A grey little fluff ball came in to be laid to rest. His owners said he wasn’t eating and the vet they’d taken him to said that he couldn’t be fixed.
Wanna know the definition of lucky? One of the veterinarians grew up with chins. And she saw him. She put a hold on the euthanasia and called the owners to see if they’d relinquish him to her.
They did.
He had malocclusion and we put him on Metacam. Holy cow… when you have a small animal on meds, the time commitment is crazy. But it’s worth it. One thousand times over.
Syringe feedings and monthly dentals were obvious.
Even though we were doing everything we could, Bosley wasn’t thriving. He wasn’t getting the care that he needed. So, like any chin lover, I took him. And fell head over heels in love. (Like more in love than my wedding day.)
When Bosley came to me, he was probably 9. Maybe 7, if we’re being generous. He was such a happy chin, even with the oral challenges. Loved running around the living room, popcorning and taking naps outside of his cage. #freeroaming was our jam.
Two story Ferret Nation cage? Check that off, please. My world revolved around him. Around Bosley.
Bosley went into heart failure. It was only a year and a half that I’d had him. We tried meds. He did well for a while, but meds aren’t a cure.
The last month was a rough one. I took him to the ER with GI stasis. Probably because of his heart failure. My friend (the one who wouldn’t allow him to be euthanized) was going to meet me the next day. At the hospital.
I felt comfort. And sadness. And happiness that he’d be at peace.
They brought him to the room in a little glass aquarium where he was receiving oxygen. He didn’t look well. My heart just knew it wasn’t good. I took him out and held him. Gave him his “Bosley kisses.” The Bosley kisses that we’d enjoyed so many times together.
When I placed him back In his aquarium to get oxygen, he went downhill really fast. I yelled for the tech and told them to please help him cross over right away. I couldn’t wait for my friend to come. They did just that.
This was 5 years ago. I can envision and feel the same emotions today. Bosley will always be my chinchilla soul mate.
Chinchilla soul mate. That’s totally a thing. I swear.
Bosley is the reason why I am so passionate about chinchillas. They are such unique, complicated, fun little critters. I had to learn about them really fast due to Bosley’s health issues.
I cannot thank my friend enough for blessing me with Bosley. But I’ll sure as heck try. Love you, Bosley.
About the writer:
My name is Dana. I am married to a very supportive husband that accepts my passion for animals. We have a small zoo of cats, rabbits and chinchillas. We have had ferrets and birds as well. I work at the same animal hospital now for over 19 years. I am currently a vet assistant/ tech. I LOVE my job! I also run a FB chinchilla group, Chinchilla Owners Group. It’s 12k a growing with a wonderful group of admins. In a nut shell, I love animals!
