My chinchilla has Stasis!!! Need advice

[Buddy]

Well, my chinchilla hasn't eaten or drunk anything since Saturday (10th March) so over a week ago now. I took her to a vet and they said it was tooth problems, so they grinded her teeth down. Took her to a dential specialist vet and he said the GI Tract may have stopped working, something might be blocking her digestive system. Which is knows as Stasis. She's been on her new meds since Saturday just gone. So 3 days now. She's on painkiller- Metacam
Antibiotics- Baytril
and Emeprid which I think is to help get the gut moving?
However, even though I'm feeding her using the syringe she still isn't pooing! It's the 3rd day and she hasn't produced a poo since friday night!
She is weeing a lot though, but that could be from the water that's mixed in with her food. What shall I do to try and get her to poo? Shall i keep feeding as much as I am even though she isn't pooing??
I really don't know what else I can do for her The vet I saw isn't in until tomorrow so I can't take her to a good enough vet yet :/

 

[Kalandra]

Hopefully someone will post soon that can help you. But in the mean time, you may benefit by reading about Sparky: http://chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6553

Meanie put a lot of information about how they saved Sparky, it may help you and your chinnie.

 

[Brittany]

You need to be using warm compresses and massaging her belly every few hours. Use your fingertips and use a gentle circular motion from below the rib cage and down. Fill a sock with rice and warm it in the microwave (not too hot) hold it to her belly for as long as she will tolerate it. I alternate between the warm compress and massaging several times per treatment session. Has an xray been done to confirm a blockage? Has she been given any sub-q fluids? Sub-q fluids really help to get her hydrated and get things moving. The vet can teach you how to do it, and you can do it from home. It's pretty easy, especially if you have an extra set of hands to help you. How much are you feeding her per session? With stasis you need to do smaller increments more often. Hopefully someone else can pipe in with more info. Stasis is very difficult to treat, I wish you a lot of luck.

 

[Buddy]

I've tried the compresses. She's not liking them and she's prefering to prop up on her teddy. I've massaged her belly, but her stomach keeps making a noise- kinda sounds like it's rumberling? She hasn't had an x-ray yet, he put her straight on meds because of the condition she was in! However, seems that today she's stretching a **** of a lot and can't really get comfy. She was given sub-q fluids on friday by the vet. But they didn't give me any to go home with, just the 3 medicines that she's on. Shall I continue to syringe feed her even though she's not pooing? She looks as though she's in so much pain

 

[Buddy]

Ahh, she's having up to 4 full syringes every few hours. I think its a 1ml syringe? It's not a very big one. So she's only have small portions on every feed. But it must be a lot for a chinchilla if she's not letting go of any gas :/

 

[Claire D]

Meanie's thread is probably the best thing you can read at the moment - it goes right through the ups and down of treating a chin in stasis.

Warm tummy compresses
A little gentle exercise
Gentle belly massage

Pain meds
Gut stimulants
Subcut fluids
Syringe food

Those are the basics & if you can I would follow the regime in Meanie's first post. Treating stasis is a roller coaster and takes a lot of dedicated 'nursing' but it is possible to bring a chin through.

She needs to have at least 60mls syringe food in 24 hours - the compresses and the belly massage are really important as well, especially if she is pressing her belly to the floor. That means she is in discomfort - she may need stronger pain relief as the Metacam may not be doing enough.



Good luck and please do keep us posted.

 

[Buddy]

Okay, so 60 mls even if she isnt pooing? she sees the vet again tomorrow morning. I hope she pulls through. She seems to be comfy when she sleeps on my stomach :S
She wont really stay still enough for me to massage her for very long

 

[Claire D]

The gut needs food to push through so although it seems like a lot, the fibre gives the gut walls something to push against (peristalsis).
I wrote this explanation on another thread a while back but thought it might be helpful to repeat here:

"Bloat/stasis is incredibly painful & without adequate (often relatively high) pain relief a chin will not move properly, eat, drink, or pass droppings. A chin that is in pain will often give up & die.

Slow movement of the food contents through the gut means more fluid is absorbed from the fibrous matter, leading to constipation (also painful), possible impaction & a build up of enterotoxins (bad bacteria) which leads to increased gas in the gut - that, in turn leads to further slowing of the gut contents, leading to further absorption of fluid from the food & increased enterotoxins ........... it is a vicious circle.
Subcut fluids are a life saver in many cases - when combined with the other treatments recommended on this forum for bloat/stasis. Any chin with bloat/stasis needs plenty of fluids - both by mouth (oral) & subcut."

 

[Buddy]

Ah okay. wold it help if syringed fresh water into her mouth? or is that a nono?

 

[Claire D]

wold it help if syringed fresh water into her mouth? or is that a nono?

I would water down the syringe food a little more if you're concerned (think; McDonald's Milkshake ) - just straight water can go down the 'wrong way" and you don't want your little one inhaling the fluid.

 

[peachydays]

Buddy, everything that has been posted here is pretty much exactly what I told you in chat last night, from the compresses to the extra run around time. She may not like some of these things, but either you get them done, or she dies. Sorry to be so blunt.

Please listen to us....what we are telling you are the things that will potentially save your little girl.

