Can't sleep

[on:]

I think something is really wrong with Sierra. She had some wetness near her eyes a while ago, I thought it was something with the dust so I got new dust. After that it seemed to be improving so I didn't really think much of it.

Then she stopped eating her apple sticks, I figured she was picky so I got her some other stuff. She really hasn't touched them. She was out playing earlier and I noticed that her chest was wet, I wasn't sure what it was at first. But now I believe she is drooling.

I really am freaking out, I think I know what all of these lead to and I don't want it to be. I think she has Malocclusion. I really wish I knew all these signs before, but I was searching for what wet eyes and drooling are caused by and I found Malocclusion to be the cause.

Malocclusion in chinchillas is not good, sometimes their teeth are miss aligned which can cause a tooth to overgrow leading to a tooth spur that can dig into the cheek or tongue. These spurs can be filed down.

But I have a gut feeling Sierra has the worst Malocclusion type. Where the teeth roots actually grow towards the eye sockets and or lower jaw. In severe cases they can grow right through them. There really is no treatment for this type of Malo. I really think this is what she has, all the symptoms seem to fit.

I have another 1 and a half till I can call the vet and get her in for x-rays. I pray that Malo isn't the case.  Well, I'm gonna let her out to play until then.

[Reply #1 on:]

Aww i really hope everything goes okay!

[Reply #2 on:]

Thanks so far things are looking alright. Though I had a really long day. I stayed up all night just waiting for the vet to open at 8 am. I tried to sleep but it didn't happen. When I got a hold of someone they said they were booked all day until like 5 pm, but I told them that I had to work at 3:30 and explained her condition and they made room for her at noon.

The veterinarian gave Sierra a physical and checked out her teeth. She is in good health but the problem is with her teeth. The vet took a closer look and she has a few spurs that are bothering her tongue, which is making her not want to eat. When she does eat it makes her eyes water.

The veterinarian could have filed them down today but I had work, so I have an appointment in the am for Sierra to file the tooth spurs down. They are going to give her additional pain medication and antibiotics tomorrow also.

I asked about when the roots grow the wrong way, she said that it was rare that it happens. She is pretty certain that it's just these spurs bothering her. But if it doesn't seem to get better they can do a radiograph.

I'm sorry if any of this isn't coherent I only had one hour of sleep after Sierra's appointment before I had to work.

[Reply #3 on:]

Hey Talon- Sorry you're having to go through all this. I know what it's like to lose sleep because you're worrying so much. It's good that the vet was able to squeeze you in and I really hope it's just the spurs that are bugging her. Hopefully she feels much better once she's filed down.

How did the vet appointment go?

[Reply #4 on:]

Sierra's second appointment went well. They did the teeth filing and gave me Meloxi and Baytril for her. She gets the Meloxi once a day and the Baytril twice a day.

Let me tell you how much of a pain that is... administering medication 3 times a day by syringe to a chinchilla that want's nothing to do with it is nearly impossible. She has her 3 level cage memorized so every time I go to catch her she dodges /  jumps out of my hands. This really makes me wish I had another arm, lol. I can usually get her after 10 mins or so but I wish she would cooperate better.

Right now I'm still crushing up some of her food and mixing it with water to make it easier for her to eat. She still has hard pellets and hay available incase she wants that too. I hope she starts eating her dry pellets in the next couple of days.

[Reply #5 on:]

I know... I bet it kills you too, wondering if she's going to be afraid when you come at her cage from now on.

[Reply #6 on:]

I don't think she's afraid but she definitely knows what's coming. She will bark at me when I try to get her. Once I catch her she knows that medicine is on the way.

Usually I hold her with one hand and have her back on my chest. I lean her back a little so I can see her mouth and then give her the meds. But now she will flip herself over so her belly is on my chest making impossible to give her the meds.

So I had another little trick the vet gave me back when I had to give Jade medication, making a chinchilla burrito, lol. Basically I just roll her up in an old shirt that way she can't turn over or really move at all. It also prevents a lot of scratching, which is another plus.

[Reply #7 on:]

Sierra is back eating her pellets which makes me happy, I'm still keeping a close eye on her though. Today before work I took a few photos of her.

Sierra was napping but caught me trying to sneak a photo.
Her fur is a little disheveled from being handled so much in the past week.

And this is a photo of what her runny eyes look like, this is an improvement of what they looked like last week.
I hope in another week or so they will be back to normal.

[Reply #8 on:]

youir poor little girl.. i'm glad she is doing better and it wasn't in her routes.  it is scarey.. was the outside of her eye red in that one picture or is it always that color.. Just wondering. 

did you ever use baytril before. i hate that stuff.  yuk...

[Reply #9 on:]

I think it's just the lighting that makes it look red, she was out earlier and it looks pink like the rest of her skin.

I've never used Baytril for a chinchilla only for a cats upper respiratory infection.