missing toe :(

[laurenxx810]

So today I noticed that my boy Oliver is missing the tip of his middle toe. I feel so stupid for not having noticed it before since I've had him for about a month. Also, quite angry that the lady I bought him from failed to mention it to me. Obviously it doesn't make me love him any less but I would have liked to have known. Its obviously been healed for a long time and i don't think it affects him. Is there any issue with partially missing a toe? I feel so bad for my boy : (

 

[Stackie]

It's very common. I had a chin that only had one toe on one of his paws. They can accidentally get bitten off by mom, siblings, another chin, or lost in some other sort of accident. It doesn't affect them in any way. The only time there is a problem is whenever the injury happens and bone is exposed. Usually this requires amputation. Since his toe is already healed you have nothing to worry about.

 

[Amethyst]

Missing toes are not an issue for chins, so long as it's fully healed and there is no bone exposed. It's a common injury during birth, the mother could have easily bit it off by accident in birthing or cleaning. If it happened during birth the person you bought him from could have simply forgotten about it. Also it's possible it happened if he had litter mates or was housed with another chin before you got him. There really isn't much a person can do about it, other then keep it clean, when it happens there is minimal blood and the toes tend to heal quickly even without vet care (unless as I said the bone is exposed, in which case the vet needs to amputate it). One of my males when I was growing up had a middle toe bitten completely off by another male, he seemed fine and continued to use the paw as if nothing happened.

 

[Minccino]

Aww, poor little guy!
But at least it won't cause him any issues!

 

[Pepperpot]

Salt, my pink white boy is missing three toes in total. It doesn't impede him in the least, and although he is only a small chinchilla, he definitely rules the roost regarding the two other boys that he lives with.