Problems after Castration

[Chins x5]

Hi all,

I have recently had my 2 year old chin Sweep castrated, on Monday. I noticed on Tuesday he had not eaten or drank anything, so went back to the vets yesterday.
The vets said he looks really swollen and might need to be opened back up if he had not pooed by the morning (which was this morning). They said he may have to be put down if they operate and his insides are black (which I don't understand how this could happen).
Yesterday they gave him some pain killers and anti-bot, plus liquid food. Once he had these pain killers he was much brighter, and even wanted to play.
I also brought him lots of chin treats to encourage him to eat, but he only had about 2 bites of one.
He is taking the liquid food, and doing a very few poo's, and he has to go back to the vets again tomorrow to re-check him.
The vet said yesterday that the wound seemed hot, but was a bit cooler today.
Is there anything you can recommend that would help to encourage him to eat and drink on his own? I will conitue with the liquid but really want him to eat on his own to give him a good chance.
Someone suggested that he may have picked up an infection from the operation??
Any advise on how to help him would be appreciated.

Thank you

Rachel- Owner of 5 chins (and would like to keep it that way)

 

[tunes]

By liquid, do you actually mean runny like water? With an ailing chin, here in the states we use Critical Care and I know you can get that in England, as well as another type of hand feeding formula. It shouldn't be liquid though. It should be almost pasty, but a little wetter. Just giving liquids isn't going to help poop to form.

What kind of antibiotics was he given? Are they injectable or oral? Baytril, which is the "heavy hitter" for chin antibiotics, can cause loss of appetite when given orally. It's much easier on the chin to give it subcutaneously instead. Also, I'm sure the pain killer was a big help to him. It's not a little surgery to be castrated, and he should have been on pain killers (and even a light antibiotic) when he returned home.

 

[CJR]

Please keep the buddy on painkillers! If a chinchilla is in pain, they can absolutely refuse to eat - I know this first hand, and it's terrible. If he doesn't want to eat on his own, you NEED to force feed him. He needs to keep his GI system moving.

 

[ticklechin]

Are you using supreme science recovery? I have used it in the past and it is mixed to a thick paste like Critical care we have her in the USA.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Supreme-Science-Selection-Recovery-Herbivores/dp/B001A325M2

 

[chin2heart]

I have a chin that's dealing with a tumor of sorts in the back of her throat. She's been eating Critical Care but has tired of it. For now, I've been giving her tiny slices of peaches, which she LOVES and cannot get enough of. Yes, her poop's runny, but, as she's in no apparent pain according to her vet, she can eat what she wants and what I can get in her. The doctor does not want to operate, as it would force the removal of her tongue, so we're dealing with matters more grave than soft poop. I'm giving her fresh fruit, not canned. Also try blackberries (the fruit, not the phone!), those are popular. Good luck with your little man!

 

[Chins x5]

hi all, thanks for the replies.

He has done no poo's now in 24 hours, he is due back to the vets this evening.
Yes he is using science recovery food, I wonder if I am mixing it in correctly then? I could be adding to much water?
He was sent home from the operation with no pain killers at all.
He is on Batrill and matcam (sorry not sure if they are spelt right)
Sweep is active in himself when take him out of his cage, and ate a tiny piece of hay yesterday.
The vet gave him a drug to get his gut moving on Wednesday, but yest he didn't have this and done no poo's

 

[greychins]

I'm not sure about science recovery food, but as Dawn noted that it's like critical care... it shouldn't be watery. It should be more or less a liquid paste, like watery enough so you can get it in a syringe, but not nearly as fluid as water. Assuming you're feeding a decent amount of this per day, mixed less watery from now on, he should be able to avoid stasis.

Baytril is an antibiotic, which can make them lose their appetite. Are you giving any probiotics?

Is it metacam? If it is, that is a painkiller.

Do you know what the vet gave him to get his gut moving?

 

[ticklechin]

Does it still come in individual sachets? If so mix one sachet with 70ml of warm water-add it in increments until the stuff starts to get thick then walk away for a few min so the stuff softens-then add a bit more warm water until its like a thick milkshake consistancy-feed him that broke up into 4-6 15ml meals, store the rest in the fridge and add a bit of warm water again to loosen it up. The recovery does have a probiotic in it, also electrolytes and a appetite stimulant.

 

[Anne-Lise]

As greychin just said, Baytril often have them loose their apetite. I had to give it once to a chin and she did stop eating.

