Neurologic signs in a chinchilla

[Chisu]

i have a chinchilla that seems to be stopping, tensing up, with his ears down and kind of scrunching his head back sortive to the right. He is also putting his paws up to his mouth.

He has been tentitively diagnosed with malocclusion. the radiographs showed that his chewing surfaces are fine but his roots may be continually growing.
He's been eating/drinking/pooping fine up to this point. Now he is just shooting out poops - kinda small moist. doesn't want to drink or eat.

Do you think this is related to his teeth growing? Has any of you seen this before in a chinchilla?

 

[aznmexaggie]

If X-rays have shown that he does have root elongation, his actions may be indicative of pain from his condition.

Chins with malo or root elongation often go off feed (although they normally stop eating hay first...) because it is painful for them to chew. Do you have Critical Care on hand to attempt to handfeed him? If not, you can grind pellets and add water until it is like a pudding consistency as a makeshift handfeeding formula... I also like to add a capsule of acidophilus to handfeeding mixtures. If a chin stops eating and pooping, his GI tract can shut down and go into stasis. It is also important to make sure he is drinking water (you can give water by a dropper) because any bolus of food in his intestines will be robbed of water if he goes into stasis... and this causes it to become a hard mass/blockage that will be difficult or impossible to pass. If you have simethicone, a dropperfull of that can be given as well to help prevent bloat from developing.

It is very important to get chins to eat and drink as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the worse the condition can get and the harder it is to get the gut moving properly once again.

A vet can give sub-Q fluids and prescribe motility drugs (metaclopramide and cisapride) to hydrate him and get his intestines moving again. If he will not eat/drink willingly and poo has decreased, a vet visit should be in order.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

I agree, I think that his teeth are really bothering him - A vet visit is necessary

 

[tunes]

What he is doing sounds like what I've seen chins do when they are in pain. He's basically giving the equivalent of a human grimace. That, combined with his paws to his mouth, would definitely make me think pain.

How long has it been since he was x-rayed? If it has been a little while, even a few weeks, I would get a second set of x-rays and compare them to know for sure. Surface malo is sometimes treatable with regular trimmings, even though it will not cure the chin, but malo that involves the roots is just a long, painful process, culminating in you having to make a hard decision regarding the quality of life your pet is experiencing. I'm sorry to say that root malo is never a happy ending.

Did your vet give you anything for pain for your little one? Metacam can be helpful at dulling the pain, but nothing can take it away if his molars are growing either down into the jaw bone or up into the nasal cavities. That second x-ray should hopefully give you some of idea of where this is leading.

 

[starleomach]

I would also get another set of xrays with root growth there is nothing you can do to stop it but it is good to know when to say the quality life they deserve is over and to let them go peacefully

 

[Chisu]

Thank you all for your replies. ill let you kno what happens.

 

[Chisu]

Does anyone have Metacam and Critical care that can overnight it to me?

 

[aznmexaggie]

Chelsea, I just sent you a PM but just in case you didn't see it, I have Critical Care here. Give me a call, I'm going to the store in a few minutes for some last-minute Thanksgiving things but I'll be home after that until about 4:00 pm.

 

[Olallie]

Poor Melo, I hope he'll be alright.

 

[aznmexaggie]

How is this chin doing? Has he seen the vet?

 

[aznmexaggie]

Any updates on this little guy?