do i have to put him down?

[ilovegeorge]

so i posted this question on yahoo answers and the person who gave me the best answer had a link to this site, so i'd like to ask further.

my chinchilla is four and a while ago he started drooling and he hasn't chewed on anything since i got him in june 2008. a few months ago he stopped eating but i though he had been because he just kept flipping the bowl over and i thought he had eaten most of the food. he became very sick and i found him unconscious and seizing and rushed him to a vet who made him better but said he was very unhealthy and his teeth had gotten too sharp and that's why he stopped eating. so i got him surgery and he had his teeth filed down and some of his rotten molars removed and gave him his antibiotics until the bottle was empty, as the vet had instructed. after two months, he eats better than he used to, but still only about half the food i give him, not nearly as much as i thought he'd eat after almost starving to death before, and he still doesn't chew and he's just started drooling again and his under fur is all matted and the fur around his mouth and hands is almost gone and he constantly is rubbing his hands over his mouth and nose.

the person who answered me on yahoo said that it sounded a lot like malocclusion, but i really hope not. i don't know what's wrong so i'm wondering if anyone else has run into this problem, and i don't really have a lot of money to constantly get him surgeries and x rays.

 

[Laurie]

I'm SO sorry to hear of your situation with your poor chin. While I'm not a vet and haven't seen any x-rays, the symptoms sound like malo and your chin is in a lot of pain. No eating, severe drooling and virtually no fur on face, chest and hands is a very dire situation. The best thing, the absolutely kindest, most humane thing you can do for your chin is to have him put to sleep to end his pain and suffering.

 

[mishellyshel]

sounds like exactly what i am goin thru. i am picking up new meds today to try & see if it makes a difference and if it does and he continues to gain weight during the time i am handfeeding i will see.............but i am just delaying the inevitable of putting him down.
just trying to prepare myself & my son over the next couple weeks before he is no longer with us. it really stinks and i cry everyday but it is not fair to him to be in pain.
best of luck to you & your baby.

 

[ilovegeorge]

thank you. it's so strange, because before he came here he was fine and when we first got him he was fine then it he just started drooling in december so i'm wondering if it's my fault. through this whole time, though, he will eat an endless amount of triscuts, which is also strange because they're not very soft, but i guess it does break apart easily. what should i do to get ready to say good bye to him? i want to introduce him to a lady chinchilla so i can have one or two kids from him to remember him by because he is a beautiful and adorable chinchilla.

 

[Sandi]

I am very sorry as well! Unfortunately, I have been through malo with my first chin, and from what you've posted, I would say it is malo and malo doesn't go away if its the roots of his teeth elongating. Xrays would confirm it. He is in alot of pain right now and its up to you and your vet to do what's best for him. What a tough little guy you have to have been through this for so long, and since he has some teeth pulled, you should be syringe feeding as well. I am so sorry.

 

[mishellyshel]

if he has malo, he should not be bred...........as his kits would possibly get malo and they would be doomed for a short and painful life just like him.

 

[tunes]

i want to introduce him to a lady chinchilla so i can have one or two kids from him to remember him by because he is a beautiful and adorable chinchilla.

No chin with malo should EVER be bred. The pain he is going through you are going to be passing on to his offspring, and they could go through it as well.

Saying good-bye to a beloved pet is a very personal and gut wrenching experience for me. Each one is different. If it's a rat, I let them cuddle in my pocket or my hoodie for a while, and if they can eat, I make a last meal of all their very favorite things. I do the same with my dogs, we cuddle and they get whatever they want to eat as a last meal. When it was a horse, we went on a long walk before hand, so we could say good-bye. How you prepare is going to be up to you, but one thing you do need to remember, this is not your fault. Malocclusion is almost always genetic. You didn't cause it to happen. You also need to remember that even though it hurts you badly, that you will miss him tremendously, HIS pain will be at an end.

