Sick chinchilla?

[Hannahhhhh]

About 3 or 4 days ago my chinchilla stopped pooping a lot like normal chins do and then he stopped eating his hay and pellets but he ate his treats, this worried me so I watched him for a few hours and he had diarrhea once it worried me and I took him to the vet in the morning, they examined his poop and looked at his teeth and took his temperature and said he’s fine but said to change his pellets and hay so I did I changed it to oxbow chinchilla food and his hay is oat hay. he ate some pellets and some hay but not as much as he usually does, he runs on his wheel occasionally. My sister told me to give it a few days and he will be okay but I can’t help but think there’s something wrong with him he also bites on his fur a lot not sure if that’s really normal. I’m so worried about him I’m not sure if I should try finding another one and take him or wait a few days to see if he’s better.

 

[Amethyst]

Food should not be switched over quickly, it should be done over a week or more. The oxbow essentials ( the red bag) is a good food, the Garden select (brown bag) is not. Timothy hay should also be the primary hay, oat hay is more of a treat hay and should be given about a handful a week spread out over the week. Oat and other grain hays can cause a nutrient imbalance as well as can cause gas and bloat, which can kill them. I don't know what you are giving as treats but chins should also not have any fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts, or animal products (milk, eggs, meat, bones, etc), all of those things will lead the health issues in chins.

Was the vet you took him to experienced with chinchillas? It doesn't sound like it. If you don't see any improvement or he gets worse, like stops pooping all together or stops eating for more then about 12 hours I would try to find another vet.

 

[Hannahhhhh]

he said he was "experienced" he said to change his food and hay quickly. My chin didn't like the oat hay, And I still give him timothy hay, I switched to oxbow essentials the red bag but he wont eat it he's my first chinchilla and I asked the vet what to do but he just told me to give it time and he'll eat the food, I was feeding my chinchilla vitasmart and he ate it just fine but the vet told me to switch his food I'm not really sure what to do he's the only exotic vet near me. the people I got my chinchilla from said he can have 2 raisins a day and 2 dried papaya treats a day. the vet also said to give him fresh green veggies a day but my chinchilla just barks at it.

 

[Amethyst]

It can upset their stomach to suddenly switch, if you still have some of the old vita food I would pick out all the treats and just give the pellets, and slowly mix in the oxbow. If you don't have the vita food anymore you can just take the pellets away completely for a few days, just feed hay, and then try the Oxbow again. Unfortunately the vitasmart food is not healthy, chins like it because it's full of junk food.

No raisins, it use to be the go to snack about 20 years ago, but now new research has proven how bad sugar really is for them. Too much sugar can cause diabetes, tooth decay, seizures, as well as long term it can cause liver and kidney failure. The green leaf veggies are currently a debated thing, it seems to stem from some people, vets included, thinking that since chins are very similar to guinea pigs they must need a similar diet. There are some benefits to a very tiny amount of green lettuce like a tiny (thumb size) piece of a leaf, it does have vitamins and minerals. However it can cause gas, bloat, and diarrhea, so the risks really outweigh any minor benefit. If your chin is lacking vitamins and minerals (it shouldn't with a good quality pellet and hay) there are safe treats you can give. Safe treats include...

Apple Blossom
Bee Pollen (small pinch per week)
Blessed Thistle
Cactus Flower
Calendula
Carnation
Chamomile
Whole Dandelion (flower, stem, leaves, root)
Goji Berry (max 1x per month)
Hawthorne Berry
Hawthorne Leaf
Hibiscus
Honeysuckle
Jasmine
Lavender
Lemon Balm
Mallow
Marigold
Marshmallow Root
Milk Thistle
Mint
Nasturtiums
Oat Grout
Peony
Peppermint
Plain Cheerios (moderation)
Plain Shredded Wheat (moderation)
Poplar Buds
Purple Glove Clover
Raspberry Leaves
River Oats
Rolled Oats (moderation)
Rose Buds
Rose Petals
Rose Hips

All the plants need to be dried before giving them to the chin.

 

[Pepperpot]

I would agree with the above. Good quality pellets and hay are the important components of a chinchilla's diet. The list posted above is comprehensive, and offers a good selection of healthy treats.

 

[Narcissus]

If the chin isn't eating then you need to be force feeding critical care.
Worry about switching feed and hay later. You need to get done good in this chins gut before you have full stasis.

 

[NatsuChilly]

I had a similar issue with my chin where she stopped eating all together. I went to the vet and they gave me oxbow critical care. I had to feed that to her by squirting it into her mouth through a syringe. She wouldn't eat her normal food for over a week, but eventually she started again.

 

[lilcutie0480]

First, I hope your chin feeling better. I had a similar ”flare up“ with my chinnie a few years ago. I agree with getting oxbow critical care to help during this time under vet approval. If your chin had diarrhea it’s most likely a dietary & possibly a bacterial issue. If you feel confident in your vet care, I’d recommend bringing up the critical care. I would also recommend following up with your vet as to the progress as of now & how to proceed. I had to hand feed my guy for roughly 2 months 3x a day to get him back to normal. Disclaimer: he will be 19 in January & was about 15years old when this happened.

 

[lilcutie0480]

It can upset their stomach to suddenly switch, if you still have some of the old vita food I would pick out all the treats and just give the pellets, and slowly mix in the oxbow. If you don't have the vita food anymore you can just take the pellets away completely for a few days, just feed hay, and then try the Oxbow again. Unfortunately the vitasmart food is not healthy, chins like it because it's full of junk food.

No raisins, it use to be the go to snack about 20 years ago, but now new research has proven how bad sugar really is for them. Too much sugar can cause diabetes, tooth decay, seizures, as well as long term it can cause liver and kidney failure. The green leaf veggies are currently a debated thing, it seems to stem from some people, vets included, thinking that since chins are very similar to guinea pigs they must need a similar diet. There are some benefits to a very tiny amount of green lettuce like a tiny (thumb size) piece of a leaf, it does have vitamins and minerals. However it can cause gas, bloat, and diarrhea, so the risks really outweigh any minor benefit. If your chin is lacking vitamins and minerals (it shouldn't with a good quality pellet and hay) there are safe treats you can give. Safe treats include...

Apple Blossom
Bee Pollen (small pinch per week)
Blessed Thistle
Cactus Flower
Calendula
Carnation
Chamomile
Whole Dandelion (flower, stem, leaves, root)
Goji Berry (max 1x per month)
Hawthorne Berry
Hawthorne Leaf
Hibiscus
Honeysuckle
Jasmine
Lavender
Lemon Balm
Mallow
Marigold
Marshmallow Root
Milk Thistle
Mint
Nasturtiums
Oat Grout
Peony
Peppermint
Plain Cheerios (moderation)
Plain Shredded Wheat (moderation)
Poplar Buds
Purple Glove Clover
Raspberry Leaves
River Oats
Rolled Oats (moderation)
Rose Buds
Rose Petals
Rose Hips

All the plants need to be dried before giving them to the chin.

That’s a great list!!!!