Eating Less / Small Poop / GI Stasis / Potential Tumor?

[Nef]

My chin didn't touch her bowl of pellets Friday night 8/2 and Sat night 8/3. Her poops were super tiny and she didn't drink much. Her weight dropped from 653 on Thurs night 8/1, to 636 on Fri 8/2 and same on Sat 8/2. I took her in yesterday (Sunday 8/4) to an emergency vet which I think have decent knowledge about chinchillas but not necessarily specialize in chins. So I'm looking for some opinion before her regular visit this Friday 8/9.

The vet treated her as having GI stasis, even though she didn't completely stop pooping. They took an x-ray (attached here) and said her belly was full and there was gas. We're unsure why this happened because her diet is good and I don't ever give her anything sugary. She gets pellets, hay, water, twiglets, occasionally rose hip/rose bud/honeysuckle, etc (supplements from Ronda Chins). She's on Diclofenac for cataract on her right eye starting two months ago, but I wouldn't think that's the cause. The vet treated her at the clinic with warm liquid and gut stimulation and pain med injections, details as follow:

1. 30mL warmed SQ LRS (50mL/kg)
2. Warm to 98.6 to 100.4
3. Meloxicam 0.3mg (0.06mL of the 5mg/mL) SQ
4. Cisapride 0.3mg (0.06mL) of the 5mg/mL PO
5. Cerenia 0.6mg (0.06mL) of 10mg/ml SQ

I got to take home medications for pain and GI tract:

Rx – 6 syringes of Meloxicam 1.5mg/mL for abdominal pain. Give 0.2mL by mouth every 12 hours for 3 days
Rx - 6 syringes of Cisapride 5mg/mL Prokinetic for GI tract. Give 0.06mL by mouth every 12 hours for 3 days
And I'm to give her critical care until she can eat on her own.

Like I mentioned, she didn't completely stop pooping before the vet visit, and now that she got the injection and medications, her poops are slightly bigger but still on the small side. When I handfeed her hay, she will take a few pieces. Yesterday evening after the vet's visit, there were 3-4 normal to large poops, but the rest was still small. The poops today are still small even though she ate some hay on her own last night. She is pretty inactive and lies on her sides a lot, which is concerning to me. Any idea why? Just tired/stressed or something else is going on? She is 13 years and 8 months old.

If I feed her critical care, will that actually hurt her since her belly is full? She is pretty good at taking it though. My husband holds her by pushing her hands down and she stands up and takes in the critical care with minimal fighting until maybe a minute later.

I was told to only give her hay besides critical care. Should I leave pellets and twiglets in the cage too?

I was readying this forum and someone mentioned infant gas drop. The vet said the Cisapride takes care of the gas, but I'm reading online that it is a gut stimulant. Should I separately give her infant gas drop?

Should I bring her to an emergency vet that specializes in chinchillas at this point?

Appreciate any thoughts! Thank you!

 

[Saffron]

Any time I've had to give Cisapride to one of my chins my vet also said to give dye free simethicone / baby gas drops. Dose is .5 ml four times a day. Or .3 ml four times a day and each time I fed critical care. I chose to use second option, four times a day plus feedings.

Here are links to bloat care that may help:
https://www.foreverfeistychinchilla.org/health-issues-a-c.html
Scroll down to Bloat/Gas

https://www.cuddlebugchinchillas.com/information/health/bloat.html

https://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/threads/sparkys-stasis-saga.5142

If she was my chin I would take her to an exotic vet experienced in treating chins.

I'm hoping one someone with more experience with chinchilla GI issues will see your post and offer more help.

 

[Nef]

Thank you for the reply!! I got some baby gas drops and she ate it up good.

The emergency vet does pocket animals. Her regular vet is specialized in chins. I’m wondering if I can wait until Friday for her regular vet or if I should head out of town to another emergency vet that does specialize in chins. She has some droppings. A few of them look normal size but the rest is still small, but not tiny.

