Tonka is almost 6 months old!

I can’t believe it is nearly 6 months since I was at the vets with Bear and a still soggy from birth, small furry with a badly damaged paw. He has done remarkably well considering his bad start in life and he’s as cheeky as can be. 

Here is my gorgeous little (not-so-little?) trooper.

 We have urine!!

Sad, I know - but I’ve just come back from delivering a decent sample of urine to the vet. Otto is back in his cage, has had a dustbath (”Silly human got water down my front!” ) and is currently snuggled up on his toasty cuddle cup fast asleep.

Now all we have to do is wait for the results.

So today I have a very naffed off Otto on my hands and I can’t say I blame him to be honest.

We all know just how little chins drink and urinate but its not until you actually need a sample of (relatively clean, non-pooped in) urine that you realise just how little our furry friends drink/pee and how difficult it is to catch “clean” chinchilla urine! 

So far Otto’s been syringe fed water (NOT impressed by that at all! :roll: ), been sat in a show cage on top of a slightly tilted tray with foil covering it, been watched like a hawk for signs of urine, did a urine sample - much excitement on my part, divvied it up between the two pots (one for microscopy and one for sending to the lab for analysis), leaped in the car to take said samples to the vets and then waited to see if the lab one was enough - nope! Needs to be at least 1ml  - then he’s been hoiked out of his cozy cage again and into the show cage, tilted on the foil covered tray……….. and syringe fed more water.

Needless to say I’m currently looking at Otto’s rear end because he’s not speaking to me.

After all of this, the lab had better come up with something.

Well poor Otto has spent the day at the vets - no stones on Xray (in fact, his Xray looks very good) and he did not produce any urine for Jade all day (despite being catherterised! ) So he’s now back home and looking somewhat undignified because he’s been shaved in his nether regions so he could have an ultrasound and full examination.

So…….. having fully expected stones and surgery we’re almost none the wiser  As I said to Jade, “well it’s one of my chins and I never bring you anything that’s boring!” 

I’ve got to get a urine sample off him (easier said than done!) to take into the vets quickly so it can be tested and sent off to a lab for analysis. Guess what I’m doing tomrrow?
Otto is not amused!!

Oh, almost forgot, his squishy foot seems to be clearing up nicely with the Septrin - and his urine seems to be a bit clearer too (hence the need for a further sample to test for bacteria and full lab analysis).

There was no change in his urine so back to see Jade with a urine sample - collected using very technical means: a bit of tin foil under his cage. 

Urinalysis (testing the urine for various thing) revealed blood, protein, and white cells so he’s been started on Septrin twice a day to try and shift any underlying infection (the Septrin is also good for his bumblefoot). 

Jade and I discussed his condition and he is going to have Xrays under anaesthetic to check whether he has any stones in his kidneys/bladder or underlying kidney disease/failure. I don’t think he’s going to be amused, bless him.