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[phoebe]

Hi, I adopted Phoebe about 2 and a half weeks ago. The previous owners had the cage put together wrong I think and she had been walking on a wire bottom.. Also... she's a chinchilla and a complete SPAZ who bounces around like crazy! I don't know how she does it! haha

Anyway, She cut her foot the day I adopted her, right before I got there. At the time it just looked like a cut, it was NOT this big. It looked to get bigger so I got the Heal X cream and started putting that on a couple times a day. It didn't get smaller and it was starting to get a head on it like it was ready to burst so I took her to the Exotic Animal Vet. She popped it and also took off the little bit of scab that was on the top to try to release the fluid, but said it looked a little more solid than she had thought it was. Some fluid did come out, but now it is just a bump. It has been almost a week on the pain/inflammation and antibiotic meds as well as the soaking the dr prescribed. Meloxicam, Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole and Chlorhexidine gluconate 2%solution (w/ water)

Has anyone seen this before? I'm afraid it's not going to go down in the next week.

The option after that would be to have it biopsied to find out if it's cancerous or not Does anyone have an estimate of how much that would cost? (No vet insurance)
Would it possibly be better to just have the toe amputated?
Thanks

[GrayRodent]

Could still just be an infection. Cancers are very rare in pet chinchillas. I'm not saying it can't happen but considering the circumstances I'm going to lean towards the hypothesis that this is an abscessed wound. Have you discussed the possibility that it could be a compound fracture? I suppose you could have it biopsied but I'd rule out an antibiotic resistant infection and foreign object, such a a bone fragment, first. The cost will depend on the type of tests they want to run. I'm not claiming to be a vet or a professional. An amputation is probably going to be the most inexpensive way to go. Certainly something to discuss with your vet and don't feel bad about getting a second opinion if you're faced with an expensive procedure.

[phoebe]

Gray Rodent-
Thank you for answering. It's been two weeks today and I'm honestly not sure if it's getting better. The redness has faded, I can't tell if the size has reduced. I have spent so much time looking at it and researching and I really don't think it's a bone. It's solely the little pad of skin that grows above the bone portion of the toe! It's very weird I have called the vet and gotten price quotes for both biopsy and amputation .. Neither seems like an option. Right now all in finding what I can do is leave it be and keep an eye on it. If it starts getting bigger, THEN do something.

You mentioned an antibiotic resistant infection, what would you do in that case? It's very strange because it FEELS like a mass you would find in skin, smaller than a pea, but I swear, it was not there when I adopted her! Just a cut! Is there a possibility an infection could even feel like this?! I feel like infection would be puss-ish. But this is not

Thanks again

[GrayRodent]

Some infections can manifest in this way. The fact the redness is decreasing (I recommend taking photographs to compare progress and verify this) indicates to me there was an infection that is healing. This kind of infection, called an abscess, can occur beneath the skin and the damage can leave a mass behind that can take a long time to reduce, perhaps months. If it's no longer an open wound, is not seeping or bleeding, and the redness is improving, I think it's healing now. If the infection is open, or spreading, it can be cultured so a specific antibiotic can be given.

[BLS Chins]

Had the chin been given any medications? That looks like a normal infection. I wouldn't worry about cancer unless it doesn't respond to meds. There are many types of infections (bacterial, fungal, yeast....) and each type needs a different med to fix it. A vet can do a smear or a culture to see what is there and give you the medication to treat it

[phoebe]

Hi,
GrayRodent- I am getting more and more hopeful with the research I have done and what you have said to support it! I'm DEFINITELY leaning toward this being an abscess. The wound is not open anymore and we are finishing up the last of her antibiotics today! Yes, it's not that red anymore, i'll post some pics.

BLS Chins- yes, I wrote down everything the vet prescribed to me in the initial post. It's interesting to me how I keep reading about vets doing a culture to determine what antibiotic to give. She did give me one at that appt, but I don't remember her saying anything about testing the fluid/ doing a smear or anything to find out what kind to give. Is there some kind of really common one she might have given me? We were prescribed Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole (Which I just found out from my research that I myself am allergic to, btw  )I understand different kinds of infections can exist, I just don't even know if she checked, the office kept mentioning (when I called to get quotes on biopsy and amputation) getting bloodwork and the biopsy done to see exactly what it was.

[phoebe]

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[phoebe]

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[BLS Chins]

That medication is a good for general infections. It can take 2 weeks to fully clear a bacterial infection. Yeast or fungus take much longer. A smear can be done by any vet. They rub a slide on the infected area and look at it under a microscope to see what's there. If abnormal cells are found then you consider a tumor and getting a biopsy. I wouldn't jump to a biopsy just yet