Chinchilla Cancer

[Tillygizmo]

This is sort of a continuation of my blog about Tilly when we thought she had malocclusion. As I wrote before, the vet found out she actually has tearing issues in her eyes, and we couldnt explain the lack of appetite. Now, the bloodwork came back and it shows that she has a very low red and white blood cell count. The vet says this is for 1 of 2 reasons. She is either fighting a serious infection - so we are putting her on two weeks of antibiotics - or if it doesnt clear up after that...she probably has cancer. I feel like I have heard about a chin getting cancer but I dont know anything about it. I thought I would start asking questions now to try and be prepared.

*I would be much more interested in treating a chin with natural stuff if this is the case*

Please tell me everything and anything you know about it.... please:cry4:

 

[MyFuzzies]

Well, first of all, let's HOPE that it just a bad infection!!! I know NOTHING about cancer in chins. You and poor Tilly have been on a rough roller coaster ride over the past couple of days, but hang in there. <<crossing fingers & toes for Tilly>>

 

[Kansas City Chinchillas]

I believe cancer in chins is a very rare occurrence. I don't believe I've ever heard of a chin getting cancer.

 

[Chinniechantel]

I have never heard of it either, but that does not mean it doesn't happen. Most people don't get a necropsy so they don't know why their animal died. I hope it is just an infection and that she gets better really quick. Hugs and prayers!

 

[Anne-Lise]

I know of a chin with cancer, lymphatic knot (not sure of the english term) which is a type of cancer. He was a white saphirre, weirdly bred (dam and sir not fully pedigreed, not enough knowledge of background, etc). He started losing weight and appetite he was about 6 months old. From then on, it only got worst. Tests were done, bloodwork, x rays, everything you can think of. He was thought to have giardia, got treated, came back, etc. All the treatments were tried as they didn't really know what was up with him. He was fed CC for almost an entire year in his life, and the owner, a close friend of mine, finally let him go after a strong battle and much money. The vet did a free necropsy and he ended up having a whole bunch these lymphatic knots around his intestine. Everything started off as a blockage.....

I don't know if this helps you, but just wanted to share.

 

[lilchinchilla]

I only knew of one chin a friend had in Washington who got cancer (a sapphire female). It is a very rare occurance from my understanding. Her chin eventually had to be put down. I believe if I recall correctly, the chin had lumps on it, cancerous tumors? It was quite some years ago, like early 2001, so my mind is a bit hazy on the details.
I do know her vet said it was very rare for chins to get it, and I know I haven't personally heard of one getting cancer since...
We had planned to swap kits(one of my sc's for one of hers - as it was a line I didn't have in my sapphire lines and she was a very nice quality sapphire.) but the cancer popped up shortly after she got her sapphire.

 

[Chinniechantel]

Odd that the 2 cases we know about are both sapphire chins, huh?

 

[JennyBug]

While we were at the vet with Carmen a few weeks ago, I snuck a peek at one of the vet's small animal texts, and I remember it saying that lymphoma or any other cancer in chins is VERY rare. I do think it's odd that both known cases are sapphires... maybe it's a mutation thing? I can't remember what type of chin the book said the case it looked at was.

I hope your buddy comes out of everything okay!!

 

[starleomach]

I have never had experiance with a chinchilla having cancer, that I know of. I mean all of us that have been around a while have lost an animal to old age. I know when I lose an older animal I don't get a necropsy done so who can really say...

 

[lilchinchilla]

I wouldn't say it is a mutation thing. I've had sapphires since 1998 and am sure lots of other breeders have had them longer...I've never had a single one with cancer yet or known of any other but that one sapphire female that person had.

I just mentioned that she was a sapphire, because she was. A very nice quality one too and it took a few years before that breeder found another sapphire as good as her, to replace that sapphire in her herd.

 

[Laurie]

Yep just really hoping this is a bad infection and will get cleared up with meds.

 

[Tillygizmo]

thanks everyone... i am going to be heart broken if not

 

[Rickman]

Good luck with whatever this is!

 

[furmommy]

This is sort of a continuation of my blog about Tilly when we thought she had malocclusion. As I wrote before, the vet found out she actually has tearing issues in her eyes, and we couldnt explain the lack of appetite. Now, the bloodwork came back and it shows that she has a very low red and white blood cell count. The vet says this is for 1 of 2 reasons. She is either fighting a serious infection - so we are putting her on two weeks of antibiotics - or if it doesnt clear up after that...she probably has cancer. I feel like I have heard about a chin getting cancer but I dont know anything about it. I thought I would start asking questions now to try and be prepared.

*I would be much more interested in treating a chin with natural stuff if this is the case*

Please tell me everything and anything you know about it.... please:cry4:

I am very sad to report that my 8 year old female chinchilla just died this last Wednesday of cancer. It was such a shock. I drove her to an exotics specialist vet after she had not been eating and my local vet said her blood tests said she was anemic with elevated liver enzymes. She felt a mass and didn't know what it was.

The exotics vet was so wonderful and tried to do life saving surgery. Sadly she saw that the cancer had intertwined through her small intestines and the secum and part of the liver. There was nothing she could do so I sat with my sweet baby girl while she was humanely euthanized while still under anesthesia. I couldn't let her suffer and my heart literally aches from the grief of losing her.

I had given her only organic treats (mainly shredded wheat, a few raisins per week) and bottled water and Mazuri food. I am suspicious of the GMO soy in Mazuri as some research with GMOs have shown mice getting cancer from eating it. It's the only thing that makes sense to me since I had read that cancer in chins is rare. I will never know 100% for sure, but I am grateful for the time I had with my sweet baby and am going to miss her so much.

I don't know if this helps anyone, but I wanted you to know cancer can sometimes affect chins.

 

[furmommy]

I forgot to mention that my sweet ^Chloe^ who I just lost to cancer was a standard grey.

 

[mishellyshel]

i hope tilly is ok. dealing with sick chins is just heartbreaking :broken: