Won't eat Oxbow Critical Care, not eating much. Help!

[Stackie]

If they gave her insulin and she already had low blood sugar from not eating, that could potentially kill her by sending her into severe hypoglycemia. I would definitely call and see what's going on about that.

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[Pixie]

Why on earth would a chinchilla get insulin? If not diabetes (which she hasen't actually been diagnosed with that yet. Enlarged heart? Bloat or gas? I'm scared to go downstairs. I have had such a bad feeling all night. The stress has now resulted in a migraine which makes it especially difficult to deal with this. Because of many negative previous experiences.....I don't like taking animals to the vet. I feel most vets are idiots and I either pay money for them to say "good job, your doing everything right", or my animal ends up in worse condition because of something they did.

 

[Pixie]

She's alive! She looks more alert then last night. So weird!

 

[Stackie]

I'm not sure why they would give her insulin without a definitive diagnosis of diabetes (not to mention what type) - and like Dawn said, insulin is just not used in chins. Insulin would do nothing for an enlarged heart or the gas/bloat. I'm hoping it was just added to your bill as a mistake. As a vet tech but also as a fellow chin owner who has had the misfortune of dealing with various injuries/illnesses, I understand your frustration. The key is finding a vet who is actually knowledgeable with chins (there aren't many), or one that is willing to admit they don't know much but are willing to learn. Unfortunately with chins, there just isn't much medical info out there and 90% of the time, the vet is just guessing or crossing their fingers.

Best of luck to you and Judy.

 

[Pixie]

Ok I figured out some things. They thankfully did not give her insulin. It was an insulin syringe they gave me to inject her with Reglan. Is injecting her with Reglan instead go orally ok?

Also, I keep a journal on Judy..when I give her meds and feed her, and I noticed my husband gave her metacam last night without my knowledge but I had already given her metacam yesterday morning. There was confusion around that. I think he was trying to help out because he knows how stressed I've been. So with a .04 of metacam in the morning, and another .04 in the evening, on top of the vet injecting her with Buprenex yesterday all in one day I'm wondering if she had too much pain medicine and that's why she was out of it last night?

I'm suspecting that she might have an upper respiratory infection. She sounds congested, wet nose, dried bits of tiny fur clumped together around nose, dull dry eyes. Are these signs of a URI? Is it treatable in a sensitive chin?

 

[ticklechin]

Buprenex is good for 12 hours but it can make chins very sick with nausea and not a first choice unless used with a anti-nausea drug if there is a reaction, that and the metecam could have caused extreme nausea and lethargy-chins can't vomit so they just feel like total crap. The symptoms of the URI is labored breathing, congested breathing, runny nose in some cases, lethargy, but the heaving breathing is what I have mostly seen along with being able to hear them breath-sounds like honking. Baytril/TMS used together are somewhat effective in treatment.

 

[Stackie]

Ah, an insulin syringe makes much more sense. Yes, it is likely the pain medications made her drowsy and feel nauseous, especially the buprenex as it is an opioid.

From what your are describing, it does sound like she may be developing a URI. Since she's been so sick and stressed, she probably has a weakened immune system. She also could have aspirated food/water which can cause aspiration pneumonia. URIs are treatable if you catch them quickly and hit them fast with a strong antibiotic. Baytril is usually the commonly prescribed antibiotic. The only problem is, baytril given orally is notorious for reducing appetites in chins. Since she is already experiencing lack of appetite, maybe you can ask about mixing the reglan and baytril in the syringe and giving it as one injection. Chloramphenicol is another one that can be used, but I don't have any experience with it.

 

[Pixie]

My husband and I couldn't give her the injectable Reglan tonight so we gave her the oral. She kept squirming every time the needle went in even though I thought I had her in a good hold. She really didn't like it. Her respiratory stuff is bad. Wheezing, hacking, breathing hard, and her fur was soaked beneath her nose as well as under her mouth. She keeps pawing at her nose.

I have 4 choices. I can get the injectable baytril and start giving it to her. I can humanely euthanize her now. Or I can not do either until she stops moving around and taking dust baths/when there is no quality of life left and then euthanize her. Or i can just keep syringe feeding her until she completely resists and its too hard to get any in her and let her die. I'm having a hard time making these decisions. .

