# Tia has a bum leg???



## psycho_ash (Sep 27, 2009)

My chinchilla is a three year old standard grey female named Tia. I have had her for exactly one week as of today, and a few days ago I noticed that she favors her left hind leg. I was watching her during play time yesterday and I noticed that it actually seems to be thinner and definitely weaker than her right leg. When she hops about, she doesn't put much weight on it. 

I suspect that her leg has been this way for awhile, as I noticed when I first put ledges and shelves in her cage (she didn't have any previously, poor thing), she was very strange about leaping onto them. The videos I watched online showed chins leaping nimbly-bimbly, quick and fast, but she is very slow and looks like she's calculating the jumps constantly. I did see her fall off a ledge once (about an eight inch drop, she landed on her feet), but she seemed fine. 

There are no wounds on her leg that I can see, although I did notice what looks like a thick callous on the bottom of her left hind foot. I didn't see one on the right hind foot, but I wasn't really able to look.... she is very wiggly. 

Every time I have given her treats, she always holds them in one hand instead of both. I noticed that when she tries to hold it in both hands, her left hind leg buckles and she can't rest on her hind legs like that. 

I am hoping that it's a birth defect and not something worse... in any case, she has an appointment at the Smoketown Vet Hospital tomorrow morning... it's gonna cost a dang fortune, but I really don't want to lose her... I mean, I just lost Lemmi, you know? I don't think I could take losing two loves so close together...


----------



## leesha (Feb 15, 2010)

Good luck at her visit to the vet. I hope you're little baby turns out okay!


----------



## psycho_ash (Sep 27, 2009)

Well, we had to go through a blizzard (we've had snow storms all week in my area), but Tia, myself and my friend Chris got to the Smoketown Animal Hospital (in Smoketown, PA; more info at the *) in one piece. They are very friendly and knowledgeable there, they weighed her and gave her a complete exam, watched her hop around to see her limp, and then xrayed her.

Turns out Tia has a broken left pelvis. The doc, Dr. Hall, said there isn't really anything I can do, just make sure she doesn't jump too far or exert herself too much. I told him that I was covering her mesh shelves in cardboard covered with fleece and he seemed very pleased with that. 

The fracture is either really old or really recent (like within the past month), because the bones haven't calcified yet and tried to reattach. Doc said it's either because
a) The fracture was too far apart and they can't reattach 
or
b) it's recent enough that it hasn't had time to calcify. 

Other than the pelvis, she's perfectly fine and healthy. 

I'm just glad that it's nothing *too* serious...

* - Smoketown is actually located in a subdivision of Lancaster, but this animal hospital has -two- exotic vets and Dr. Hall is excellent!!


----------



## leesha (Feb 15, 2010)

I hope everything works out well for you and Tia! She looks like a sweetie.


----------

