Dr. Logan Kopp is Nashville's chinchilla specialist. At Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital in Antioch, he sees chinchillas for dental disease, gut problems, and heat stress, and families come from Nolensville, Franklin, and across Middle Tennessee.
A chinchilla's teeth grow throughout life, and its coat is built for cold, dry air, so it's no surprise that dental disease and heat stress are two of the problems that bring chinchillas to a veterinarian in Nashville. Dr. Kopp is an exotic companion mammal specialist and sees chinchillas for primary care and referral cases at Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital in Antioch.
Not every chinchilla treatment is well studied, so we make decisions together. Please don't give a leftover antibiotic from another pet, because some of those drugs are unsafe in chinchillas. For home care, see chinchilla dental care and heat stress.
A wet chin, drooling, dropped food, smaller droppings, or weight loss can all be dental disease, and by the time it shows at home, it's often far along. Watery eyes and a firm swelling along the jaw are reasons to call too. Cheek teeth and tooth roots usually need an exam under anesthesia, and we take skull and dental radiographs here in the hospital. When the roots or the bone need more detail, we arrange CT with Nashville Veterinary Specialists, and MRI is available through a referral facility. Abdominal ultrasound, read by board-certified veterinary radiologists, can also be arranged.
Call while the hospital is open if your chinchilla stops eating, has fewer or smaller droppings, or has a tight, painful belly. We see hypomotility, stasis, bloat, constipation, diarrhea, and enteritis, and assisted feeding and pain control are often part of the first visit. If your chinchilla is collapsed, or bloated and painful, call (615) 361-4646 before you drive.
Chinchillas don't shed heat well, and a warm, humid room in a Middle Tennessee summer can bring on heat stress fast. If your chinchilla is sprawled out, weak, or breathing with its mouth open, move the carrier to a cool room and call us for instructions before you drive. Don't wet the coat. During hospital hours, we can usually accept urgent transfers from primary care veterinarians and may be able to see emergency cases, so always call first at (615) 361-4646.
A patch of fur that comes out in the hand is fur slip, often from a hard grab or a scare. Fur chewing and bald spots need an exam, because the cause can be husbandry, dental pain, or skin disease. Ringworm can pass to people. Sore feet need a look at flooring, weight, and infection.
Straining, blood in the urine, or a chinchilla that stops eating can be urinary disease, including stones. If a female is in labor and not progressing, call (615) 361-4646 while the hospital is open. Reproductive surgery is considered for selected cases.
We do dental surgery, mass removal, and other soft-tissue surgery when it's right for the chinchilla. During anesthesia, a dedicated anesthesia technician monitors ECG, oxygen levels, carbon dioxide, blood pressure, and temperature, and we keep the focus on warmth and pain control. Dr. Kopp is also a Fellow in Companion Animal Pain Management (FABVP-CAPM), and he has published on an anesthesia approach for chinchilla surgery (veterinarians can read the note on chinchilla anesthesia). Some fractures can be repaired in partnership with board-certified veterinary surgeons (DACVS), and others are referred.
We evaluate eye and respiratory disease at the visit, and Dr. Kopp is trained to treat the eye and respiratory problems that can be managed medically. If a chinchilla needs advanced eye surgery, we refer it. An older chinchilla that's losing weight needs a dental exam and a look beyond the teeth.
Dr. Logan Kopp grew up in Nashville and earned his veterinary degree at the University of Tennessee. He's board-certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in Exotic Companion Mammal Practice, DABVP (ECM), and he's the only veterinarian currently practicing in Tennessee with that certification. He's also a Fellow in Companion Animal Pain Management (FABVP-CAPM).
If you're a veterinarian, here's how to refer a patient.
Bring the chinchilla in a secure carrier, out of direct sun, and travel during the cooler part of the day in summer. A little of the hay they already eat is useful. Tell the hospital if the house was hot, if droppings changed, or if weight has dropped.
Call while the hospital is open if your chinchilla:
We're open Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM, and closed on weekends. Visits are by appointment, so please call (615) 361-4646 before you come in, even for an emergency. During those hours we can usually accept urgent transfers from primary care veterinarians, and we may be able to see emergency cases. After hours, exotic companion mammal consults go through Veterinary Emergency Group in Franklin, Murfreesboro, and West Nashville. And please don't give your pet any human pain medicine.
To book, call Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital at (615) 361-4646.
Call Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital at (615) 361-4646 to book an appointment with Dr. Logan Kopp, Nashville's chinchilla specialist. Visits are by appointment, and the hospital is at 2445 Morris Gentry Blvd, Antioch, TN 37013.
A wet chin, drooling, dropping food, smaller droppings, or weight loss can be dental disease. Watery eyes and a swelling along the jaw are also reasons to call. Cheek teeth often need an exam under anesthesia.
Yes. A warm, humid room can cause heat stress. A chinchilla that is sprawled out, weak, or breathing with the mouth open needs a call before you drive. Do not wet the coat. During hospital hours, Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital may be able to see emergency cases. Always call first at (615) 361-4646.
Yes. Families bring chinchillas from Nolensville, Franklin, and across Middle Tennessee. The hospital is in Antioch. Call Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital at (615) 361-4646.
Veterinarians may also want the note on chinchilla anesthesia.
Dental trouble is common in guinea pigs and rabbits too. See the guinea pig vet in Nashville and rabbit dental disease.
The hospital is in Antioch, and families come from all over the Middle Tennessee area, including Murfreesboro, Franklin, Mt. Juliet, Brentwood, Hermitage, Smyrna, La Vergne, and Nolensville.
Call Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital at (615) 361-4646 to book an appointment with Dr. Kopp. If your chinchilla has stopped eating or was in a hot room, tell the front desk right away.
Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital
2445 Morris Gentry Blvd
Antioch, TN 37013
Phone: (615) 361-4646
Website: priestlakevet.com
Hours
Monday to Friday: 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM
Saturday and Sunday: Closed
Veterinarians can send a history, diet, and any lab work or images ahead of the visit. Patients return to the referring clinic for ongoing care.
This page is general information, not medical advice for your pet. Reading it doesn't create a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR). Please talk with your own veterinarian before making changes to your pet's care.