Leg injury

[My Chin Tavi]

Our chinchilla was having his normal run around time...he stopped running around for a while and we found him under the bed, and he was limping a bit and trying to hide. We eventually got him out; nothing is visibly wrong with the leg, but we put him in a smaller one story cage to observe him. He moving around quite a bit, still limping, but seems otherwise normal. What might this be, and what can I check to try and figure it out? We will obviously take him to the vet ASAP, but until then, what's the best course of action?

 

[Chinniechantel]

It could be a broken bone or a sprain. You need an x ray to be sure, and it needs to be quick or he can die from shock or start chewing off his own foot. Sometimes they can pin and cast it, other times they need to amputate, which is probably the best choice if it is broken.