Sarah Hamilton, Grandeur Chinchillas
Understanding Operations & Risks
It is very interesting in the fact that so many people are put off by getting surgery’s done in Chinchillas i.e. Neutering, even some Vets are not very confident, or have no confidence at all in these animals (possibly because the Vet does not know or has little knowledge/no experience in them). It is important to have a more in depth understanding of risks, other than the common saying of ‘they are just to sensitive so why risk it’.
I will use Neutering for an example since this is more commonly talked about. People buy one chinchilla, then feel they need to get another for whatever reason that maybe (I will go into compatible sexes in a different section), the most common thing people do is get the opposite sex to what they have, some cases people, including some Pet Shops and some breeders, sell what they think is a F/F pairing when it ends up been a F/M pairing. Letting Chinchillas have even one litter takes careful planning for both parents and future babies, if not mum and/or babies can run into serious problems or even lead to death, these are very common emergencies and rescues I deal with on a regular basis, that of course can be easily prevented.
When it comes to neutering one of the Chinchillas, people do not want to risk the Operation, but would rather let them have babies, some common thoughts I have encountered are ‘if they breed they breed’, or ‘I don’t want to there is to much of a risk, I would not mind babies anyway, they are cute’. This is a selfish way of thought. In fact, there is more of a risk for the Female, allowing her to get pregnant and have babies (under a person who is not knowledged enough/properly), than what it is for the Male to be neutered.
The risks of neutering are not involved in anyway with the procedure, but with the type of and balance of anaesthesia and the oxygen balance during the surgery.
Other factors also play an important part in how risky the operation maybe such as:
Health: not giving a proper diet i.e. incorrect vitamins and minerals, feeding to many treats, feeding other animal foods such as Rabbit/Guinea Pig Pellets, Genetic issues, heart murmurs, lack of Fluids, Sick i.e. cold, Anorexia just to name a few.
Vet: if the Veterinarian has no experience in anesthetized Chinchillas.
Age: 1-3 years old is a good age to be done as they can rapidly recuperate without complication. Older than this and they can possibly still be done, but strict examination of health and stamina is needed by the Vet.
Before the Operation
Preparing before an Operation is just as in important as care during an Operation.
It is very important you DO NOT starve a Chinchilla before an Operation, fasting overnight before surgery is used in Dogs and Cats to prevent vomiting while under anaesthesia, chinchillas cannot vomit and also starving before surgery is not only unnecessary because of this but it also causes the Chinchillas gastro-intestinal tract to slow down becoming prey to gastric shut-down and shock, becoming more of a risk during surgery and after. BUT if a Chinchilla is going in to have surgery on the intestines, liver or kidney/s the Veterinarian may state a Fast to reduce the intestinal contents. A Chinchilla MUST also be well-hydrated before surgery, this helps to lessen the risk of adverse effects.
This is also were a proper commercial Chinchilla Diet is so important, lack of proper balanced nutrients and high fibre will add more risk to your chinchilla during and after surgery.
But in saying these it is also important to remember in any Operation there is a risk.
Before you take your chinchilla in, give 1 drop of Arnica 1m Spray into the mouth. This helps prevent Shock, bruising, stops Haemorrhages and also helps if a Chin is uptight.
Depending, after an Operation a Chinchilla will need to stay at the Clinic for at least 6 hours, or it may have to stay overnight there, so you must bring in its usual food (Pellets and Hay) and water, any other special requirements your chinchilla may have, and also it sometimes helps to bring along a non-stringing blanket or towel from home for familiar smells.
Anaesthesia
ONLY inhalant anaesthetics should be used on Chinchillas, Sevoflurane or Isoflurane are acceptable sedative gasses that are well tolerated by Chinchillas. Many Small Animal Veterinarians already use Isoflurane (some clinics may not as it needs a special machine) as common practise but also commonly used is Halothane which is risky for Chinchillas, so it is advised you check and/or request Isoflurane where possible. Below is a table of percentages of inhalation anaesthetics metabolised, bold titled are commonly used or only used:
Sevoflurane 3.0 % is metabolized by the kidneys and liver
Isoflurane 0.17% is metabolized by the kidneys and liver
Methoxyflurane up to - 50% is metabolized by the kidneys and liver
Halothane up to - 25% is metabolized by the kidneys and liver
With Small Animals such as Chinchillas, it is recommended NOT to use injectable sedatives. Any sedative will slow down the gastro-intestinal tract (as above, why it is also important not to fast before as it will slow down enough with the affects of sedatives also), but sedative gasses can be more carefully controlled, are less potent and wear off quickly. If an issue arises while the Chinchilla is under gas anaesthesia and it needs to be awakened they can put the Chinchilla on pure oxygen to quickly wake it. It is more risky for the Chinchilla if an anti-sedative is administered with an injectable sedative in their system.
