Young chinchilla very ill, can find no vet to help

[Lynn & The Chins]

I know that this is a very personal choice, but from what you have just described, that dear little chinchilla is in such pain that he would welcome the chance to be relieved of it sooner, rather than later.

I'm sorry that you have to go through this painful experience. :flowers5:

 

[AZChins]

It would be a total lie to say that he MIGHT pull through. This chin has a very small chance of coming through this. Continuing to force feed him may make things worse if the food isn't moving through him.

At this point, I would say that you need to think about euthanizing him. It's very doubtful that everything is magically going to start working again. Unless you have a real miracle where the gas dissipates and he starts producing lots of droppings, I don't think the prognosis is very good.

 

[ticklechin]

Abscesses in the teeth take forever to clear up, it can take upwards of 30 days to get rid of them on a strong antibiotic such as baytril, multible abscesses are a indicator of malo or periodontal disease or both, so the mouth is a problem and since I don't know if you have a vet there that knows chinchilla teeth, this problem may be on going and a quality of life issue and a quote "deal breaker".

Your more immediate concern is the gas and backed up poo. Have the vet recheck the x-ray of the gut on friday if you are still seeing poo until then, and see if there is any improvment in gas reduction and poo backup. If the gas issue clears up then the teeth and mouth can be addressed but if not then the issue may never get better and you will still need to think about quality of life left. Since you are using a antibiotic orally on a stasis/gas chin, it is risky business, since beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract will be killed off along with bad bacteria-if you can locate acidophilus at a health food store I would add that to the treatment regiment-it comes in a capsule form and you just dump the contents in the hand feeding mixture-the higher bacteria count the better.

I will keep positive thoughts for you and your chin.

 

[AZChins]

I guess she could try a more concentrated form of simethicone like using Phazyme in the little gel caps. I use that mixed with life line to help a gassy chin. This chin has had this going on for so long...I feel really bad for him.

 

[ticklechin]

I don't know if they have phazyme in Greece, I was just glad she was able to get simethicone at all and now has a vet who can help. This chin seems to have a will to live and having poo happen after all this time is a miracle in itself.

 

[AZChins]

I know...it was a miracle that the chin did poop. Still, infection and very little gut motility, both of those are bad and together they are even worse.

There's got to be something a bit stronger than just the baby anti gas drops that she can find. It's not a bad thing to hold out hope, but sometimes it's so much better to think of the little animal. I hope that the metacam is helping with the pain.

 

[ahappycamper]

Please update us ASAP. A lot of us are keeping tabs on your little one.

 

[headlines0]

I can't find Phazyme here.

My chinchilla is pooping, not much, but he is. He isn't eating/drinking water on his own though. He keeps being lethargic and despite the metacam he seems to be in pain.

I will meet again the vet on Friday and maybe I manage to get the radiologist at the clinic for another xray. We discussed it (the vet and I) and decided that if he doesn't come round by Friday I will put him down on Saturday or Sunday.

 

[ticklechin]

Just keep up what you are doing, and keep us updated!

 

[mishellyshel]

I agree. Don't give up on him yet. Keep up the meds, massage, & xtra out of cage time to keep the gut moving. And keep up the handfeeding & pain meds. If this is the end for him then he shuld at least be somewhat comfortable. I hope he pulls thru.

 

[ticklechin]

Any news?

 

[headlines0]

Day 14 of antibiotics, tomorrow is the last day. The vet disagreed in putting him down 'so early' as he said. Metoclopramide is still on, today is the last day of antibiotics. I had to go out of town the last 5 days so I left my chin to my parents. They took care of him. The vet said to feed him less (twice a day 8ml each time) and wait until he starts eating on his own if he does which I doubt will happen.

He has gotten very thin (half of his chubby size) and the last two days he's sitting on his butt, a very weird position. I can't get him more x-rays, it's a real dead season this time and in the radiology dept. of the clinic I work everyone I know is on vacation. After all it would be of no use since the chinny's future is very clear. You might think I'm being a criminal for keeping him in life until now but it's a very complicated situation and with everyone around saying NO to euthanasia I can't just walk over them and put him down. (the vet and the rest of the family strongly disagree with putting him down)

 

[ticklechin]

16ml a day is going to cause this chin to become emaciated if its not already, its like you only eating a banana and piece of toast a day. This chin will not eat on its own, it won't happen and your vet is IMO on the brink of malpractice. This chin is suffering and I know if it was me I would tell everyone to bite me, I am having this chin put out of its misery.

 

[Stackie]

Your vet can not force you to not put the chin down. He may be able to suggest and offer advice albeit sternly, but ultimately they can not decide for you. Be stern and let them know what you want. If he won't do it, take him to another vet that will. Any vet should be able to euthanize him.

I'm sorry we are discussing this, but it seems it would be the best thing for your poor chinnie.

 

[starleomach]

That postion your chinchilla is in means he is an extreme pain and may be going into organ failure. A vet will never refuse to put an animal down. He is slowly dying

 

[ticklechin]

I am sitting here wondering how someone can sit and watch a chin die a slow and painful death and do nothing.

 

[AZChins]

He could prolapse his intestines or have something inside burst. I feel bad for the little guy. Hopefully he will go quickly without too much pain, but that isn't the case here. I really don't understand the vet's position of not wanting to euthanize too early.

 

[tunes]

Do you remember where I said you need to think of quality of life over quantity? You are way past that point now. He is emaciated, he is in constant pain, he cannot eat enough to sustain himself. He can't even sit comfortably. Even one of the things you listed for his diagnoses are hard to treat, he's got several and the treatment is not working.

Tell this vet to STOP treating your chin like some kind of experiment so he can figure out what to do next time. That's what it sounds like he's doing. A vet cannot refuse to put down an animal. Remind him of the oath he took when he became a vet. He swore to relieve animals of suffering. Your boy is suffering.

Hard reality - eventually, your boy will dwindle away to nothing. He will be in terrible pain. His organs will shut down one by one. The stress on his body will cause more and more stress on his heart until eventually, everything slows down to the point where he can't function anymore, where he can't fight anymore. Then you will find him laying on his side in his cage, gasping for his last breath, possibly seizing, and you'll think to yourself "I wish I would have put him to sleep." Only by that time, he will have suffered more than any beloved pet should.

 

[headlines0]

After all this time, I am finally here to state that I'm really grateful to the young vet and my family for not insisting on euthanasia:

my chinchilla is now completely healthy, eats, poops, pees, bathes, jumps and runs, curious as never before, gained the weight he had lost and to be brief, has passed that critical state.

Thanks for your help every one here. I hope he will be alive for many many years. I won't give the community up, after this great support I found here.

 

[tunes]

Wow - truly a miracle chin. In 13 days he's regained all his weight as though this never happened? I have never heard of a chin regaining more than maybe 50 gm in a couple of weeks, what you are saying is unheard of. Unless you overstated what was going on, your chin should be dead by now, so somebody must have been doing some heavy praying.

We'd love to see pictures of him now that he's healthy and happy again, and congratulations to you both for making it through this.