Our 7 month old Chinchilla is having very soft poos

[Skiklutz]

Hi everyone,

Our little chinchilla Tay Tay, is having very soft poops this evening. At first they were like goop plops (couple of hours ago) but now they’re starting to look more formed but smear if she steps in them. I’ve had to clean up her backside and back legs a couple of times.

She’s very alert and not lethargic at all. She’s drinking water wanting to eat her dry food but after reading previous posts, we’ve taken away her dry food and only left her Timothy hay and water for her. She is eating her hay.

She isn’t in any pain when she’s picked up and has kept on using her wheel, more so in the last half hour especially.

I’ve called our local 24 hour emergency vet clinics and none of them are willing to see her because she’s considered an “exotic“ pet. They’ve referred me to Guelph (which is an hour and a half away from us). Guelph University is a leading animal hospital and a veterinary teaching university.

I need some guidance on what this could be please. She has never had any of these types of loose/soft poops before. She has been very healthy since we got her at the end of June. We’ve been on a wait list for a vetrinarian in North York, Toronto that specializes in exotic pets for us to have a regular vet for her. Covid lockdown backlogs have been an issue for us to get a vet for her as our cat’s vet only sees dogs and cats.

I‘ve attached photos of the food that she has been on that her breeder used. We have kept her on this same food since we got her. We use either Oxbow Timothy hay or All Living Things Natural Timothy Hay.

 

[Amethyst]

That food is not good at all for chinchillas, they shouldn't have vegetables, fruits, nuts, or seeds, and should be on a alfalfa based pellet food unless there is a reason they can't. Vegetables and fruit can cause gas, bloat, diarrhea as well as long term can cause issues like tooth decay, seizures, diabetes, obesity, and organ failure. Seeds (and nuts) are high in fat and can cause issues like obesity and fatty liver disease long term. If she has always been on that food though my next guess would be to look at the water. Are you give tap water or bottled water? If tap water she could have gotten a parasite like giardia. I would try feeding just hay for 3 days, if the poop doesn't firm up by then, or it gets worse, she needs to see the vet.

In case you want to switch to a more chin appropriate food, the best foods for chinchillas are Oxbow Essentials (only that Oxbow NOT the garden select or harvest) and Mazuri, both I know you can get in Canada.

 

[Skiklutz]

Thank you Amethyst. That was the one that the breeder recommended so I wasn’t going to argue or question it, but I now see that it’s probably causing this problem with her.

I will get the Oxbow tomorrow. Does the same method of switching food for a chinchilla the same as it would be for a cat? I’ve always known to start off with a ¼ the first week, then increase it to ½ the following, ¾ the next and then 100% for the next?

I know that chinchillas have very sensitive stomachs and obviously mine has one that’s causing the soft stools at the moment.

I feel so bad that I didn’t know any better. Am I correct to keep her on just her Oxbow Timothy Hay and water until tomorrow, when I hopefully will be able to take her to a vet?

She is eating her hay and drinking her water frequently since I posted earlier. I will be staying up for a little while longer to make sure that she’s going to be alright.

 

[Amethyst]

Yep, the best way to switch is slowly, just like you mentioned. Also yes just hay and water until you can see the vet tomorrow, the extra fiber should hopefully help.

 

[WWPH]

@Skiklutz for young chins feed alfalfa hay.
Suggest you mix in a diet of alfalfa in the hay stack ASAP.

The food will be needed to wear down their tooth as well as for a balanced diet.
You could add grinding options for tooth care of your chinchillas with grinding stones, apple sticks etc.

 

[Skiklutz]

So happy to report that our baby chinchee Tay Tay is doing so much better today.

Spent most of the day calling everywhere to find a veterinarian who deals with chinchillas and would let me bring her to a clinic to check her over. Once told many of the clinics that I had a chinchilla, they told me that their vet doesn’t deal with exotic pets even though they advertised that they welcome pocket pets. They all referred me to Links Road Animal and Bird Clinic, in North York or the 404 Vet Emergency Clinic.

The earliest that Links could fit us in was for this Friday and the 404 Emergency clinic didn’t have any vets on duty last night that had experience with chinchillas. Both these clinics gave me Guelph University Animal Hospitals number and said that they’d be my best bet. I’m shocked that finding a vet for our baby would be so tough.

I cannot sing the praises enough for the vet technician that I spoke with at Guelph. She told me what to do and what to watch for and if things go worse with our baby to call her back to let her know. Guelph is 1½ hours away from us, but I would have driven twice as far, if Tay Tay needed the help.

I only gave her Timothy Hay and water all night long. All she wanted to do was cuddle with me, so I held her close and she burrowed under my chin, where she felt comfortable until 3:45 a.m. At that point she was calm enough to go back into her cage to sleep . She drank loads of water which the vet tech told me was something that I needed to make sure she was getting, so as not to dehydrate.

She slept for most of the day today while I was trying to find a vet closer to home and one we could call her own. She perked up to her old self just around 6:00 and thank God, her stools were hardening up. By 9:00 she was little Miss Perky once again.

I did finally figure out what threw her tummy right off. The pet store that carries the largest selection of Chinchilla foods, toys , cages and accessories in our area sold me some dehydrated corn on the cob and said that it would be a healthy treat for her. I bought a three-pack that were one inch slices of corn attached by the cob. I had given her one on Friday evening. NEVER AGAIN WILL I EVER DO THAT, nor will I trust the owner of that store on his recommendations. I’m going to stick to small Timothy bundles and her applewood wood chewing sticks.

We’ll be going to Links Clinic on Friday so she has a checkup and her own vet.

Thank you to Amethyst for your quick response to my question last night!!! I’m so glad to be part of this group.

 

[Skiklutz]

@Skiklutz for young chins feed alfalfa hay.
Suggest you mix in a diet of alfalfa in the hay stack ASAP.

The food will be needed to wear down their tooth as well as for a balanced diet.
You could add grinding options for tooth care of your chinchillas with grinding stones, apple sticks etc.

 

[Skiklutz]

I will be giving her Alfalfa hay on occasion because it’s a richer hay for their digestive tract but even after speaking with the vet tech at Guelph Animal Hospital , she advised me to keep away from it for a bit.

I always have applewood sticks, a grinding stone and wooden chew blocks for her teeth. She’s a good little muncher.

I‘m very happy and relieved that she’s improved so greatly from last night. So is our daughter because Tay Tay was her 8th grade graduation gift for her. She had wanted a chinchilla for the past couple of years and we knew that she was now old enough and responsible enough to take care of her pet.

 

[WWPH]

That is good news. You will soon learn they are really smart. Give us some pictures soon.
Maybe you can look at other food maker brand. My chin is 8 this year I can't imagine him without his foods. I feed that brand you posted too and my chin loves it.
Chins are sensitive to temperature and the air. They can heat up real fast, make sure her setup is at least windy.
I also read that they cope better when placed at eye level. Do not do anything too loud too sudden they do get scared.

I am not sure about the corn thing, I would personally never feed that. There was 1 report where an ower feed the chin a full banana, and the chin passed very next day. If not sure check with the community. There are tons of chin guide taking care of chin instruction, tips, all over the net these days. It certainly helped me when I first start up.