Analgesia
Pain relief/anti-inflammatory is very important, it cannot be stressed enough. It is strictly advised for the Veterinarian to give the Chinchilla during surgery. Please ask if this will be done, if not then why and if they will been given it after if not during, and check again when you pick up your Chinchilla, along with what pain relief was used, how long the pain relief will last, and if a prescription is necessary (will be necessary if none was given, otherwise if so it may last for up to 46 hours depending, so then they may ask you to just keep an eye on the Chinchilla to see how it goes). Recommended Pain Relief used by Vets during or after surgery is Rimadyl, it is a Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and has long pain relief between 24 – 46 hours. Dose given for Chinchillas is 0.04ml once daily injection. Other noted suitable Analgesics for Chinchillas are Butorphanol and Meloxicam (Metacam). DO NOT try to give your Chinchilla human Pain Relief!
MAKE SURE the veterinarian who is going to deal with your Chinchilla knows and understands the unique problems and sensitivity of these animals, how to properly treat them especially in medication including administering. Do not feel you should not be asking your Vet questions no matter the situation, asking questions not only makes sure your chinchilla will have the best care but also helps you understand and be more at ease with what is going on. Please take the time to look around, use the phone and search around properly. Communication with your Vet is a must.
At the end of this section are check lists of some questions to ask the vet where possible i.e. Neutering or other pre-booked Operations, and also questions to ask yourself, and preparations. I hope this will be of help.
After the Operation
Understanding Care by Vet -It is standard procedure that your Vet will keep the Chinchilla in recovery/observation for at least 6 hours while/until/after it wakes up. This is because during this time it is important that it wakes properly (not forced), but more importantly so the Vet can observe and check it, and to make sure no problems arise while coming out of any anaesthetic. Please note though, some Clinics regardless of type of Operation or time it was done, will keep the animal overnight as standard practise in their Clinic.
Immediate Post- Operative Care
After any surgical procedure it is very important the Chinchilla gets fluids and food into it within a few hours.
Ask and talk with your Vet BEFORE the Operation to make sure they will give fluid replacement under the skin during or just after anaesthetic. Chinchillas will loose fluid during surgery and recovery, this will help lessen the risks, get it into them faster and safely. While in observation/recovery at the Clinic, the Vet should put the Pellets, Hay and Water you supplied in with the Chinchilla.
It will take less than 12 hours without food and fluids after any Operation for the Chinchilla’s life to become dangerously at risk!
Immediate Post- Operative Care, Arriving Home
● Keep the Chinchilla Warm at all times (for a couple of days at the least)! This has to be done by a safe heat source such as an animal heating Pad for example, it is chew proof and water resistant - this can be purchased at Veterinary Clinics, usually you have to get them to order it, they may not be in the Store. Ring and enquire a week before you are due to take your chinchilla in, to give time if they have to order it in. Make sure you have a non-stringing Blanket over it, for comfort and more importantly to maintain body temperature.
Using an Oil Heater set to a low temperature is also advisable in the room, as this is dry heat and will nicely maintain body temperate, do not use gas heaters. Do this before you pick the Chinchilla up from the Vets, it saves allot of rushing around and also so the chinchilla will not be left without warmth while you get it all ready, keeps stress also to a minimum. Offering warmth in these forms is one of the main keys of preventing Post-Operative Shock (see signs and treatment of shock in Health).
● Keep the room quiet and peaceful, keep the Chinchilla Stress free such as only handling if absolutely necessary, keep other animals including other Chinchillas and children out of the room, and provide a sleeping Box to make it feel secure and not vulnerable been ‘in the open’. Make sure the Cage you have the Chinchilla in is a single level cage ONLY, it will need to be in this cage during recovery for a month.
● When the Chinchilla comes home, immediately give extra fluids and food (even if the Vet has given fluid replacement under the skin). Add Unsweetened Pure Pineapple Juice to the Water, 1 teaspoon per 250ml of Water. If the chinchilla will not accept Fluids on its own, get a Syringe and slowly add drops on its bottom lip (keeping away from the nose), the chinchilla will then lick it off on its own.
Add Apple or Cider Vinegar to the water, this acts as a tonic and helps stimulate the appetite. Amount to put in is: ½ teaspoon to 250ml of water.
With these in the Water, the Water bottle will need to be changed twice a day to prevent bacteria build up, then re-add it into the water. Keep Juice refrigerated.
