What's a Chinchilla?

I'm often asked how we know so much about so many different animals. We are lucky that many animals are put together in a similar way, so much of our knowledge can be transferred between species. Occasionally we get caught out though.

In my first job in the UK, I saw on my consult sheet that someone was bringing in a chinchilla that was unwell. "Easy", I thought to myself, as I knew a chinchilla was a breed of cat.

I called the client through, who carried the cat cage into the consult room and put it on the table. I reached in and pulled out an animal I didn't recognise.

 

A Chinchilla Cat: What I Expected to Find in the Cage

 

A Chinchilla: What I Found in the Cage

 

 

It's hard to figure out what to do when in a situation like this, so I decided to buy myself some time and listen to its heart, because when you've got your stethescope in your ears your client can't talk to you. It gives you a good minutes thinking time. After a bit of thinking time I announced to the client "this is a really interesting case, I had better keep it in for the day so I can work it up propperly".

 

Owners seem to love having "interesting cases" so they agreed to leave it with me for the day. I went straight out the back and grabbed the books. It turns out they are a South American rodent, and after a bit of research I figured out what was wrong with it and started a treatment plan.

 

In the following eight years in the UK I treated many Chinchillas, but still found myself baffled at times with constipated snakes, lame zebras and infected fish where books and "Dr Google" still had to be used to get me through.