My chinchilla has Stasis!!! Need advice

[ticklechin]

Chins are not put under for full body/chest x-rays, there is no harm in doin it so I have no idea what your vet is talking about, there is harm if this chin has a impaction located near a exit point of the stomach or cecum and motility drugs are used, the impaction if not hydrated properly with sub-q fluids will obstruct it, and will cause death. I am not trying to be a jerk, I have been here and done this with multiple chins and without the full picture of what you are dealing with with the teeth and gut, getting better and recovery are harder on the chin.

 

[Buddy]

Hmm Both vets I've seen said they'd have to put her under :/ I will phone back tomorrow morning and find out if I can get an xray done on her full body asap.
Thank you

 

[Claire D]

Chins are not put under for full body/chest x-rays, there is no harm in doin it so I have no idea what your vet is talking about,

Dawn, most vets here will sedate a chin to do body or chest xrays.

 

[ticklechin]

Dawn, most vets here will sedate a chin to do body or chest xrays.

Of the 8 vets I have seen in two different facilities the chins have not been put under, there is no need for a full body x-ray since its quick, dental yes, full body no. Even if you read Sparkys story in as bad shape as he was he got x-rayed first. Its standard.

 

[Claire D]

Of the 8 vets I have seen in two different facilities the chins have not been put under, there is no need for a full body x-ray since its quick, dental yes, full body no.

That may be your experience, Dawn, but it's not the case here in the UK.

I've had experience of both (sedated and non-sedated) but, in terms of general practice, it seems the preference is for sedation. *shrugs*

 

[Buddy]

So Bubbles would be sedated then? This is the exact reason why the vet said not to have it done just yet. She's not strong enough and there's a bigger chance of her not waking up from it. :/ I have to try and get her better using the meds, and if that doesn't work then that's the last resort. But for now, she's doing okay and she's getting a lot active and stronger.

 

[Lillybabe]

I worry that she's not pooping. I have never heard of a vet saying that a chin isn't pooping because the handfed food is too "wet". My little guy was fed Critical Care often when he had stasis and for his malo and he always pooped. They weren't always his normal size/consistancy but he always pooped a lot still. The fact she's not pooping makes me agree think there's an impaction. Also everytime my chin had stasis they gave him fluids at the vet and even advocated syringing very small amounts at a time of water into him if he was dehydrated. As for the xrays, my little guy has always been sedated for xrays seems like the common thing they do around here too. Maybe it is due to how wiggly chins are? I'm not sure they ever did just a gut xray though. Maybe in the very beginning? That was a long time ago though.

How much are you getting into her per feeding? Is she still 300 grams? Are there no poops at all?

 

[Buddy]

Shes pretty thin atm, so no shes not. She could not be pooing because shes not getting enough food maybe? she gets about 50 ml, maybe less, not enough i know, but i feed her as much as i can and as much as she'll let me. Today im aiming for over 60 ml!
What happens if it is an impaction? What happens then?

 

[ticklechin]

If the food is going in and not going out, how do UK vets determine if its because of stasis or its because of a impaction if they do not do x-rays on a really sick chin who can't be put under? I really don't understand how so maybe a UK person can explain how they tell?

 

[Buddy]

Tbh I'm not sure. He did say that it will take time for a chinchilla with Stasis to start pooing again. Her digestive system stopped working- it's going to take sometime. It could also be because she's not getting enough of it, and she has no need to poo. Her belly feels a lot softer, so surely something must be helping her out.
She is weeing a lot, which is a very good sign- shes getting hydration from somewhere. I'm not sure if I should get her an xray or just see how she goes until the end of the week??

 

[EMSChins]

Are you absolutely sure that she is not pooping?

What type of bedding do you use? Is it possible that she is pooping very small amounts but that it is getting lost in the bedding?

I found that it was helpful to put my chin with stasis on fleece and clean it twice a day - I could literally count how many droppings there were every 12 hours so I could see if there was an improvement.

Had I hept him on pine bedding it would have been impossible to tell when he started pooping again as it falls down into the bedding and there wasn't enought to notice at first.

 

[Buddy]

I'm 100% sure she hasn't pooped since friday night. I cleaned her cage out the day she went for an opp. I also cleaned her cage out 2 days ago. I got rid of her bedding the night I realised she wasn't acting normal and the night I reaslied her poos had gone strange. She now has a pillow case folded up as her bedding.
So, I can see into the bottom of her cage where the saw dust is. There's no poop, just wee. I can see any poos that she may or may not leave in her bed. There is non. And if she poos in her dust bath- which she doesn't. It's just wee :/
So nope, no poos as of yet :'( What do I do? Get her an xray even though it's more risky than it would usually be? Or wait until friday when she see's the vet next?

 

[Claire D]

If the food is going in and not going out, how do UK vets determine if its because of stasis or its because of a impaction if they do not do x-rays on a really sick chin who can't be put under? I really don't understand how so maybe a UK person can explain how they tell?

Sorry Dawn, we may be at cross purposes - you have shared your experiences of chins having full body X-rays without sedation as being the norm but here in the UK that's generally not the norm. Here they prefer to use sedation for any X-rays on a chinchilla. I have experienced both sedated and non-sedated.

Vets will X-ray to determine if there is impaction but the preference is still to sedate. If a chin is "flat" then some vets won't take the risk of sedation at all (which is what may be happening in this case) but I'd want X-rays without sedation in that situation.
I think a lot depends on how comfortable (and experienced) a vet is at treating sick chinchillas ......

 

[Buddy]

If the chin is "flat" What does this mean?
I will ring them tomorrow morning and ask for some xrays to be done. I need to know whats going on and i hope to god its not an impaction. what happens if it is??

 

[Claire D]

If the chin is "flat" What does this mean?

Flat generally means lethargic and unresponsive - this usually indicates a very sick chinchilla (animal).

 

[Buddy]

Ah okay, she sleeps a lot, but she becomes active sometimes in the day where she's running around her cage and out of her cage. I think she has forgotten how to eat?? Any suggestions on how to try to get her back to eating her food? Or is it too soon as she is still in pain?

 

[Claire D]

If forgot to add, another word for flat is collapsed.

I would keep going with the syringe food for now until you have a proper assessment and diagnosis - without a diagnosis you're groping in the dark really (which is a difficult position to be in for sure) and have no clear plan of a way forward.
...... which brings you back to needing xrays to rule out impaction/obstruction and dental issues below the gum line (the tooth roots).

 

[Buddy]

She is fairly lethergic- but still can be active at times :S I'm not sure what to put her under?
Okay, so she needs an xray to know how to treat her properly?
Is the meds she's on now going to effect her in anyway?
She is no longer on her antibiotics.
Just emeprid which is a gut motility and the painkiller metacam.
I'll ring them up tomorrow first thing and ask for an xray. The only way they do it is sedated though, so I'm putting a big risk into it.

 

[mercynursie]

bless your heart.I know how much you must be agonizing over your baby.It seems like the best chance for diagnosis/proper treatment (and in the long run will cause the least amount of suffering for your furbaby) is to get the radiographs. Sedation or no sedation, you need the information that can only be gotten by having those tests done.You just have to know in your heart that no matter what the risk/outcome you are doing what is best for the animal.Keeping you and your fuzzy one in our prayers.

 

[Buddy]

Its the worst I hate leaving her alone. Her belly seems to be having spasms and i dont know why :'( im going to get her an xray tomorrow. i just really hope she makes it through this. I cant imagine her not being with me for much longer =[