Little lethargic and hiding in house

[dustypaws]

Hi all,

So I have an appointment today for my 6 year old boy who I've noticed has been hiding in his house. He didn't come out for treats yesterday and it looks like his food dish was untouched this morning. He did accept a small piece of papaya from me this morning and gave me some attitude but overall I'm still worried.

He is on mazuri with timmothy hay. He has a wheel and gets plenty of exercise. I keep the room temp controlled - we have been having quite cold weather here lately but I'm not sure that's it.

if anyone has any other suggestions please feel free to send them my way.

 

[lauralynne]

Is he pooping/peeing normally? Have you checked the water bottle? Is his tummy hard or soft?

 

[dustypaws]

he has been pooping - i found some in his house and he also did on me last night.

i'm leaving work early in a bit to go home and get him.... just trying not to freak myself out much more than i already have.

 

[ticklechin]

If the treats include sugary things like the papaya, he most likely has gas. If that is so, the vet should RX motility drugs such as propulsid and reglan, metecam for pain, simethicone to break up the gas bubbles and the chin needs to have belly massages and exercise, along with handfeeding critical care. So if you get this before you leave and the diagnosis is gas-ask for motility drugs, metecam for pain and critical care to handfeed along with a syringe. Pick up simethicone on the way home at a drug store in the baby medicine department-its baby gas drops.

 

[lauralynne]

Are his poops looking like normal?

Please let us know what the vet says.

 

[dustypaws]

thanks for the advice. all of their stuff is organic no sugar added papaya and occasionally a small raisin sized piece of dried apple. he is prone to seizures which is why i offered him the treat, thinking that he needed the sugar.

his poops seem normal but i'm freaking out regardless. thank you both. <3

 

[ticklechin]

Actually the fruit you list still has natural sugar in it which can cause a chin to get gas, even if the chin has had fruit in the past. Chins are hind gut fermenters as far as digestion goes, they use bacteria in the cecum to digest food-when you give anything with sugar natural or otherwise the bacteria go crazy for it and multiply-this process had the byproduct of gas-chins cannot burp so the gas just keeps expanding the cecum until it moves down stream and expands the intestines, this is very painful and causes the chin to stop eating and hide because there is pain-this is called bloat. As the gas progresses and the intestines expand more food is unable to move down the intestines since they cannot contract against the food the food stalls and can become a impaction, also the intestines can stop contracting and that is stasis-both are a life threatening diagnosis. Gas caught early can be treated and the chin does fine, gas caught late can cause death.

 

[dustypaws]

thanks so much, i appreciate it.

heading to the vet soon... will update everyone later. thank you so much again.

 

[dustypaws]

hi all - just wanted to say thanks. he was passing some normal poops at the vet. they gave him some fluids along with critical care, antibiotics, and metecam. he ate a few pellets tonight after all the meds and critical care and took a raisin and a dust bath. he's in his house though, probably feeling pretty bothered. lol.

 

[Luci]

antibiotics for what?

what did the vet say he had? im curious because it isnt the best idea to give antibiotics if there isnt an actual infection.

the fluids and critical care will help his appetite. he needs to keep gaining weight and keep exercising.

and lastly, you should reconsider the treats youre giving. i understand that you feed "no fruit added" treats, but regardless, you could still be doing damage to an already sensitive digestive system. when gizmo's tooth infection affected his eating (he wasnt in stasis, but i still needed to feed him cuz he wouldnt eat otherwise), i refrained from giving any snacks.
you wouldnt eat ice cream if you had a cold, so why give sugar to a sensitive stomach?

give it time to heal. any sugar is bad sugar for them. stick to chin-safe treats.

 

[ticklechin]

What was the diagnosis? Without one its not cool to toss antibiotics at a chin, especially if the vet gave the vet favorite baytril.

 

[dustypaws]

she said he had a gassy stomach and prescribed the antibiotics to ward off anything that may be wrong with his system.

 

[ticklechin]

Are you sure it was a antibiotic? Can you give us the name? Antibiotics are the last thing you want to use on a gassy chin without a diagnosis, you don't want to use them willy nilly.

 

[dustypaws]

i know for sure one is mellecelyn... the other starts with a U. i have the meds at home and will double check with BF in a few since he is at home.

he isn't fighting the critical care and last night went right to his dish once we got home.

i'll stop him on all treats though.

perhaps he is just... slowing down? although i know 6 is still young in chinnie years. he hasn't lost any weight at all.

 

[ticklechin]

Mellecelyn does not come up on a search, the "celyn" worries me because could it be "cillin"? any antibiotic that ends in cillin is not used for chins. 6 is still young for a chin, my almost 17 year old still runs around like a fool!

 

[dustypaws]

Mellecelyn does not come up on a search, the "celyn" worries me because could it be "cillin"? any antibiotic that ends in cillin is not used for chins. 6 is still young for a chin, my almost 17 year old still runs around like a fool!

*sigh* i know. i'm sitting here at work getting sick to my stomach.

we recently got a cat so i'm not sure if he's trying to adjust to having her in our place. my other chin is fine but we've been having abnormal weather here - first time we've seen the sun out in a week..

there's nothing around the cage that they can get to - no wires, materials, anything.

 

[ticklechin]

Tell me about the weather, I live in Sunnyvale and my shop is in Redwood city, its been COLD and DAMP out! We see the sun in the afternoon then the fog comes back in!

 

[dustypaws]

thank you, Dawn, for all your help. i really, really appreciate it.

 

[ticklechin]

If you want a second opinion and don't mind a bit of a drive on the weekend you can go to Adobe Pet hospital in Los Altos, they are open 24/7/365 and have 8 or 9 vets who see chins. I prefer Dr. Jane Johnson or Dr. Kurt Nakamura, Dr. Boltz is pretty good also.

Might be worth the trip if he does not improve or if when you post the names of the meds they were not cool for chins.

 

[dustypaws]

yes - if he doesn't improve i will take him there.

glad to know that they are open 24/7 (almost better to take them at night so there isn't a risk of the car being too hot at night). i am in downtown SF but will gladly make the trek for them - and you recommendation is highly appreciated. <3