Our first vet trip today :(

[Megg09]

My chinchilla Karleigh is just 4 months old and doing great but she has hurt something & we will be making our first vet trip today

Last week I switched her cage & she ran around like a maniac checking everything out. Well then I noticed her sliding around funny on a ledge so I immediately switched her back to her old cage & she just kind of wobbled to one side and layed down a lot. We assumed she just hit her head too much from bouncing around. It was late so I figured in the morning we'd see how she was doing and decide from there. I woke up in the morning and she was fine and has been fine since. Well last night I took her to visit my dad. She ran around and played fine but I noticed her wobbling again & as soon as I brought her home and put her in her cage she just layed down all sprawled out. Again she seems to be doing fine this morning but I'm still taking her as a precaution. I'm hoping that this is something simple and not bad. My fingers are crossed!

 

[Tagna]

Chins that young can overdue it quite easily. How long was she out running around for? If you don't notice an injury it could have been a drop in blood sugar.

Until chins are 6 months they should have a very limited amount of playtime and no wheels in their cage.

 

[Megg09]

She was probably out for 15 minutes or so. I don't have any wheels in her cage but she does have a ball that I put her in once in a while. But She does not
Go in it for long periods of time. Only a few minutes at the most while I'm cleaning out her cage or doing something like that.

 

[Tagna]

Chuck the death ball, they aren't safe and shouldn't be used with any chin. They get too hot in them in for one. What is the temp of the room the chin is in? Over 70 degrees?

 

[Megg09]

The temp in the room isn't over 70 degrees. I keep it really cool for her. I'm not sure the exact temp but I know it's definately not above 70 degrees.

 

[Essentia]

I would get a digital thermometer so you know exactly how cool it is in the room. I got mine from walmart for $7.96 and it tells humidity and temperature.

 

[Megg09]

I'm at lowes right now buying a few things and I'm going to pick up a thermometer too.

 

[tunes]

If the room you keep her in is anywhere above 60 degrees, then her running in the death ball would cause the heat to be much higher than the 70 degree max I would allow my chins to reach.

If she's up and acting fine now, I wouldn't bother taking her to the vet at this point. The only reason I would worry is if she was off her feed, lethargic, walking strangely, etc.

 

[Jenn]

Good luck at the vet today. Please don't use the death ball for any amount of time. It has been nicknamed that for a reason.

 

[Megg09]

When I left for class this morning she was still wobbly. The death ball is in the trash as we speak! She has been drinking and has messed up her hay bowl.

 

[Megg09]

We went to the vet yesterday and the doctor said that her knee cap moves which she said may be congenital and she may have poped it out and stretched ligaments. She gave Karleigh a steroid shot and she gave me vitamin drops that I have to give her everyday. Karleigh weighed a little over 500 grams, I dont remember the exact weight because I was so nervous about the outcome. The vet was shocked to find out that Karleigh has Toenails!!!

If anyone has had a vet that has used Meloxicam oral on their chinchilla and could get the doseage used for me I would greatly appreciate it. My vet wants me to see if anyone has used a doseage on a chin because there isn't one listed. I guess they just recently listed a doseage for ferrets.

 

[ticklechin]

If the vet cant figure out something as stupid and simple as a dose of a popular medication for a chin, vet needs to stop taking money from people with chins.

 

[Essentia]

If the vet cant figure out something as stupid and simple as a dose of a popular medication for a chin, vet needs to stop taking money from people with chins.

Agreed. Also if he didn't know that chins have toenails it also makes me question anything he said about her knee....

 

[Megg09]

The vet is a vet for a local chinchilla rescue which is why I took my chin to her. My chinchilla I had for 11 years we took to her & she seemed really smart about what she was talking about or I definately wouldnt have gone back to her. I'll prob end up trying another vet about an hour away from me.

When she was surprised about the toenails I was kind of shocked myself because I had thought that they had them to begin with because my previous chins had had them.

 

[ticklechin]

A vet for a chinchilla rescue should KNOW by heart the dosage for a chinchilla, I am not a vet but I am a rescuer and I KNOW it by heart.

 

[Essentia]

I have to agree with Dawn. I also know the dosage by heart and I am not a vet. Our vet, who does deal with a chinchilla rescue (us) didn't even have to look up the dosage the first time we saw him.

Maybe I'm dwelling on the wrong thing, but the fact that she was surprised by the toenails irks me. ALL chins have toenails. If she had seen as many as she claims, how on earth did she not know that?....or the metacam dosage..or that chins shouldn't have steroids unless it's absolutely necessary (and even then it's questionable), or saying that you can't contain a chin to let an injury heal? It really makes me question if she knows ANYTHING about chins at all.

Where are you located? There may be people on the forum who can recommend a different vet in your area who is actually a competent chinchilla vet.

 

[Megg09]

I'm from Follansbee, West Virginia.

 

[Essentia]

Here are vets listed as "Pocket Pets" vets. I would start calling around and asking what exotic animals they specialize in. I'm not sure how far any of these are from you, but it's a start.

Animal Medical Center
460 Hartman Run Road
Morgantown, West Virginia 26505
304-292-0126
www.morgantownamc.com

Ark Animal Clinic
201 Schoolhouse Road
Hedgeville, West Virginia 25427
304-754-5300

Audubon Animal Clinic Inc.
17 Chenoweth Drive
Bridgeport, West Virginia 26330
304-842-4836

Eastern Avery Veterinary Services
3 Stockett Road
Morgantown, West Virginia 26508
304-594-1283

Greenbrier Veterinary Hospital
HC 81 Box 74 Rt. 219 North
Lewisburg, West Virginia 24901
304-645-1476
www.greenbriervet.com

Monroe Veterinary House Calls
Lewisburg, West Virginia 24901
304-667-2365

Mountaineer Veterinary Clinic
239 Greenbag Road
Morgantown, West Virginia 26501
304-296-1667
James M. Minger DVM
www.drminger.com

North Gateway Animal Hospital
1246 Greenbrier Street #52
Charleston, West Virginia 25311
304-342-5700

Ohio Valley Animal Care Center
901 Lockwood Avenue
Moundville, West Virginia 26041
304845-7007

Ohio Valley Animal Care Center
86 27th Street
Wheeling, West Virginia 26003
304-233-7007

Valley West Vet Hospital
201 Virginia Street W
Charlestown, West Virginia 25302
304-343-6783
Sarah Stevenson DVM

 

[Megg09]

Thanks for the information but everything is about 2-5 hours from me except for "Ohio Valley Care Center" Which is the vet that I use for my chin because I've previously spent an hour and a half on the phone with vets around me trying to find an exotic vet when my one chin had an ear infection & the vet I use is the only one that I was able to find.

 

[Sandi]

I googled your town... A very knowledgeable chin vet is located only 45 minutes away. Dr. Keffer has helped quite a few members here. She is also listed in the FAQ's in this forum under US veterinarians.

Dr. Angela Keffer, VMD
412-809-0430
5663 Steubenville Pike
McKees Rocks, PA 15136
www.gentlevets.com

Thanks for the information but everything is about 2-5 hours from me except for "Ohio Valley Care Center" Which is the vet that I use for my chin because I've previously spent an hour and a half on the phone with vets around me trying to find an exotic vet when my one chin had an ear infection & the vet I use is the only one that I was able to find.