Print

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

[shansell]

Hello, everyone.  This is my first post.  My chinchilla, Predator(named after the movie), jumped suddenly from my hands as I was putting her back into her cage today.  Instead of jumping into the cage, she fell to the floor.  Immediately after hitting the floor, she ran under my futon and hid there which is not in her character.  I leaned down to see what she was doing and I saw that she was rubbing her face.  So, I thought she had hit her mouth on the way down or upon impact with the floor.  Then, I noticed a little blood on her right paw, middle digit.  She backed away from me as I tried to pick her up, which is also unlike her.  Finally, she walked into my hands and she wouldn't let me touch her paw to check it out further. 

When I got a better look at the paw, it wasn't bleeding anymore and it wasn't swollen.  She does seem to be favoring it a little but she's still using it to eat treats and chew on wood blocks.  She's even using it to jump from level to level in her cage.  I am worried as she seems to be curling it up more than usual.

So, my question:  Is there anything I can do, from home, to relieve her pain?  I think she may have broken a fingernail.  I'm not sure how serious this kind of injury can be.  Any advice, anything at all would be most appreciated.

Thank you, in advance.

sv.

[GrayRodent]

Best advice is if in doubt see a veterinarian. It is possible this could be very serious. It's also possible it might not be. If it's a broken fingernail then it's probably okay. If it's a fracture or dislocation in addition to this it can be very dangerous.

You'll want to at least locate a vet that at least regularly treats rodents but see if you can find one that does chinchillas specifically. Most cat and dog vets are clueless about rodents. Some exotic vets are good with injuries but aren't so great in other areas when it comes to chinchillas. They can do an x-ray to check for fractures or dislocations and provide the initial care it needs and prescribe the rights meds.

If the blood is from the foot itself worse case is an open fracture which will need to treated quickly to prevent infection and antibiotics should be prescribed immediately. Examine the foot closely and see if it could be that. If it is see if you can make an emergency vet appointment so they can close it up. If the joint of the wrist looks dislocated emergency vet is advised.

The vet can prescribe pain killers if need be. I am glad you are not seeing any swelling. Watch carefully for this. If you see swelling don't hesitate to take this one into the vet because swelling can cut off circulation to the foot and cause tissue death.

I think it's possible the blood could have came from the mouth. When this happens often the face hits the floor and the teeth cut into the lips. This isn't necessarily dangerous unless it damages a tooth and/or causes your chin to stop eating. Watch food and water intake and signs for decreased fecal output. You will need to watch closely for this and be prepared to hand feed. Pain from a foot injury can cause this too. Check the front teeth for damage as well. Especially if the floor was not carpeted. Tooth dislocation can cause malocclusion down the road with a new set of serious problems.

Another thing is watch for signs of your chin chewing on her injury and causing more damage. Some nibbling is okay and expected. Any changes in behavior or signs of depression can indicate a serious problem. Chins act healthy and don't start acting sick until they're about dead.

I know several chins who have died because GI stasis was not identified after the meds (especially antibiotics) caused it. This can be seen in decreased fecal output when the chin stops eating. If this happens during treatment consider this an emergency but it can usually be resolved by hand feeding the proper formula at the right intervals. If antibiotics are prescribed feel free to ask about the proper use of probiotics to help this.

Maybe others can provide more advice. I am not an expert. This is how I would see it if it were my own chinchilla.  I hope it turns out to be just a simple issue.

[Snickerdoodlesmom]

Is she acting strangely?

[shansell]

@Snickerdoodlesmom  she's much better now.  she wasn't acting strangely.  but, she was favoring her paw.  I'm thinking she just knocked it on the ground pretty good.  She's 100% back to normal.  No swelling, no favoring of the paw and back to her regular hopping around.  ( : 

@GrayRodent  Thank you for your advice.  VERY helpful. 

[GrayRodent]

You're welcome. I'm very pleased Predator is doing well.