Chronic Soft Poo

[Anna]

I'm a bit baffled. It's been a few months since the full switch to PANR (or whatever that new PANR thing is) from Mazuri. And both my bugs have been having slightly soft, but not like, diarrhea-esque poops. They're normal size and coloration (no greasy look to them) and I've taken samples in about half a dozen times from both of them to test for Giardia, with negative results. I give them hay, varying between alfalfa and timmy. And half a shreddie a day or so. I don't wanna give them too many shreddies as I don't want them to get used to the treat factor... Is there another kind of hay with more fiber? Or... what else can I do to get their poop more solid?

Thank you!

 

[AZChins]

Probiotics, peppermint can help, Life Line and maybe give it some time. Chins have strange reactions to new things sometimes...sometimes they overeat, sometimes their gut bacteria isn't at the levels it should be at, sometimes the food is just different and makes things happen in their little intestinal tracts. It's slightly soft, so the probiotics may help with the digestive process so that the droppings form properly. Around here if I ever see a slightly smashed poo, I put put a capsule of probiotics in the pellets of the cage it was in...and that normally takes care of the problem in less than a day.

Sometimes at different times of the year chins can be more hormonal...especially females. When females go into heat sometimes it can irritate the digestive tract along with the uterus. I've noticed that if there is some smashed droppings normally it is in a cage with a female that is in heat (and in with a male sometimes.)

Then the overeating thing. Young chins under maybe five to six months old, especially males think it is just peachy to eat as much as they can. Not all of them do it, but some do. Acidophilus helps greatly...it helps them to be able to process more food.

 

[ticklechin]

You might try also cutting back or stopping all together the use of alfalfa, the alternating between a legume and grass hay can cause digestive issues in my experience.

 

[AZChins]

You're right, the alfalfa could be making things worse. Some of those chins don't know when to say when and eat too much alfalfa or something and give themselves problems. Maybe switch to cubes instead of loose alfalfa?

 

[Kansas City Chinchillas]

I agree with stopping the use of alfalfa.

 

[ticklechin]

Mine would gorge on a all alfalfa hay diet given the chance!

 

[AZChins]

Oh yeah...that nice super fresh delicious stuff...nom nom nom...and then the tiles need cleaning. I had someone give me a fresh bale once when I lived in IL...and I really had to give it out sparingly.

 

[ticklechin]

I once gave all mine a huge hand full while they were on a all timmy diet, next day it was not pretty at ALL!

 

[Essentia]

You guys are hilarious.

Anna, if you are in need of some peppermint PM me. I have some extra that I didn't use for my chinnie salad that I can mail out tomorrow with the rest of the stuff I need to mail out.

(Dawn, your cookies are included in that mail out...I thought hubby mailed them like he was supposed to but I found them in the back seat of the car!)

 

[Anna]

You're right, the alfalfa could be making things worse. Some of those chins don't know when to say when and eat too much alfalfa or something and give themselves problems. Maybe switch to cubes instead of loose alfalfa?

I didn't know that! Well, I guess this is what you all are for, hehe. I'll stop the alfalfa hay thing. But timmy hay is okay? it's just that they bored of one kind of hay, it seems, and unfortunately don't like the cubes really. I will try the probiotic capsule idea as well. Is there another kind of grassy hay I can give them along with the timmy?

 

[Anna]

You guys are hilarious.
Anna, if you are in need of some peppermint PM me. I have some extra that I didn't use for my chinnie salad that I can mail out tomorrow with the rest of the stuff I need to mail out.

Thank you! I will do that

 

[Tanya]

You can also give orchard grass, brome, meadow, bluegrass.

 

[Anna]

You can also give orchard grass, brome, meadow, bluegrass.

Thank you : )

 

[Essentia]

Yup. Timothy and orchard grass are two of the staple hays we always have here. Then I also periodically get oat hay, or mix a bit of my flower salad in to give them some variety.