New Member - Sick Chin

[ticklechin]

Bloat can cause stasis, chins in stasis can bloat, chins can bloat without stasis, chins can have stasis without bloat, confused you yet?

 

[Buddy]

Very lmao.
Soo if Bubbles wasn't bloated before she stopped eating, what could have caused bloat?
Can Stasis cause bloat? She was full of gas, and her digestive system stopped working. So I presume she had Stasis? and then bloat? lol S:

 

[ticklechin]

During stasis the cessation of the digestive tract can cause the chinchilla to bloat due to the overproduction of bad bacteria causing fermentation and that leads to gas. Chins can bloat due to something they ate that also caused the overpopulation of bad bacteria leading to fermentation and gas-meaning sugars. Chins can bloat during the use of antibiotics, during hand feeding, from wheat intolerance, from stress, etc etc etc. If caught early simethicone can take care of it by breaking up gas bubbles when the bloat is up high in the digestive tract, once the gas gets down low its ineffective. Chins who don't eat can either bloat, go into stasis or do both, this is why it is so important to start hand feeding as soon as the chin stops eating, then get the chinchilla to a vet and diagnosed why they stopped eating in the first place.

 

[Buddy]

Hmm.. So now that she's on the mend, but still being hand fed can she still bloat?
Also, her food does consist of raisins, and pellets. Its a lot similar to Rabbit food? But called Vital chinchilla food :S She's been on the same food for 9 years, and it hasn't casued any problems :/
I don't think they're proper raisins like what humans have? I really am not sure! She's been on it for 9 years and shes never had a problem. She's very fussy with food, she only picks out bits of food from her dish that she actually likes.
She is eating a little and drinking, but im scared that she'll bloat again. How can I try to prevent it? I had no idea that many things can cause bloat.
Would you think that is what is wrong with Boog Kcbee?

 

[kcbee]

Kcbee- If it is Stasis- then drinking does take a while. Bubbles never started to drink any water until last night. So she went without for atleast 3 and a half weeks.
And Lethargic really isn't good, a vet visit for sure is needed.
Is he not weeing still? How long has he been on the critical care now? He should be pooing, I'm guessing he is getting gut mobility drugs? If he's bloated then his digestive system properly stopped working. Which is exactly what happened to Bubbles. But they did something and gave her a lot of meds and brought her back. So a day at the vets could help him? :S
A 2nd opinion could be helpful?

My vet told me not to use gas drops, so I'd ask your vet about that one!
I didn't know it took them a week to properly eat after bloat though, is that even though the bloat had been sorted?? And can bloat come back even if they're not eating their proper food but drinking? That's what I'm scared most about

He didn't have bloat, just stasis. Thankfully! So he wasn't in awful pain. He is pooping, but they are teeny, tiny and light brown - which is also a sign of dehydration. I was going to just keep pushing through, but then when he got so lethargic I figured he needed to go back in.

Today was day 4 of feeding him the critical care.

I'm at the vets right now. I'll update when I know more. Thanks for all the help and support!

 

[ticklechin]

Hmm.. So now that she's on the mend, but still being hand fed can she still bloat?
Also, her food does consist of raisins, and pellets. Its a lot similar to Rabbit food? But called Vital chinchilla food :S She's been on the same food for 9 years, and it hasn't casued any problems :/
I don't think they're proper raisins like what humans have? I really am not sure! She's been on it for 9 years and shes never had a problem. She's very fussy with food, she only picks out bits of food from her dish that she actually likes.
She is eating a little and drinking, but im scared that she'll bloat again. How can I try to prevent it? I had no idea that many things can cause bloat.
Would you think that is what is wrong with Boog Kcbee?

Chins can bloat at any time, even one like this. As the chin ages the digestive tract does not work as well as it used to in my experience and they need more fiber. I would guess the raisins and the teeth issues contributed to this chins issue. My 17 year old had to be supplemented with 10ml of CC a day when he hit the age of 15 or he would constipate.

This chin is going to be a bear to wean off the food she is on and get to healthy food like pellets only and hay, no treats, or you are going to be back in this same boat soon.

 

[Buddy]

Okay, So I need to wean her off the vital food and onto just pellets? How do I do that? She only takes the pellets from her food now and then! Latetly a lot because of obviously how she is feeling!
How do I wean her off her food? :/ She doesn't get treats just her hay and food

 

[kcbee]

Ok - so here's the latest:

The TMS antibiotic appears to be damaging his liver. Blood test results and urine (they were able to get some this time) show this. Diabetes, no. But, liver damage, yes. Which would be why he had no appetite and was so lethargic. The vet said with his mild stasis caught early, he should have been back to eating in 1-2 days. Today was day 4.