 

[tunes]

I have a chin that's dealing with a tumor of sorts in the back of her throat. She's been eating Critical Care but has tired of it. For now, I've been giving her tiny slices of peaches, which she LOVES and cannot get enough of. Yes, her poop's runny, but, as she's in no apparent pain according to her vet, she can eat what she wants and what I can get in her. The doctor does not want to operate, as it would force the removal of her tongue, so we're dealing with matters more grave than soft poop. I'm giving her fresh fruit, not canned. Also try blackberries (the fruit, not the phone!), those are popular. Good luck with your little man!

Chin2Heart: I'm going to address this and hope that it's not a post to stir up trouble. If your vet is condoning you giving your chin peaches and blackberries, then he needs his license revoked. There are just so many things wrong with this post, I don't know where to start.

First: Peaches are not safe for chins. The fact that your chin has running diarrhea should alert both you and your vet to this. For pete sake, does your vet not know what dehydration is? A chin with running diarrhea is losing fluids faster than his/her body can take them in. And blackberries? Chins do not eat fruits OR vegetables. It is incredibly unhealthy for them. Please don't post this kind of thing on this forum. There are new folks who might actually consider giving this to their chin and end up killing them.

Second: Why would your vet not recommend Critical Care, so at least your chin is getting proper nutrition? Critical care can be made very thin. If your chin can swallow peaches, your chin can swallow critical care. If your chin has running diarrhea, then I hope to heck you are giving subcu fluids several times a day.

Third: If your chin has a tumor in it's throat, to the point that he/she cannot swallow, why would your vet not recommend humane euthanasia? There is a point where a person keeps their animal alive for themselves, more so than for the quality of life that their pet is living. If your chin cannot swallow, and the only thing it can do is have violent runny diarrhea from eating peaches, that chin has zero quality of life.

 

[ticklechin]

Ditto to the above post.


Here is a quickie video of what your mixed food should look like

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojnhTOu43dk

 

[Chins x5]

Well he went the the vets on Friday, and its day 6 now and he is still not eating on his own, and not pooping. i dont think he is not bloating as the vets weighed him and his has lost a little weight.
I asked them about the food mixture and have improved the thickness of this.
He has to go back to the vets again on Tuesday but not sure what they will say now, its been almost a week since his op.

 

[ticklechin]

Are you doing massage of his gut area? Starting from below the sternum make gentle circular motions down to the anus, do this for as long as he will take it-15min is good, and do it once every couple of hours, after the massage let him run around in a chin proof area for a few min, if he does not run get him to run. Make sure he is hydrated also, hand feed at least 10-20ml of water a day 2ml or so a time. Do not force him to drink, he can aspirate so use a 1ml syringe and just give a few drops every time you put it in the corner of his mouth or if you are lucky when he bites the tip just give a few drops.

 

[Chins x5]

Ok thank you, i will give this a go.

He went to the emergency vet today as he was not as bright and his wound changed colour, they don't seem to know whats wrong, but he don't seem to be bloated, and he has had more medicine (same as before and another gut stim)
His next appointment is on Tuesday, but if there is no change not sure what they will suggest as they are trying to avoid re-opening him up.
When I first took him back they were worried incase he had a hernia, they advised if it was this and he was black inside then he would have to be put to sleep, this was on the thursday I went back and he had pooped so they decided not to open him back up which can be risky.
Could he be suffering with stress? as also the vets said I could let him out to play with his family, I tried this and they seem to fight so have give up on this idea until he is feeling better, even my female was trying to pull out his fur, my other male just chases him, and they have all been together since birth.
Any ideas welcome as the vets don't seem to know what to suggest, they have advised he seem bright enough in himself.
Its been a week tomorrow since his op.

 

[Claire D]

How is your chin doing now?

 

[ticklechin]

Is he pooing now?

 

[Chins x5]

Still no better, he is only doing an odd poo every now on then, last one was yesterday, nothing today.

 

[Claire D]

Whereabouts are you based in the UK?
Was he given pain meds, gut stimulants, & more syringe food to have at home?
Can you list exactly what he is having ATM please?

 

[Chins x5]

We are in Leicester in the UK.

He is currently on medicines at home, since last Thursday.
Metacam- once a day 0.10ml
Baytril twice a day 0.14ml
and science recovery, he has had gut stim once on wed and once again yesterday, but not sure what this is as the vet injects this.

 

[ticklechin]

Claire would know what is avaliable in the UK, but you should ask for oral gut stimulants to be given twice daily. Here in the USA we use two, reglan and propulsid, both are given orally by the owner daily to keep the gut contracting.