Chinchilla Respiratory Problems

Glenna Rogers recently wrote to us about some serious health problems her chinchilla is having. If you happen to have any insight, please respond to this posting. This particular medical problem is over our heads so help if you can.

More than a month ago, our 3 yr. old chin began having raspy breathing and his energy level began to drop. We took him to our vet, who prescribed Baytril twice a day. He seemed to get better for awhile, but the medicine tastes nasty and he hated it. He would fight taking it and would be so stressed out by the time I was done trying to administer it, that he would go to the bottom of his cage and breath hard for several minutes. The vet said there was nothing else they could give him.

Since this was not working, I took him to a vet more knowledgeable in exotics, who prescribed the pink antibiotic twice a day. Since it is sweet, he takes it like a champ. He got noticeably better at first, even running like crazy on his wheel and sleeping in his sling at the top of his cage, but then after the 12 days of the antibiotic were finished, he started going downhill again.

I took him back in and they did an x-ray, finding something in/on his lung, but they do not know what it is, only that it doesn't belong there. They have put the x-ray out on the internet for other exotic vets to look at and it is agreed that the spot isn't right, but they don't know what it is. Meanwhile, he is back on the pink antibiotic, but not doing any better. His appetite is fine, but he is losing weight. He acts like something is caught in his throat and unless he eats very slowly, his sides heave like he has the hiccups. He even does this after taking the medicine. His energy is still way down - he will only go on the floor of his cage and the one shelf above it. I am extremely worried, but I don't know what else to do. The vet is very concerned also.

Has anyone out there had a similar problem? Thank you for your comments.