Leg emergency, help!

[dizzynoise]

One of our chinchillas likes to try to play escape artist with her cage and her leg was twisted while she was trying to get out. I had this happen before and I couldn't get the chinchilla to the vet so I made an appointment for after work, came home and his leg was completely normal again. I know if its broken, it usually needs to be amputated. I can't provide many details but I was told it got caught on the cage door somehow! I haven't seen her yet. Here's the worst part of all... financially there's no way she's getting to the vet. Even if its life threatening, I just don't have the money. Things have been hard lately, I've been very sick and off work on medical leave. I know this is terrible but there's nothing I can do about the situation and no one who can help. So being that said, what can I do? I'm very upset, I usually am able to care for my chinchillas but I went through two sick ones recently that drained me of money when I was running out due to my own health problems and unfortunately the vet wasn't able to save them. I really don't want to lose another... what can I do for her?

 

[greychins]

I would put her in as small of a cage as you have, so she can't move around much and tear more ligaments and stuff. But without vet care, the leg isn't going to fix itself...

 

[alli713]

If indeed the leg is broken, the chin needs a vet. There's nothing in home you can do. Some vets do allow credit to be taken out so you can make small payments as you can afford them. Perhaps when you get to see the chin and see if the leg is broken, call the vet and see if they will do credit.

If that's not an option I'm going to have to say that then you should not keep your chins. If you can't afford the vet care they need, it's not fair to have them suffer. I'm sorry that this is going to sound mean, but it is true.

 

[dizzynoise]

There is no need to tell me not to keep the chinchillas, I don't really need to hear that. I'm not getting rid of them. I am very sick, I make good money but until I'm better I can't handle an emergency financially. I'm not giving up my beloved chinchillas because its only a temporary situation. Normally, I am very prepared. The vets an hour away and they want payment in full when we leave. So, besides telling me to get rid of my chinchillas because I'm absolutely not going to, does anyone have any serious advice?

 

[greychins]

dizzynoise, what do you expect people to tell you? If you broke a leg, would you say "let's see how it heals on its own if I wait?" No, hopefully you'd go to the doctor and get it cast or set.

Try to find another vet who can do the surgery. Amputation isn't just done on chins, it's also done on just about every other animal out there, most vets should have a basic idea of how to perform it, whether they see chins or not - I wouldn't say you need an exotic vet for this one.

 

[AZChins]

Sometimes a twisted leg will just result in a bad sprain that a chin can come through without any problems. I've had experience with this and I can definitely tell when a leg is broken and when the chin needs vet care.

If you can't take her in at all, I guess you will just have to wait and see. Wait and see is often a really bad idea because so rarely do chins just get better on their own. Can you afford to have the chin put down if the leg ends up getting infected?

I really do hope that your chin is alright.

How is she holding her leg? Is she dragging it?

The problem isn't necessarily that it isn't broken and that it could be a bad sprain. The problem is that often legs don't heal up and the tissue ends up dying.

 

[tunes]

Greychins said it exactly - what kind of answer did you expect to get? "Oh, I'm sorry that happened. Why don't you just ignore it and it will go away." You did get serious, and good, advice.

If your chin has a broken leg you have two options, you pin it or you amputate. Pinning is mega expensive and rarely works. Amputation is slightly cheaper and is a definite fix. Either way, you don't have the money to do it. I realize you are in a financial bind right now, Lord knows that quite a few of us are. But the bottom line is, whether they are your beloved chinchillas or not, are you able to financially care for them. Financially caring includes vet care.

So, what do you want us to tell you exactly? That it's okay for you to just ignore and let it heal on it's own? Well no, it isn't. Do you want us to volunteer to pay for it? I highly doubt that is going to happen. What exactly is the "serious" advice you are asking for? Wrapping it won't help. She'll chew through the wrap and probably into her leg. You can't amputate it at home. You can't pin it at home. Let us know what you want us to tell you, and we'll see if we can accommodate you in that.

 

[Dewdrop]

Like suggested, call around to vets and see if they can accept payments.

If that's not an option try one of the animal shelters, see if they have someone qualified to help. sometimes a shelter will do medical work for free in exchange for you volunteering.

 

[AZChins]

That's a good idea. Sometimes it can be best to surrender a chin to someone, who can take care of it. I've done this a few times before with people just bringing the chins here. Most of the time they do wait a long time and I get to pay to have the chins put down. Somehow it doesn't seem fair to have the burden put on me because someone doesn't want to have to take responsibility for their own pets, but, hey, it isn't really about the humans for me...it's about that little chinchilla and it's quality of life.

 

[alli713]

I knew you wouldn't like what I said, that's why I said it would sound mean. But like Peggy said, it is true in the case that the leg is broken. If she just bruised it or something, well that's a different case. But if it needs vet care you can't just leave it. If you just leave it and if it is broken, there is a chance he will try to self-amputate by chewing at his leg to the bone and trying to chew it off because of the pain he's in. Does that sound like a good thing? Or the bone will fuse in it's broken state leaving it at a bad angle and not allowing him to move correctly.

Sorry, if it is broken, there's nothing any of us can say that will magically make it better.

 

[Lynn & The Chins]

Like suggested, call around to vets and see if they can accept payments.

If that's not an option try one of the animal shelters, see if they have someone qualified to help. sometimes a shelter will do medical work for free in exchange for you volunteering.

THAT is your best option, in my opinion.

If you REALLY love your chin, and I'm sure you do, then you must be prepared to do ANYTHING, including going to ANY available resource and offering to exchange your volunteer services for your baby's urgent care. I'm sure that either a compassionate vet or a shelter would understand your limitations and work with you.

I will repeat here, once again, the best advice my attorney EVER gave me:

IF YOU DON'T ASK, THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS NO!!! :thumbsup:

Get on the phone and get busy!!!

 

[greychins]

What about using a credit card? Or finding a vet that takes care credit, and applying to get it?

 

[dizzynoise]

I was just looking to hear if anyones had luck or a similar personal experience with their own chin and could offer advice. I didn't realize people on this site were going to be condescending. And of course I'm not asking anyone to pay for it, I don't know anyone on here. All I wanted to know is if there is ANYTHING I could do. I didn't know if there was anything I possibly could do... and that was all I was asking and simply explaining that no, I can't rush her to the vet. Part of the reason I don't have the money to do that is because I've spent over 2,000 on vet bills while I was sick and the doctor couldn't clear me to work. I am working part time, but still not cleared to go back in full time and things won't be easy until I am. Bottom line is I guess my questions been answered. No, there is nothing I can do to help. This is going to have to wait until Friday. I just won't pay my electric bill, I can catch up on it eventually without a problem, I'm sure. I will put her in a smaller cage to prevent it from getting worse.

 

[dizzynoise]

I've been on the phone and I'm not having luck... I'm trying vets out of the area now. Most are closed because its Sunday. I maxed out my credit card trying to care for a chinchilla that the vet couldn't diagnose, it ran me over $1000 and I had to have my poor baby put to sleep.

 

[tunes]

Dizzynoise - Nobody was being condescending. You did get advice from people with experience. I have had to deal with a couple broken limbs. The way to deal with them is to take them to the vet and have the vet treat them. There is no other answer. Maybe a large rancher would handle it differently, but personally I'm not into taking a pair of tin snips and whacking off a chins leg without anesthesia. I didn't figure a pet owner would be either, so I didn't mention that option.

Again, my post was towards "if" the leg was broken. If it's not, then simple confinement may do the trick.

 

[dizzynoise]

Well, it doesn't hurt to ask and see if there's anything I can do in this situation. I know vet is always the best answer. I'm not going to touch the leg on my own. I was told its just not looking right. I still haven't gotten home to see it personally but it doesn't sound too good. I've never had a broken limb before. I know its common, but I got lucky there. I guess she went and sprawled out on her hammock... poor girl.

 

[caiti]

I can relate to money troubles, probably lots of us can. I'm a college student living in a crappy apartment trying to do all I can to graduate asap while staying sane. Things happen, I don't think the average person can say with absolute certainty they are going to have enough money for all their bills in the next 20 years, so that promise can't be made for an animal you get when they live that long. We just try to do our best and ask for help and when we have to, relinquish ownership to someone who can do what we once could.

I was not aware of the shelter thing, that may be a good idea, since they usually get discounted medical care. Some vets will really try to work with you, financially. I know it will be a lot of calling people and explaining the situation but if your chin needs medical attention, then it will be a necessary onus and try to keep your goal in mind to keep yourself from getting too stressed.

Maybe the question to ask is how you can tell what kind of injury your chin has. What the differences are between a sprain or something like that and a break (i.e if she's putting weight on it at all, if she's chewing it, if her leg is bent in an odd position) I am not knowledgable enough about chinchillas and don't want to give you a generic answer in case they are different, but hopefully someone else can and while you are trying to find a way to get her looked at you can try to figure out how serious her condition is.

 

[Claire D]

Whilst we can appreciate that you are having a hard time of things we cannot condone leaving a chin with a fracture/break for days without vet care. The chin needs veterinary care today/tomorrow morning at the latest. Even sprains can be debilitating & painful - at the very least she needs a full veterinary assessment to determine what is happening.
Please consider finding a rescue near by that might be able to take the chin to get treated. If you can't do it then please find someone who can - for the sake of your chinchilla - it's not fair to leave her in pain because you can't afford to have her treated & this is not something you can self treat (or medicate).

Please do keep us posted - we wish your chin the very best.

 

[dizzynoise]

I'm gonna go down to my vets office directly. The receptionist might say no, but he's given me a lot of breaks since I've gotten sick and I think he'd work with me. Hopefully it works out.

 

[Lynn & The Chins]

GREAT!!! Good for you!!! :thumbsup: Let us know how it turns out...