Author: Jo Ann
of Luv'N Chins
Nursing & Damage Control
|
Here are Jamie and Janice, two violet kits born on May 26th, 2003 to Juliet and Little Buster. With two beautiful new-borns like this you wouldn't think you would have a care in the world ... but ... they are hungry little scrappers! A fact that would cause a big problem!
|
| The following day I found Juliet, their mother, with missing fur and some blood on her chest. Apparently, the kits were fighting for a teat and the one that held on was pulled away from her mom, taking teat and all. I saw a mass of fur with bare skin and what looked like a mammary glad filling with milk and no where to go. (as seen in this photo) It was not milk, but an infection, as I would soon find out from Dr. Vanessa.
| 
|
Juliet had to be treated with an anti-biotic called Baytril. Baytril would not normally be used because it is too strong for a nursing mom, but Eileen had taken over the nursing of Juliet's kits so we could treat her with as strong an antibiotic as possible. Juliet took the crushed Baytril mixed with strawberry syrup and was given lots of yogurt half way in-between each dose (both can not be given within 3 hours of each other or they will counter act each other). The yogurt was to replace the flora in her digestive track that the Baytril destroyed along with the bad bacteria in her system which was causing the infection.
One other 'treatment' had to be done on Juliet besides the antibiotic. An interesting saying vets have is "The solution to pollution is dilution." Sounds simple, and it is, but not so simple to handle, as I would soon find out.
|
It was first important to moisten the area before being able to remove the fur and dried blood. I first had to wrap a warm moist washcloth under her and over the injury. (as seen in this photo) While waiting for everything to soften, I comforted her by scratching her head and talking to her ... this is very important to keep her calm. After all fur and dried blood was remove a gaping wound was exposed. As seen in this photo. Not a pretty site.
|
The wound had to be flushed 3 times a day using a sterile saline and Bedidine solution (looked like weak tea) and a special syringe. The tip of the syringe had to be placed inside of the wound and the force of the solution flushed out and diluted the infection. (as seen in these two photos)
 
After the flushing, the wound would be clean, as seen in the next photos. This had to be repeated for 7 days, 3 times a day, until the wound healed.
 
|
After each treatment Juliet was rewarded with a nice treat to show her what a good girl she had been!
Juliet's fur is now growing back nicely, but the mammary glands (chins have two sets) on her right side will no longer work. She will be able to have more kits, but only half of the normal working teats to nurse them with.
| 
|
What happened to Juliet is not the norm, but raising and breeding chinchillas rarely is. The more chins you have, the more 'experiences' you will have to learn from. Being prepared, having an excellent vet, keeping a close eye on your chins and not panicking are very important to keep your chins healthy and happy and/or to help bring them back to good health. Had things not been discovered early and appropriate actions taken quickly, as they were, we would have lost mother and most likely both kits. All are happy and healthy now as can be seen by the photos in the show! :)
|
|
