Need some help please.

[Bostongirl'sChin75]

LOL! I went through the same things you are going through and there were days I think I dreamed about poop!

 

[newf]

I wanted to update you on Taz. He is pooping more regularly now, but has lost weight. He still isn't eating on his own, but I did catch him nibbling on a couple of puffed pellets the other night. He just looks so miserable. I ordered some Life Line today to help him out. I am continuing to feed him the CC. Some days I mix some crushed pellets in it for more fiber.

I do have a question though. There are times when it take me a long time to feed him because he refused to swallow the CC. He will hold it in his mouth and not swallow it. I have tried everything to get him to swallow the CC, but he just flat out refused to swallow it. Last night, I timed him at ten minutes and he STILL had it in his mouth. I finally stopped feeding him. Let him have a break, then came back later to finish his feeding. He ate some more, but then again, he started with the not swallowing thing. It is very frustrating for me because he is making it longer for me to feed him, which concerns me because he is wrapped up, and I am worried he will overheat. It is taking me an hour now some days just to get 25 CC in him. Has anyone else had this problem with a chin not swallowing? This is so frustrating. I get up at 5am in the mornings now just so I can make sure I get him fed before I get ready for work at 8.

Does anyone have any tricks or ideas to get him to eat? At first I thought he was doing it because he was full, but now he is starting to do it about five minutes into eating.

Why do chins have to be so stubborn.

 

[tunes]

Which flavor CC are you using? Some chins like one over the other and aren't real receptive to the one they don't like.

Maybe he is eating more in between feedings than you realize, so 25 mL at one sitting is too much. If it's taking an hour to feed that much, that's just frustrating for you and him. Try feeding him what he'll take, put him away, then bring back out later and try giving a little more. There's nothing wrong with spacing it out over several feedings throughout the day and it will cut down on the frustration for both of you.

How much weight has he lost since the beginning?

 

[moon]

Are you using the flavored CC? Most do seem to enjoy it better than the unflavored.

If you're using plain, you can try mixing in one of the following to "sweeten" it up a little - drizzle of blackstrap molasses, OR a little canned pumpkin, OR a little bit of strawberry Glucerna (like Ensure, but for diabetics - no sugar).

Edited to add: I agree with Tunes though too - maybe you should try feeding him several times a day rather than two? three? you're doing now, and he will get more into his system if he stops after 5 minutes. Plus, you're getting aggravated and it's no fun for either of you at that point.

 

[ticklechin]

When I have one that gets that way, I will tickle the nose with my finger, its makes them focus on that and they almost always swallow.

 

[newf]

The vet gave me the banana flavored CC. He has been eating it up until this week without any problems. I guess I could try it with some pumpkin in it or something to see if that will encourage him to eat it. I will take your suggestions on feeding him several times during the day. It's hard to do that because I work, so I have been trying to make sure he at least gets something into him in the mornings, and at lunch. In the evenings its not so much trouble because I am home. Maybe he is eating more than I think. I know he is drinking alot more than he was, so maybe that is why he isn't eating as much CC. Could it be he isn't eating as much as he was because of the crushed pellets I am using? Should I stop putting them into the CC?

 

[newf]

ticklechin, I thought he would swallow if I did that too. It worked a couple of times, but after that, I could probably have rubbed his nose raw and he wouldn't have eaten the CC.

 

[Claire D]

Will he eat from a spoon? Some chins will, some won't - worth a try perhaps?
Not sure if you also leave a bowl of soft food in the cage for him to munch?

 

[tunes]

Could it be he isn't eating as much as he was because of the crushed pellets I am using? Should I stop putting them into the CC?

That could be. He may not like the texture of the mixed in pellets. Maybe wait on adding those in until you can wean him off a syringe and onto a spoon or a bowl. It may be too much for him to handle while being hand fed. I would imagine trying to get that much in at one time could wear him out from chewing.

 

[newf]

He was eating from a spoon, then he refused to do that. So now we are syringe feeding. I do leave a bowl of puffed pellets and a bowl of regular pellets in his cage. He also has two type of hay to eat as well.

 

[newf]

Ok tunes, I will leave out the pellets and see how he fairs. He does chew alot even with just the CC. Every tiny bit of food that goes in his mouth he chews to the Nth degree. I would be worn out if I chewed that much myself.

