Chin with a broken pelvis

[Kalandra]

You will need to get metacam from your vet. It is a medication for pain. Even if she doesn't seem in pain she could be hiding it.

 

[tunes]

Just remember the "probably" in there in regards to the healing. Yesterday, my first thought would have been to tell you to euthanize her, that the pain would be tremendous for her and that there's no way for bones so far apart to knit in any cohesive fashion. I'm "hopeful" that the second opinion on the x-rays is correct and she will heal, despite the severity of the break. Always keep in the forefront of your mind - quality of life. As long as she can do all things chin (providing it heals), including eating, drinking, pooping, peeing, and at least some modicum of normalcy with her motion, then that's great. I personally would not have her in any more than a one level cage of a certain size. I don't know that she would ever be able to comfortably run on a wheel (and no, a chin won't die without one, trust me), and I would limit her playtimes. I would also keep a bottle of Metacam on hand because just like people with arthritis, rainy days, cold days, etc. may cause her to have pain.

That's not to be Debbie Downer either, that's just being practical and realistic. I hope like heck for both of you that it will heal well. I just always try to expect the worst, but hope for the best.

 

[Ash]

Ash, the vet Peggy was talking about is PROBABLY Annie (Chin_Vet) and she's from PA. I doubt she'd be too upset with offering a second opinion, and maybe if you're close enough (I forget where exactly she is) you could start using her. If not, I know Smoketown VCA here in Lancaster is good with exotics and chins, and I know of quite a few people who have successfully used them for teeth issues, though I've only ever had to go there for a fungus issue for them.

Good luck with Tia and I hope she heals next to perfect for you.

 

[tunes]

AnGie, not Annie.

 

[Gizmo24]

Good luck with the little girl. I hope for a fast recovery!

 

[AZChins]

There's always a "probably" or "maybe" with chins that have problems. It was just so great to hear that there is a ray of hope.

 

[CJR]

I know you're not trying to be Debbie Downer (or Captain Buzzkill, lol I like that one best) Tunes, but I will not lie... I know you are only being honest and trying to help... but when I read what you said, I just got very very said.

She just doesn't seem like she's suffering. I mean, how well can chins hide pain? I've said this a couple times, but Tia really acts like it doesn't bother her. She would hop about during playtime, sniffing and exploring, she liked to jump up onto her perches and ledges in her cage...

Can a chin really hide pain that well? Especially pain that we think would be so severe?

Although she does do this thing where she goes still and quiet for minutes at a time, then 'jolts' back to life like she was dazing. Or is that normal?

 

[Ash]

Sorry Peggy! Angie

Ash, she's probably fine. Peggy just wants to you be on the lookout for if her quality of life does start to deteriorate. And it's quite normal for chins to "space out".

 

[tunes]

Although she does do this thing where she goes still and quiet for minutes at a time, then 'jolts' back to life like she was dazing. Or is that normal?

Ya, that's normal. She's just zoning out for a second, then back into our reality.

As far as how well can they hide pain? Chins are at the bottom of the food chain. Any show of weakness and they would be picked off by predators. In captivity, by the time you notice a chin is really ill, it's almost always too late. That's how good they are at hiding illness/pain. Whether in captivity or not, the instinct is still there to survive. In order to survive, they have to be or appear to be strong.

I trust Angie. If she says to give her a chance and see how she looks in 6 weeks, then IMO, you've gotten excellent advice. I'm still super surprised though that your vet didn't recommend the smaller confinement for 4-6 weeks. That is just totally standard protocol for a pelvic injury in a smaller animal.

 

[CJR]

Okay. I put the ball rolling on getting the Metacam earlier this morning, still waiting for the vet to call me back. I will definitely give her that twice a day, along with the symphytum and calcarea phosphorica.

How much Metacam are you supposed to give a chin, or will the vet tell me that? Honestly, as much as I liked him at the time, he seems kind of worthless the more I think about it and the more I learn...

I'm sorry I get so easily upset, but I lost my beloved Lemmiwinks (my pet rat, she was four years old!) on January 31st and the thought of losing another baby so soon, even if I have only had her two weeks, just... makes me die a little inside. Call me pathetic, but I generally get much closer to animals than people.

 

[Kalandra]

Its not pathetic, and you will find that there are many of us that feel the same way about our beloved pets. Its hard to deal with the thought of losing them. I think you are doing very well. You seem to be very open to the advice and opinions being given.... even if those opinions may not be exactly what you want to hear.

The vet should tell you now much of the metacam to give.

 

[AZChins]

Yeah, the vet will dose it out without too much of a problem. They generally use the weight of the animal for the dosage.

Chins hide everything extremely well. If she could, she would have hidden the whole fractured pelvis thing from you! The worst part is that they seem to act happier than normal sometimes when they are sick. My vet said that he wished they would learn how to talk to just tell us that there is something wrong!

I do wonder about the healing and if there will be any lasting impairments or nerve damage. Is she using her back leg at all or is she dragging it? Lenny was diagnosed with nerve damage in his hind leg and tail...now I wonder if it could have possibly been a pelvic fracture or something like that. The lady he came from took him to the vet multiple times, but she never got a diagnosis - I wonder if they ever xrayed him.

At any rate...the Metacam will help. How long do you all think that she should be kept on it?

 

[mishellyshel]

dosage depends on her weight......typically it is .10cc 1 or 2 times per day. for about 650 gram chin.
i would say at least a few weeks to be on it while the bones hopefully fuse.
tia is lucky to have you. and you are lucky to have found us!

you seem very mature and open to advice and honestly deal with your feelings quite well. a lot of her recovery will depend on you and i think she is in super good hands.

i also think it was really great of peggy to forward tia's x-rays to angie..........and to get at least a ray of hope from a certified vet is a little more comforting. keep us updated.

