Maybe malocculsion......sudden scare. Need advice asap

neverenderday · Aug 14, 2014

So I've been on and off of this website for years. I have 2 chins. One turned 10 in January of this year. I noticed he started to develop a lump on his left side where his front shoulder arm is. But it hasn't bothered him at all. I had planned on having it x-rayed but was in the middle of extreme horrible issues...I literally just moved to Phoenix, and in the process of the move, I had them staying with my fiance (as we don't live together just yet). I just got them back in my custody. I noticed a strange clicking that kept coming from the room they were in (sounds almost like the click a gas stove would make when trying to light it by pilot) and I couldn't figure it out because as soon as I walked into the room and turned on the light, it would stop regardless of the amount of time I was in there. As soon as I left, give it a few minutes, it would return. There's nothing they could chew on that would make that noise and I noticed this was a new development. Eventually I narrowed it down to was it had to be the chins...I have two...as soon as I put two and two together, I checked both of their teeth. I tried, anyway. Kip, the other chin, I had to wrestle in a towel but he showed me and they looked good. Case, the 10 year old, wrestled with me for a long time but I got his mouth open just a second enough to see there's black on the tips of his teeth...but they don't look over grown. I have also noticed that he's been less interested in treats (treats being oat/miniwheats sparingly) I'm going to get him to a vet ASAP but it's going to take some time to find a reliable vet in Phoenix. Does ANYONE know of a reliable vet in this area and if this is an indicator he may have developed this?

neverenderday · Aug 14, 2014

Let me give more info, it may help. I've been a chin owner for 13+ years. I had a standard I adopted due to abuse in 2003. I had him until 2010. Never knew his age due to the fact I adopted him. I have two right now. I have another standard I adopted due to neglect that I got after my first chin passed away (who I cremated and is still with me.) The one I'm having issues with is one I actually bought from a breeder who is now 10 years old, or turned 10 in January, as I have his birth records. So I have two and they live together. The one that appears to be sick is the 10 year old. However, he appears to be eating and drinking okay. I know he's getting up there in years, but when I let them out for play time, he's very sluggish and just tends to sit there most of the time. He does not appear to be in pain. But between the mass development on his side and the clicking im hearing, as well as the slight black on the edge of his teeth...I'm thinking it may be decay. The rest of his teeth are the normal orange color. I do weigh my chins. I'm a responsible chin owner and I've dealt with many vet visits and have CC on hand at all times and some pedialyte just in case. I can't tell what that mass is and it hasn't appeared to be bothering him. I'm calling around now that vet's are open to find one. My question...has anyone seen this in older chins? Anything like this?

ticklechin · Aug 14, 2014

Could the chin have got ahold of a live electrical wire? You also could PM AZchins here for a vet reference or she could even help.

Dreamlite · Aug 14, 2014

Any change in behavior is a reason to worry. The lump could be anything from a tumor to an abscess. A vet visit is your best option in this case. Look under the vet reference listings. There may be one close to you. Black on the teeth doesn't always mean decay or tooth issues. Discoloration can be several other reasons. The lump and less active would be my concern.

neverenderday · Aug 15, 2014

I was able to find a vet who can see him Monday. He doesn't appear to be in any pain and is still drinking/eating fine as I had a sharp eye on him all day yesterday as I was off work. The lump, and here's a picture: http://s21.photobucket.com/user/BloodedNightmare/media/20140814_102740_zpsdbe7b18c.jpg.html has grown very rapidly. It was something at first I thought maybe he had been bit by something and was just swelling but he never indicated any pain. He's acting normal...at least to me, behavior wise...he's slowed down over the years but its the clicking that caught my attention. And ticklechin - its funny you should mention that. When he was 6 months old, he managed to find his way onto a shelf that was right below a light switch. Which is something you just don't think of as far as barriers to block and I had looked away for a minute. He chewed it and it shocked the crap out of him and it did blacken his teeth (I had a heart attack over this) but the black disappeared after a few weeks. He hasn't gotten into anything since. I learned my lesson on that one and never leave them unattended for a single second. So I don't know if the black I'm seeing is just developing back from that first occurrence? But that seems odd. I just fed them both miniwheats and he came rushing up from the bottom of the cage to the top (which stands 5 feet high) to get it. So I'm not sure what's going on...it's something the vet is going to need to sort out at this point.

ticklechin · Aug 19, 2014

What did the vet find? The lump appears to be huge. The black on the teeth could be internal damage from the electical shock that finally appeared when the teeth wore down. Let us know about the lump, I am curious since I have not seen that before.