Question:
Well Cub is home but the news is not good. When under anesthetic, Dr Benoit determined that she does not have spurs @ all, just a very serious problem with one side of her mouth's teeth being worn down/ingown so that they are little stubs nestled in very inflamed gums. She did not require a trim @ all- there is nothing to trim. DR B said that she, @ age 2, has the teeth of a 15 year old chinchilla.
I have antibiotics for her, which she will be taking for 2 weeks to reduce the inflammation, & I have to syringe-feed her a paste of pellets mashed with warm water & baby cereal. She HATES being held or restrained so I know this is going to be pure h*ll for both of us.
About the only thing she will eat now is fresh fruits & raisin bran. I asked Dr B about this & he said @ this point, getting her to eat anything @ all was progress. Not that there will be any real progess. I think I have to face the fact that this is going to end in euthanasia. Dr Benoit said that the only other thing he could do was extremely risky & expensive: breaking Cub's jaw & removing all of the offending teeth, & then he added, "she would have a hard time eating then, too".
If anyone has tips on how to help Cub, what to feed, how to make her comfortable, etc., please let me know.


Answer:
Nuero.. Im so sorry.. Im getting tears in my eyes reading this.. it has to be extremely hard for you.. euthenasia is never an easy decision.. but it is understandable if it is the best choice for the animal. does the dr tell you when you should see any difference with the antibiotics? and what the deciding factor would be? Poor Cub!!! give her lots of hugs and kisses from me and my chins..


Answer:
oh my goodness! I am soooooo sorry to hear about Cub neuro
I don't have much advice to offer I'm afraid, but if there is ANYTHING I can do for you, please let me know. I will keep you and cub in my thoughts. We are here for you!


Answer:
I also have no words...kiss Cub for me and Buddy and let me know if there is anything that I can do.


Answer:
Thank you all so much.
I was just in with bf & we were hand feeding Cub. She ate some more raisin bran, a medium sized baby carrot piece, & drank some water. She also downed her cherry-flavoured antibiotic drops like it was a milkshake!!! That's one small thing to be happy about.
I am going to the Superstore soon to get her some organic baby cereal & maybe some more fresh organic fruit. I know everyone always says, "Don't feed your chinchilla people food" but Cub has other ideas & I don't want her to starve to death because I am sticking to the "no people food" rule. So cereal & veggies it is, @ least until I make my Mazuri/baby cereal mash for her.


Answer:
absolutely.. she has to have something.. and if thats what she is going to eat.. by all means give it to her.. besides .. its okay to spoil your chin while she is sick!


Answer:
It's great to hear the she's eating her antibiotics!


Answer:
Sounds like Cub is getting the royal treatment, I'm glad she's taking her antibiotics so well!


Answer:
Neuro, I know this is a very hard thing for you to go through and you are doing the very best for Cub. You are very right, feeding her people food right now is a must and the rules do not apply here. I know you want Cub to be as comfortable and happy as possible right now and you are doing everything possible to ensure she has that.



Answer:
My heart is with you and Cub, Neuro. I know that this is very difficult for you. You are doing a great job! The only thing I would suggest is maybe some Critical Care?