Sick Chinny

[knj102690]

ok so i recently bought a chinchilla from someone... names will be left out, whom the baby ended up being sick and i didnt want him to die or anything and was concerned so i took him to the vet. The vet assured me that he had a URI and that he needs some meds. they gave him a shot there and sent him home with eye drops and some medicine that i am to give to him by mouth 2 times a day. Well this is where my problems arise... when i go to get him out of the cage this stresses him as we didnt have a chance to quarnteen him do to being ill and thus he is still a little skiddish. After i get him out of the cage and able to calm him enough to hold i have to give him this purple medicine that say "TRIB" on it by syringe. This doesnt work in the least he doesnt like that taste and i am worried it is only stressing him out more which is one of the causes of his URI. Is there any information on how to get him to take this any easier. I tried the burrito once with a little more luck but once again im worried i am stressing him out to much and he will not ever come around to us after all this is over.
Do you think it is better to just use the eye drops that was sent home as well being that they gave him a shot so that we dont stress him out as much or should i continue with the meds. I just dont know what would be smarter less stress no meds or meds and more stress?
Thanks to all the help you can offer:cry3:

 

[Encantadora]

I would advise doing medication regardless. I haven't heard of a chin surviving without meds.

But I'm sure someone else will chime in with more info for you.

 

[Laurie]

URI is a very serious illness in a chin and yes he most likely will die without the meds. URI's are not caused by stress they are a bacterial infection. You need to practise the burrito method until you get it down. You can try giving him a treat such as a tiny piece of plain shredded wheat or a couple of oats to help get rid of the taste in his mouth. You can do a search using URI and see if anyone has other suggestions for you. I had a chin with a URI several years ago, I burrito'd her and gave her meds because her life depended on it. Even though she wasn't thrilled at the time she and I still have a wonderful relationship.

 

[knj102690]

ok thanks i will continue giving them to him i just didnt know what would help the most. thank u very much. more onput from others is still welcomed

 

[knj102690]

also she recomended that i switch from aspen to a paper product and recomended yesterdays news has anyone used this?

 

[GorillaJTA]

also she recomended that i switch from aspen to a paper product and recomended yesterdays news has anyone used this?

I don't know why she would recommend that switch. I don't like paper bedding as it does not hold smell as well as wood.

 

[knj102690]

out of the worry that the aspen was furthering the uri is how i took it but not positive my self

 

[mishellyshel]

try switching to kiln dried pine shavings or even fleece.

it takes a while to get the burrito method down, but once you do and get all the meds in him as prescribed hopefully it will clear up his uri.

the search function here will bring up lots of threads on shavings, uri's, burrito methods, etc... hopefully you can find what you are looking for and get your chinnie back to his fun self!

 

[knj102690]

i just bought fleece to switch to and all they have now is their litter pan it isnt all aspen. so all that would be the paper products is the litter area. hoping to master this burrito thing soon to stress him out less. thanks for the help

 

[Chinmama]

When my vet had ZZ on an antibiotic, she added flavoring to it. He loved it. Too bad we can't all be so lucky.

 

[starleomach]

you need to be sure the little one is eating and drinking, Meds are also a must. Watch the poop if he is pooping normally he is eating. Also around the same time of day weigh him daily. If you recieved this chinchilla sick contact the breeder URIs can be contagious I would at the very least want to know as a breeder because if the baby is sick their other animals may be as well. Perhaps they are not yet aware.

 

[knj102690]

i have informed and they basically denied it came from her place. but it did because we didnt even have him a day before we noticed. he is eating i have personly seen him.

 

[Magic_FROST]

I am looking at making our first chin purchase. Looking at some of the really awesome breeders---all of them have a sick chin clause. Meaning that if a vet checks out the chin and the chin is sick within so many days of leaving the breeders facility, they will take care of the whole thing, whether that mean pay the vet bill or take the chin back and give a new kit, one breeder will refund all the $ and either take the chin back and give you a new one or let you keep the kit, but you still get your purchase price back.

I dont know if theres legal proceedings, but if its an expensive animal, you may have rights to sue.

 

[knj102690]

well i wasnt going to give him back to her being she didnt really take care of him in the first place so im glad to keep him, but i wish i didnt have to dish out the extra money on an animal that wasnt healthy. I only gave 60 for him.

 

[knj102690]

ok update!! help!!
took him back to vet and he wasnt better so we started shots everyday for 5 days and he seems better but i notice a like whisper or wheezing sound still and just curious if any one knows if thos coukd be nor al for him. sounds like he is just sniffing bit my female doesnt sound like this at all. do u think i should take him back to vet? he is eating drinking and chewing like normal. any input?

 

[mishellyshel]

did they prescribe baytril? how old is he?? wheezing is not good.

 

[knj102690]

he was on trib and eye drops to begin. became stressed so we switched him to baytril shots. he was getting better so ill have so keep watching. everything else seems to be fine andim no being i got him sick i dont know how he sounds not sick thus not sure if its still sick or just.him. im not sure h old he is but isnt a baby he is proven to give u an idea.