Should I Put The Wheel Back?

[Zahrii]

So, some background. My two chins have had their ChinSpin removed for around 1 1/2-2 months. This is because one of them (Buttons) had a foot injury, which worsened with the wheel, so I took it out, but then a few weeks after the other chin (Bandit) had a foot injury so the wheel had to stay out. When Bandit was starting to heal, turns out Buttons' injury was an abscess on his heel, so again, no wheel. Surgery day arrives, the abscess healed by itself, however the vet advised to keep the cage cushioned (and no wheel) until a 3 week follow up. Follow up happened, and the vet said his feet looked okay but to still keep the cage cushioned because both heels had some redness. His whole world didn't need to be cushioned, just the areas he spends the most time on until the redness got better. Around 2 days ago, the cage got a change. Most of the ledges turned to perches, only cushioned surfaces were the two levels of the cage and the top of his house (I managed to "cushion" the top of his house with multiple layers of fleece). Still no wheel. Present day, and I have a description of both of the chins' feet.

Bandit: Looks alright, some normal callusing and moderately widened heels due to past ownership and myself. Hopefully will get better over the course of the next few days. Hard to tell if there's any redness because most of his heels have black coloration. (Not completely black, still some pink, just mostly black. His toes and all that are pink, so it's just the heels that have almost all of the black coloration on his feet.) Not unusually warm or cold to the touch, no bumps.

Buttons: Again, callusing, maybe a little more than Bandit and maybe a little more wideness to the heels. Redness where the abscess used to be and some on the other heel. A tiny scab on the heel that didn't have an abscess, so maybe that has a factor to the redness. Maybe he scratched it somewhere in the past but it was so minor it didn't bleed much to be noticeable if at all. Normal temperature, no bumps.

Reading these descriptions, what do you guys think? Should I put the wheel back since it's been gone for so long (they definitely are showing their irritation with the matter, I came into the chin room and they kicked almost all of the bedding out of one of their bedding pans), or should I keep it out for longer until their feet look fully healthy and well?

 

[Devynthecatwithsocks]

I would keep it out until they are completely healed just to be safe. However, are they allowed time out of the cage? It sounds like they just want some exercise and stimulation. Another thing that I would suggest is something I do with my own chin. I grab a treat and I hide it somewhere in the cage (under huts, in willow balls, etc) anywhere that can engage them to forage. Also giving them some new fun toys to chew and play with will also help with stimulation.

 

[Zahrii]

I would keep it out until they are completely healed just to be safe. However, are they allowed time out of the cage? It sounds like they just want some exercise and stimulation. Another thing that I would suggest is something I do with my own chin. I grab a treat and I hide it somewhere in the cage (under huts, in willow balls, etc) anywhere that can engage them to forage. Also giving them some new fun toys to chew and play with will also help with stimulation.

I'm contemplating whether to let them out or not because I have textured hard flooring and I'm trying to have their feet heal as smoothly and quickly as possible, hence the cushioning in the cage. I'll do the foraging thing, that seems fun.

 

[Devynthecatwithsocks]

I'm contemplating whether to let them out or not because I have textured hard flooring and I'm trying to have their feet heal as smoothly and quickly as possible, hence the cushioning in the cage. I'll do the foraging thing, that seems fun.

Is there a place in your home where it is carpeted?? or where you can place a rug or yoga mat down?

 

[Zahrii]

Is there a place in your home where it is carpeted?? or where you can place a rug or yoga mat down?

No, unfortunately.

 

[Devynthecatwithsocks]

Also another way to stimulate them is training. This may sound odd to do with a chin but one of the ways I bonded and stimulated my chin was training. She knows how to do stuff like come, walk on 2 legs, high five, and spin. Is there an area where you can place blankets down so its softer?

 

[Zahrii]

Also another way to stimulate them is training. This may sound odd to do with a chin but one of the ways I bonded and stimulated my chin was training. She knows how to do stuff like come, walk on 2 legs, high five, and spin. Is there an area where you can place blankets down so its softer?

Not that I can think of. I don't want to use anything that's not anti-pill fleece and I don't have enough fleece to cover the area where they usually play.