 

[Laurie]

your chin has malo and should not be bred at all under ANY circumstances. this is an inherited trait and you will pass malo along to the babies. Not to mention your chin is way too sick to even think of breeding. Honestly you need to put him down to end his suffering. Would you want to live in constant pain day in and day out? I don't think so, please think of him and how much his is hurting right now

 

[susansheila]

I'm sorry that you are going through this with your chin. Sounds like he is suffering pretty bad. Trying to breed an animal that is suffering that much is not fair. The most humane thing to do is put him to sleep so he does not suffer anymore.

 

[jarp]

thank you. it's so strange, because before he came here he was fine and when we first got him he was fine then it he just started drooling in december so i'm wondering if it's my fault. through this whole time, though, he will eat an endless amount of triscuts, which is also strange because they're not very soft, but i guess it does break apart easily. what should i do to get ready to say good bye to him? i want to introduce him to a lady chinchilla so i can have one or two kids from him to remember him by because he is a beautiful and adorable chinchilla.

I'm so sorry for your situation but PLEASE DON'T BREED HIM. It sounds like he has malocclusion and if he breeds the babies will likely have malo as well. Do you really want to make babies that will go through the same suffering as him? Please don't do that. PLEASE!!!!

I'm so sorry about what you are going through but you must put him down. Imagine living day to day with the worst toothache you could ever imagine.

 

[ilovegeorge]

How you prepare is going to be up to you, but one thing you do need to remember, this is not your fault. Malocclusion is almost always genetic. You didn't cause it to happen. You also need to remember that even though it hurts you badly, that you will miss him tremendously, HIS pain will be at an end.

thank you. i've been blaming myself this whole time. and thank you to everyone telling me not to breed him, that would be a horrible mistake and you all just saved me from feeling this awful again in the future. how long should i wait? i want to get him xrays first just to make absolutely sure, even though it really looks like malo.

 

[Sandi]

thank you. i've been blaming myself this whole time. and thank you to everyone telling me not to breed him, that would be a horrible mistake and you all just saved me from feeling this awful again in the future. how long should i wait? i want to get him xrays first just to make absolutely sure, even though it really looks like malo.

If you do, do this asap, so that he does not suffer for too long. Thank for doing right by him.

 

[Laurie]

This is in no way your fault! Try to cut yourself a break and not feel like you caused this. I don't want to tell you what to do, but it seems the Xrays will only confirm what you've been told, so I'm not sure you should add this expense. Hold him and ask him when the right time is. He will tell you.

 

[jarp]

This is in no way your fault! Try to cut yourself a break and not feel like you caused this. I don't want to tell you what to do, but it seems the Xrays will only confirm what you've been told, so I'm not sure you should add this expense. Hold him and ask him when the right time is. He will tell you.

Very well stated! I know that it is a horrible thing to do but you must put him down as soon as you can. Like I said - imagine living daily with the worst toothache/headache that you could possibly imagine.

 

[pickles]

I dont know anything bout chins or their diseases but im so sorry to hear about your situation it must be heart breaking. Don't blame yourself

 

[ilovegeorge]

does anyone know about how much the xrays would cost?

 

[tunes]

That's going to vary by where you live. Out here it would be $30 or $40.00. On the east coast it would be a good bit higher.

 

[ilovegeorge]

darn... i'm on the east coast.

 

[cintistatern2005]

I am sorry to hear about your situation. But like everyone else stated it's not your fault. I live in ky and x-rays here cost 75 for the first and $25 each one there after. It all depends on your vet and where you live though. From what you've said it does sound like Malo and i dont see putting him through getting the x-rays and most likely anesthesia just to confirm it and then put him down. Think about him and his pain and suffering and do what's best by ending the pain. Please remember it's not your fault! We will keep him in our prayers.

 

[Jenn]

I am so sorry about your chin! What a tough position to be in. You love your chin and want him around, but you love your chin enough to know that if he is suffering, you have to let him go. It is a most heartbreaking situation. When you make the decision to let him go, make sure you spoil him like crazy with treats and love. Then it is easier to let him go, knowing that his final days were so great for him.