 

[EMSChins]

And the same things that I have been telling you in PM...along with telling you to post in open forum to get the benefit of everyone's advice. She isn't going to get better right away...it may take several vets visits and more money and lots of commitment but you need to continue if you want to save her. Bloat/stasis can last days, weeks or months...and you still haven't answered my questions as to whether her meds are oral or injection. This is important because if her gut is still sluggish or not moving at all then oral meds just aren't cutting it and she needs pain meds, gut motility meds, antibiotics and fluids via injection.

 

[Buddy]

She is getting oral meds- This is her 3rd day of it now. I can hear her belly making noises- im not sure if that is because she is hungry or its her gut trying to move??
I see the vet again tomorrow morning so I'll ask him for the injections instead. I have no idea how to administer them though. I'm about to feed her once again and give her the compresses and run around for half hour straight after. I just hope all this works, i cant bare to see her like this

 

[EMSChins]

If you have someone to help her her, the injections on a chinchilla are very easy. You just inject under the skin for the most part. The vet can show you how to do it if they are willing and give you the supplies to do so at home. It is unfortunate that you cannot get her in before tomorrow.

 

[ticklechin]

Why is there such a problem with x-rays? First it does not get one for the dental issue and now not one for gut issues. Treatment for a blockage and treatment for stasis have some big differences, mistake one for the other and the chin is dead. How can a vet prescribe medications and a treatment plan if they do not have the full picture, does the vet have x-ray vision? Without proper treatment from a competent vet this chin is going to die, the owner needs to make some choices quick and take ClaireD's advice on a vet and stop messing with these idiots.

 

[Buddy]

Ticklechin, I'm doing the best I can with my chinchilla. The specialist vet that I went too said she was too stressed and not strong enough to be put under anesetic for the moment. The treatment plan was given for both causes- a blockage and Stasis. The antibiotics are there to fight any infection she has- She seems to be sneezing. The painkiller is there for the pain. The gut motility is there to get her gut moving. I am doing the very VERY best for my baby girl. Today she seems a lot more lively- bouncing off the walls of her cage and climbing onto my bed. I'm with her 24/7 I will not leave her side, no matter the concenquences of failing my university course! The next step if she wasn't better by the tuesday (Now today) was an x-ray. Which is due today. He wanted to do this once she's gotten over her ordeal from the dential treatment she had that she was not supposed to have. She seems to be chewing on her wood, and attempting to attack the syringes. So I persume her teeth don't really give her much of a problem anymore. I assure you I'm doing what I can to help my girl.

 

[Lillybabe]

What I do not understand is why xrays weren't taken when the teeth were worked on. The chin was put under for that wasn't she? My vet always took the xrays prior to the surgery. I hope she gets xrays because if it's a blockage rather than just stasis it could become worse with gut motility drugs.

 

[Buddy]

X-rays were not taken prior to her surgery because my first vet had no clue what they were doing, my new vet explained that they could do an xray but right now we need to get her eating- she was on deaths door when i first took her to him.
I've just got back from my new vet and he said that her belly feels a lot more pasty- she's a lot brighter and she seems to be happy. That she is on the road to recovery. She's now off her antibiotics and he wants to see her at the end of the week to see how she is getting on. Thank you everyone- You've helped me out loads! Thank you for all your advice, she may not be here now if I hadn't had it. I'll keep you updated on how she is doing!

 

[Claire D]

I'm glad to see the vet thinks her gut is a bit softer now. I take it she has stopped pressing her belly down?
Is the vet you're taking her to the Manor vets or another one?
Is she eating and pooping yet or are you still syringe feeding her?
Is she still on the gut stimulants and pain meds?

If her gut was in stasis then it takes time for it to start functioning properly again - she will need to be on the meds for longer than 3 days and until she is eating & pooping then I'd suggest she is not out of the woods yet.
Some of us have (unfortunately) been there & we're just trying to give you the benefit of our (combined) experiences so please don't think anyone is having a pop at you.
We're rooting for your girly.

 

[Buddy]

I havn't seen her press her belly down since last night, which she was doing often last night. She's not grinding her teeth anymore either, so the pain is dieing down a bit I presume. I took her to an exotic vet specialist who is also a dential surgean- so he said once she's better he'll take a look at her teeth properly to see what kind of job the other vets did. Hopefully I can write a complain letter to them or something!
She is really trying to eat, but no I'm still syringe feedinger for the minute. Still no poo either, but the vet said that might not happen as the syringe food is watered down, that's the reason she isn't drinking- she's getting enough hydration from her food.
She is still on her gut stimulants and the pain meds up until the end of this week.
Yeah, I'm willing for her to poo- Keep massaging her belly, and making her run around. However, the vet did say she seems a lot more brighter alot more fiesty anyway! She seems to very active since late last night which is lovely to see.
I know noones having a moan at me- It's just I've had no sleep, I've hardly eaten and all this is stressing me out. I'd love for her to get an xray done- but if the vet feels that it could harm her in anyway, or if theres a bigger chance that she may not wake up from it I'm going to try the meds as much as I can. Because she seems to recovering the vet gave her up untill the 26th.
She'll make it through this, she's my little souldier