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[nivvus]

Yesterday I found my 5yr old chin with a fairly large patch of fur missing above her tail, and bite marks (not deep) on the area as well as around her mouth. Her eyes were a bit glassy and she appeared tired.

 I immediately brought her to the emergency clinic nearby, where she was seen by an er vet and a Phone consult was done w An exotics specialist as none were available. I was told that her cagemate of 2yr had likely attacked her and was given an antibiotic, pain medication and sulfidine cream for the hairless area. They said to watch her closely as exotics can turn quickly.

This clinic, where I previously saw an exotics vet who left for another clinic, does not have an exotics vet in until tues as theirs is on vaca. There is a small animal hospital about 1.5 hrs away  who would be able to see her today, but per the clinic, the emergency fee itself is around $350 (and I spent $400 last nite). This AM she is resting and she/her wounds do not appear any worse, she is eating/drinking/pooping (she is in a separate cage of course). Since she is usually sleepy during the day, it's hard to get a clear picture. I held her and she is not any weaker or more lethargic.

On top of this I'm scheduled to leave for a 1 wk trip to Canada (10 hr drive) tomorrowand am wondering what I should do

- I can bring her to an exotics vet today but not sure if they would be able to do much else besides labs

-usu when I'm away a friend checks on the chins 3x a wk but she needs meds q12 hrs at least (pain meds every 8 hrs but she wouldn't take her last dose anyways). I know people who would be able to kee her and do the medsbut 1) they also have cats, and 2) if anything happened to her while I was away/she took a turn for the worst, I wouldn't know what to do-- i want to be with her.

-The clinic can board her for 40 -80$/day  plus 4$ every time they medicate her- they are getting back to me w more accurate pricing-- but I can't afford the higher end- its 8 days- and that doesn't solve the 2nd issue of wanting to be w her.

I can take her to Canada- laws appear to allow this but I'm worried the drive/new environment might be stressful + the border guards always have the right to refuse her. My boyfriend looked and there's a clinic  w exotics docs within1-1.5 hrs and a general vet w/in a few miles. But, the weather is bad, I won't have my own car although my boyfriend will have one-- and I'm not sure about quality of care/trustworthiness of vet/$$ expenses in another country--- I have Been paying with care credit card and finances are very tight.

I could also skip the trip but i took the time off work, it's been planned for a yr, is a once a yr thing w boyfriend and his family, and he will be upset if I don't go.


So I guess my ?s are

1. Should I take her to the exotics vet today
2. What are your opinions on leaving her w friend w cat vs boarding vs taking her with me.

 


Thanks For listening

[GrayRodent]

I think the antibiotics are important in this case especially since the mouth is not a particularly clean area.
Antibiotics can cause a chinchilla to become depressed and stop eating. Having a recovery diet such as Critical care on hand is advisable and watching the food intake. Be prepared to syringe feed if your chin stops eating or drinking. Not all chins have this problem but I know of chins lost because owners were not watching for this.

I think the most important thing is to get this chinchilla housed in a separate cage. It is possible that fighting is ongoing in the cage and can be wearing the injured chin down. You'll have to re-assess if you want to try a re-introduction when you get back but unfortunately fighting is usually an ongoing problem from what I understand.

I also think taking her with you can be a problem because of stress. Often times chinchillas stop eating when they are away from home and this one is going to need a minimum of stress to heal up and regain her strength. I see no reason your friend can't keep her for a few days. Lots of people have cats and chins without having problems. Just put the cage in a room where the cats are shut out. It could add unneeded stress if a cat happened to get curious. And make sure you can trust your friend to properly and maintain the cage and care for the animal. I've heard some horror stories here.

That's my non-expert opinion anyway.

[nivvus]

Gray rodent--- thx so much for your advice. I have critical care powder left over from anotherchin's illness although it was abt 3yrs ago so not sure if I could still use it

As far as taking care of her, I could either ask my mother (a nurse but no exp w chins although she's held mine). She lives w my dad and a cat in a small condo but could keep a separate room. Other option is a friend w 2 cats in a Small apt w his wife-- he has exp w my chins and was going to check in my pets while I'm away anyways. However I will need to ask him about having a separate room.

I am glad they are in separate cages now-- although disappointed as they used to be best buds. In the future I will try a closely supervised reintroduction and see whst happens


Do you think I should bring her to the exotics vet today? It is the tufts clinic in north ma about 1.5hrs from me.


I hate the idea of leaving her for a week when she's sick...her sister lexie died about 3yrs ago from malocclusion despite dental sx-- i was feeding her w crit care-- seemed stable but woke up one morning and she was curled up in her dish and had passed.... So sad

[GrayRodent]

The critical care is probably okay (as long as no moisture got in and it smells normal) although it's probably not as nutritious as it should be. Your friend can get some more at the vet if the need arises. I don't know why you need to take your animal back to the vet unless there is a sign of infection around the wounds. These would show up as red or pussy lumps. The antibiotics should prevent this from occurring.

Maloclusion seems to affect the roots of the teeth even though the teeth can be trimmed inside the mouth. Often these roots keep growing and cause pain and infection underneath. I euthanized my first chinchilla a couple of weeks ago after his diagnosis with malo. I hand fed for 3 days before I was able to get his teeth examined.

My second chin is from a breeder and is about 3.5 months old. Getting them from a reputable breeder greatly reduces the chances of congenital malocclusion and costs about the same as what you get at a pet store. I also found this one is much friendlier and tame. The difference is like night and day from being socialized at an early age.