Encourage the Chinchilla to eat on its own, do not offer treats as a means to get food into it, or do not use food it is not used to. Doing this may cause an amount of problems including a blood rush or/and prolapsed intestine, tummy upset. After surgery’s such as neutering, the Chinchilla will be experiencing cramps from the Operation (just as people do also, but animals especially chinchillas are experts at hiding any pain), so you want to make it as easy as possible for it.
If you cannot get the Chinchilla to eat at all, then you need to syringe Feed. ONLY do this if it will not eat or will hardly eat at all, Syringe Feeding helps stimulate normal gut motility. Prepare the mixture, and all the equipment before the Chinchilla arrives home, you want to get food into it ASAP to keep its gut to keep moving. Make sure any food given is high in fibre, low in protein, keep Hay and Pellets in with the Chinchilla at all times, remembering that a Chinchilla may also not be that hungry due to been less active:
Recovery/Emergency Formula
1. Using a Blender or Coffee grinder, put in half a cup of Chinchilla Pellets, empty 2 capsules of Acidophilus Powder (preferably the one with added probiotics), 1 tablespoon of Oatmeal. Mix this all together until it is all powdered.
2. Next add to this 1 drop of Arnica 1m Spray (helps prevent shock, Internal Bruising, stops haemorrhages, you will need to add this even though it had it before surgery). Mix Unsweetened Pure Cranberry Juice for thinning the mixture (used as replacement of water), add this as you need to make it more palatable at first as you will try to give the chinchilla this in a bowl to encourage it to eat on it’s own, or if it will NOT eat still, add more of the Juice to the Mix so it will go through the Feeding Syringe.
3. 1 Tablespoon of 100% Pure Honey can be added to the Mix if chinchilla refuses to eat, it also helps to prevent hypoglycemia, BUT regardless you should be wise and only add it if refusing is the case, and use no more because of the sugar.
Keep this in the refrigerator for up to 13 Days, no longer, feed this Mix at approximately 30mls a day, breaking that up and spaced out into 3 times a day (10ml syringe-as close to a full syringe as the chinchilla will take). Chinchillas only eat until they are full, so you might need to decrease or increase that amount depending how it is responding.
Syringe Feeding Technique
1. Be careful NOT to have any air bubbles, fill the Feeding Syringe with the Mixture. Keep a clean/sanitised bowl near for the Syringe to go into if you need to put it down somewhere during feeding i.e. if the Chinchilla needs a wipe from the food.
2. With holding the chinchilla, have the heat source i.e. the Heating Pad, under it with different towel to that in the cage, hold the Chinchilla close to you securely (Do NOT hold the Chinchilla by the Tail) in a comfortable position for you to feed, have a napkin or thin face cloth available to wipe up any mess immediately.
3. After the chinchilla has settled down, offer the Feeding Syringe up to it’s mouth away from its nose, and depress the syringe, putting a drop onto it’s lip, this is to see if the chinchilla will take it on it’s own before you attempt to do it yourself, wait for a minute and if it takes it wait to give it more, give it time to swallow it. Keep this up if it takes it on it’s own, remembering to take it very slowly as to not make the chin choke.
4.If the Chinchilla will not accept the Syringe on its own, you will need to Feed it yourself. With the chinchilla still held secure, put end of the syringe (skinny tip where food comes out) into the side of the mouth, so the Syringe is behind the front teeth. Depress the Syringe into the mouth, allowing a couple of drops of the Mix to go in and NO MORE, then immediately remove the syringe, wait for a minute to give the chinchilla time to swallow. DO NOT force it in the Chinchilla!
They will ‘chew’ the Mix not swallow immediately, this is why it must be done a bit at a time, and doing that also makes the chinchilla feel more comfortable and more relaxed. For this to be successful, you need to have patients, remembering the chinchilla will also feel your ‘vibe’, so the Chinchilla will become distressed, making this long time-consuming procedure even longer, if the chinchilla tries to struggle in any time during the feeding, stop immediately and keep holding the chin as you are, then carry on when it stops.
If you are lucky, after a few doses from you, the Chinchilla may end up taking it on its own. I have found this in almost every case of me syringe feeding.
5. Make sure any liquid on the chinchilla i.e. around mouth, chin, chest, is cleaned up as much as you can to prevent pneumonia.
I cannot stress how important it is to be careful and patient while syringe feeding any chinchilla. Aside from been careful that the Chinchilla does not choke, if any Liquid/food is inhaled, it can cause aspiration pneumonia. Watch how much is been put in the mouth, listen and watch for any coughing or sneezing, watch how the chinchilla reacts, the key to it is to relax and let the chin take it’s time, not to make it feel stressed, as though it is been force fed. If you have not done it before you should ask the Vet if they can demonstrate how to do it for you, this been shown to you will make you feel more at ease.
Copyright © Sarah Hamilton
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