 

[menagerie]

Tunes, I can't even begin to thank you! I thought about calling other vets for second opinions, but I don't like to bother them and I know they don't like it when you do that.

I am so happy to hear that, you don't even know!

I do have a question though... where does one get Metacam?

(She is eating and pooping like it's her job, btw!)

FYI: The vet that Peggy had look at the x-rays is three hours away from you. She's the first one I recommended to you on CU. So if you have transportation, it could be feasible for you to see her. I know three hours is a long trip.

Eating and pooping is her job. She's a chin. :laughitup:

 

[CJR]

So I spent all day today calling Smoketown, trying to get Tia a scrip for Metacam. They are about an hour and a half drive away from me, so I asked if they could fax the scrip to a closer vet in my area - Carlisle Small Animal Clinic. I called both places multiple times, but finally - at 4:45pm - I got a call back, saying that the scrip was ready.

It's been a bad day for Tia. I don't know if it's because of the rain we've had today or maybe the pain has worn her down to the point that she can't hide it from me anymore or what, but she's been huddled in her corner doing the "I'm in pain" whimper every time I touch her. Her fur is greasy because she hasn't dusted and I imagine that she just feels like crap right now. I can't blame her one bit.

So, in short, that phone call inspired some joy. I went to go pick the scrip up. And how long is it for?

FIVE DAYS. FIVE #@$% DAYS. Does this doctor in Smoketown expect her pelvis to just magically heal in five days? For the pain to magically go away? :banghead:

Unless this is standard practice, I am absolutely livid right now. Especially considering that I got home, opened one of the syringes (they prepackaged them in individual doses), tested it and the Metacam just FLEW all over me. Waste of a dose. That is no one's fault but my own, but I can still be upset about it.

Meanie, I do have a car and transportation, and I am seriously starting to consider going to McKees Rocks to see this vet. I know a lot of people like Smoketown, and maybe it is a good place, but at this point, Dr. Hall has made me so angry I refuse to go back for a long while. I talked to the nurses in at Small Animal Clinic and they have two exotic specialists (and are also right in town) who I might just give a try. If all else fails, to McKees Rocks it is.

 

[CJR]

An update... mostly good, a little of possibly bad?

Tia got her first dose of Metacam yesterday and -wow-, it really made a difference. She ate nearly all of her pellets today - a first since I've had her! As usual, she is eating lots of hay.

Also, she completely stripped all of the bark off her applewood stick. When I first got her, I bought some applewood sticks and she really had no interest in them. Apparently she hurt too much to care.

She is also much more feisty than usual... I didn't think that was possible for her, but I'm okay with that!

And her poops are larger and not as dark as they normally are... I think that is a good sign?

Yesterday I sprinkled dust on her and rubbed it into her fur. I know a lot of you advised against it, but she hurt so much I wanted to do anything to make her feel better. She did not roll though, just kind of fluffed her fur up.

I do have a new concern though. On Monday, I noticed she had some gunk in the corners of both eyes. She would not let me clean it off, and I didn't want to fight her, so I left it there. It is still there as of today, and the corers of her eyes are moist - the fur is wet. I read the "Eye boogies" post... she has those same things going on. So I guess we should go back to the doc? :bangdesk:

 

[AZChins]

The eye wetness could just be that she hasn't been able to roll in the dust. My girl, Lydia has slightly longer fur and she always gets that wetness around her eyes when she hasn't dusted for a few days. Sometimes they get a little goo in the eye corners...she hasn't been feeling well, maybe it hurts for her to wipe her face? My chins are always grooming and cleaning their faces with their little hands. (Just thinking about that made me smile and think Awwww...chins are too cute!)

I'm glad that she's eating so well. That is THE sign that chins are feeling good. The droppings may be a little different from the medication and the decrease in activity...maybe from eating a little more than normal. I've noticed that when chins are recovering, really recovering, that they seem to really like to chew things to pieces. It could be that they are bored and can't bounce about like normal, or it takes their mind off the pain, but they really do seem to enjoy toys more than the chins that are in perfect shape. (Give her more things to shred...)

 

[kdr13]

I go to the doctor that Tunes was talking about. Her name is Angie Keffer. I live an hour and 10 minutes away from her and she is worth every second of that drive. She is an absolutely AMAZING vet and doesn't charge you an arm and a leg either. In fact, since we live kind of far from her, she always writes scripts for me for metacam and reglan to have at home on hand at all times just in case my babies get sick so i can start them on something before I take them to her. I also e-mail her if i have a question and she is SUPER nice and understanding about the whole situation. She is actually in Robinson, PA. She works @ the Robinson Animal Hospital and everyone is so amazingly nice there and caring. If you want the best possible care for you chin, IMO, you go and see Angie.

 

[tunes]

The eye wetness can also be a ventilation issue. Try blowing a fan at the floor of your room and get the air moving around. You wouldn't want to blow it directly on the carrier, but if you get the air moving in the room, it should help.

 

[Essentia]

It could honestly be from you rubbing the dust on her as well. Because she's in pain she wasn't able to do that shake as well as a normal chin would to get the excess dust off her. She could have gotten a bit of dust in her eyes.

If she is eating really well, I would leave it be for right this second and just watch just to make sure their isn't an infection going on. Eyes leaking sometimes means a teeth issue, but if she is chowing down on food it most likely isn't the case. I'm not saying not to bring her to the vet, just to give it a few days to make sure it is actually something to bring her to the vet for.