Chinchilla Community Forums

Chinchillas => Health => Topic started by: cheekoandmeeko on June 27, 2012, 10:08:22 PM

Title: scared chinchilla might have had a seizure?
Post by: cheekoandmeeko on June 27, 2012, 10:08:22 PM
The other night I let my chinchilla run around while my dog was upstairs as well. The dog didn't even notice the chin on the couch and jumped right up like usual and lied down. The chin was jumping on him and sniffing him all over and even tried to nibble on my dog's nails. They were fine together and I thought my chin actually really enjoyed it, so I let them around each other again tonight. After a couple seconds of sniffing (from my dog) my chinchilla's head slowly started to rest on the blanket. I knew this was unusual so I lifted him up and held him close to my chest. He wasn't shaking but his body was stiff so I took him into another room and after a minute of sitting on my lap he started jumping around and eating him treats like nothing happened. He wasn't acting confused or anything and his ears weren't hot or red or anything so I know he wasn't overheating from the more than likely seizure. I watched him for an hour afterwards and he has been acting completely normal again. Was it just because he was scared at that moment? Or will this happen again even though the "scare" isn't around him anymore? Sorry this is so long, I just want all the details out there!!
-Kimberly
Title: Re: scared chinchilla might have had a seizure?
Post by: GrayRodent on June 28, 2012, 06:31:54 AM
That is a nice detailed report there. Have you ever taken your chin to a vet for a checkup? There are a number of things that can cause this. Some causes benign and some dangerous. IMO The best thing to do is have some of the potentially dangerous things ruled out or diagnosed.
Title: Re: scared chinchilla might have had a seizure?
Post by: chinclub on June 28, 2012, 11:50:14 AM
Here is a great website on Chinchilla Seizures.  It goes over each type including what you will see, what causes it, and how to treat.  This might help you to determine what happened.

http://cachins.org/
Click on Health then on Seizures
Title: Re: scared chinchilla might have had a seizure?
Post by: lilchinchilla on June 28, 2012, 01:26:54 PM
Doesn't sound like seizures to me. Usually chins will twitch (while lying on their side) and might drool when having seizures.  :( I would not let my chinchilla(s) play with my dog.

 What it sounds like to me, is when chinchillas go into shock. There is a small write up on here describing shock: http://chinchillamagic.co.za/index.php?id=15

I've had a chin who went into shock once when she was running too fast and she ran into my boot, head on. She just went limp and laid there for a while, listless. She did come out of it, but it was scary for me to have to deal with.

 Another example I've heard about from chinchillas going into shock are if they've been in a fight with another chinchilla. Sometimes chinchillas die from shock if it is that bad. My guess is, he was so frightened from the dog, he went into shock.
Title: Re: scared chinchilla might have had a seizure?
Post by: cheekoandmeeko on June 29, 2012, 02:06:53 PM
Thank you guys so much, he's been acting normal since and everything, but I'm not sure if I can even bring my dog upstairs anymore. I never even thought of letting them out and near each other but my chinchilla always stuck his nose out of his cage to sniff him and he kinda seemed to like him. Once again thank you, I think from all the information that he probably went into shock. I felt horrible :-\
Title: Re: scared chinchilla might have had a seizure?
Post by: cheekoandmeeko on June 29, 2012, 02:11:22 PM
And I took him to the vet about two months ago. Besides him being a tiny bit of a fatty she said he looked like a very healthy chinchilla.
Title: Re: scared chinchilla might have had a seizure?
Post by: Debbie.nl.ca on August 15, 2012, 07:55:09 PM
A head injury or even a jolt can cause a seizure.
My very first kit I dropped and caused him to be 75% blind and he has seizures when he gets excited. My little 12 pound Maltese/poodle mix loves him and my chin is fine with him. Each dog and each chin will be different.
When Waverly has a seizure his body can just go limp for a few seconds or with a bad one he'll straighten out stiff, with his 4 legs reaching his straight up to his face. He's 14 now  ::kiss99::
I had another have heat seizures and stoke just from being out for a run. He was a big boy, but he just stared off and went limp. He didn't make it. ::cry222:::