Lethargic and in corner

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Nscrio

Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2017
Messages
9
So last night my Chin of 2 years Luna was fine and active looking for attention as always, today she came out, took her bath, drank a little water and since then has been laying the corner and not active at all. She's yet to be sick since getting her and now I'm very worried since I know things can get very serious very fast, I called the specialist and made an appointment but it's not until tomorrow morning. I'm very nervous that she wont make it because I dont know what it could be out of all the possibilities. I'm trying to just give her space for now but I really dont want to lose her over night. She gets unlimited hay and also is given a little bowl size of pellets and he treats are crunchy rainbow colored pretzels meant for Chins. She gets plenty of run around time this seems to have come out of the blue. Any information is greatly appreciated
 
She moves her spot occasionally but isn't eating but will drink a little water.
 
My first thought is what is the temp like in the room, and the humidity level? (play area too if different then where the cage is) Could she have overheated? Is it possible she ate something you didn't notice while she was out? Is she coughing or sneezing at all? Does she perk up at all when you go up to her cage? Will she eat anything? What kind of bedding are you using in the cage, is it something she could have swallowed? (fleece or carefresh for example) Does she have access to anything plastic or cardboard? is she still pooping ok?

If she is or becomes unresponsive, goes limp, or can't move, I would get her to an emergency vet right away, not wait until morning.

I don't know what the pretzel treats are, but if they are a pet store treat then chances are they are not chin safe. Unfortunately just because it says "for chinchillas", or has a chin on the package does not make it good for chins, most companies just research rodents not chins specifically. If you link them, ideally with ingredient list, I can let you know. However treats are not going to cause her to go down hill so quickly, unless they are contaminated or gone bad in some way.
 
The room is always cool I have an air conditioner going all the time. It is possible she could have grabbed something very tiny while out of the cage. The treats aren't new and she also didnt come out last night due to me coming home late but she was out and active when I walked in. She's not gone limp or unresponsive just very lethargic. She moves spot a little bit but not actively moving about. She will drink but eating she doesn't want to. Her breathing seems normal it doesn't seem rapid or staggered but her eyes are staying closed for most part. She doesn't make much movement when I move toward the cage but she does tilt her head in the way she would normally if I give her a chin scratch
 
She has a cardboard tube in her cage because she likes to play with them and some bedding because she likes to dig in it and hop around on it.
 
Hm, sounds like possibly in pain, does she seem bloated at all? If she allows you to hold her does her belly seem firm? or soft? Don't squeeze just lightly feel, a firm belly can be a sign that she has a gas build up.

If she actually eats the cardboard it can swell up in her gut and cause a blockage. Most chins just chew it up or if it's one of those big tubes play in it, but some actually chew up and swallow it. If the bedding is just kilndried pine or aspen shavings those aren't anything to worry about. Carefresh though, just like the cardboard, if swallowed can swell up and cause a blockage.
 
I tried to pick her up but when my hand got near her belly she gave me a little squeak so I didnt make any further attempts to pick her up since I figured it was pain, so maybe her belly might be the cause?
 
Well, you could try giving her some baby gas drops (liquid simethicone) non flavored, one dropper full. If it is gas it can help break up the gas bubbles. It wont fix what caused the gas build up but might help enough to keep her comfortable until the morning to see the vet.

Keep in mind I am not a vet, so if in doubt call the vet and see if they agree. I've luckily never had to give any of my chins gas drops but I know others have.
 
Ty for the advice though I greatly appreciate it. Are the gas drops harmful in any way?
 
As far as I can tell it's safe, just make sure you get the baby/infant gas drops one not the adult one.
 
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