If there is any way for you to put a moisturizing lotion on the skin, rub it in a little so it feels less itchy, then do so. Then give your chin a Dustbath Massage: http://www.chincare.com/HealthLifestyle/GroomingFurHealth.htm#massage

Be sure to address the problem, how the leg came to be broken, do you have safe mesh width on your cage?  1" X 1/2" on the sides and 1/2" X 1/2" ? Anything smaller than that can cause a chin to get his leg caught, we know of two deaths that happened as a result, from chins who went into shock and weren't found until hours later after they'd been dangling there (http://www.chincare.com/HealthLifestyle/HealthLifestyle.htm#housing).

Hope your darling is better soon!  ;)

Adoptivma:
Hi Debbie,
I've been dealing with a chin with a broken foot this week also. Not only did Louise break her foot in 2 places, but the bone must have broken the skin and she had a nasty infection that swelled her foot to 3 times the size, and it was purple.  The vet did not cast the leg so that we could take care of the infection. She also said to try to keep her as immobile as possible - small cage, no wheel or shelves to jump on.  Louise was put on antibiotics, but the vet also said that their feet do not get the best circulation so I would have to apply heat to reduce the swelling and help the antibiotics get to the infection.  I tried using her method, soaking a washcloth in hot water and applying it to the chin's foot, Louise did not like having a wet foot and the washcloth cooled too quickly, so I did something else.  I got a heating pad, turned it up high, put a t-shirt on top of it, and held Louise while she sat on top of the heating pad.  She didn't seem to mind it much and I could get her to stay there about 15-20 min.  Within 3 days, her foot was back to the normal size, and the dark pink/purple color was gone.. The heating pad really helped with her foot/leg circulation and I would recommend you try it ASAP! 
Hope this helps,
Karen

Debbie.nl.ca:
Thank you both.
It's pretty swollen, and I have been doing all of the above, and then some.
It was a compound fracture, but no infection developed.
I don't think the break healed very well.
He's lost a lot of weight.
There's no new chews tonight. I have put a small bandage on it, more for suport.
Funny the foot has better color since he's chewed it. Maybe the debribing helped!

Debbie.nl.ca:
Things are looking much better for my Pokie.
What ever he chewed off seemed to have helped.
I'd been massaging it right from the first cast.
Kept it warm, and protected.
The chew is healing well and he's starting to jump around a little.
You should see me cringe when he jumps from his cage. It's only a foot I guess, but he lands a little sideways toward the good leg.
I'll keep him up stairs untill all the fur has grown back, and he's jumping with ease.
I may just keep him in a smaller cage with less height.
I feel so relieved, the guilt from letting him jump from me was too much.
He'll prolly never see a comb again. ;D

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