 

[mishellyshel]

also try weighing the pellets. sometimes it looks like there is a bowl full but it really is a bowl full of 1/2 pellets. when i needed to see if one of my chins was eating, i put food in the bowl, weighed the bowl and all, recorded the amount and the next night at the same time i would weigh it again and note the difference.
the multiple feedings should help. also if he realizes he goes back in the cage if he doesnt eat a lot maybe he will get the hint and eat more! good luck.

 

[Claire D]

He was eating from a spoon, then he refused to do that. So now we are syringe feeding. I do leave a bowl of puffed pellets and a bowl of regular pellets in his cage. He also has two type of hay to eat as well.

You can try stimulating his appetite by scattering some more/different high fibre, healthy foods around his cage so that he comes across them - chins have a foraging instinct and will often mooch around their cage, hoovering up the goodies left on the floor.
Examples are: a pinch of oats, a broken up mini shredded wheat, little bits of apple twigs, a pinch of alfalfa, a little pile of dried grasses (the Oxbow range is good), a pinch of dried plantain or dandelion, crumbled rosehips, a couple of dried rose buds chopped into small pieces etc etc. No raisins or anything sugary.
Often the act of foraging will start to increase a chin's appetite again.

The other thing to try is leaving a little bowl of the syringe food (with or without a little canned pumpkin) in his cage when you are out at work - he may well choose to munch straight from the bowl.

 

[Chub_Chub]

If I am not mistaken the difference between blackstrap and regular molasses is the amount of vitamins and sugar... I googled this and came up with ::

"According to statistics of molasses and within it's involvement towards the creation (of the molasses), there is a 40% less sugar rate than regular molasses. In fact, according to health experts, blackstrap molasses provides vitamin D, as well as, elements such as magnesium, potassium and iron."

Blackstrap is darker in color and the consistency of tar. It is bittersweet tasting. If you used blackstrap instead of regular molasses in a recipe, it would be ruined.

Molasses should be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator or a cool, dry place. Unopened containers should keep for about one year, while opened containers should keep for about six months.

As a side note, molasses is a chelating agent. A rusty object placed in one part molasses and nine parts water will remove rust. It is also is the base material for rum.

ETA: It is sold under the name "treacle" in the UK.

 

[AZChins]

That's so interesting that molasses will remove rust! I will have to remember that.

You can try stimulating his appetite by scattering some more/different high fibre, healthy foods around his cage so that he comes across them - chins have a foraging instinct and will often mooch around their cage, hoovering up the goodies left on the floor.
Examples are: a pinch of oats, a broken up mini shredded wheat, little bits of apple twigs, a pinch of alfalfa, a little pile of dried grasses (the Oxbow range is good), a pinch of dried plantain or dandelion, crumbled rosehips, a couple of dried rose buds chopped into small pieces etc etc. No raisins or anything sugary.

I agree with giving a little extra something to get the appetite going. Papaya (unsugared, in a small amount) is good, but oats seem to be the best so far in getting a chin interested and eating. You can grind up some shredded wheat and sprinkle it on the food...but a pinch of old fashioned oats is the best I have found.

 

[newf]

Thank you all for your input. I really appreciate it. He ate better tonight with the CC. I didn't add any crushed pellets to it this time, and even though he didn't eat as much as I would have liked before he started his not swallowing thing, we did manage to get almost 20cc's in before he called it quits.

I have a oat/grain mixture that I get from the breeder I got Taz from. I have been giving it to the chins for years. I know he is eating that because almost all of it is gone when I come home from work. Would it be ok to give him a pinch each day? I know you aren't suppose to do that, but if he is eating it, I am wondering if it won't help him in the long run as that is all he is eating beside the CC.

I will leave some of the CC mixture in his cage while I am at work to see if he will eat that as well. I also weighed him tonight and he is at 348g. He has lost about 48 grams since he got sick.

 

[newf]

I have some old fashioned oats. I will use that too.

Thank you all so very much. It just breaks my heart that he looks so miserable. On a good note, he is pooping much better now and more often. They aren't formed perfectly, but they aren't dry like they were.

 

[AZChins]

Old fashioned oats are to a chin like potato chips are to humans. I have a lot of potato chip analogies...I think i am just food obsessed though.

Pooping better is great! I hope he feels better soon. I hate it when they aren't feeling like themselves.

 

[newf]

Ahh..well I hope he like potato chips alot then. He can use the calories. Thank you for the information. I am going to put some in his cage tonight. Hopefully he will eat them.

 

[newf]

Ok...AZChins you rock!!! I just put some oats in a plastic lid for him and put them in front of his nose. He is eating them!!!! It's like magic!

Thank you so much. I am hopeful now that he will start eating other things.