My chinchilla has a wounded hand and it's badly swollen, anyone know of any remedies?

Question

My chinchilla's hand accidentally got caught in a drawer and the skin is sort of cracked. It bled a little but the bleeding has stopped now but his hand is still pretty badly swollen. What should I do and are there any sort of home treatments that I can give him to heal the injury?

Answer 1

Sounds like he might have broken a bone.  Watch to see if he limps at all once the swelling goes down.  If the swelling doesn't go down, this is also a bad sign.  A vet trip should be thought about unless you're positive it isn't anything serious.  Still, look out for limping and the swelling if it didn't go down.  If all else fails, you can call the vet and ask them what they would recommend.

I'm pretty sure that ice reduces swelling.  If you can chill a plain plate (or if you have a marble slab in his cage like some do to keep them cooler) in the freezer for fifteen or so minutes and can get your chin to stand on it a little, this may help.  Or a plain ice cube.  I gave my chinchilla an ice cube once as a treat and he went nuts over it!  He kept trying to hold it and he enjoyed chewing on it as well.

Flour on the wound will stop the bleeding.  I know you say it stopped, but if it starts up again, I've heard that's a good remedy.  I got that answer just a day or two ago when I asked about my own chinchilla's wound.

I hope I could have helped.  The best of luck to your chin!

Answer 2

when my hamster had a swollen hind leg that wouldnt go away we took it to the vet and they amputated it.

the surjury cost way more than the hamster did, but it was worth it.

Answer 3

Hi,

Take a warm, wet, soft towel and wrap it around his hand. Change the towel every 15 minutes with a fresh one.

After the swelling goes down a little bit, take a paper towel and put some antibiotic ointment in it and wrap the towel with the antibiotic ointment around the cut foot and tape it together so it stays on. (You can get antibiotic ointment at rite aid)

Take some shredded paper towel and make a comfy bed for him and have him lay in it while the swelling is still high.

Also, after the swelling goes down, check to see if your chinchilla is limping a lot. If so, take her to a veterinarian to make sure there is no broken bones.

Good Luck!! And you are welcome to email me to tell me what happened to your chinchilla! (not that anything BAD will happen, I mean, if the swelling goes down, if your chinchilla isn't feeling her best, etc)

love,

   animal helper

Answer 4

If your  hand was swollen and the skin cracked,  you would go to the doctor,  please take it to the vet asap.  Do not try to treat at home,  never put anything on a wound without talking to a vet.

Answer 5

take him to a vet they will make sure he is in good hands!

Answer 6

Your chinchilla really should be checked out by a vet. If the wound gets infected your chin will need to have its foot, if not the whole leg amputated, if bad enough. DO NOT use flour on the opened wound, as this can cause infection to occur quicker. Watch for redness and puss at the wound. If you happen to see puss of any color, your chin must get to the vet ASAP.