Foot Injury

[kathiva]

I'm glad you aren't using your age as an excuse for this. I just turned 22 and I've had chinchillas since I was 12, almost 13. I have NEVER let a chinchilla get in that kind of condition and I've owned over 20 chinchillas at one time since I was 14. I never let a chinchilla go without a bath when needed and I've never left a wound without investigating it thoroughly. If I ever noticed even a tiny wound, the chinchilla receives a FULL BODY inspection...both visual and by touch. They have a lot of fur...common knowledge which is easy to hide wounds.



This worries me. Chinchillas are ALL curious and chewers by nature. When out, they explore and chew things out of curiosity. They don't just sit and not care about the things around them. Prey animals have to become familiar with their surroundings to feel safe, hence the exploration. Chewing is because they are rodents and their teeth are always growing. To quote a very smart woman "chins chew and poo, that's what they do".

There is no "learn as you go" with chinchillas. That kind of mentality endangers the lives of the chinchillas in your care. You need to take HUGE steps back. Just by looking at the animals on your website listed as your "breeders" you do not have a good gauge of what a quality animal should look like. You need to have all your animals evaluated for quality, my assumption is that none of them are "worthy" of being in a breeding program. You should also NOT be working with recessives as they are already suffering on quality and difficult mutations to work with. By breeding them because it is a color that intrigues you without any idea of what goes into the mutation and it's breeding, you are only doing harm. You need to go back to just having ONE breeding pair and taking things slowly.

Being as you are a member of so many chinchilla forums, I'd expect better from you. Wounds are common knowledge and basic care with chinchillas. Apologizing only goes so far when you make a mistake of this magnitude AND the chinchillas look as they do in those pictures. Baths are a basic part of chinchilla care as well as pellets, hay and water. Those chinchillas do not look like they've received the proper amount of any of those essentials. If you need to "downsize" in order to provide that for your chinchillas, you need to rethink owning chinchillas in general. I own over 70 and none have EVER looked like that unless they came from a neglecting home. My breeding animals NEVER look greasy and only females with extremely large litters have ever appeared "thin".

Hi

Thanks for all the advise, like I said I am only 24, but I had started owning chins in July last year, and did my research but thought that with what I had researched it was enough and I was wrong, I didn't mean that I excuse myself that this is always a learn as you go thing, I tried to learn as much as I could before owning my chins, but with time and things happening, you learn more and more, and I recognize I was wrong , from now on for sure I want to make things better because I am willing to do them for my chins, and for sure I have a lot of work to do.

 

[RDZCRanch]

I'm confused that your profile says you have 50+ chinchillas but here

No, they don't, I have a couple chins in my care which are about 15-20,

you say you only have 15 to 20? Which is it? Either way...you have been "breeding" less than a year and you've jumped from 0 to more than 15 chinchillas. That is a HUGE jump...no wonder you are in over your head.

Thanks for all the advise, like I said I am only 24, but I had started owning chins in July last year, and did my research but thought that with what I had researched it was enough and I was wrong, I didn't mean that I excuse myself that this is always a learn as you go thing, I tried to learn as much as I could before owning my chins, but with time and things happening, you learn more and more, and I recognize I was wrong , from now on for sure I want to make things better because I am willing to do them for my chins, and for sure I have a lot of work to do.

You did not listen to anything I had to say. Obviously you will do as you please like any other BYB because you're not in it for the chins...you're in it for your own pleasure.

 

[kogia]

Kathiva, why did you choose to breed chins in the first place? It seems like it may have been a better idea to start out small and keep one or two as pets for a few years to get a feel for chinchilla care. I don't think its possible for any person to gain the know-how to care for 50+ chinchillas with less then a years experience, nevermind breeding.

 

[Laurie]

All I can say is WOW everything posted in the past 3 pages has had NOTHING to do with the injury of poor Jade. Discussing who should and who should not be breeding is not a chinchilla emergency. This thread has gone severely off topic. How is proudmom to get any information as to how to care for her injured chin while wading through all of this?

