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[crazychinbin]

I took my chinchilla to the vet Thursday because he had a big wound on the back of his neck.  The vet said that he had an infected hair follicle that created a cyst that then ruptured.  It's a nice deep hole and I'm irritated that he didn't find it when he was seen 10 days prior to that visit.  His skin is starting to turn a bit blue; I think it's bruising.  I don't see how this can heal without stitches.  He's currently getting Tritop put on it three times a day.  Any advice would be welcome, but I'm also wondering if anyone has had this problem before.  How can a hair follicle get infected anyway?

The vet I took him to never told me if I'm supposed to clean it, never told me how it can happen, never told me what exactly is going on with it, and never told me if I'm supposed to take him in after the week is up with his antibiotics.  I kept calling him the night after I found it at his house on on call and he got mad at me!  I was freaking out thinking my chinchilla was going to die and he snapped at me.  So...anyone think I should take him to the other exotic vet in town?  Or should I drive 5 hours to a specialist where my parents live, or should I drive 3 hours to one in phoenix?

[Jo Ann]

    I believe I would have to find a new exotic pet vet.  I would also take a list of questions with me and ask that they be answered/explained.

I am not a vet and only a vet can tell you what to do with your chin.  I do have a second site, Luv 'N Chins II, that gives some 'examples' of what can happen, what you might expect and questions you may want to answer.  If you would like to check it out, you can at: http://www.geocities.com/jobernstein1949/   You might want to read two article in particular:  *Nursing & Damage Control  (due to the open wound) and Don't Let the 'Cure' Kill Your Chinchilla!  (Extra hints for when you are giving your chin an antibiotic.)

Not all exotic pet vets know enough to care for a chinchilla.  One thing can give them away very quickly.  A chinchilla needs to be seen immediately, when sick.  If I call my vet with a sick or injured chin ... he works me in during the day that day or will stay over to see it.

Keep us posted!

   Jo Ann

[crazychinbin]

Thanks so much for the link.  My boy was on Baytril the previous week due to a bladder infection and he did stop eating for a bit, but when I went to address the issue he started eating again.  I'm really lucky about that. Well I called the vet and he said the wound should be smaller by next week.  I still really want to take him to another vet for a second opinion since I like to be extra careful.  The blue skin around it is pretty freaky though.  My camera doesn't want to take a detailed pic of it, but I'm going to keep trying because my parents have been asking if he's ok pretty much everyday and are asking for updates
glad they are paying for all the bills though

[Jo Ann]

    If it were me, since they are paying the bills, I would let them (your parents) know you are not happy with this exotic pet vet and would really like to get a second opinion.  With the concern they seem to be showing, I hope they will let you get a second opinion for this little one. 

Good luck and keep us posted!

   Jo Ann

[crazychinbin]

Thanks for the help.  My poor babies are turning into grease balls.  I can't give my other one a bath cause him jumping around will get dust into his neck, and I obviously can't give chilli one.  Any ideas on how to take care of this?

[Jo Ann]

   Just wait it out ... it's better for them to be grease balls for a while, than it would be to get an infection going in that open wound.  Chins usually heal pretty quickly.  Are you flushing it with the mix in the article, or just putting ointment on it?

   Jo Ann

[crazychinbin]

He only gave me that ointment.  I have an appointment with another vet tomorrow.  I'm going to ask for that solution.  Can they really last a month without a bath?   They're so grumpy but I'd be grumpy too if I couldn't take a bath.  Poor guy gives me heart attacks by trying to roll around on a blanket while he's out.  He gets so excited when I put his brother in the small cage with him so he can get some interaction with him.  He just misses his brother SO much.

[crazychinbin]

I was thinking about getting some herb sensation for him and his brother.  Think it would help?  plus his brother is super skinny..dunno if this will help.

[ABC Chinchillas]

I don't know about the herb sensation I have never used it or heard of it. I use lifeline from chocolatchinchillas.com that and good food and hay usually does the trick with skinny chinchillas unless it is just his body type. they really can last a month without a bath I have seen poor chinchillas rescued that were a few years old and never had a good bath. They will be beyond thrilled when they get it back though. If the abscess is healing well I don't see the harm of putting his brother in the small cage with him too unless they fight.

[Jo Ann]

    Do ask your vet about the solution.  I mix my own.  The saline/sterile water and Bedidine can be obtained from most pharmacies.  You may need to get the plastic-tip syringe from the vet and he may have to write you a percription for syringe and the saline, not sure about that ... it is different in different states.
Quote from the article:
    "The wound had to be flushed 3 times a day, using a sterile saline and Bedidine solution (looked like weak tea) in a special syringe.
     The tip of the syringe had to be placed just inside of the wound.  The force of the solution being forced into the wound flushed out and diluted the infection and killed the bacteria causing the infection.
    After the flushing, the wound would be clean.  This had to be repeated 3 times a day for 7 days, until the wound healed. "

Please let us know what the vet says.

HINT:

If you want to let him "bathe" with out using the dust bath dust.  Shred paper towels or unroll about 1/4 a roll of toilet paper ... place it in his clean empty dust bath container.  He will roll and tumble in it and may even decide to snuggle up in it for a while.  Paper absorbs oils ... I would use paper towels or toilet paper because it is the softest.  This is not a replacement for the regular dust baths with dust, only a temporary substitution under a special circumstance.  

