Vet Suggestions???

[Irishsk8r66]

Ok so I took dash to the vet yesterday just to make sure everything was ok before we get him a little brother. Everything was fine according to the vet however she let me know that if I wanted to, I could also feed him leafy greens such as lettuce and cilantro.....Now she also told me raisins were ok everyone once in a while like candy and that if I'm going to get another one (male or female) then I should have Dash neutered......
Here is where my issues are....i have heard no fruits or veggies and considering i also heard that neutering is bad I'm a little skeptical about her advice......

 

[Siany]

I wouldnt feed my chins fruit and veggies because of the natural sugars, and i was also told raisins were really bad for them. I wouldnt get him neutered unless it was absolutly needed and if hes having a brother i cant see why that was even brought up. It seems like the vet doesnt really know what shes talking about to me :S

 

[avecat6906]

Yeah I agree with Siany. No fruits of veggies of any kind because of their natural sugars. Cheerios, unfrosted mini wheats and rose hips are the best sort of "treats" for your chinchillas. They should still be fed sparingly, but they are much better then raisins as far as treats go. And even with proper vet care, surgery can be tricky and shouldn't be attempted unless absolutely necessary. Just get another male and you will be fine. That's what I did ) Good luck!

 

[mishellyshel]

i think i would consider another vet. a lot of vets feel that chinchillas are like rabbits or guinea pigs and can digest fruits and veggies or even fresh herbs. but these vets very likely have no experince with chins either in the field or at home. personally i feel one of the best vets to have is one who has owned at some point a chin. they just have SO much more insight. not to say that there are not a lot of extremely competent vets out there but I am sure the ones that excel have made sure they had a lot of chin experience.
oh and no raisins.

also as long as you got another male you do not need to neuter. why spend the money and more importatnly risk the health of your chin.

plus there is no guarentee they would even get along. while many chins can be paired successfully there are also many that prefer to live alone.

i dont think the risk of neutering is worth getting a female to live with.
if your heart is set on a female, just plan on separate cages. and if you get a male, have a second cage in case the intro doesnt go well or there is a fight down the road and they need to be separated.

i am not sure where Bensenville is, but if you post the state than perhaps another member can make a vet recommendation.

 

[Irishsk8r66]

i told her i was planning on another male but she said if i got him neutered then they would get along better.....as far as im concerned if they dont get along then they will be separated and I will not put either one of them through an expensive and dangerous surgery.....

 

[Cuddlebug]

You were wise to question what the vet said. Definitely, no fruit or veggies, dried or fresh. There is no reason to neuter your little guy if you get another male. As long as they like each other, they will be fine.

 

[Irishsk8r66]

like i said this was my first time going to the vet at all and i chose this one because it was only about 20 minutes away and it was the only one i could find that said chinchillas specifically.......another huge selling point is that they are also an emergency vet so it made me feel better to know they would have his records and its reasonably close if something were to ever happen.....

also bensenville is in illinois on the west side of the city

 

[Stackie]

In my experience even one of the best vets I have gone to still recommends fruits/veggies for chins. It's just something you have to choose to ignore.

 

[Sandi]

In my experience even one of the best vets I have gone to still recommends fruits/veggies for chins. It's just something you have to choose to ignore.

I agree as I've had to do this with my own vet who recommends leafy greens .

Midwest Bird and Exotic Animal Hospital just west of Chicago (http://www.midwestexotichospital.com) comes highly recommended and Dr. Clarkson was amazing with my chin that had malo.

I have also heard good things about Dr. Ness at Ness Exotic Wellness in Lisle, IL, but I have no experience with him (http://www.nessexoticwellness.com/index.php)

 

[Irishsk8r66]

i went to the midwest exotic hospital but i didnt specify a dr because i wouldnt have even known which to choose. maybe ill just request dr. clarkson next time.

ignoring it was another reason for me asking about it because whoever i had seemed pretty knowledgeable except for those few things so i was just wondering if its something where i should look for another vet or if its something i can just ignore......

 

[Siany]

I think i would go to another vet, My vets are actually quite good and if they dont know what they are dealing with they will get you to a vet that knows what they are talking about. I know my vets have the animals best interest at heart and i think thats the type of vets that people need

 

[Sandi]

i went to the midwest exotic hospital but i didnt specify a dr because i wouldnt have even known which to choose. maybe ill just request dr. clarkson next time.

ignoring it was another reason for me asking about it because whoever i had seemed pretty knowledgeable except for those few things so i was just wondering if its something where i should look for another vet or if its something i can just ignore......

IMO, stay with Midwest Exotic Animal Hospital as long as you see Dr. Clarkson. The chinvet from this forum also recommended them. As I've mentioned before, Dr. Clarkson worked wonders with my chin that had malo. I must have gone in with CJ for filings, etc.. a dozen times. Yes, they recommended the leafy greens but once I discussed my concerns and issues with it, they immediately dropped it, yet the vets care and knowledge about the disease and how to treat it and move forward was my main concern with my CJ.

I think i would go to another vet, My vets are actually quite good and if they dont know what they are dealing with they will get you to a vet that knows what they are talking about. I know my vets have the animals best interest at heart and i think thats the type of vets that people need

Unfortunately, here in the states most vets do not have experience with chinchillas and most of the time treat them as if they were treating a rabbit. When you find a vet that can and will listen to you and work with you as well having experience and knowledge in treating chins and their issues is someone I would want to try and stick with.