 

[RDZCRanch]

All I can say is WOW everything posted in the past 3 pages has had NOTHING to do with the injury of poor Jade. Discussing who should and who should not be breeding is not a chinchilla emergency. This thread has gone severely off topic. How is proudmom to get any information as to how to care for her injured chin while wading through all of this?

So you propose we ignore this breeder's grievous mistake and just simply help fix the problem she created? I am not ok with that and quite obviously several other people are not ok with that idea either. The OP was given GREAT advice at the start of the thread and it should be easy to find. Yes, it's off topic but when an issue is presented on a public forum it is addressed, no matter what thread it happens to get posted in. If the OP still has concerns or questions I recommend she PM Claire who has way too much experience on wound management. The OP WAS answered and WAS given advice...we didn't leave her out of her own thread. We are responding to the breeder in concern for her and Jade and any future animals this breeder may sell. IMO, that's more important than staying strictly on topic.

 

[kathiva]

I'm confused that your profile says you have 50+ chinchillas but here



you say you only have 15 to 20? Which is it? Either way...you have been "breeding" less than a year and you've jumped from 0 to more than 15 chinchillas. That is a HUGE jump...no wonder you are in over your head.



You did not listen to anything I had to say. Obviously you will do as you please like any other BYB because you're not in it for the chins...you're in it for your own pleasure.

Hi

In my profile it says that I have about 50, but that is the total, like I mentioned before my parents own some chinchillas and more than me because they have a bigger house than me, and of course by so many chins in less than a year it has made it difficult for me to manage everything that is why I am trying to rehome some of them so I can focus in a smaller group, I regret of having gotten all excited and have gotten all kinds of chins, and I never said I never listened to what you said, that is not true, I just wish for now that I can keep learning from other breeders to do things better and I wish I can do things right like you are doing now, and ask all kinds of questions about how to get there and what do you need to do, and I do care for my chins and I want to do better for them,

 

[kathiva]

Kathiva, why did you choose to breed chins in the first place? It seems like it may have been a better idea to start out small and keep one or two as pets for a few years to get a feel for chinchilla care. I don't think its possible for any person to gain the know-how to care for 50+ chinchillas with less then a years experience, nevermind breeding.

Hi

I just fell in love for them and I sort of wanted to start seeing babies and experience owning them, I saw so many people doing it and I thought it was a good idea, after I got my first chin, I decided to breed for them, which it was true a not very good idea to start breeding chins in that situation and with my experience and acquiring so many in so little time, and that's the reason why I regret having to go that way in the first place to start breeding chins, I should have done more research and I should have owned a couple as pets for a couple years, and do it like the way you say it, they say that when you do things so fast, you never can do things in the proper way

 

[proudmom25]

I tried making a cone for her out of fleece but just couldn't get it right. So I made this one instead. Do you think this will work okay? I can get only one finger (as previously mentioned) behind her neck. I am not going to sleep until this is perfected. I want her to start her recovery. I know she won't be able to eat drink with it but I am handfeeding every four hours...which she is doing amazingly well.

Am I getting the stinkeye or what?

 

[kathiva]

All I can say is WOW everything posted in the past 3 pages has had NOTHING to do with the injury of poor Jade. Discussing who should and who should not be breeding is not a chinchilla emergency. This thread has gone severely off topic. How is proudmom to get any information as to how to care for her injured chin while wading through all of this?

I think so too, but still both topics are related so maybe that's why they are in the same thread, still, the purpose was to try to seek extra advice from some people that has more experience, but what how it happened it could not be disregarded as well, and I think it was a good idea to discuss it

 

[Lynn & The Chins]

All I can say is WOW everything posted in the past 3 pages has had NOTHING to do with the injury of poor Jade. Discussing who should and who should not be breeding is not a chinchilla emergency. This thread has gone severely off topic. How is proudmom to get any information as to how to care for her injured chin while wading through all of this?

Wow, Laurie, you just might have the makings of a great Moderator!!! :neener:

 

[kathiva]

I tried making a cone for her out of fleece but just couldn't get it right. So I made this one instead. Do you think this will work okay? I can get only one finger (as previously mentioned) behind her neck. I am not going to sleep until this is perfected. I want her to start her recovery. I know she won't be able to eat drink with it but I am handfeeding every four hours...which she is doing amazingly well.

