Lethargy and unprofessional vets

Nasty7krolya · Sep 9, 2013

Please, help me to understand that happened with my chinchilla;(
I have a bad luck with chinchillas;( my first chin passed away a year ago after lethargy on 2nd day in vet emergency. They could not explain me that happened with my baby. One day my chin just become lethargic and stopped eating/drinking. I was new in chinchillas and didnt know about statis and etc. So I think it was my fault, too late for vet. Than I've got my 2nd baby. He injured his leg than he was 6 months old. He could walk and eat by himself for 2 weeks, but we saved his life and vets help us. So he was super smart chin, and he loved people after all. We bought a friend for him. They were happy for 4,5 months together in a huge cage. They had only oxbow chinchilla pellets, hay and treats. But on august 27th my older boy got sick. Before going to bed i realised that he didnt want his favorite dried strawberry treat and didnt respond than i called him. Next morning i took him to a nearest exotic animal private vet doctor. He checked him and said that he is okay, but gave him some fluid and dexomethasone just in case of something. I fed him all the day with oxbow critical care (he was eating it and drinking water from syringe without problem, but didnt want his pellets and hay). He was seating on my bad without moving all the day, but he wasnt pooping and urinating. Something was not good anyway. I started worry to much about it. I called to acmc vet in nyc, but they said that there is no exotic specialist till next week. O_O so i called to every clinic and found gerd emergency, they said that i campn bring my chinchilla anytime. I brought him next morning, because he was becoming only worse, he was lying on his side all the night and stoped eating critical care. I was in e-vet at 8 am on august 29th. They took my chinchilla for 2,5 hours. They made x-ray and said that he is ok, and suggested to me to take the blood. They said may be he has constipation. I agreed about the blood draw. And they tried to take the blood from NECK without SADATION. They shaved him. And than they came and ask me to do the sedation because he became STRESSED, but they didnt get enough blood. STUPID VETS!!!!! I said ok. And here I was wrong. In 30 min they returned me my baby but more sick and stressed. They gave me some drugs for constipation and antibiotics, and address of the exotic animal vet. they said that they dont know anything and it is better to bring him to other place. STUPID vets! I paid 650$. My chin was almost lifeless ;( my baby passed away in 15 minutes on my way back home. He couldn't breath vomited liquid from his nose:cry3:. I came back to vet, and they said that they are sorry, they will cancer blood exam and took drugs back. They made me a discount for creamation:cry3: DOCTORS. After long weekend I received the call from veterinarian. He said that they have blood exam results for my chin, and he had severe kidney and liver failure. Please, could somebody explain me that I did wrong? That was with my baby chin (14 months old), On perfect care living with other chinchilla. My other chin is ok. No signs of illness, but he is missing of his best friend. :cry3::cry3: i hate vets. I think he passed away because of not professional blood draw and working with stressful animal. Sorry for long story. I need help.

Stackie · Sep 9, 2013

It is next to impossible to tell you what happened to your chin without a necropsy. The only thing I read from your post is the strawberry treat- chins should never get fruits/veggies or anything high in sugar. It can cause the bacteria in their gut to overpopulate, leading to bload and/or GI stasis, which is deadly. Dexamethasone, a steroid, is also contra-indicated in chins. They "can" cause a variety of issues including liver disease in rabbits, which is why we don't use them in chins.

As a veterinary technician, I feel the need to say a few things. The first vet that gave the steroid injection, I do not agree with. However I believe the emergency vet handled the situation well. Blood draws in small animals can be very difficult. Getting blood samples from the neck is regular practice - it is from the jugular, which is common. It was right of them to try it without sedation first, as sedating an already sick animal can be dangerous. I'm not sure if I would have opted to sedate, however since they didn't know what was going on, I can see why they did in order to get the blood sample. I don't think they were stupid at all for referring you to an exotic vet who may have known better- at least they weren't beating around the bush by pretending like they knew what to do after they did what they could.

I am sorry for your loss, but I think you are being over-critical of the vet. It sounds to me like they did pretty much everything that they could do correctly. If he was in severe kidney failure and liver failure, the stress from the blood draw was not what killed him. It was the kidney and liver failure. It sounds like he was already on his way out before you even got to the vet- when they are laying on their side for extended periods of time, it is not good at all. I doubt they would have been able to save him regardless, unfortunately. Once chins reach that state, there is not much we can do to save them.

I am very sorry for your loss.

Nasty7krolya · Sep 9, 2013

Thank you for respond. It was oxbow dried tiny strawberry pieces. I dont think that oxbow can sell something bad for chins. They actually loved oxbow hay cookies too. And i use it as treat to get them back to cage after walk. About lying on the side: i know it is not good sign. Everything happened in 2 days. First evening he didnt respond for call and treat; than morning pellets and hay, but ate critical care; than evening he started lying on the side, and morning -emergency vet. ;( i was very quick. No waiting. No signs of illness before that day. I know my chins very good. And for blood draw: i'm working with mice and even super professional person cannot make the submundibular/jugular blood draw perfectly every time. That is why i am so worried about vets.

Stackie · Sep 9, 2013

Oxbow is a great company, but some of their items are not all appropriate for chins. I rarely give my chins treats, but when I do, they love a pinch of old fashioned rolled oats or crushed rose hips. Safe, healthy, and very low in sugar.

Working with mice, you know how tiny their veins are. Chins are no different

) Veterinary medicine is not an exact science and blood draws are extremely difficult on these little guys. I would be amazed if someone got a successful stick on their first try. Heck, some days I struggle to hit a vein in big dogs.

Best wishes to you and your other chin, I hope he comes around quickly after the loss of his friend. Spend extra time together and it will help both of you heal.

Nasty7krolya · Sep 9, 2013

Thank you for understanding, Stackie. I'll try to avoid oxbow treats. Actually, I'm using oats too, and they are crazy about it

I am still in stress after loss of my small best friend, and I was even thinking to become a vet/ or vet tech, but it is too late for me;( I want to take one more friend for my 7 months old baby, but I am really afraid of losing my chins now;(

tunes · Sep 10, 2013

I'm very sorry for your loss. As Stackie said, it's pretty much impossible to know what happened without a necropsy.

I do want to point out for future reference, I've had blood drawn on chins with great success when they treat them like kittens and go through the veins on the inside of the hind legs. The veins seem to be larger there and more accessible.