Here we can see, “What Should You Do If Your Chinchilla Breaks a Leg?”
Because chinchillas are such active pets, they are prone to breaking their legs. A fracture can also occur as a result of being handled forcibly. A broken leg in a chinchilla can be quite painful, and it can cause your pet to get stressed, which can be fatal if not handled properly. Knowing how to prevent broken legs in chinchillas and what to do if you suspect your pet has one can save your pet from suffering for a long time.
What is a Broken Leg?
The tibias of chinchillas are prone to breaking due to their fragility and lack of cushioning. It’s possible that a broken chinchilla leg is just a simple fracture with no skin sores. When a bone breaks and the skin breaks at the same time, this is called a complex fracture. This is a more serious injury that could get infected if it isn’t treated.
Symptoms of a Broken Leg in a Chinchilla
If you believe your chinchilla has broken its leg, you should take it to a doctor right away. If your chinchilla has a broken leg, it will be in a lot of pain, and the stress its little body will be under as a result of the accident, along with the discomfort, will be enough to kill it. Here are some warning signs to look out for:
Symptoms
- Skin wound
- Protruding bone
- Dragging legs/limping
- Avoiding upper levels of cage
- Lethargy
Skin Wound
A skin wound, commonly known as a hematoma, will be present if the fractured leg is a complex fracture. If you have more than one chinchilla in a cage, the wound could be the result of a tussle bite rather than a broken leg, but your veterinarian can determine the cause.
Protruding Bone
In the case of a complex fracture in the leg, the bone may protrude through the skin.
Dragging Legs/Limping
If your pet has a broken leg, it will naturally be unable to walk properly and will either drag its hind legs or limp.
Avoiding Upper Levels of Cage
Because of the agony, a chinchilla with a broken leg will not desire to climb to a higher level.
Lethargy
Because it is in pain and stressed, any animal with a medical issue may demonstrate lethargy.
Causes of a Broken Leg
There are a variety of factors that can cause a chinchilla’s tiny legs to break. These are some of the reasons:
- Cage wires:Â When a chinchilla hops around, its tiny legs tend to fall between the wire spacing of cage ramps and bottoms. When a chinchilla’s leg becomes stuck, it begins to pull away in an attempt to free it, and it may slide off the ramp, breaking the leg.
- Objects in the cage:Â If your chinchilla gets its leg hooked on something in the cage, such as a hay hamper, it could break.
- Dropping:Â When your chinchilla is out of the cage, it could be accidentally dropped or stepped on.
- Jumping:Â Your chinchilla could break a leg by jumping from a high elevation inside its cage.
- Malnourishment:Â Legs that are weak and fragile can be caused by a bad diet. Without the proper nutrition, a chinchilla’s bones will become unhealthy and prone to fracture.
Diagnosing a Broken Leg in a Chinchilla
Your veterinarian may be able to identify if the limb is fractured without X-rays, but the best way to see where the bone is broken is with an X-ray. This will help your vet figure out the best way to treat your chinchilla so it can get better.
Treatment
If the leg is broken and there are no skin wounds, the vet can usually splint the limb to allow it to heal, although this depends on the location of the break and how long the bone has been shattered.
A fractured chinchilla limb that is more severely injured may require surgery to implant pins in it to hold it together while it heals. If surgery to fix the fracture is not possible, your pet’s limb may need to be amputated surgically under anaesthesia to save his or her life.
Medicines to treat pain, inflammation, and infection will be prescribed, and syringe feeding may be necessary. If your chinchilla stops eating, ileus can develop, and your pet could die.
To allow the bone to mend, you’ll need a single-level cage to limit your chinchilla’s activities. It will be difficult to keep your chinchilla relaxed because it will still try to hop and jump around in the cage. X-rays may need to be repeated to track the healing process.
Prognosis for a Chinchilla With Broken Legs
Depending on the severity of the break, a chinchilla may do well with a splint or bandage on its leg. If a surgical pin is used, a positive outcome is achievable if problems such as a loosened pin or infection are avoided. A chinchilla’s leg is routinely amputated, and it adapts very well to the loss of the leg.
How to Prevent Broken Legs
You can help prevent your chinchilla from breaking a leg by doing a few things. Follow these steps to get started:
- Diet:Â To keep the chinchilla’s bones strong, make sure you’re feeding it the right diet.
- Cage:Â Remove any items from your chinchilla’s cage that could snag or trap it. Wire wheels, hay hampers, hay balls, and wire ramps are examples of this. A wire mesh bottom cage with huge spacing could also cause your pet to trip and hook his or her leg in the mesh. Change to a cage with a solid bottom or one with mesh that is spaced very closely. Consider a single-level cage instead of many levels, which may cause your chinchilla to jump.
- Handling: When handling or playing with your pocket pet, make sure that anyone of any age who hasn’t held a chinchilla before sits on the ground so the animal doesn’t fall.
- Awareness:Â When your chinchilla is out of its cage, make sure everyone in the house is aware so they can pay extra attention to where they are stepping.
User Questions
Are chinchillas bones fragile?
“Chinchillas have delicate bones that break quickly,” Rae explains, “so as long as you teach small children to be gentle, they’re a fantastic companion for kids.” A chinchilla’s advantage is that they are hypoallergenic.
Do chinchillas like to be held?
Most chinchillas can grow quite tame and form tight bonds with their owners if they are handled gently from a young age. However, unlike many dogs and cats, they are unlikely to like being handled and petted. They rarely do, but they frequently show their love for you in other ways.
Why is my chinchilla laying on its side?
When a chinchilla sleeps on its side, it could be because it is hot, weary from exercise, pregnant, or simply prefers to sleep that way. When a chinchilla is playing, it is very normal for it to hop and leap.
Why do chinchillas cry?
When a chinchilla feels fearful, distressed, or even in pain, it will usually scream. Your Chinchilla may have been startled by a loud noise or spotted anything that they perceive to be a predator, or they may have been harmed in some way. If your Chinchilla makes this sound, you should check on them right away.
Do chinchillas laugh?
Finally, chinchillas have a warning call that they use to communicate with the rest of the herd. The chinchilla’s warning call is a succession of noises that almost sound like it’s laughing or sobbing. When Chinchillas appear to be sleeping and their surroundings are quiet, they will emit this sound.
Conclusion
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