One of our little guys has diarrhea, not sure who, I'm going to have to separate them to know. I need some suggestions what to do, seeing as none of the vets in my area work with chinchillas, I'm kinda freaking out because I don't know what to do, so any help would be awesome.
I'm worried, very worried
- Thread starter Rori
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mishellyshel
Chin Slave
what area are you in? you need to have a vet as a backup in case of a true emergency.
how soft? wet & slimy or slightly squishy?
what are you feeding him? does he get any treats? when i first got my chin, i learned a very expensive lesson about raisins and too many treats. he had very soft poop and i took him to an emergency vet that cost 150 dollars for him to tell me his is fine and that he shouldnt be eating raisins.
for soft poop, pull all treats, give just hay and fresh water and see how he does. i also give my boys a full mini unsugared shredded wheat 1 or 2 times a day for the first 2 or 3 days depending on how soft. they normally all get 1/2 of one every night.
how soft? wet & slimy or slightly squishy?
what are you feeding him? does he get any treats? when i first got my chin, i learned a very expensive lesson about raisins and too many treats. he had very soft poop and i took him to an emergency vet that cost 150 dollars for him to tell me his is fine and that he shouldnt be eating raisins.
for soft poop, pull all treats, give just hay and fresh water and see how he does. i also give my boys a full mini unsugared shredded wheat 1 or 2 times a day for the first 2 or 3 days depending on how soft. they normally all get 1/2 of one every night.
RDZCRanch
RavenousDeadlyZombieChins
Posting multiple threads on the same subject won't get them answered faster. 
How long has he had diarrhea? What kind of "diarrhea" is it? Is it mooshed onto the ledges or is it full blown diarrhea you would see from a dog/cat? Chinchilla diarrhea should just be smooshy poos and not full blown. If it's full blown he needs an emergency vet visit NOW to get fluids in him and some other treatments that can't be done at home.
Are any of the three boys lethargic or less active than usual? Anyone seem to be drinking more water than the others? What are you feeding? What kind of treats? What brands of hay/feed and what type of water do you give?
How long has he had diarrhea? What kind of "diarrhea" is it? Is it mooshed onto the ledges or is it full blown diarrhea you would see from a dog/cat? Chinchilla diarrhea should just be smooshy poos and not full blown. If it's full blown he needs an emergency vet visit NOW to get fluids in him and some other treatments that can't be done at home.
Are any of the three boys lethargic or less active than usual? Anyone seem to be drinking more water than the others? What are you feeding? What kind of treats? What brands of hay/feed and what type of water do you give?
I think the vet that's about two hours away deals with chinchillas, I'd have to call and check.
It just seems really soft, and they've been squishing it down, seeing as I have yet to find one that's not squished flat yet, I'm not really sure. It's not flow blown, it just seems soft.
They get feed plain pellets, not a mix, and they get treats every once in a while. He gets timothy hay, and tap water, seeing as we have our water coming from a well, not city water.
None of the boys seems any different, still bouncing around like crazy except when they nap about now.
Thank you for the help, I'll see what I can do, I'm just new to this whole chinchilla thing, throw something about horses at me and I'm fine, I know what to do, but that comes from years of experience.
It just seems really soft, and they've been squishing it down, seeing as I have yet to find one that's not squished flat yet, I'm not really sure. It's not flow blown, it just seems soft.
They get feed plain pellets, not a mix, and they get treats every once in a while. He gets timothy hay, and tap water, seeing as we have our water coming from a well, not city water.
None of the boys seems any different, still bouncing around like crazy except when they nap about now.
Thank you for the help, I'll see what I can do, I'm just new to this whole chinchilla thing, throw something about horses at me and I'm fine, I know what to do, but that comes from years of experience.
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RDZCRanch
RavenousDeadlyZombieChins
What is the brand of pellets and what hay are they being given? Is it hay from the pet store or hay that you're also giving to your horses?
What treats are you giving? We need to know the exact kind of treats so that we can help you.
