Help my chin!

01-15-2004, 07:47 AM

Hi!
I'm new here! I live in Brazil and I have a black velvet chin that is chewing her own tail (the flesh of it!!!!). The wound is open and it's possibel to see her small bones :(
I already tried changing the cage, food, company.... but nothing is helping
To make matters worse, vets here don't understand much about chinchillas (only cats and dogs)

Do you have any suggestion??? I'm really concerned about her
thank you

Fernanda
fepirillo@ig.com.br[/img]

pamm013 · 01-15-2004, 08:09 AM

I dont know what to tell you.. but Im sure that some one here would be able to help you out. I sure hope that your chin will get better..
welcome to POTN

neuroleptical · 01-15-2004, 08:23 AM

I would buy a foul-tasting agent like Bitter Apple, Bitter Lemon or Phooey!! spray, test it on a substance in the cage to make sure she doesn't like the taste, then if she hates it, apply it to her tail area. Only when she stops chewing will it heal.

kingsborochins · 01-15-2004, 08:30 AM

Is she chewing it because it is infected? Is she actually chewing it or licking it clean? Is there a possibility that she has fungus on her tail that is making it so itchy that she has to scratch/chew it so severly for relief? How big is the chewed area?

Candycane · 01-15-2004, 10:21 AM

I am also worried that it is infected. Can you contact a vet and get an Elizabethan collar for her (like the ones used on dogs) so that she won't be able to chew it?

linus · 01-15-2004, 03:33 PM

i too wonder if it is a secondary infection due to chewing caused by fungus.....i would take her to a vet....sometimes they also chew when stressed...sally did that when i first got her

possummomca · 01-15-2004, 06:26 PM

I had a standard girl that had been what i thought chewing her tail. (it turned out that it was the male in the cage doing it) but what the vet did was give me a fucidin cream 2% and an Elizabethan collar, but hers was not as bad as your chins damage. I also would be worried about a secondary infection. I had to also suspend any dust bathes till the tail was healed. Good luck with your bb
Barb

01-16-2004, 05:40 AM

Hi!
thanks for all your answers!
unfortunately I'm afraid it's not case of fungus as there are no other patches on her body, her fur is ok.
I already tried to put a collar around her little neck, but it didn't work because she couldn't eat with that (she couldn't use her hands), one day she managed to remove it and the chewing was terrible.
Maybe I'll try some bad taste product, but I have to be careful because it will hurt a lot at the injured parts

Fernanda

kingsborochins · 01-16-2004, 09:05 AM

I would first try some anestetic antibiotic cream. If it is itchy or very sore, the cream will numb and potentially treat it. If it is bothering her that much, you have to treat the primary cause first. Trying to get her to stop chewing isn't going to help if the problem isn't treated. Also, I still think getting her to a vet who can identify the problem is key - the fact she is a chinchillas shouldn't stop them from at least finding out if it's an infection or something..

clearjade · 01-18-2004, 12:05 PM

Fepirillo, any updates on your girl?