I have been given something to help rebuild his liver.

Thank goodness I took him in!!! Poor guy.

They want to see him in one week to make sure he's doing ok.

 

[kcbee]

Oh, the vet said it could have been the Metacam doing the damage as well.

 

[Lillybabe]

Buddy, in your case your chins food *is* treats. You're probably going to just have to take away her old food and offer her a quality pellet. She is not going to want to eat it at first. Foods like that create picky sweet loving chins. However, if you're still handfeeding her she should be fine. This food might be why your girl is so teeny tiny. I've never heard of an adult chin weighing 300 grams... and still being alive. That is an extremely low weights. One of my 12 week girls is just about to hit the 400 gram mark and both have been 300 grams since about 9 weeks.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

I personally think it is the junk food she has been on for 9 years that caused the liver problems

 

[EMSChins]

Maybe I read this thread wrong but I don't think it is the OP's chin that has been on junk food for 9 years and has the liver issue - that chin belongs to another poster that is giving advice.

But yeah - I agree 9 years of junk will lead to stasis/bloat and a whole host of other issues.

It is hard to belive that the OP's chin was only on antibiotics a couple of days and was diagnosed with liver issues as a result that quickly??? IDK that much about antibiotics and liver issues but seems like a quick connection was made???

 

[Buddy]

Yeah it's not my chin who had liver problems, and Bubbles never weighed 300 grams... :S I would be pretty worried at that.

They did a urine test on Boog didn't they? That's how they found out that he had a liver problem.
How is he doing now Kcbee?

 

[kcbee]

I personally think it is the junk food she has been on for 9 years that caused the liver problems

Yes, that isn't my chin...and Boog is only 2 years old.

Yeah it's not my chin who had liver problems, and Bubbles never weighed 300 grams... :S I would be pretty worried at that.

They did a urine test on Boog didn't they? That's how they found out that he had a liver problem.
How is he doing now Kcbee?

He is still very lethargic. I fed him and gave him all his new meds. I'm hoping the medicines start helping his liver recover and he starts feeling better soon. I feel so sad for him

 

[kcbee]

It is hard to belive that the OP's chin was only on antibiotics a couple of days and was diagnosed with liver issues as a result that quickly??? IDK that much about antibiotics and liver issues but seems like a quick connection was made???

Well his blood test results were perfect when I brought him in for stasis, then he was put on two drugs that are known to cause liver issues (both are excreted through the liver). He got drastically worse, I took him in and both blood and urine tests showed huge changes in liver enzymes, function, etc. So makes sense to me.

Good news is if the medication does its job his liver can recover.

Here's one snippet about Metacam: Because metacam is metabolized in the liver, it can overtax the organ, leading to liver problems.

And here's a snippet about the antibiotic: Side effects: nausea, vomiting, fever, anemia, leukopenia and irritation of the liver or kidneys.

 

[EMSChins]

To the OP: I was not negating the findings of your vet...only stating that in my limited experience and research, liver damage usually occurs after the animal (or human for that matter) has been on those medications for a period of time.

I was simply surprised that it damaged the liver so quickly.

 

[kcbee]

To the OP: I was not negating the findings of your vet...only stating that in my limited experience and research, liver damage usually occurs after the animal (or human for that matter) has been on those medications for a period of time.

I was simply surprised that it damaged the liver so quickly.

Oh yeah, I was very surprised too. Sorry, I wasn't trying to say you were disagreeing! I just wanted to post the information incase it could be helpful to someone else.

It makes me wonder if his liver was weak maybe...even though it tested fine. Ugh I don't know. I just want him better!!

 

[ticklechin]

Rather than the drugs, the weight loss this chin most likely experienced caused hepatic lipidosis, liver damage from rapid weight loss.

 

[kcbee]

Rather than the drugs, the weight loss this chin most likely experienced caused hepatic lipidosis, liver damage from rapid weight loss.

Really? I've heard of that in cats. But it's reversible? He lost 30 grams over the past 3 - 4 days. Is that enough weight loss to cause it?

I'll do some research on that. Thanks for mentioning it.

 

[ticklechin]

Its common to happen in malo chins when the owner is not paying attention and the chin loses weigh rapidly, 30 grams in 3 days depending on how much the chin weighs can be 5-10% of the chins body weight. It is reversible with alot of supportive care.