Our two invalid chins who have been recovering from two different surgeries are now almost completely healed up. Kismet, the black velvet girl who needed the hind leg amputation is bumping along just fine now. She's learned how to adjust her remaining rear leg to compensate for the loss of the other. She rides low to the ground, but can still manage to hop and jump to the same high ledges as before her accident. Her stump is almost completely covered over by new fur and it's actually quite difficult to notice the loss.

Xanadu, the chin with the uterine prolapse, has been returned to her previous mate. Now that she cannot have any more kits, she can live happily ever after without concern for unplanned pregnancies. Shiloh is thrilled too. ;)

We're nearly caught up on paying off the vet fees. But we thought we'd run an upcoming holiday special to help work those costs off more quickly. If you're looking to treat your pet to some awesome new toys, or if you are looking for a creative gift idea for the chin lover you know, check out our store page.  We are working on gift "packages"....so check back often to see what we come up with. :)

Take a look at how much Xanadu has improved even since our last update! She's drinking water and nibbling hay on her own, and her bowel functions are steadily returning to normal. ;)

Running a chinchilla-specific rescue, (and having so many of them as our own pets) has allowed us to have a greater than usual amount of experience with every imaginable potential issue. We have learned from a wide range of...opportunities. I suppose this is why folks often call or email for advice. :)

Most recently though we've had the unfortunate affrontation with a prolapsed uterus. (click for picture - WARNING, graphic image!)

This is the second prolapse we've had to deal with, and both times it has occurred with the sapphire mutation. Our little mommy chin was rushed to the vet where she had to undergo emergency surgery and spay. Fortunately her kits were already 6 weeks old when it happened, so they were able to wean early without too much stress, but I sure hated to have to force them through this so young.

Xanadu has not been recovering well and needs some prayerful support. Surprisingly, she's still fighting the effects of her ordeal, and has started drinking on her own! We still have to syringe feed her, but she appears to be more receptive to it. She is very weak, but at least she's started pooing again.

It was nice of Xanadu to hold off on this emergency until we could finish paying off Kismet's amputation costs. :) Now we have a new goal to work toward.

Before I post today's update, please take a moment in remembrance of the victims of 9/11/2001...

It has been a very difficult past couple of weeks. A rescue hamster here developed a particularly aggressive form of cancer. What we thought was a perpetually full cheek pouch, turned out to be a tumor. For the first time ever, we had to have a critter put down. It was a very sad occasion.

Less than two weeks later, one of the chinnies broke her leg. Yesterday (Friday) she went in for surgery to have it amputated. The vet says the surgery went well and we can bring her home this morning.

Now this is where we need some help. The original estimate for the amputation was $1500! (Gasp!) Fortunately for us, our back-up exotics vet had pity and worked a fee that was much, much more within our grasp...but we still need to come up with $600.

If you've been considering upgrading a cage, adopting a chin, or showing your monetary support, now would be a perfect time to do so.

Please keep Kismet in your prayers as she heals up and gets used to being a tri-pod. 

Hello friends.

We need your help.

For anyone who feels so inclined, we have a rescue chin who needs a tail amputation. She has nerve damage that has not resolved. We would like to schedule her for surgery and have her spayed at the same time so that we may introduce her to Bucky, an unneutered male. This is elective at the moment, but we have noticed that she is starting to fuss with her tail. The vet says we should be concerned if she starts to chew it. Well... she's starting to chew.

Donations can be made via our PayPal button (on the Donations page), OR to Banfield Veterinary Clinic with Dr. Peake in Virginia Beach. Please notate any donations made to the vet as "for help with Whimsy's Menagerie & Chinchilla Rescue".

On a more positive note, I want to thank Kelly and her family for coming to visit the Menagerie! It was a pleasure meeting them and "talkin' chinchillas". We had a wonderful time finally meeting in person after several emails and phone calls about concerns with her chinchilla named Doll Face. Thanks again Kelly for the bale of hay and the huge bag of pine bedding! Folks like you make rescue work a pleasure. :)