How much critical care?

[Tikibirds]

I went to the vet because she stopped eatting and the vet wants me to feed her 10 cc a day - 5cc every 8 hours. Is that enough?

This happened once before, several years ago and that vet had me feeding her several times a day - 5 cc each time.

The vet I went to yestrerday is supposed to be an "expert" on small and exotics where as the other vet knew very little of chinchillas.

she also gets 1/2 a notch of bene-back every 12 hours and some other medicine every 12 hours. Not sure what it is bu its in pill form and I open the pill and add water to it. All i know is, the remainder gets refridgerated.

She is more active but still no poop or it is very small and thin.

 

[Newt]

ummm I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be around 100ml a day to maintain weight in a chin that has stopped eating. 100ml broken into as many feeds as is necessary.

When one of my chins stopped eating after an emergency spay, I fed her approx 10-12 mls every 3 hours (day and night).... so 8 x feeds of 10mls (80mls minimum all up) each 24 hours.

I'd also give her more if she'd have it. She did lose some weight, but luckily not too much.

Is your chin eating anything at all?

 

[ticklechin]

Chins need at least 45ml up to 120ml a day, 45ml the chin will lose weight but stay alive, 120ml they may gain some. What does the bottle day that has the pill in it, never heard of a med given to a client in pill form.

 

[Tikibirds]

Cesepride is the medicine in pill form, which according to wikiepdia, was pulled from the US market in 2000 and baned in several countries.. Cisapride is still available in the United States and Canada for use in animals, and is commonly prescribed by veterinarians to treat megacolon in cats.

Cisapride is also commonly used to treat GI stasis in rabbits, sometimes in conjunction with metoclopramide (Reglan).

No, she won't eat or drink anything and I think its because her top teeth are too long. I tried to ask the vet about her teeth but she wouldn't let me say a word. She went straight for an X ray and started lecturing me about how she is full of gas, that she is going to die if I don't keep her there for 3 days (to the tune of almost $1,000) and that if I can't pay the full amount then I need to apply for some kind of pet care credit card (for which I was denied BTW) and if she was not eating by the 3rd day (today), she would be put down.

I know what GI stasis is and that it can be fatal. I have had several chinchillas over the years. I am not a Newbie to this.
Last time she stopped eating, I was told it was fatty deposits on her liver, which I don't know if that was even correct either as that vet knew nothing about chinchillas. All I was given was critical care and I think a medication but I have no idea what it was. After about a month, she stared eating again on her own.

I am NOT going back to that vet and she is the only so called exotic-specialist around, plus she is now on medical leave for 3 months anyways.

Should I up the feedings? She isn't really pooping but I am not sure if its because she is blocked up with gas or there just isn't enough food in her at this point. According to the vet, she is at the "cusp of death" so I guess I don't have anything to loose by feeding her more, right? If she is 100% blocked up, she is going to die and if she doesn't eat she is going to die.

 

[Tikibirds]

So I upped the last feeding for the last session and instead of the 5 the vet said, I filled the syringe - not sure what it holds as it stops at 7 but there is an extra inch or so. Shw ate it all and had produced some poops that are almost normal in size.

 

[Shenanigans]

So I upped the last feeding for the last session and instead of the 5 the vet said, I filled the syringe - not sure what it holds as it stops at 7 but there is an extra inch or so. Shw ate it all and had produced some poops that are almost normal in size.

I dont know much about medical chin stuff, but that sounds better. Sending prayers/good thoughts your way!

 

[Tikibirds]

well, she still won't eat on her own but is back to her normal annoying self:clap1:The issue now is that i am out of critical care which is aparently only avalible by prescription in NY :banghead: I could easily buy it from Petco when I lived in Alaska. I called every vet within a 60 mile radius and 99% of them don't deal with "exotics" and the one that did, doesn't have a vet avalible till Thrusday and they only prescribe small viles of it :hair: Isn't it only powdered hay? Why does that require a prescription?

 

[Amethyst]

I have no idea why it would require a prescription, but I know there are people that sell it on here, for example AZ Chins has it on her web store. Also you can also buy it on Amazon. In a pinch you can try just grinding up the normal pellets, not the treat filled food or the treats from the treat filled food (which is what you said in another thread that you feed) but actual oxbow or mazuri food or something along those lines of quality chinchilla or even high quality rabbit food.

In another thread I apparently wrongly assumed you lived in Alaska (you still have that listed as your location). I find it really hard to believe there are no vets in New York, there are lots of people on here that live there. If you tell us the area you live I'm sure that someone could point you in the direction of a vet.