Am I getting the stinkeye or what?

Yeah, she is giving the stinkeye, I am just hoping that this time she doesn't manage it to take it off so she can't chew on her foot again. I still feel bad, because it should have been me that was going to go through that situation and not you and I am sorry, I am willing to help and do whatever you need

 

[Jenn]

Proudmom, I don't know for sure since I've never had to deal with an injury, but your cone looks fine. I guess time will tell for sure whether or not your chin can/will remove it. Poor thing looks unhappy to have it one, but it is for her own good. I hope her foot quickly improves!

 

[saphire]

Am I getting the stinkeye or what?


Maybe, but she will say thank you mom a little later.

That is a NICE job Proudmom.
I would say it will do the job.

Lan63, I do agree this has gone off topic, but I do agree with Tabita's response.

 

[Ronda]

I can get only one finger (as previously mentioned) behind her neck.

This looks like it will work fine. Just make sure that it's your little finger and it's very tight - if it squeezes your finger then that's okay. It's amazing how agile these chins are.

Good luck with the wound.

Ronda

 

[Stackie]

I haven't read through the entire posting so I don't know if this has been mentioned but if she can't feed herself (reach a pellet from her paw to her mouth) because of the cone you'll have to handfeed her until she gets the cone off. I hope the poor baby's feet feel better soon.

 

[saphire]

Yes Stacie, Proudmom asked and was answered on page 4

 

[Claire D]

I tried making a cone for her out of fleece but just couldn't get it right. So I made this one instead. Do you think this will work okay? I can get only one finger (as previously mentioned) behind her neck. I am not going to sleep until this is perfected. I want her to start her recovery. I know she won't be able to eat drink with it but I am handfeeding every four hours...which she is doing amazingly well.

Am I getting the stinkeye or what?

Has she managed to keep that cone on? It looks really good BTW - similar to the ones used here. :thumbsup:
Sometimes a chin with a cone on will be able to eat by not using their paws - she may need some help though (as has been suggested already) so scattering pellets, hay, healthy high fibre foods (like a pinch of rolled oats, a crumbles up mini shredded wheat, a few strands of alfalfa) can help tempt her appetite.
The other thing you might like to consider is giving her a little "time out" from her cone so she can eat. She would have to be closely monitored so she does not take a sneaky nibble at her legs but you may find she eats a bit from you without the collar on. Having said that, if the cone is hard to apply or it stresses her then it might not be an option - depends how you think it will work.


How are the legs looking now?

 

[proudmom25]

It has been a long night (up every four hours for feeds) but I am happy to announce that her legs are bite free. YAY! She did try several times to get the cone off but was not successful. She handfed like a champ. I have been making a paste and giving it to her off a spoon. She gobbled spoonful after spoonful.

I took the cone off for feedings to give her a little break. It also makes feeding easier and less messy. She definitely can't get at her food with it on. I did give her a few minutes of free play but noticed her trying to get at her leg. Luckily I had bandaged and no damage was done in the few seconds before I got her. Back on with the cone. I have a feeling she is going to be a conehead for a while. Ah well...anything to make my baby better.

Since I can have my eye on her more during the day I may put the fleece collar on so that she can access her food, hay, water and apple stick.

 

[proudmom25]

Sometimes a chin with a cone on will be able to eat by not using their paws - she may need some help though (as has been suggested already) so scattering pellets, hay, healthy high fibre foods (like a pinch of rolled oats, a crumbles up mini shredded wheat, a few strands of alfalfa) can help tempt her appetite.

She definitely would not be able to access anything with this cone. I wasn't sure how far out to make it so went with the measurement for the one that is in the fleece pattern thread. That one was 4" from neck to outer edge. Do you think this might be too far out? She doesn't trip over it...she just can't access anything. Which is why I have been doing the handfeeding.

 

[starleomach]

This is going to sound crazy but...If she can't get to her feet Dabbing a bit of honey on the wound under the bandage will help healing.