Holes in poop

[Nickdavey126]

So I tried making a vet appointment today so I can bring my chin in and a fecal sample and instead of allowing me to do so the person on the phone hung up after they asked the vet about my problem I may be calling back to address this and I’m currently on the look out for a new exotic vet option (this may be hard as I live in rural Indiana and I’m not sure where else to go). To get to the matter though , I noticed holes in my Chinchillas poop about a week ago which led me to believe there must be gas. I checked to see if she was bloated and she doesn’t seem to be (no distension or hardness in the stomach area) I have been monitoring her and I also noticed that when the poops come out and are very fresh there seems to be a very thin film ? The poops do not feel sticky but when I break some open to examine them there seems to be a sticky substance that breaks away as I break the poop in half. When I had that vet call the person who l was on the phone with asked the vet if this was normal and the vet said yes apparently. Is this normal with fresh poops ? I can see how it could possibly be normal as there needs to be some lubricant to help pass the poop but I am just unsure (if I can get picture later I will.) Some other info to add is that I did end up finding a little bit of algae in her water bottle which makes me believe this may be what has caused this issue, I ended up getting her a new one. In terms of the water I give her I only give bottled water, nothing from the tap. Something else to add is that when this started happening I did give her Dasani water in place of her usual water because I ran out at the time. I since move her back to the regular spring water. In terms of her behavior she is acting quite normal and spunky as ever , she is eating and drinking quite well. Going back to the poops there seems to be a mix of regular and irregular looking poops. I believe this covers everything and I would just like a bit of insight on what I can do before I can get her to a vet. Thank you !

 

[Nickdavey126]

I would also like to add my food specifications:

pellets: Oxbow Chinchilla Pellets

Hay: I feed a variety of hay but I have been mainly using Oxbow’s Timothy and Orchard Grass hay blend as my local stores have not had regular oxbow Timothy Hay in stock (could this be part of the problem?)

Treats: I offer half a plain cherrio very seldomly

 

[Amethyst]

It sounds like possible giardia or at least a gut issue, but that would require taking your chin to the vet for a poop sample test. If the call ended suddenly (didn't say goodbye or have a nice day or anything) it could have been an accident, and if they didn't have your number they wouldn't be able to phone back. I don't really know though, just taking a guess.

Have you tried any treatment a all yet? Like probiotics or gas drops? Do the poops smell at all? are they normal color (should be dark brown/blackish)? Also which Oxbow pellets are you feeding? There are a few out now and only the Oxbow Essentials (red bag) is good for chins.

If the only other kind of hay you are feeding is orchard then it shouldn't be an issue, orchard is another grass hay and very similar to timothy so it shouldn't cause any issues. If you are feeding oat hay though that can cause gas for some chins, and the oxbow botanical hay has treats mixed in so should also be limited. Alfalfa is a legume hay not a grass, and since the pellets should be alfalfa based (assuming you are feeding Oxbow Essentials) and the chin is an adult then they don't need alfalfa, but can be given in small amounts as a treat.

 

[Amethyst]

Oh I forgot, Dasani water is not advised because they add things into it, I don't know how true it is but I know a lot of people wont even drink it because of the potentially harmful added minerals. If you go with bottles water Aquafina is safer then Dasani because they use a different filteration process and don't add some of the minerals that Dasani does.

 

[Nickdavey126]

It sounds like possible giardia or at least a gut issue, but that would require taking your chin to the vet for a poop sample test. If the call ended suddenly (didn't say goodbye or have a nice day or anything) it could have been an accident, and if they didn't have your number they wouldn't be able to phone back. I don't really know though, just taking a guess.

Have you tried any treatment a all yet? Like probiotics or gas drops? Do the poops smell at all? are they normal color (should be dark brown/blackish)? Also which Oxbow pellets are you feeding? There are a few out now and only the Oxbow Essentials (red bag) is good for chins.

If the only other kind of hay you are feeding is orchard then it shouldn't be an issue, orchard is another grass hay and very similar to timothy so it shouldn't cause any issues. If you are feeding oat hay though that can cause gas for some chins, and the oxbow botanical hay has treats mixed in so should also be limited. Alfalfa is a legume hay not a grass, and since the pellets should be alfalfa based (assuming you are feeding Oxbow Essentials) and the chin is an adult then they don't need alfalfa, but can be given in small amounts as a treat.

Hi ! Thank you so much for the reply. Yes the poops are all normal colorations, and there is no smell. I went and checked on her today she is still acting quite normal and many of the poops didn't have the holes in the side like I was seeing before. Orchard grass is the only other hay I feed, and in terms of the pellets I only feed Oxbow Essentials. I haven't tried any treatments besides limiting pellets and adding more hay, and of course getting her a new water bottle. Also in terms of your comment about Dasani I have heard about that too and I should have known better, I was short handed on her normal water and wasn't going to risk using tap. In terms of the phone call there was a goodbye and then a sudden hang up, the person on the phone was fairly passive aggressive as well but that is beside the point.

 

[Nickdavey126]

Also it may be important to note that the holes are normally on the sides of the poop and then when opening the poop there are typically one or two small holes. Not sure if this makes a difference but just though I would note it. Thank you once again for the quick reply !

 

[Amethyst]

Also it may be important to note that the holes are normally on the sides of the poop and then when opening the poop there are typically one or two small holes. Not sure if this makes a difference but just though I would note it. Thank you once again for the quick reply !

Well holes in the poop mean gas, chins can't fart, they pass gas in their poop. The problem arises when they get too big of a gas bubble, so you normally want to try to figure out why the chin is having gas before it gets to that point. You can try giving some infant gas drops about 0.3ml per 8-12 hours and see if that helps. If there is no improvement within about a day of giving the drops then it's best to find a vet. You can also try giving some probiotic, Bene Bac probiotic https://www.amazon.com/Bene-Bac-Plus-Prebiotic-Powder-1-Pound/dp/B002LV588U?th=1 seems popular and you can get it on amazon and at some pet stores. Another option is getting acidophilus caplets for humans and break it open and just sprinkle it on the food.