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1

Q & A / Re: Help! My chinchilla has gone missing.

« on: June 06, 2007, 10:34:58 AM »

One of the most memorable times with Chewy was a few months ago when I waited 5 hours for him to come out of my daughter's closet.  I had let him out to run and forgot about her closet door being slightly open.  Well of course, he quickly noticed it and was gone in a flash.  If any of you have a 18 yr old daughter, or even a teenager, you can imagine what her closet looked like.  To give you a visual, the only floor space you could see was about 12 inches into the closet !!!   Chewy had a blast exploring and hiding from me until nearly 2am.     I had placed small bits of papaya  just inside the door and leading out of the door far enough were I could close it, and I layed on the bed waiting and waiting. When I dozed off, he ate the papaya in the closet, but did dare not come out to get the rest.  After realizing I was no longer looking for him and had fallen asleep he prceeded to "bark" as loud as he could about 6 times causing me to sit straight up in bed, startled.  I looked in the closet and there he was sitting on a shelf, just grinning.      I sure miss the little guy.  But what wonderful memories.

2

Memorials / Re: Zorro

« on: June 04, 2007, 09:25:01 AM »

I am so sorry for your loss.  It is hard enough to lose one when they are sick.  I can not imagine the feeling of losing one totally unexpectedly.

3

Memorials / Re: Newby just lost my best friend

« on: June 02, 2007, 07:58:56 PM »

I am so sorry about your loss.  I understand how you are currently feeling because we lost our Chewy earlier this week and my daughter and I still are crying everytime we mention him, but we just can't stop talking about how special he was.  Each day when I come home from work, I greet my dogs, then open my daughter's bedroom door and say Hi to Chewy.  I still want to open that door everyday, but realize things are different now.  Time will heal our pain and we will definately get another chin some day. I can't imagine being without one for too long.

4

Guestbook / Re: Hi from Beloit Wi

« on: June 01, 2007, 03:12:04 PM »

Welcome Aboard,

I am a new member myself and I can already confirm this is the best chinchilla forum you will find.        I joined a few weeks ago because my little chin, Chewy was sick.  Unfortunately, he passed on this week, but I received alot of good advise and I plan to continue being a part of the club.  I am sure we will once again be chin owners someday.  They are so precious, you can't imagine living without one.

5

Memorials / Our Sweet, Sweet CHEWY

« on: May 31, 2007, 12:16:54 PM »

Chewy died Tuesday during surgery having his teeth burred.   Although he had been syringe fed for almost 2 weeks, we were so very optimistic because he began eating on his own the night before surgery.  We just knew he had made it over the hump of being sick.  Unfortunately that was not the case, and Chewy coming home to us was not to be, not in the way we wanted anyway.  He was our first and only Chin.  Unless you have owned a chin yourself, you can never know what special little guys they are. I would like to thank Jenova, Abby W., Debbie nl.ca. and Jo Ann for your heath advises.  We will continue to be a part of the chinchilla club, but for now, chinless.   We just need our healing time.   

6

Health / Re: sick chin sore throat-abcess???

« on: May 27, 2007, 12:16:58 PM »

thanks Jo Ann

I have gotten the nutra-cal and will mix with the critical care.  If he will not eat the little balls, can I put it in a syringe and give it to him that way?

Do I get the unsweeten cranberry juice or the cranberry juice cocktail?  I noticed in a different chat posted, both were mentioned.  I will email Dr Marty Hull asap.  Hopefully they will check their emails over the holiday.  I will also give my vet their information. 

7

Health / Re: sick chin sore throat-abcess???

« on: May 26, 2007, 06:52:47 PM »

thanks,  the vet called back today and after consulting with his vet partner, the partner suggest we burr down the left side molars that are currently different lengths and see if he will begin eating on his own again.  We are scheduled to do this on Tuesday.  Anyone know if burring the molars makes them sensitive?  If this is his problem, how long before he should eat on his own again?  As of right now, I am having to force feed him, he just won't eat the critical care out of a spoon.  I have also given him a little apple pedialyte to help keep him hydrated.  I will try soaking a raisin.  I don't think he will eat an almond since he will not eat anything hard, but I will try that too.

8

Health / sick chin sore throat-abcess???

« on: May 25, 2007, 03:57:25 PM »

:-[  Hello,  I have a sick chin and hope someone has seen these symptoms before because he as been seen by 2 different veterinary clinics and I still have no definite answer.  2 weeks ago(on a Friday) I noticed our chinchilla, Chewy having a wet chin, I thought it was from his water.  Later that day I noticed it was still wet and was also a little sticky.  I thought the stickiness came from a treat he had in his cage. I took the treat out.  I noticed when I picked him up, there was an unfriendly odor.  I got on the internet and then realized the wetness was drool.  That was confirmed later that day when he was napping with his head down and a couple of drops were on the floor of the cage, under his head.  He was eating very little, but still drinking water.  When he did eat, he would stretch his neck out and looked like he had a hard time swallowing. On the following Monday, I took him to the first vet and they looked at his mouth and clipped his bottom incisors, but commented they were not real bad, just a little long. (He was no longer obviously drooling and the odor was no longer there.)   2 days later, I took him back again because he was still not eating and no longer drinking water.  They put him under anesthesia and said he had a "swollen throat". but the did not visually see anything wrong with his teeth.  They put him on an antibiotic and critical care. (Did a ringworm test, that later came back negative) I began force/hand feeding him the critical care.  He has small dry droppings.  I was not completely happy with this vet and after reading so much on the internet, I took him for a 2nd opinion. The 1st vet gave me the directions(even written on the antibiotic label) to give 1-3ml of yogurt with the antibiotic.  They never said to give it later.  I learned that from reading your site and others on the internet.  Tuesday(4days ago) the 2nd vet checked him out much more thoroughly.  He said keep him on the antibiotic and also gave a pain med.  They did xrays on him yesterday.  They can see no obvious malocclusion.  There is some density on the xray in the very far back of his mouth under the last molar on the right side.(the right side is the side he was drooling from) but they believe it is the soft tissue.  The vet was going to ask another vet for their opinion and get back with me, but I have not heard anything today.  I am to continue the antibiotic and pain med for another week.  Since he has been on the pain meds he has began to drink water again, but I am still having to force feed him.  Last night for the first time, he ate a partial piece of papaya on his own, but will not eat his pellets. He picks up his food smells it, licks it once in a while, but just drops it.  The 2nd vet did mention he as a little bit of a change in the length of his upper molars on the left side?? Is that not malocclusion? I do know the roots of the teeth all look fine.  I do hear him occasionally making a grinding sound.  I know this is very long, but I wanted to give as much detail as I could.  I love our little Chewy very much and want to do whatever I can for him, especially try to get him to eat on his own again.  He is still active.    Any suggestions???  Something irresistible to eat???  He still won't eat his raisins.