Help please!!!!!!

[LaurenMcStay]

Okay, so it is currently 3:30 in the morning. I just let my two chinchillas out for a free run after work (I work as a waitress, so my hours are a little out of wack right now). They seemed to be fine for the entirety of the play date, but I noticed my male acting a bit strangely, so I put them both back into their separate cages. When I put him back into his cage, I noticed him falling to the right side when he tried to walk. Typically, he is quite skiddish, and doesn't enjoy being held, but when I picked him up he gave no struggle and just laid there in my arms. He still sniffs around and moves a little bit, but this is nothing near his usual self. I was watching them both VERY carefully as usual during playtime, and noticed nothing out of the ordinary aside from a little squeak (from him, I'm assuming). He is currently hiding in his cage behind the ramp that leads from the "ground floor" to his "first floor". I am extremely concerned, so if anybody has experienced similar symptoms, then please let me know what is possibly going on. I cannot contact my veterinarian, being that it is far too late in the night to call her. I tried shaking the raisins, which usually have him climbing his cage and jumping all around, but got no response whatsoever. Now he is just laying on the bottom of his cage; not drinking, not eating, not moving at all. He is breathing, but quite quickly. Also, he is only a year old, so this is not due to old age at all.

PLEASE, if anybody has any information on something that I can do for the time being, or what this could possibly be, let me know. I cannot stop crying, and I don't know why he is acting so strangely. Please, please, please...let him be okay.


Thank you for your time and concern,
-Lauren

 

[LaurenMcStay]

RE: Help Please!!!!!!!!!

Also, he peed right when I put him back into his cage...I'm not sure if that means anything, but I'm assuming it means that he was just extremely scared. He is still curled up in the corner, and has not eaten or drank anything since I put him back into his cage.

 

[Newt]

When was the last time he ate? Has he been eating and pooping normally prior to this? Has he lost weight recently?

He may have had a seizure, or have had a hypoglycemic episode. Or does he look like he may have had a fight with your other chin? Check his limbs carefully, and look for lost fur.

I'd say he needs to get to a vet as soon as possible. Are there any emergency after hours vets in your area?

If there are none, then he needs to see his usual vet first thing in the morning, even if he seems better by then.

For now, do you have any critical care? If you do, try to get him to eat some off a spoon, or if he wont take it, try to syringe some into his mouth... a nice watery mix will keep his fluids up and help if the problem is hypoglycemia.

If you don't have critical care, then you could grind up some of his pellets and make a mush with water, and try giving him some of that.

Hope your little guy feels better soon. Best wishes from me and Rosey xxxxx

 

[Zoaea]

Also, is the play area warm? You have to be careful of heat exhaustion too. There is the possibility of him being sick too and the exercise might have zapped what strength he had left. I would do what newt suggested and bring him to the vet.

 

[ljiayi]

Is there any chance of a head trauma?

 

[Chinmama]

How is he now? It sounds like he either overheated or had a drop in blood sugar during playtime.

Even though we have central air and our house is cool, I really limit their out of cage playtime during the summer months because of the humidity. They are wearing little fur jackets and overheat so easily, but especially when they play so hard.

If it was a drop in blood sugar, some people say they have had success with giving a raisin prior to playtime to avoid a drop in blood sugar.

 

[NiftyKat]

I just recently lost a chin to heat stroke, and this sounds like what happened. I would take him to the vet as soon as possible. I hate to sound terrible, but you might have to prepare yourself for the worst ....

 

[MyzarandGemma]

I just recently lost a chin to heat stroke, and this sounds like what happened. I would take him to the vet as soon as possible. I hate to sound terrible, but you might have to prepare yourself for the worst ....

Holy crap. You lost a chin to heat stroke!? When did this happen? I remember you got your chins a month after me... that makes me so sad I'm so sorry for your loss

 

[mknoblich1]

How is your chin Lauren? I'm sure we would all like to hear an update.

 

[NiftyKat]

I had put my chins in their playpen while I was cleaning their cage. Stupid me didn't even think about how it is a few degrees hotter and that them playing would make them even hotter ... Not to mention I found out my AC wasn't working properly till it was too late ... Pear ended up getting heat stroke. The worst part is that I cooled him down too quickly which put him into shock, which I did not even know was possible. I also followed everything I'd read on how to cool chins down when this happens and it was wrong. I took him to the vet but he passed away shortly after we got there. It was my beige Pear, and this was about two 3 weeks ago. I feel terrible because it was all my fault. I did however learn that if chins experience heat stroke the vet said to put a fan on them and to wet their ears and feet to cool them down slowly. I don't really post much on here anymore, so I never really said anything.