With the enlarged heart, and what I'm thinking is an upper respiratory infection, possible diabetes, teeth that were filled down and grew back in a month at an angle, and lots of gas in her tummy, If I were her, would I want to be poked and forced to do everything I'm doing? If she has a good chance of surviving I will do everything I can. If she most likely will die even with injectable baytril and forced to do things she doesn't want to do then maybe I shouldn't put her through that.

She still runs around, but only if I need to pick her up as she is running from me. She is mostly wanting to hide in her house. She still likes to go in her dust bath and she still loves her acidophilus.

I know the decisions is up to me, but I would like anyone's thoughts if possible. Maybe I could video tape her and post it here. I will try and put up the X-ray photos tonight as well.

 

[Pixie]

Ok I'm trying to upload her X-rays. Lets see if this works.

 

[Pixie]

Here is one of her teeth.

 

[Pixie]

Another of her mouth

 

[Pixie]

This X-ray is of her stomach and a little bit of her heart.

 

[Pixie]

I took her back into the vet again this morning because I would say she has an upper respiratory infection. Well I found out even more awful news. Besides possible diabetes, the possibility of her teeth growing back again in a month (she can't go under anesthesia again), and enlarged heart. Now half of her face is paralyzed and she has an ulcer in her eye and she can't see out of it. The vet still doesn't want to euthanize her. I also told them that her lips have been looking really swollen. They think her face being paralyzed and swollen lips could have happened because of the anesthesia. I'm completely sick about this. They don't want to give her injectable baytril to fight the UPI because it still might effect her gut. They won't even diagnose her with a URI. They said that she is having upper respiratory issues but they don't know if its actually an infection. WTF happened when they did the tooth filing? She was fine the morning she was put under anesthesia except for drooling. If I had know all of this would have happened, I would have never put her through this.

 

[Stackie]

I'm sorry to hear that. It sounds like she is quickly going downhill and probably in a lot of pain. I would be seeking out another vet for a second opinion. If you want to euthanize, they can't tell you no, especially with the condition she is now in.

Looking at the x-rays, it does look like something is going on with the roots of her teeth. No amount of filing can help the roots.

 

[Pixie]

Thanks for your feedback Stacie. If you or anyone else knows of any other vet that has experience with chinchillas in Oregon, let me know. This was supposed to be the best vet for exotic animals in Oregon. They mostly see Ferrets, rabbits, and rats but do see chinchillas as well. But this is the same vet that said chinchillas should have no chew toys because its bad for their teeth.

 

[Stackie]

I found this list, but I am not sure how chin-savvy any of them are. It's a start at least.

http://www.northportlandvet.com/links-and-logins/specialists/avian-exotics-reptiles/

 

[Pixie]

Yea I think most of them do not have as much experience with chins as the one I'm going to. The one I'm going to is on that list. And if you type in best chinchilla vet Oregon, they are the ones that come up. Do you know if there are chinchilla specialists that I can call in the U.S.?

 

[ticklechin]

X-ray 1 shows pretty advanced elongation of the lower rt side, you can see the roots curve towards the cheek side, the others x-rays (incomplete in my opinion) show elongation of all the teeth. Chin is in pretty good amount of pain. When dealing with advanced elongation anything can happen during a filing and it does. There is no fix for this I am sad to day, it will get worse and in my experience PTS is the humane thing to do.

 

[Pixie]

Thank you all so much for all of your help though all of this the past few months. It has been an intense emotional roller coaster. I will be saying my last goodbyes to her in an hour. I'm trying to think of everything that she still enjoys like acidophilus and simethicone and will give that to her right beforehand. I've been spending the day loving and cuddling her and scratching her head and neck which she still loves. Last night I wasn't able to force her to eat. She absolutely did not want it. When i got a couple ml in her mouth it didnt seem like she could swallow it. Her mouth seemed so swollen on the inside. All she wanted to do was cuddle tightly into my neck. So that is what I did. I'm not forcing her to do anything today. Today is her day to not be poked and forced to do things she doesn't want to do.

If anyone sees this before 5pm and you have any ideas on giving a chinchilla a smooth transition to rainbow bridge, let me know. Im giving her reiki with lots of love, dust bath, acidophilus, and simethicone is the only things I know she likes. Anything else a chinchilla might like before she goes?

 

[mercynursie]

You've already given her the most precious gift of all, the love of knowing kindness and care of a human and that no more pain or suffering is ahead.God bless the true animal lovers. You'll be in my prayers through this sad time. Dana and "the Hundred Acre Wood Gang":angel: