Discharge from anal area

[jenjenn2005]

I noticed about 5-6 hours ago my chin, Phoebe is having a milky white thin discharge from her anal (where the poop comes out) area. It has a slight foul smelly odor and the area around her anal area is very red and swollen about 2 times the normal size. I saw a vet that I do not normally go to and he recommended squeezing the area daily to get as much discharge out as possible and wanted me to start her on baytril, but he only had chewable tablets for dogs and he wanted me to crush 1/4 tablet twice a day and mix it with a fruit juice to give to her. The bottle he gave me says 22.7 Baytril. I don't think this is correct for a chinchilla as fruit juice is definitely not recommended. The vet thought it was an abcess. I am just looking for suggestions as to what it could be and if anyone has seen this before. She is eating, drinking, peeing, and pooing normal. The poo is covered in the white discharge though. I am trying to upload a picture but it is very large.

 

[Lynn & The Chins]

Is there ANY possibility that the discharge you are seeing is coming from her vagina??? If so, it could be pyometra.

Hopefully, someone with more knowledge of this will be on to help you...in the meantime, I think that I would try to find an Emergency Exotic Vet that sees chins.

 

[RDZCRanch]

That was the exotic vet, Lynn...and one recommended through the veterinary section on the forum.

Like I said in chat. It could either be a bite wound or just her scent gland got backed up and when he squeezed it all came out at once. Her anus shouldn't have a hard spot though so I'm leaning more towards infection. Let us know how the visit with her regular chin vet goes tomorrow and definitely hold off on the antibiotics he gave you. Good luck!

 

[Claire D]

Can you take a photo at all?

 

[Essentia]

I use the pills and quarter them. I mixed mine with a bit of pumpkin puree and banana baby food. It's more cost effective for the rescue, and the chins seem to like the taste better with the concoction I make up than the flavored stuff.

 

[jenjenn2005]

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y182/JenJenn2005/Mobile Uploads/2010-04-20_174023.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y182/JenJenn2005/Mobile Uploads/2010-04-20_174108.jpg

you can click on the links to see the pictures. the discharge is less now today but it is a pale yellow color.

 

[jenjenn2005]

i just got off the phone with the vet and she as an anal sac abcess. So we're going to continue to use the baytril but mixed with critical care not fruit juice! And hopefully she continues eat, drink, and do everything other normal chillas do

 

[Jazicat]

So happy you have a correct diagnosis and now we will all keep you in our hearts as you care for your baby. I hope she heals quickly.

 

[jenjenn2005]

Just an update... The discharge has significantly decreased but what little bit is left is now bloody, so I'm not quite sure what is going on. My only idea was possibly it is just really irritated. She only has 2 days left of Baytril and it still hasn't cleared up.. She will be going back to the vet, but if anyone has any ideas of what the blood could be please share... She's still doing all the normal chilla stuff just fine which I'm very happy about!

 

[Riven]

Are they sure it's not pyometra with a fissure? That could cause the pussy discharge to come out the anus...

This is obviously cause for concern, that discharge is not yellow and pussy, which is generally a good thing but the amount of it is disturbing.

I don't think chinchillas HAVE anal sacs... usually they are only found in carnivores. Which would simply prove the vet is incompetent, but I can not prove that at this point ( the anal sacs)

 

[Riven]

I just called Dr. Tammy who did the chin spay to check in with her about the chin, and she said that she didn't think they did either, but was busy right now and could check later, or check if Dr. Adrian knew.

I would find a different vet and have them scope for a fissure, because that looks like pyometra discharge to me.

Good luck.

ETA: I personally verify that chins don't have anal glands and then ask for a refund for that vet visit based on incompetency... but that's me.

 

[Kalandra]

But don't they have scent glands just inside their anus? I believe we have a very recent thread discussing just this topic titled "mad chin farts."

I know some people call anal sacs, anal glands.

 

[Riven]

I talked to my vet, Dr. Adrian and he said that he does not know of any chins with anal sacs.

In dogs they usually call them anal glands, which is a misnomer because they really aren't glands.

I have not read the thread, but I will go read it now. I still that that looks like way too much discharge for an infected anal sac, if they did in fact have them. Usually in animals that do have them when infected the first sign is very severe swelling on each side or the infected side of the anus. In a chin this type of swelling would be close to the size of a marble. This just from my experience with anal sac infections/impaction.