Thoughts & prayers for Smudge please.

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Oh no Stace! I'm glad you guys caught the impaction though. Let us know how he is when you get home!
 
Finally home from the vet. When I put Smudge into his temporary cage he was surprisingly very alert and active, hopping around checking things out. He even picked up a pellet and nibbled on it. Thanks for all the advice meanie, I am going to try the warm compresses after this post.

I already know how to give sub-q fluids, since they taught me with Neeko and refreshed me with Mako. I already started the sub-q's Saturday night after the vet, just forgot to mention it. We are continuing with the treatment I mentioned before. The vet suggested I try some pineapple juice as well but I thought I would get your opinions on that first.

Here are the x-rays. I took the pictures with my phone, so I'm sorry if they are hard to read. I circled the foreign object. There are more smaller shards of the foreign object, but they are hard to see in these pictures.

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I also have a very good idea what the impaction could be caused by. Smudge is in a FN cage and I use the fleece "pillowcase" liners over the plastic plan that came with the cage- he's the only one without a bass pan. He's never bothered the liner until Friday. The liner is usually velcroed at the opening & covered by the wheel and other objects, but when I went down there Friday night to check on the chins, I noticed Smudge had opened his liner somehow and pushed the terra cotta pot I usually keep on top out of the way. I didn't think much of it and just reapplied the velcro. When we got home from the vet I went down there and checked the pan, and right under his wheel he had chewed a pretty big hole. Sooo, I'm guessing the impaction was caused by the plastic pan. Obviously it is going in the trash since he is too smart for the pillow case method, and will be getting a bass pan like everyone else.

Anyway, if he hasn't improved by Wednesday, they want him back. They mentioned something about performing an enema, but I wanted to get opinions on that too. I haven't heard of an enema being used on chins before. I'm a bit iffy on it..I'm paranoid of a prolapse or something.
 
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That sucks Stacie, poor Smudge :(. I hope the objects move through him safely.
 
I hope smudge is doing better today. My vet also recomended pineapple juice last year.
a very little and diluted. they say its best to use a fresh pineapple, even though the canned is 100% juice. the benefits of the fresh outweigh the canned. plus you can eat the pineapple!

also if you cant find canned pumpkin, you can also use baby food squash. the jars are smaller. i would freeze half the can of pumpkin, cause you wont use much and it gets kinda weird if it sits too long in fridge. you can even put it in ice cube trays.

tanya gave you some really good advice on some different herbs to use, so if you have a healthstore nearby you, i would get one of two and give smudge just a pinch mixed in with lifeline.......if not i have a few of the herbs she mentioned, if you would like me to mail them to you, pm me with your address.
i also give my chins a goji berry once in a while, especially if their poop looks dry. it looks like a red raisin but has very little sugar. i can send you a couple of them, if you want to try.
 
Since the impaction is thought to be plastic, I don't think the enzymes in pineapple juice would help, I would do the enema, the expansion of the intestine and flush out may get the plastic moving.
 
Oh Stackie, hang in there. I am glad they caught it and I hope it works it was through. I would be concerned with him going into shock from an enema
 
Enemas with warm soapy water are a accepted treatment for impactions down low, they are also used during heat stroke where cool water is used. It does not cause shock.
 
I was more worried about the enema along the lines of a prolapse or something. Peggy also mentioned something about wondering if the enema could do the exact opposite and flushing the object back up instead of out.

We will see what his x-rays look like Wednesday and I will talk with my vet. I also emailed Angie (chinvet) and will see what she thinks.

Smudge has been producing poos- small and hard, but better than nothing. I have also watched him eat a few pellets on his own. Yippee!
 
I don't think the pineapple will be of any benefit. You're not dealing with any that is digestible. I would go with the enema option. Chili had an enema to try to get her intestines to empty and things moving along. It did work to get rid of a lot of matter and did reduce her bloat and discomfort. Sadly, the extent of her illness was way beyond any help.
 
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