design.girl
New member
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2013
- Messages
- 2
Hi. I am new here and was looking for information regarding my chinchilla. Her name is Jelli and she is probably around 12 - 13 or so years old. She was given to me about 10 years ago when one of my husbands co-workers, kids went off to college and they could not give her the attention she needed. We chinchilla sat when they went out of town and I fell head over heels for her. Upon their return they asked us if we could just keep her. And we did.
She's lovely. Sociable, and very attached to me. I never understood what personalities rodents have. But Jelli packs them all and then some. She is very tame and allows us to handle and pet her. She will come right out of her cage into our hands for treats. Shes so funny!
)
About 5 years ago her teeth started needing clipped. I noticed it looked like she had an eye infection and it turned out to be dental issues. Shes always offered fresh hay but she uses it to sleep in and doesn't eat it. Instead she absolutely loves these wood wreath balls, apple sticks etc. pine cones. (I buy from online places specializing in chinchillas)
In August we brought her in for her routine trim. All was fine. Just a couple sharp edges (she goes 3-4 times a year) Her weight was great. In September we noticed that she stopped chewing her new sticks. We made an appointment for October not even 2 months after her August trimming. We have an exotics vet and they found that she chipped a front tooth. We were told to give it some time to grow back. But she also had some sharp teeth again, which were trimmed. Her weight was still fine.
By December she still had not started chewing on the wood toys offered to her and her appetite started to decline, but she was still acting normal. I just felt like something was off. So back to the vet - and this time they found an abscess, and decaying food in her mouth! She had several sharp teeth in the back as well. Again not even 2 months after her last trimming. (usually we have 3-4 months between trims) She had also lost a considerable amount of weight. This time she was on a round of pro-biotics, antibiotics, and pain meds. During this time my regular vet retired and we were given a new vet.
We got through all of that with flying colors and now she is begging for her usual treats, eating fine, her poops are still not 100% back. Her personality is sassy and up to her usual hi-jinks (like slamming her bell against her cage to get our attention) But she still continues to refuse to gnaw on hay, wood or anything. Up until August she was voracious with anything we would put in her cage. She wouldn't stop chewing until whatever it was she was gnawing on was completely decimated.
The vet recommended that we would probably have to consider euthanasia as she felt her medical problems would eventually become enormously costly. My husband and I are taking her next month for x-rays and a better look at whats going on. She needed to be healed from the abscess first.
My question is this despite the teeth issues (which we have diligently brought her to the vet for her trimmings) Can a chinchilla stop gnawing due to age? And so abruptly? How long do Chinchillas live? Is Jelli considered geriatric?
I'm not sure how far to go with her treatment. We love her, and she's a part of our family. Finances are not an issue. She already sees her vet 4+ times per year. Our regular vet before she retired would cuddle jell's when she had her teeth trimmed, and she was barely stressed. So i also don't want her to be in constant pain. IF she is now and that's why shes not gnawing then I worry. But she is eating very well at this point and being quite the little beggar.
any insight or personal experience would be helpful. Most people don't even know what a chinchilla is, other than something a coat is made out of. I didn't either until Jelli came along.
Thank you,
Robyn
She's lovely. Sociable, and very attached to me. I never understood what personalities rodents have. But Jelli packs them all and then some. She is very tame and allows us to handle and pet her. She will come right out of her cage into our hands for treats. Shes so funny!
) About 5 years ago her teeth started needing clipped. I noticed it looked like she had an eye infection and it turned out to be dental issues. Shes always offered fresh hay but she uses it to sleep in and doesn't eat it. Instead she absolutely loves these wood wreath balls, apple sticks etc. pine cones. (I buy from online places specializing in chinchillas)
In August we brought her in for her routine trim. All was fine. Just a couple sharp edges (she goes 3-4 times a year) Her weight was great. In September we noticed that she stopped chewing her new sticks. We made an appointment for October not even 2 months after her August trimming. We have an exotics vet and they found that she chipped a front tooth. We were told to give it some time to grow back. But she also had some sharp teeth again, which were trimmed. Her weight was still fine.
By December she still had not started chewing on the wood toys offered to her and her appetite started to decline, but she was still acting normal. I just felt like something was off. So back to the vet - and this time they found an abscess, and decaying food in her mouth! She had several sharp teeth in the back as well. Again not even 2 months after her last trimming. (usually we have 3-4 months between trims) She had also lost a considerable amount of weight. This time she was on a round of pro-biotics, antibiotics, and pain meds. During this time my regular vet retired and we were given a new vet.
We got through all of that with flying colors and now she is begging for her usual treats, eating fine, her poops are still not 100% back. Her personality is sassy and up to her usual hi-jinks (like slamming her bell against her cage to get our attention) But she still continues to refuse to gnaw on hay, wood or anything. Up until August she was voracious with anything we would put in her cage. She wouldn't stop chewing until whatever it was she was gnawing on was completely decimated.
The vet recommended that we would probably have to consider euthanasia as she felt her medical problems would eventually become enormously costly. My husband and I are taking her next month for x-rays and a better look at whats going on. She needed to be healed from the abscess first.
My question is this despite the teeth issues (which we have diligently brought her to the vet for her trimmings) Can a chinchilla stop gnawing due to age? And so abruptly? How long do Chinchillas live? Is Jelli considered geriatric?
I'm not sure how far to go with her treatment. We love her, and she's a part of our family. Finances are not an issue. She already sees her vet 4+ times per year. Our regular vet before she retired would cuddle jell's when she had her teeth trimmed, and she was barely stressed. So i also don't want her to be in constant pain. IF she is now and that's why shes not gnawing then I worry. But she is eating very well at this point and being quite the little beggar.
any insight or personal experience would be helpful. Most people don't even know what a chinchilla is, other than something a coat is made out of. I didn't either until Jelli came along.
Thank you,
Robyn
