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[dianah]

so sorry to hear about coady

it is hard. i think each case is different and that you should not throw in the towel at diagnosis. i have read chin stories that described dental problems that were corrected by combination of vet treatment and change in diet. and then there's stories like debbie's... i would like to think that i will know when enough's enough but it's such a hard decision.. i've only had this girl for less than three weeks and i absolutely love her. the fact that she's clearly had such a hard life makes me try really hard to make her better. this combined with her getting brighter and brighter the longer she's with us... thing is, with her, i pretty much know her problems are caused by very poor diet (she was fed on banana chips and chinchilla mix, hardly any hay, no chew toys) - her incisors, even though not overgrown, had angled chewing surfaces when i got her. they are pretty much straight now. after only 2.5 weeks. so i do feel she deserves the best shot to see if correcting the current problem and feeding her the right stuff will help... but of course i don't want her to suffer. so.. fingers crossed!

[ABC Chinchillas]

I agree with Debbie, I know I sound Harsh when I say it doesn't work and Malo chins need to be put down but I have dealt with Malo and in my opinion it comes to quality over quantity. All the surguries and treatments often can extend their lives but you need to decide to what point is it actually good for the chinchilla. Like someone who said that if they just remove a bit of the jaw etc...That is in my opinion cruel. You can do what you will obviously but in the end I hope you can make the decision to let him go while he has some dignity Malo will kill no matter what the treatment in time. it starts with oh..they just need a filing every few months...to every few weeks..to that doesn't work so we....You need to know how much you are willing to put them through. It isn't about cost of vet visits or not loving the chinchilla it is about the little one having the best life he can which sadly isn't always the longest.

[dianah]

Like someone who said that if they just remove a bit of the jaw etc...That is in my opinion cruel. You can do what you will obviously but in the end I hope you can make the decision to let him go while he has some dignity

i do agree with you to some extend. do i think it's right to let a chin go rather than put them through a surgery that will prolong their life but also their suffering? yes. do i think it's right to let a chin go rather than put them through a surgery that will fix the problem, save their life and allow them to lead a normal life? absolutely not.

as i said, each case is different. my particular chin has a root problem and the surgery is indicated (we need xrays first). if she can have the surgery, it will fix the problem and she will have a great life after, interrupted only by occasional filings of one tooth (this would be a result of surgery and not part of the original problem). yes, they do take a bit of their jaw out, but they make a door like flap and the bone grows back so it's not like they're going to be missing half their face for the rest of their lives.
i am not saying that it's not major surgery and given the size of the animal, the vets don't really take it lightly. in fact, they will not do it unless they believe this will fix the problem.
i should probably point out that this chin does not actually suffer from malocclusion, she has dental problems stemming from being on a completely wrong diet until now. in the short two and a half weeks she's been with us, her angled chewing surfaces on her incisors are pretty much flat now - this wasn't much of a problem but it speaks volumes, especially given she's not actually eating as much roughage as my other chins. if we can fix her current problem, feed her the right stuff, she should be fine.

she is also missing a back leg. yes, she can't stand up, can't have tummy rubs and when she eats she has one front paw on the floor but she moves at the speed of light and you would not actually notice she's missing a leg at all to start with! some people would have thought it would be cruel to amputate and would have put her down instead. i'm glad her then owners didn't because she adapted incredibly well.

i'm only a foster parent so ultimately, the decision will be between the vet and the rescue - they both lose animals on a fairly regular basis and they're not attached to her in the way i am so their thinking will be objective. as for me, i trust my vet and i know that while she wants her to get fixed, she will tell me when to stop.

but, i maintain that you cannot say that all chins will malocclusion (and it's probably important to point out that half the dental problems chins have are labled wrongly as malocclusion) should be put down as soon as you discover the problem.

[ABC Chinchillas]

I agree many "dental problems" are not malo. True Malo is a death sentence. Maloclusion is a genetic disorder that causes the roots to grow the wrong way into the jaw and up into the nasel cavity and eventually the brain. Malo cannot be corrected. Other Dental issues can. The problemm is when people lump Dental issues in with Malo when they are separate issues then.  A chinchilla with Dental issues from a poor diet at a young age is not a Malo cage it is a dental issue.

And the leg thing I have 2 different chinchillas here Missing a back leg. I am not saying all chinchillas with a medical issue should be euthanised I just feel that people get very caught up in the selfshness of wanting to hang on to a beloved pet many times they do not do what is kindest. You see the same with people who have dogs with Cancer etc...sometimes as owners we need to take a step back and look with less emotions. If I were sure the issue was going to be fixed and it was not genetic than I look differently. But A dietary diffecieny that caused a tooth growth issue is not actually Malloclusion..

I do wish you the best of luck and hope it works out. As sometimes it does. When King prolapsed many people told me it was a death sentence and we got him through without any surgery at all. So I hope you don't think I just put animals down...I just know after seeing people go through Malo for 14 years of being in the chinchilla world Malo (that is true Malo) is a death sentence. I have seen hundreds of people and I mean hundreds put their chinchillas through some cruel treatments to "cure" it and always regret it after.

[dianah]

of course i don't think you just put sick chins down! it's just that i feel that if a chin is diagnosed with anything, if it's too awful when you discover and there's nothing you can do, then as heartbreaking as it is, the decision has to be made. however, if your chin is diagnosed and you catch it early, you can start treatment, adjust diet, supplement etc and see if that helps. sometimes it does! if you are doing everything right and still no joy, you need to reconsider further course of action. i just think you need to try first if there is a chance they can be helped!
and, as you said, you need to be very careful making sure it's malocclusion and not dental issues you're daling with.

a girl i work with has a quite old (i think he's 13) red setter. he was diagnosed with cancer of bone, lung and something else. they put him on medication, he pretty much turned into a mental puppy, runs around like a lunatic, eats like a horse and is a very happy dog! the diagnosis was made nearly two years ago and i cried when she told me because i thought that would be it!

i don't know about mae. i so wish i got to her sooner. i don't even know if she's going to make it through the xray... and if she does.. what will the xray show.

[cadillactaste]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I don't trust that site personally. too much bad/wrong information that could actually kill a chinchilla... Fruit is not good for chinchillas (veggies either) You actually get vitamin C from sunlight so with natural light you get what you need....

One gets Vitamin D from sunlight...My friend must spend at least 30-40 minutes outdoors for health reasons. Her body lacks Vitamin D.  I never heard of Vitamin C from sunlight... 

[ABC Chinchillas]

I am sorry you are correct it is not vitamin C that comes from Sunlight it is Vitamin D. I am very sorry. Sunlight produces Vitamin D I made an error in my letters in my memory

[cadillactaste]

I am sorry you are correct it is not vitamin C that comes from Sunlight it is Vitamin D. I am very sorry. Sunlight produces Vitamin D I made an error in my letters in my memory

It happens...I just happen to know about the Vit. D due to my friend needing to be outdoors every day.