Regular paper, such as typing paper is not advised ... that paper is to stiff and can cause paper cuts on the feet, paws and nose of your chins when shredded.

I was thinking about getting some herb sensation for him and his brother.

I am not familiar with this.  Please post the URL to the site where it is sold or give a little more information on it ... such as brand name and manufacturer.  I would ask the vet, also.

... plus his brother is super skinny ...

By "super skinny" what do you mean?
Can you see/feel his spine?  His ribs?
Can you post a picture of his brother, please?

A little caution about putting his brother in the cage with him ... chins like to take care of and groom each other ... part of the grooming would be to remove any dead skin from the wound ... and even lick the wound ... if there is still infection in the wound, it could be passed to the little brother.  With the little brother's weight already in question, I would not chance it.  Just my opinion.   

   Jo Ann

[crazychinbin]

http://www.herbsensation.com/
As for his brother I can feel his bones so well that I can feel each little ridge of his spine, I also notice how well I an feel his shoulder blades
My camera doesn't want to upload my pics to my comp, so I'll post them when I can.
Well yesterday I took him to the vet and she said that it's a wound he got somehow and it's deep and ripped a muscle.  He now gets it flushed with that solution twice a day and gets collasate put on once a day for 10-14 days.  They also said that the skin surrounding it already connected down to the muscle underneath, so I can't really get up under it to flush it out from there.  He's running around the big cage right now and he's very happy, while his brother is in the small cage and very unhappy lol
Thanks for the information on the paper towels, if I can manage to find another container or get enough dust rinsed out then I'll give it a try.

[Jo Ann]

   I went to the website and could not find out the ingredients (different herbs) in this supplement.      I would not say yea or ney with out knowing that information.  I will never give my chin anything unless I know what all is in it.


     If you can feel his bones and ridges of his spine, something is wrong ... no chinchilla should be this thin.  It sounds like he could possibly be dehydrated.  Dehydration has to be caused from something, only a good qualified exotic pet vet would know for sure.   I would take him to the vet a.s.a.p. and let the vet run a few test, check him and his teeth out.  If he is getting a good healthy diet, he should not be this thin unless something is wrong with him. 

What do his poops look like?  Small, dry?  Mucous covered?  Wet, instead of just moist?

I am very glad you got a second opinion.  (An infected hair follicle just did not sound right to me.)  The bedidine solution will help 'dry it up' and make the wound shrink and help it to heal.  The ointment is an antibacterial one, I think.

... the skin surrounding it already connected down to the muscle underneath, so I can't really get up under it to flush it out from there.

As it heals, any infection from underneath, should work it's way up to the open wound and be flushed away with the solution.  It will probably take a while for it to all clear up, then it will probably take 3 to 4 months for the fur to grow back once it is healed.

Should you see a soft 'lump' form anywhere around or under where the wound is now, even if it is completely healed, let the vet know immediately ... that could be an abscess/infection that would need to be drained by the vet because it was not able to make it to the surface.    (Not trying to scare you, just let you know is it possible, what it would look/feel like and the fact a vet would be needed a.s.a.p.)  An ounce of caution can often save a life. 

Keep us posted! 

   Jo Ann

[crazychinbin]

Well, his brother has been really thin his whole life..but I just feel like his thinner as of the past year.  I eats fine, drinks fine...but I'm not sure just how wet u mean my his poop.  I mean it feels wet and cold, but I believe his brother's is the same way.  He's extremely active...very spazzy.
Doesn't the document on the herb sensation have the ingredients?
Well anyway his brother can't seem to gain his weight back and now his bladder infection came back
stupid vet gave me a pill form I had to crush by myself..then I lost a pill while crushing it.  So, I doubt he got the right dosage and that's why it came back.  Now I'm supposed to get a urine sample from Chilli 
now how the heck am I supposed to do that?
several tests on my poor little Chico? what type of tests...he gets so grumpy and stressed from vet visits...and when he wakes up =/ man the little guy will scream and charge you if u try to say hi while he's sleeping lol
oh! and I think he's got a bit of a humpback, but I'm not sure since he's so skinny but it's been like that his whole life as well.
O.o well come to think of it man...am I sure I'm not his biological mother? I eat and eat and don't gain weight and I have a hunchback from a spinal disease.
and now me and chilli are gonna be scar buddies n_n I got a funky round scar from a burn on the oven and he's gonna have a funky round scar when his wound heals....
I think that first dumb vet's baytril injection or what ever did it >.>
he couldn't of gotten hurt on his neck by anything I can think of...and I saw it a week after that injection.  Man that vet appointment cost like $230 and he didn't even fix the problem.  And he was rude -.- I hope he gets haunted my nightmares for a while.
gah! i rambled, but I've just been really worried about chico's weight and health for a long time.  Chilli's wound looks rather nice and clean right now, but there's a little white round bump in it I think.  I'll take a double look.  I'm trying to keep the wound clean, but clumps of dried blood get in it and then his fur get tangled in that. O.< man almost puked last night cleaning it, but it looks much better now. 

[crazychinbin]

I did mess up early on in his life though O.< I didn't know much since I had no experience, but he was given treats under the age of 6 months and over time was getting too many raisins.  Then found out and freaked out. Shoot I bet I damaged him for life  Chico I'm so sorry
/crawls into corner

[Cuddlebug]

Don't beat yourself up about it.  We all make mistakes.