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Accidents |
L. C.I tend to be on my computer while my chins play around me, usually I can see them with one eye and if I can't well I am up and looking for them. Exceptions are when they have solved the puzzle of how to remove the various methods I have used to stop them getting behind Tiger's cage, once there they are out of sight and silent. On this occasion they had not only overcome the barrier but must have become bored with the lack of a new challenge. I hadn't yet figured out a new way of stopping them getting there. This is my long winded explanation of why I didn't realise one was in grave danger sooner. Cheeky was around but as I looked in the usual places for L.C. I couldn't find her, then with horror, I realised my door to the hallway wasn't tight shut. Not really thinking they would have ventured out I peeped through the door and was even more horrified to see my bathroom door open. Even then I entered the bathroom worried about the gaps round the pipe work not the real danger, the toilet. L.C. was in the toilet barely managing to keep her head above water. I scooped her out, wrapped her in a towel and arm outstretched swung her a few times in the hope of expelling any water from her lungs. I then rubbed like mad and got the hair dryer (low setting) on her. Dryer, alive but pretty unresponsive I wrapped her in a cardigan kept her on my lap and got onto the internet where I could find a friend to advise. Shock being the biggest worry now. As I don't have a heating pad I was advised to pop a covered hot water bottle under her, and give some glucose mix to her. I didn't have any (I do now) so tried to give her a little Avipro in water instead. L.C. was shivering and had her teeth firmly clamped onto the edge of the jumper. She still felt damp so I had another go with the hairdryer. When I needed to put her down she stayed wrapped in the jumper where she was put. The turning point seemed to come after she stopped shivering relaxed her bite on the jumper and took a raisin we felt she was on the road to recovery then. Gradually she became livelier and at this point I popped her into a carry cage on top of the covered hot water bottle. She spent the rest of the night there with me dozing by her side, refilling the hot water bottle when it cooled. By morning she seemed fine so was popped back in with her mate Cheeky until it was time for the Sunday emergency surgery visit. The vet checked her over gave a clean bill of health and advised me to watch her carefully for 48 hours, the main danger being pneumonia. L.C. was fine, she did wipe her nose more than normal for a couple of days and sneezed once, otherwise she seemed totally unaffected by her ordeal. My bathroom door is now kept firmly locked from the outside, the other door I find myself checking it's closed properly many times an evening. For several nights afterwards Cheeky, L.C.'s cage mate tried very hard to open that door so no prizes for guessing who helped lead her friend into trouble, though obviously if it had been shut properly in the first place none of this would have happened. October 2003  L.C. ?? - Jan 2005 In Memorial L.C. & Cheeky Related link Azure Chinchillas - Treatment for Shock |
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