Even well water can get contaminated with giardia spores. I would get a filter for your water to be on the safe side. I've heard of numerous people who have been on well water forever with their chins and all of them had giardia run through the animals which made them switch over to filtration systems.
Does the poop smell bad? Keep an eye out also for slime or mucus in the feces.
I can give you advice on what to do once I know what kind of pellet they are on, hay, treats, etc.
What treats are you giving? We need to know the exact kind of treats so that we can help you.
Even well water can get contaminated with giardia spores. I would get a filter for your water to be on the safe side. I've heard of numerous people who have been on well water forever with their chins and all of them had giardia run through the animals which made them switch over to filtration systems.
Does the poop smell bad? Keep an eye out also for slime or mucus in the feces.
I can give you advice on what to do once I know what kind of pellet they are on, hay, treats, etc.
They are on Kaytee forti-diet pellets and hay from the petstore, I wouldn't give the chins horse hay, cause that can have some bad stuff in it, mold and nightshade is just the beginning of the stuff you can find in that.
We usually give them a rosehip of a cheerio, depending on whatever I grab from their cupboards, and maybe an occasional raisin.
Would a Brita water filter work for them?
It's not smelly or slimy, it just looks like it was soft poop that got flattened, but I just want to make sure that nothing bad's going on with them.
We usually give them a rosehip of a cheerio, depending on whatever I grab from their cupboards, and maybe an occasional raisin.
Would a Brita water filter work for them?
It's not smelly or slimy, it just looks like it was soft poop that got flattened, but I just want to make sure that nothing bad's going on with them.
ticklechin
Well-known member
Are the chins eating? Any other symptoms such as lethargy? You can purchase Pet Pectillin from Petco/petsmart in the dog and cat health section and give 3ml twice a day for a day or so and see if there is improvement, but you REALLY need to locate a vet if you are going to have chinchillas as pets.
RDZCRanch
RavenousDeadlyZombieChins
You should switch the pellets. Kaytee is crap. The hay from a pet store is also not good for chinchillas. It often times is moldy or just not fresh enough to do anything good for a chinchilla. I get my hay straight from a horse owner in my area. She and I both check the hay every time it comes in because she doesn't want to feed nasty stuff to her horse just like I don't want to feed anything bad to my chins. I've yet to get a moldy batch or find weeds or any other nasty thing in the hay.
Another good hay that you could get for the chins is Oxbow timothy hay. A lot of members on here feed that and their chinchillas love it.
It depends on the Brita filter. Most Brita filters do not filter out giardia or other smaller particles that could harm a chinchilla. I use a Pur filter stage 3 and I'm switching over to a reverse osmosis system soon.
Don't give any raisins at all. Even one is loaded with more sugar than a chinchilla's digestive system can properly handle. Excessive amounts of sugar causes bloat in chinchillas which can lead to GI stasis and/or death.
You might want to try some activated charcoal rolled onto a shreddie and see if that helps. Limit pellets but do not pull them altogether that can cause more harm than good. Offer unlimited hay, I suggest getting some better, fresher stuff. If anyone starts too look lethargic or act off, you need to get to a vet immediately. Diarrhea is very serious in such small animals and if it does not clear up within a couple of days, other treatment options need to be explored.
You can also try this for clearing up diarrhea...
Another good hay that you could get for the chins is Oxbow timothy hay. A lot of members on here feed that and their chinchillas love it.
It depends on the Brita filter. Most Brita filters do not filter out giardia or other smaller particles that could harm a chinchilla. I use a Pur filter stage 3 and I'm switching over to a reverse osmosis system soon.
Don't give any raisins at all. Even one is loaded with more sugar than a chinchilla's digestive system can properly handle. Excessive amounts of sugar causes bloat in chinchillas which can lead to GI stasis and/or death.
