Chinchilla Community Forums
Chinchillas => Health => Topic started by: chin2 on March 17, 2007, 06:47:58 PM
-
Hi, I'm new here, but I'm worried about my chinchilla. I was wondering if you guys could help.
I've had him for a little over 5 years and have never had a problem, but over the last month or so my chinchilla has been barking/squeeking sometimes when he eats or drinks. Over the last week it's gotten to the point where it's almost any time he eats/drinks, he barks and sort of twitches. His poops have gotten noticably smaller as well. Is it a dietary thing? Could he be sick? Any help would be appreciated, I'm going to look for a vet in the area (never have had to take him in before...) that treats chinchillas just in case.
Thanks!
-
It sounds like he may have a problem in his mouth or his throat. We had a chinchilla do this many years ago and it turned out she had managed to splinter one of her front teeth. The splinter was still attached to the tooth but the other end was sticking into her mouth causing her problmes when she ate. We were able to trim off the splinter and she was fine.
I do think a vet would be a very good idea as soon as possible. He/she can help you check the teeth and can also search for any possibly blockages in the chinchilla's system.
-
::silly::I agree with Jamie, I would get her to a good exotic pet vet that is familiar with chinchillas ... a.s.a.p.
Being uncomfortable is bad enough, but for it to affect his poop, I think you have a problem that can get out of hand quickly. When a chin's digestive tract messes up or gets messed up, it can take him/her down quickly. The sooner you get help for your chin, the better. ::nod::
Let us know what the vet says.
::wave::
Jo Ann
-
Thanks for the replies. Would anyone know of a vet who deals with chinchilla's in the Boston area? I'm without a car for the next two weeks or so (bad timing!). I would imagine there has to be one in Boston but I'm having trouble finding one. Thanks!
-
http://www.chinchillaclub.com/vets/index.html
This is the vet directory from our site here, hopefully it can help you. Another source worth checking out is CRITTER'S USA magazine. It is available in most pet stores and some bookstores. In the back of the magazine it also has a nice long list of exotic vets (by state).
-
Well I took him to the exotic animals department at the Angell Memorial Animal Hospital today. They were very nice and knowledgeable, though it was very expensive. $95 just for the exam... Anywho, it seems his bottom teeth have gotten too long and need to be filed down, which of course is an expensive procedure as well. I will have it done and pray that with intensive care the problem won't return, at least not for a long while. If it does too quickly, I don't know if I'll be able to afford another procedure... lets just hope for the best! ::silly:: As of now I'm feeding him some baby food and painkillers through a syringe. Anyway, thank you all for your help and wish Chewy luck!
-
Aww gee I'm sorry it's his teeth. ::cry222:::
His bottom front teeth????
Funny cause they don't usually over grow unless they are not chewing, and they don't chew when the backs ones give them trouble.
Though I've seen some strange things with chins.
If he has just gotten lazy, or had a minor injury and gets chewing again he might be OK.
All my wishes are with him.
Keep him hydrated, and get what ever you can into him. As soon as he showing signs of improvement get him eating his reg. feed again.
That's the key, getting him back on his reg. diet and chewing.
All the best and keep us posted won't you.
-
Well I took him to the exotic animals department at the Angell Memorial Animal Hospital today. They were very nice and knowledgeable, though it was very expensive. $95 just for the exam... Anywho, it seems his bottom teeth have gotten too long and need to be filed down, which of course is an expensive procedure as well. I will have it done and pray that with intensive care the problem won't return, at least not for a long while. If it does too quickly, I don't know if I'll be able to afford another procedure... lets just hope for the best! ::silly:: As of now I'm feeding him some baby food and painkillers through a syringe. Anyway, thank you all for your help and wish Chewy luck!
Sorry to hear. Hope everything turns out ok. :)
-
I hope that everything turns out well with his procedure. Keep us updated on his progress.
Sorry to hear he's not feeling well.
Jacqui
-
::silly::Did the vet give you any critical care for him?
Are you keeping hay available for him at all times?
Are his poops normal yet?
How is he doing with his water?
Do you keep a lava stone and chew blocks in his cage at all times?
Yep, those vet bills can get expensive. Just to walk in the door, it is usually $45+ ... they don't come cheap.
Toofie has to have his bottom two front teeth clipped weekly ... he was born with no upper front teeth and did not get his side and back teeth in until he was 6 months old. He seems to be happy and in no pain. If it starts affecting him to the point of pain, he will have to go to chinnie heaven. I do the best I can possibly do for my chins, but I won't let them suffer.
Hope your little one gets to feeling better soon! ::nod:: Keep us posted.
::wave::
Jo Ann
-
Well I dropped him off early this morning, and just got the call that the procedure was a success. They also discovered that he had a splitered molar, which was most likely the cause of the majority of discomfort. They removed it, and filed the teeth down that had points. I will be picking him up later today, they said he's awake and bouncing around already. They're going to give me some liquid food to be syringe fed, as well as some antibiotics, and they said everything was looking good. I'll keep you all posted as he recovers. As for hay/lava rock, yes I do keep them available at all times, mostly timothy and some alfalfa changed regularly, as well as filtered water, lava rock and a salt lick. However I let a friend take care of him for a few weeks while I was away, and they said they forgot to feed him hay. It's doubtful that the problem could develop in that short amount of time though. They said it was probably a genetic problem vs a care situation, as most of these cases are (according to them). Let's just hope the problem doesn't return in the near future. Once again, thank you for the kind words and your concern, I'll let you know how things are going later on.
-
::silly:: ::clapp:: ::silly:: Fantastic! That is so much better than what it could have been. ::nod::
Wonder how he got the splintered molar? Has he fallen?
If the splintered molar kept him from chewing properly, that is most likely where the points came from ... hopefully, anyway. If it was, there should be no more tooth problems. We'll keep our fingers crossed! :)
Are his teeth white? yellow? yellow-orange?
::wave::
Jo Ann
-
Good I'm glad to hear his procedure went okay! Keep us updated on his progress :)
-
His teeth were/are orangey, no idea how the splintered molar occured, she said sometimes they pick up a piece of gravel when running around, and occasionally that can break a tooth, but he hasn't fallen to my knowledge. Anyway I think he's a bit sore right now, and his cheeks are a bit puffy, but he's doing okay. He took a dust bath with glee (he needed one!) and has been running around. Right now I'm struggling to get him to eat the critical care they gave me. He also wont touch the antibiotics, but I was able to fill a syringe with the correct amount, then pull in a bit of banana baby food and that did the trick. Once he got going on the banana I was able to push the antibiotics in and he ate/drank it all. Unfortunately I'm really having difficulty getting him to eat in general, I can get little bits of sweet potato and banana baby food into him, but he doesn't seem to want to eat. I hope that means he's been chomping on some hay/alfalfa/pellets, but he seems a bit sore to be doing that. Either way he looks healthier than yesterday so I hope things are going alright.
-
Sounds like he's on his way to me.
His mouth will be sore for a few days, and as soon as he is able you should see him chewing on hay and pellets.
For now the trick is to keep hi cut working with anything he'll take. Yes he'll look for softer stuff for a few days.
Try, in a day or two if he not trying his feed to put crushed pellets/and or hay in with the baby food and syringe feed it to him.
Anything he'll eat try adding the crushed pellets too.
I'm so happy he's feeling better. ::highfive::