Seizures
Seizures can be divided into two categories - those whose cause is known and those whose cause is not known.

Known Causes

Deficiency - low calcium, low thiamine and possibly low blood sugar

• Low-Calcium seizures are of a classic type, and are most common in females who have either just had babies, have had two or more pregnancies contiguously, or who have never been pregnant and are first pregnant.  The signs and symptoms are tonic rigid bowed body with the nose curled towards the tail.  This can be easily cured, but needs immediate veterinary intervention.  The cure is Calcium Gluconate intravenously, or however vets give it in small animals like chins who have no good veins.  To prevent this you should be sure your pregnant female has extra calcium.  Good sources are low sugar soy milk, calf manna, TUMS, calcium absorbate, or calcium blocks by VitaKraft [Mineral Stone with Seaweed for small animals].   Take your pick.

• Thiamine seizures have been described as pre-meal trembling and paralysis, circling and then seizure activity.  The main symptoms are  the tremors, staggering, shakes, twitching types.  Treatment is immediate Vitamin B complex.

• We have only had 3 diabetic chins known to us, and none of them have had seizures do to hypoglycemia, [low blood sugar] although this is not uncommon in ferrets, and has been seen in chins.   The main symptom of this type of seizure is when the animal has been active and then collapses.  The collapse is sudden and the animal is limp.  Try to get a sweet product in them.

Toxicity

• Toxic seizures can be due to lead poisoning, mercury poisoning, carbon monoxide, or toxic fumes from just about any toxic-type, volatile substance.  Two cases of lead poisoning have been reported in chinchillas, so beware of lead based paint on your walls as chinchillas are well-known for chewing on walls.

• Mycotoxins and Aflatoxins also can cause seizures due to liver damage.  Those seizures look like the staggering seizures of Vitamin B complex deficiencies.

Trauma

• Head trauma [falling, jumping and hitting head etc.] occure when your chinchilla has fallen and hit its head, or runs into something and hits its head. When this happens, always be aware of the possibility of trauma —especially if the animal is knocked out. However, even if not knocked out, watch for unusual drowsiness or lack of energy.  This does need to be seen by a veterinarian. There has been some discussion of nose trauma from a nerve running down the nasal area, but to date the author has not found corroborative evidence in any of the books on chinchilla physiology available.

• Heat Stoke Seizures are common and can be avoided if you keep your chin from getting too hot.  Keep your chin out of direct sunlight, out of hot cars on long trips,  and cooled when the temperature and humidity begin to climb. Our rule of thumb is that if the sum of the temperature and humidity equal 150 then you are in danger.  [This is used for Fahrenheit only, for Celsius substitute a sum of 95].  Keep your chin cool with rotating fans, ice cubes, ice in bottles or jars, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, or what ever you can.  If your chin gets too hot, go ahead and immerse up to the neck in tepid to cool [not cold] water.  You may have to blow dry for a while but you will save his life and stop a seizure.

Unknown Cause

The unknown cause type, called idiopathic [a medical term for "unknown cause"] are known as "Epileptiform" [epilepsy type] seizures.  They are known to be familial, that is run in families, so at this time we recommend against breeding a chinchilla with seizure activity.  The problem is due to electrical activity across the cortex of the brain.  It causes rigid posturing and spasms usually of the feet and mouth.  The chinchilla is usually groggy afterwards.  There is no known cause and no cure.  You need to really get to know and trust your vet if you have one of these.  You may have to decide if it is better for your animal to put it to sleep. 

Seizure-like activity that is not a seizure

These are of two types, trembling and staggering/leaning.

• Trembling is a thing we find primarily in some black velvets or black velvet carriers.  I feel that any chin can tremble, if afraid enough, but it does seem sometimes more common in the black velvet strain.  They just tremble: their muscles tremble when you hold them.  It does not seem to be harmful, and it does seem to go away when they are more trusting of you.  This is only a subjective finding, and I cannot really give you any statistics.

• Staggering and leaning and going in circles, all in one direction; This has been seen to a result of inner ear infections in the two times we have heard of this in chinchillas.  The infection is usually advanced and needs heavy antibiotics and good supportive care on the part of the owner.  Again, get to know your vet.   The Chinchilla ear is much like a human ear, comprised of three parts: outer [ear canal and ear drum], middle [bones which carry sound waves and amplify them], and inner [the part where the Chloclea and labyrinth aid in balance and pick up sound waves and translate them into nerve impulses.  It ends with the acoustic nerve].  Thus with an inner ear infection you see a loss of balance.