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[Chins4Life089]

This is no way a joke or anything this is happening to my chinchilla. Let me give u the story, 2 night ago I though it might be time for my chinchillas first play time with me because all the wanted to do was get out of the cage and the would come to hand so I thought it might be time, it was probably around 9 pm and they were all up and moving around so i took the carrying case and put the 2 daughters in it so I could take them to the bathroom for play time but the mom didn't want to go in and when I tried to pick her up to put her in she bit me so I let her be. I took the other 2 to the bathroom and they played around in there for maybe an hour and they had been doing so good I thought they need a treat and I wanted to get something to drink so I got up left the room got a drink and then her comes the bad part when I went into my room to get the treat ( I also keep the cage they are in, in the room) I found the mom chin in the bottom of the cage laying on her side I thought she might be sleeping but I still investigated and opened the cage and she didn't move so that is when I got scared so I petted her she still didn't move so I picked her up and she barked at me but didn't move and was lethargic so I freaked out and put her on my bed and checked on the chins in the bathroom and put them in there carrying case and put them in my room and looked at the mom I immediately called the emergency vet near me and they told me that the exotic vet couldn't be in till morning and to just look after her till then. I was so angry but I kept a level head and tended to the mom, I got a towel and put her on my lap then about 30 minutes to an hour she started to seize not bad but still did. I thought in my head there is nothing I can do if god is going to take her let it be, so I put her in her cage on the bottom and let thing take its course. I stayed up all night looking after her to see if anything had changed. Her seizures got closer and closer together and got more violent. That morning they got less violent and more spaced til they were gone she hasn't had one since but she has been acting weird, she is really wobbly when she walks and she can't jump she can barely get on the wheel and when she gets on the wheel she usually sleeps. She also is having trouble eating and drinking when she goes to the bottle she is like 1/4 inch away and trying to drink or is up on the rod thing. I have been having to supplement feed her to get her some water and food. She has been a work load but do u think this is brain damage or just her way a recovering from the seizures. Do u think I should go to the vet or not, I don't think he can do anything. Also the other chins are doing fine and do u think I am over reacting and not giving her enough time to recover. Any help and support u can give would be amazing

[GrayRodent]

First thing to do is make sure the room temperature is below 75F. If it is not there is a possbility the seizure was caused by overheating and you should get the temp down or the others may also be at risk. Overheating causes brain swelling and seizures if it is severe.

If you are willing to have it checked out they may be able to help you make a diagnosis. If your pet is still seizing and not eating or drinking properly anti-seizure meds sometimes help. Sometimes it is diabetes, which is easy to treat in chinchillas, just don't give them any fruit, raisins, or sugar-containing foods. Also certain nutrient deficiencies, or exposure to toxins can cause it. Although the others are not effected I recommend checking the food for moisture contamination. If the hay or pellets smells damp or moldly replace it immediately. Sometimes it is a genetic condition, epilepsy, which can also be managed more easily once you've identified it. A heart problem can also account for it and may be diagnosable with blood work. There are many things that can cause the kind of seizure you describe. The bad thing is it may take blood work to diagnose that, which, may be expensive. I strongly recommend calling your vet and asking questions. Otherwise you'll just have to wait a few days, do the best you can, and see if she pulls through. Sometimes there is no hope in these kinds of cases. If you obtained this chinchilla from a breeder I also recommend calling them and explaining your situation. A reputable breeder will do their best to remove animals with genetic problems from their herds.