Have had my Chin...Betty Boop since March 7 2015. Absolute joy with an attitude...up until last week. She stopped playing and stopped demanding her treats. I took her to the vet on Wednesday. No fever...teeth looked good... no runny nose or eyes or mouth. Checked her lungs..left might have had noise...right was clear...when vet rechecked left side it was clear. Vet thought she might have hairball. Gave her a shot to hydrate. Sent us home with Baytril just to be on the safe side about the left lung. Told me to give her pineapple or pineapple juice. Told me if she wasn't starting to come around by Friday I needed to take her to the Exotic Pet Hospital in Austin. By Friday Betty was giving me her attitude about being handled so she was feeling a little better...BUT...BUT...she was not eating or pooping. I have seen her eat a tiny bit of hay and a tiny bit of biscuit. She is drinking water and she does move through out her 4 story cage during a 24 hour time just to rest in a different place. (no playing at all) I stopped giving her the Baytril yesterday because of the no eating and started giving her yogurt by syringe. When I go in to get her she piss sprays me so I know she's feeling some what okay. She loves the yogurt. I just ordered CC to be overnighted. Should I be concerned to the point of taking her in to the Hospital......I'm trying to avoid this if she is slowly recovering. Every time I think that's it I'm taking her she turns around and acts like it's a better day.
New to site...newbie with Chin
- Thread starter rsfisher4
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First... Baytril needs to be given with other meds to stimulate appetite(I cannot recall which). Many chins won't eat on baytril so it's best avoided unless you need it. This is probably why she isn't eating.
Chinchillas should not have yogurt... You need to buy some Critical Care, Lifeline, or mix up her pellets. Pineapples/fruit, veggies, sugar, nuts, etc... That's all bad for chins and is likely going to make things worse. They need to be on a diet of mostly hay, in addition to a high quality pellet(Oxbow, Mazuri, Tradition, etc...).
I would also find a new vet if they are trying to give her fruit. This one doesn't seem to know what they're doing, so get her rechecked ASAP... You don't want to wait.
In the mean time, crush up her pellets and mix it with water... That should be what you handfeed her with, not the yogurt. It will do until you get the CC.
Chinchillas should not have yogurt... You need to buy some Critical Care, Lifeline, or mix up her pellets. Pineapples/fruit, veggies, sugar, nuts, etc... That's all bad for chins and is likely going to make things worse. They need to be on a diet of mostly hay, in addition to a high quality pellet(Oxbow, Mazuri, Tradition, etc...).
I would also find a new vet if they are trying to give her fruit. This one doesn't seem to know what they're doing, so get her rechecked ASAP... You don't want to wait.
In the mean time, crush up her pellets and mix it with water... That should be what you handfeed her with, not the yogurt. It will do until you get the CC.
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She left me a few tiny poop pellets this morning. There is evidence she is eating some hay and pellet food. I've given her live and active cultured yogurt. I'll stop the yogurt now that her tummy is talking. Her lungs sound clear with a strong heart. The CC should be here this evening. I will try the water pellet mix until then.
A hairball? He realizes it is a chinchilla, not a cat, right? Chinchillas don't get hairballs. Oye.
This vet sounds like a real winner. Hairballs and fruit diets. You need to stop the yogurt as well. Chins don't do dairy. If you want to give her probiotics, give her probiotics. They have good tasting Probiotics at the vet or at Petsmart or Petco and other pet stores. You can also get it in powder form and mix it in with her food. The worst thing you can do for a chin with stomach issues to continually shove new foods at it, creating even more stomach issues.
Also, if she has nothing wrong with her lungs and is not having a respiratory infection, what is the point of the Baytril? It isn't going to help with a "hairball" or any other gut issue. Did your vet do x-rays? I want to know how they are even diagnosing what is going on here. He or she just slapped her on one of the hardest hitting antibiotics and I see no reason why based on your post.
This vet sounds like a real winner. Hairballs and fruit diets. You need to stop the yogurt as well. Chins don't do dairy. If you want to give her probiotics, give her probiotics. They have good tasting Probiotics at the vet or at Petsmart or Petco and other pet stores. You can also get it in powder form and mix it in with her food. The worst thing you can do for a chin with stomach issues to continually shove new foods at it, creating even more stomach issues.
Also, if she has nothing wrong with her lungs and is not having a respiratory infection, what is the point of the Baytril? It isn't going to help with a "hairball" or any other gut issue. Did your vet do x-rays? I want to know how they are even diagnosing what is going on here. He or she just slapped her on one of the hardest hitting antibiotics and I see no reason why based on your post.
sarahspins
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I'm not sure which "exotics" vet you are referring to (if it's the one in North Austin I'd suggest never going back - I've never had a good experience with them)... my top two vet offices are White Rock in Pflugerville (Dr Riggan is awesome, but any of them are good) and Westgate Pet and Bird in way South Austin (I haven't used them regularly in about 10 years now, I live north and Dr Riggan is much more convenient).
White Rock usually has CC in stock if you need it in a hurry or manage to knock what you have left onto the floor (has happened to me).
Benebac, which is a probiotic, is also available at some petsmarts - you can look in the dog/cat section, though they do package it for small animals, the ONLY difference is in the size of the tubes, the product itself is the same. I would suggest giving probiotics along with antibiotics or anytime you're dealing with an animal that isn't eating - it doesn't take much for their systems to get severely out of whack, and the probiotics do a lot to help keep things running. It's a good thing to keep on hand - along with CC
White Rock usually has CC in stock if you need it in a hurry or manage to knock what you have left onto the floor (has happened to me).
Benebac, which is a probiotic, is also available at some petsmarts - you can look in the dog/cat section, though they do package it for small animals, the ONLY difference is in the size of the tubes, the product itself is the same. I would suggest giving probiotics along with antibiotics or anytime you're dealing with an animal that isn't eating - it doesn't take much for their systems to get severely out of whack, and the probiotics do a lot to help keep things running. It's a good thing to keep on hand - along with CC