You might want to try some activated charcoal rolled onto a shreddie and see if that helps. Limit pellets but do not pull them altogether that can cause more harm than good. Offer unlimited hay, I suggest getting some better, fresher stuff. If anyone starts too look lethargic or act off, you need to get to a vet immediately. Diarrhea is very serious in such small animals and if it does not clear up within a couple of days, other treatment options need to be explored.
You can also try this for clearing up diarrhea...
ticklechin
Well-known member
Just to clarify Pet Pectillin is kaolin pectin so the OP does not get confused.
I can switch the pellets, I was thinking about doing that anyways, what are some of the good pellets you can find out there? Up here we have problems with good hay, so I'll probably have to get Oxbow Timothy hay.
I'll look into a PUR filter for them, seeing as the water doesn't bother any one in the house.
No raisin, got that, now just to stop my sister from feeding them to the chins.
Where can I get activated charcoal? I've never heard of it, and I looked up some vets in the area, and one does small mammal, so if things get worse, I'll take them there.
I'll look into a PUR filter for them, seeing as the water doesn't bother any one in the house.
No raisin, got that, now just to stop my sister from feeding them to the chins.
Where can I get activated charcoal? I've never heard of it, and I looked up some vets in the area, and one does small mammal, so if things get worse, I'll take them there.
mishellyshel
Chin Slave
Where are you located?? There are over 2700 members here. Maybe someone lives nearby and can not only recommend a good vet but some local places to get hay & feed.
if you have the brita filter, at least use that until you get a better one. i think you can get the charcol at a health food or drug store. in the meantime, try the shredded wheat. hopefully that will at least help a little.
there are so many other better treats out there than raisins. tell your sister that she is harming your chins and keep a different treat nearby. maybe try the old fashioned oats. than she can give a couple oats here & there.
if you have the brita filter, at least use that until you get a better one. i think you can get the charcol at a health food or drug store. in the meantime, try the shredded wheat. hopefully that will at least help a little.
there are so many other better treats out there than raisins. tell your sister that she is harming your chins and keep a different treat nearby. maybe try the old fashioned oats. than she can give a couple oats here & there.
I live in Central Minnesota, any help I could get for a good pet store, and a good vet would be much appreciated.
And the old fashioned oats we have on hand, my sister's rabbits love them (I have nothing to do with the rabbits, I had one, he was evil, I don't like them any more)
And the old fashioned oats we have on hand, my sister's rabbits love them (I have nothing to do with the rabbits, I had one, he was evil, I don't like them any more)
mishellyshel
Chin Slave
just a thought........are the rabbits housed in the same room as the chins?? i know there is some issue with an illness they carry.
i hope someone in the central mn area chimes in.
i hope someone in the central mn area chimes in.
greychins
NWI Chinchillas
What pet stores and feed stores do you have located near you (for help with the food/hay)?
Anna
I love my FurBlobs.
just a suggestion for general reference, my favorite treat for them is an unsweetened shredded wheat, usually half of one. it has a lot of fiber which can be good for the digestive tract and help with diarrhea. I usually give my guys one every few days. One of my chinchillas has soft poop on and off. One time it was giardia but most times he just gets stressed out for various reasons and then it goes away. has something new or different happened with their environment? Once you do find a vet you may want to get a fecal test done to make sure that the poop doesn't have some sort of weird parasite or bacteria. is the poop bigger than normal or darker?
It's not any larger or darker, but once I find a vet that helps with chinchillas, I will take them a sample. I got a box of unsweetened shredded wheat, which they love, so it will make it easier to cut them off of the other treats that my sister tries to give them.
Olallie
< i poopz in herez
I want to mention one thing with regards to Shredded wheats. Please dont over feed the shreddies! I know personally my boy Rosco with even one or two small pieces he gets gas, and back in june after a squishy poo episode I fed him some shreddies with choarcoal on it and the shreddies ended up not getting digested and formed a food ball in his stommach. He has since recovered but lost alot of weight, I would be careful of the amount of it you give them. I didn't even give him that much but I gave it to him a couple days in a row.