 

[MCD]

Thank you for the reply!! I got some baby gas drops and she ate it up good.

The emergency vet does pocket animals. Her regular vet is specialized in chins. I’m wondering if I can wait until Friday for her regular vet or if I should head out of town to another emergency vet that does specialize in chins. She has some droppings. A few of them look normal size but the rest is still small, but not tiny.

Hello, I was wondering if she’s still eating? It seems like she has some gas problems. Everything you described my chin had it too And he was very weak, not eating at all and not drinking much water.

 

[Lissy]

Chins can go downhill so quickly. I'd personally take her to the other vet if your regular one won't see her till Friday. Or maybe call them and ask for an emergency appointment today??? I can't imagine they'd say no.

 

[Nef]

Thank you for all the responses! The vet saw her on Tuesday and said her stomach was actually pretty empty and no blockage, and prescribed only pain med. Didn't prescribe cisapride or gas drop or probiotic. They also said cisapride is only theorized to work. I have been feeding her critical care and she's taking it in pretty well, but still not eating on her own. Her poop size has returned to normal, but perhaps still need more.

We also did a blood count and panel just to be safe, and her liver value was slightly elevated. They then prescribed milk thistle and recommended an ultrasound, and I'm just waiting for the results. They did also mention liver biopsy depending on the results from the ultrasound. Anyone knows if it's safe to go through liver biopsy? They'll have to inject a needle to get the sample and she'll be mildly sedated. I'm concerned since she's over 13 years old.

 

[Mel]

That is a rough thing to go through. For both of you!
Have you had her teeth looked into? I had a 12 year old chinny once have similar symptoms and it was a tooth issue for him. He had one tooth with a spur on it digging into his cheek causing an ulcer. It made him stop eating and he ended up with GI issues.
They sedated him to look at the teeth and filed down the spur. He had a bit of infection in the ulcer on the cheek so he had antibiotics which caused him to stop eating even more. They gave him a drug to stimulate appetite and gas drops as well. We ground up his pellets into a powder and mixed that with warm water and made some soft little chunks he could eat.
He did really well and pulled through it all.
Teeth issues can happen with age and our little guy did not drool or have runny eyes or any of the regular symptoms of a tooth issue. He just lost weight and was lethargic.
I hope your little one gets better soon!!!!

 

[Nef]

Thank you! I didn't have her teeth looked into. The ultrasound results came back and they found a mass in her upper intestine and it's blocking 90%. They're hoping it's abscess, but from how they sounded, it's more likely that it's a tumor. This is so devastating and so unexpected. The vet prescribed antibiotic to see if the mass will reduce, but if not, surgery will be the next step. Isn't it extremely rare for chinchillas to get tumor? I don't understand what could cause that. I don't think she has bad genes and her diet is only hay, pellets, water, twiglets, and occasionally healthy supplements like a rose bud. They think the mass could be a reason why she isn't eating. Did anyone experience having to go through surgery to remove tumor for their chins recently? There's also the potential of the tumor growing back. I'm not really sure what to do if it is indeed a tumor.

 

[Mel]

Thank you! I didn't have her teeth looked into. The ultrasound results came back and they found a mass in her upper intestine and it's blocking 90%. They're hoping it's abscess, but from how they sounded, it's more likely that it's a tumor. This is so devastating and so unexpected. The vet prescribed antibiotic to see if the mass will reduce, but if not, surgery will be the next step. Isn't it extremely rare for chinchillas to get tumor? I don't understand what could cause that. I don't think she has bad genes and her diet is only hay, pellets, water, twiglets, and occasionally healthy supplements like a rose bud. They think the mass could be a reason why she isn't eating. Did anyone experience having to go through surgery to remove tumor for their chins recently? There's also the potential of the tumor growing back. I'm not really sure what to do if it is indeed a tumor.

I am so sorry! It's so hard when they get health issues. I think it is very rare. I think the risk increases with age? I have never experienced that in all the years I have had chinnies so I don't have any advice on that. I am thinking of both of you though.