Edgar Has Been Diagnosed With Malo

[AZChins]

When chins have gone through something like this they aren't eating normally and they are stressed so having those softer droppings is completely normal. I'm so glad he's eating for you!

One of my little girls had a serious issue with a molar last year. She's had three filings and that molar was removed. I'm still dealing with soft droppings even though I haven't had to give her critical care in well over a month. I've tried everything that I know to fix it, but I think it's just everything she has been through has caused it. I'm hoping that she gets better with that since it appears that she has nearly fully recovered. Her weight is great, she's eating by herself and is in great spirits! And, this is a chin that the vet told me I would probably want to put down a year ago. It's just that she has lots of droppings that squish on her cage...not wet, just slightly squishy...

 

[Jazicat]

Edgar's continuing to do well. His poops are getting firmer and he's maintaining his weight. We trained all of our chinchillas to sit on the scale so thankfully this is easy. They get rewarded with an apple stick or treat if they do it and look pretty cute. I'll keep posting to let you know how he's doing.

 

[Jazicat]

Edgar's still doing well but we had a few rough days. We had taken his pellets away and his poops immediately got better so when they were normal we gave the pellets back. Soft poop came right back and than there were very few. Edgar seemed to be sleeping a little more than usual and his poops small and hard. He also lost a few grams. We've been giving about half a tablespoon of pellets a day now and his poops are soft again. His weight has been stable for the last three days and his energy is all back. If he wasn't better today he'd have had to go to the vet early. Thankfully throughout all of this he's still chewing so that's a good thing. I'll keep posting so you all know how he's doing.

 

[ticklechin]

Are you giving him CC still? If not 10ml a day may not be a bad idea for that fibre boost. This is a common issue with dental chins so poor little Edgar is not unique!

 

[Jazicat]

Are you giving him CC still? If not 10ml a day may not be a bad idea for that fibre boost. This is a common issue with dental chins so poor little Edgar is not unique!

We haven't given him critical care but will start it in the morning. His poops were much better last night and his energy is back. He even bounced off the side of his cage when it was pellet time. We only give him a few four times a day and he eats them like treats. He's also going through sticks at an amazing pace. Other than that just timothy hay.

Our other boys like our new routine because they get more attention too. They also don't mind the extra sticks since if one gets something the others throw a temper tantrum. I've always thought it interesting how they react to each other from their cages.

Lastly, we got a third FN because we want Edgar to have his whole cage back. My one concern is that he'll lose weight running around. Should we keep him in the top half of his FN until he's gained some weight?

 

[Jazicat]

Edgar is still doing well. His poops are much better but he's lost a few grams but the fluctuation has hovered around 610g. He was 670-680g before all of this started. We've also started critical care and he just eats it so he's getting that now. We're also reintroducing pellets with success. He goes back to the vet a week from tomorrow for evaluation.

 

[ticklechin]

I would not limit anything with a dental chin, they need pleasure when they can get it! 10 grams up and 10 grams down as long as its not a downward trend is also normal.

 

[Jazicat]

Edgar went back to the vet today and he's lost about 20g which he dropped right after his last appointment. We had hoped that it was the different scales. Tomorrow he's going under sedation because the bruising is getting worse not better. There also looks to be some kind of blood blister on his gum. They are going to be looking for any spurs and fixing them. We will get new x rays if the vet thinks she needs clearer ones. The vet is also going to give us a bottle of metacam for pain so we have it on hand to use as needed. I'll post tomorrow to let you all know how he's doing.

 

[Newt]

Shouldn't he be on metacam at least once daily anyways? If he was more comfy, he would probs have a better appetite.

Hope it all goes well tomorrow. Sending positive thoughts your way....

 

[Jazicat]

Shouldn't he be on metacam at least once daily anyways? If he was more comfy, he would probs have a better appetite.

Hope it all goes well tomorrow. Sending positive thoughts your way....

Thank you. He probably should have gotten it from the first vet after the filing but I didn't insist. His new vet is going to give us enough to have it on hand from now on. I will probably rely on all of you to make sure he's getting the right dose.

 

[ticklechin]

If you are going to use metacam long term, you need to use Pepcid (Famotidine) to help prevent gastric ulcers and bleeding, when you go back ask the vet about it.

 

[Jazicat]

Edgar's home. They found a spur right where the bruising was and filed it. We are praying that he feels better and starts eating more. He's going back to the vet in a few days for a follow up. We also have a large bottle of pain meds to give to Edgar as needed.

 

[Newt]

If you are going to use metacam long term, you need to use Pepcid (Famotidine) to help prevent gastric ulcers and bleeding, when you go back ask the vet about it.

Gosh really? I didn't know about that. Does that go for all animals on Metacam, or is it a chin-specific thing?


Glad to hear they got rid of Edgar's spur. I bet he does feel much better with it gone, plus the meds to help out. He might like some CC as well, while he heals. He sounds like a tough wee guy!

 

[ticklechin]

I have had several malo chins that were on metacam 24/7 for over a year, my vet would put them on it if the course was going to be more than 30 consecutive days. I don't know about other animals, I would assume it is true for them also since its true for humans.

 

[Jazicat]

Just wanted to say that Edgar seems to be doing much better. His poops have firmed up and are getting to normal size. He also has a lot more energy and is running around his cage talking like normal. I'm really hoping that he stay like this for a while and that we can keep him pain free. We're making his appointment for his follow up Monday and will post after the appointment or if there is any change.

I also want to thank you for your support because I really appreciate it.

 

[Jazicat]

Just wanted to say that Edgar continues to do well and the bruising in his mouth is no longer visible. He's also gained 20g and we hope he continues to. We weigh him daily now and will keep a record of his weight for the rest of his life. Jackie got his own cage but we haven't given Edgar the bottom of his FN back. We've decided to limit his outs and keep him in the top only until he's gained weight. He's small and weighs 610g but I'd like him to gain at least another 40-50g to get him to his previous weight.

 

[ticklechin]

Go Edgar!

 

[Newt]

That's great news

So pleased for you and your lil guy!

 

[Jazicat]

Thank you both! Edgar continues to gain and his last weigh in was 619g. He has no symptoms of pain and is his playful self. We will continue to weigh him daily for now as it gives us peace of mind. We hope he can have the bottom of his cage back soon but aren't going to give him a wheel. He won't know the difference because he had a flying saucer for over two years before we finally gave it to Jackie recently.

 

[Jazicat]

Just wanted to say that Edgar has continued to do great. It took a while but he's gained all of the 80 grams he lost back. We weigh him daily and watch him like a hawk but no signs of problems. Thank you again for to everyone who helped as it meant a lot. Next time I'll probably just post pictures of all my boys to update.