AZChins
Pro Cage Cleaner Champion
Jasper was a special chinchilla. He was full of gentle kindness, he was very sweet and always wanting to be scratched on his chin.
Three years ago he was injured in a cage accident with a ladder that shouldn't have been in the cage. His owner back then denied him vet care and took the advice of someone on Craig's List to treat a swollen leg with a wound. She injected his leg with hydrogen peroxide. This led to tissue death and extreme nerve damage. After that she dressed the filthy wound with what I think was tape, a napkin and, I believe a rubber band to hold it on. It was hard to tell what was on his foot because it had been there so long. She did eventually end up with a free vet visit coupon to Banfield where she managed to get him some antibiotics. Her excuse was that she didn't have money to take the poor little chin to the vet AFTER she totally mangled his leg.
Some guardian angels learned about him and organized a sneaky rescue to get him away from his owner. This saved his life, he would have died if they hadn't gotten him out of there!
When he got here his foot looked terrible. We got him to the vet immediately and started working getting him better. He was on antibiotics but still lost his toes on his foot to gangrene. The fur didn't grow back, his foot was pink and very strange looking.
The leg wasn't broken from the injury. We suspect he had a wound and just some swelling. A vet would have given him some antibiotics and administered proper wound care. He would have been fine, he may have been fine if the former owner would have just left it alone, but I have no way of knowing.
Jasper had a few surgeries to try to keep the foot and heal the leg. They were successful in the short-term and he was always in good spirits. We were able to allow him some use of his leg for two years. One night, after all this, he decided to chew off his foot! (I know, I was shocked...) He healed up after that and was doing very well.
I took Jasper to a new home with some very experienced chin owners so that he could be spoiled and loved and cared for...and he had THE BEST time of his life. During those years he never bit anyone, never so much as acted grumpy and was always full of sweetness. He was a wonderful chin! I wish all chins were exactly like him...but if they were, he wouldn't have been so special.
Jasper wasn't doing very well and had to go to the vet this week. It appeared that he needed another surgery, but he had gone downhill quite a bit. (Chins that are in chronic pain and have been traumatized like him often have problems, so this was not a surprise.) The vet was very apprehensive about another surgery and wanted him on antibiotics for a couple of days before yet another procedure. Apparently he was very well behaved at the animal hospital during his stay there before surgery.
This morning Jasper passed away before the hospital opened. It was horrible for everyone involved because everyone at the clinic, his owners and myself loved him so much. It was his time to go, he blessed us with three years of his sweet personality. He will be missed so much and never forgotten.
I can't help but wonder why his former owner didn't take him to the vet...I don't get it! He was so darling and sweet and friendly, why let such a creature suffer? He was worth so much more than money or the time it would take to get him in for care.
Farewell, Jasper. I love you. :cry3:
Three years ago he was injured in a cage accident with a ladder that shouldn't have been in the cage. His owner back then denied him vet care and took the advice of someone on Craig's List to treat a swollen leg with a wound. She injected his leg with hydrogen peroxide. This led to tissue death and extreme nerve damage. After that she dressed the filthy wound with what I think was tape, a napkin and, I believe a rubber band to hold it on. It was hard to tell what was on his foot because it had been there so long. She did eventually end up with a free vet visit coupon to Banfield where she managed to get him some antibiotics. Her excuse was that she didn't have money to take the poor little chin to the vet AFTER she totally mangled his leg.
Some guardian angels learned about him and organized a sneaky rescue to get him away from his owner. This saved his life, he would have died if they hadn't gotten him out of there!
When he got here his foot looked terrible. We got him to the vet immediately and started working getting him better. He was on antibiotics but still lost his toes on his foot to gangrene. The fur didn't grow back, his foot was pink and very strange looking.
The leg wasn't broken from the injury. We suspect he had a wound and just some swelling. A vet would have given him some antibiotics and administered proper wound care. He would have been fine, he may have been fine if the former owner would have just left it alone, but I have no way of knowing.
Jasper had a few surgeries to try to keep the foot and heal the leg. They were successful in the short-term and he was always in good spirits. We were able to allow him some use of his leg for two years. One night, after all this, he decided to chew off his foot! (I know, I was shocked...) He healed up after that and was doing very well.
I took Jasper to a new home with some very experienced chin owners so that he could be spoiled and loved and cared for...and he had THE BEST time of his life. During those years he never bit anyone, never so much as acted grumpy and was always full of sweetness. He was a wonderful chin! I wish all chins were exactly like him...but if they were, he wouldn't have been so special.
Jasper wasn't doing very well and had to go to the vet this week. It appeared that he needed another surgery, but he had gone downhill quite a bit. (Chins that are in chronic pain and have been traumatized like him often have problems, so this was not a surprise.) The vet was very apprehensive about another surgery and wanted him on antibiotics for a couple of days before yet another procedure. Apparently he was very well behaved at the animal hospital during his stay there before surgery.
This morning Jasper passed away before the hospital opened. It was horrible for everyone involved because everyone at the clinic, his owners and myself loved him so much. It was his time to go, he blessed us with three years of his sweet personality. He will be missed so much and never forgotten.
I can't help but wonder why his former owner didn't take him to the vet...I don't get it! He was so darling and sweet and friendly, why let such a creature suffer? He was worth so much more than money or the time it would take to get him in for care.
Farewell, Jasper. I love you. :cry3:
