small appetite, little poop, low energy, quiet squeaks, I think shedding more...

[KristinC1983]

Last night I got home very late and couldn't do the every night routine with my chin where I clean his cage, litter (glass casserole dish and shavings), wipe all poop and pee from his shelves (and pee from his chin spin the little butthead), feed him, new hay, etc.... I just gave him some fresh hay, did spot checked for pee in the usual pplaces, and new food, which he didn't need much of. Tonight I did the routine, though, and noticed a few things that are freaking me out. His poop is 1/2 the size it normally is, he barely touched his food from last night if at all and only ate the brown peices of his hay (his favorite) but ate the 2 rose hips I gave him, he's constantly doing these quiet squeaks that I can't even hear unless I'm right next to him, he barely paid any attention to me, hee only did his dust bath once which is crazy for him, he didn't run around but sat in his cage the entire time, and he seems...uncomfortable maybe. And on the fleece in his hidey house, it looks like twice the amount of hair that's normally stuck on it. And like 2 or 3 tail hairs which I rarely ever see in his cage.

I just read a post about small poop and that it could be gas. Could he have gas? And if so, I think he had it yesterday as well because basically all the poop on his shelves was 1/2 sized. Where can I find the stuff to treat it, or should I take him to the vet?! I hate seeing him this way and I want to help him asap, so help me help him please:cry3:

 

[Claire D]

Did you manage to get your chin to a vet?
How is he doing now?

 

[ticklechin]

Is the squeek in time with inhaling? Have you held the chins tummy to your ear and listened for snap crackle and pop noises or dead silence? Anytime a chins behavior becomes abnormal and lethargic the chin needs to go to the vet, since with the onset of symptoms they can go down hill very fast.

 

[KristinC1983]

Yes, I took him to the vet this morning...

I like this vet, too! She seems to actually know a bit about chins. She checked his teeth first thing to rule out a dental problem-they're perfect including his molars. So then she checked his stomach and all over, he was weiighed though he made that VERY difficult lol, and once she felt his bladder and said it was a little hard, she immediatly tested his urine. He peed on us and the table so it made that super easy. She found blood in his urine and said he has a urinary tract infection.

She gave me Oxbow Critical Care to give him 3-4 times a day in a syringe until he starts eating normal again, and Trimeth-Sulfa (an antibiotic) to give him 0.3 ml/cc orally twice a day for 10 days. She said that if he isn't doing much better in the next couple days, to bring him back in for x-rays.

I was shocked at how great he was with 2 total stranger-women. He's a seriously awesome little guy. He didn't bark once and with all the holding and checking they did, he only gave one warning bite to the nurse. She just did what I did and said "NO" in a stern voice, lol. I really like them, and hopefully you all agree with the meds. I trust you more than any vet I'd bring him to! I'd love for her to be his normal vet. Plus it wasn't as expensive as I thought it'd be.

Anyway, he already seems to have more energy and be in a better mood. He still hasn't touched his food, but I just gave him the Oxbow Critical Care about an hour ago, so hopefully he'll start eating soon. But I'm excited cause when I went to check on him and pet him after picking the human-kid up from pre-school, he jumped out of his cage and starting running, lol. He hasn't done that in a couple days, so YAH!!!! And when we got home from the vet, he didn't even go right in his cage. I had to catch him and put him in, lol. Hope that's a good sign.

So, what do you think of the meds and Oxbow Critical Care? Does it sound good to you?! She really seemed to know what she was talking about. Oh, she also asked about shavings, if I use them. I said just in his litter box and they're kiln-dried aspen, but she told me to switch to recycled paper cause of the oils. What could've caused a Urinary Track Infection?

So, what do you think

 

[mishellyshel]

i havent had a chin with a UTI, but have used tri meth with success. it is a fairly mild antibiotic and usually doesnt affect his appetite.

if your chin is eating the critical care without an issue than lucky you. my chin hated it. are you syringe feeding? or just mixing it & putting in a bowl?

im not so sure i agree with the recycled paper thing, i use dried pine shavings from my feed store in their litter boxes and fleece.

i am glad she thinks his teeth are good, but she really couldnt determine much by just a visual oral exam. she can tell teeth wear and color and some experienced vets can see spurs..........but in terms of any overgrowth or crooked or root elongation an xray is needed to determine. but if your chin is not grinding his teeth or drooling or exhibiting any of the traditional tooth root issues than i would not worry about it at this point.

you may want to add some baby gas drops. sometimes the handfeeding & antibiotic makes them a little gassy. it wont hurt him.

 

[Bostongirl'sChin75]

I wouldn't think that the shavings had any oil in them, if they are KD pine chips. when they are KD, the oils are removed, or so I thought. If I am wrong, feel free to correct me please. Instead of the paper, which can cause impaction of eaten, you could use fleece scraps or a piece if fleece. I think that would be better than the paper.

I, too, have had success with tri-meth for a chin with a UTI. Herby' was caused by the food she was eating at the time, so I am not sure what could have caused your chins. Either way, it sounds as if he is feeling a bit better already! Ditto the advice about the gas drops too! They work wonders if they are a bit gassy from meds.

 

[KristinC1983]

I'll get the drops asap. Thank you. And he actually licked a little out of the bowl but then took off, so I wrapped him up in a towel and fed him with the syringe. And no, he isn't showing any signs that he's having dental problems, like drooling or grinding. If he isn't showing serious improvement in the next day or 2, I'm bringing him back for x-rays, so I'll ask her to do all of him, if they don't already. I don't know how that works.

Now I have a new problem. His fur all down the front of him is now stuck together from his wiggling and the med dripping and the critical care. I tried to get a little off with the towel. Then gave him his dust bath to dry it up so he wouldn't possibly catch a cold. He seemed to focus on that area specifically when digging and rolling. I also took some dust bath in my hand and put it on the front of him myself because it still felt damp. It still looks bad, though. I have non-scented baby wipes, or of course just a damp towel or something, but I'm TERRIFIED of getting him even a tiny bit wet. The vet said he'd clean it off himself and the dust bath will help, but it doesn't look like he can do much in that spot. I don't know what to do His air doesn't need to be on, but even if it was it wouldn't be blowing on him. There aren't any drafts in his room, but I heard that any exposed skin is a risk, and there's a few spots exposed. What should I do?!

 

[mishellyshel]

i always used a damp cloth after i handfed richie. keep in mind you have a some time of handfeeding so he is going to continue to get it on himself. if after each feeding you wipe him down the wet cloth he will be fine. once you are done handfeeding, you could add a small drop of baby shampoo on the cloth and wipe him down, than wipe with just water and then dry with towel and then dust. the water will not hurt him, they just dont like it. there are many members here who have given full bathes for different reason, either a urinary issue, birthin issue, fleas, etc....

he will be fine, just a little cranky. best to have his favorite treat ready and give it to him when done. good luck.

 

[KristinC1983]

Thanks Michelle. I'm still so paranoid, lol. He's my baby. I'm doing his next feeding in a 1/2 hour so after that, I'll wipe the front of him and he'll love another dust bath. Plus a rosehip should do the job on his crankiness, lol. And he really is doing better already. He's running around, interested in me again (and other people he never even liked before-weird, lol) and seems happier than he has the past couple days. I think he even got on his wheel for a few minutes, but then peed on his wood shelf right in front of me, the butt head. Thank God I found a good vet!!!! It took quite a few calls and questions but finally I got to them. Also, the vet where I take my dogs, I asked if they treat chinchillas, the lady went and asked the vet and came back on saying, yes, we've treated sugar gliders, guinea pigs, and other rodents, so we can seee a chinchilla, too!!!! That was definitely not good enough for me! It actually made me mad, so thank GOD I found this vet

 

[KristinC1983]

Much better already

He ate a few peices of normal food, plus ate a bit of the icky Oxbow on his own without me force feeding him. He took his meds without being held at all, like they were candy. He was running around and on his wheel for a few minutes here and there, his poop looks a tiny bit bigger, no more little squeaks, and very friendlly again. He also drank some of his water, so he's looking good And after cleaning him up a bit, he jumped right in the dust bath and enjoyed a rose hip. YAH:dance3:

 

[caiti]

Yay, I'm so glad he's starting to recover!!! Hopefully he'll be fine in no time!!!

When I had to force feed my chin briefly, I had to burrito her to get the CC in and it got all over her mouth and chest as well. I tried to wipe it off with a damp warm paper towel and then gave her a dust bath. The dust bath only kind of grouped large clumps of fur together, and I was afraid inside the clump or mat it was still a bit wet. I know, it's hard to explain. But I did nothing for the next couple days since I was focused on getting her to eat and she started rubbing her chin area on her lava ledges. That along with her grooming what she could, got it all out. I didn't have to touch her. So maybe if you have a lava ledge in the cage, he'll use it to clean himself. I don't know what the risk of injury would be since it can get a little pointy but Chloe never got cut or anything when she was rubbing her head on it. Just a thought.

 

[KristinC1983]

He actually has 2 lava ledges and a 1/4 of one laying on his shelf cause he got it off the screw, lol (the screw in that lava ledge was flat on the end, not pointy, so no one worry-I'm sure they're all that way or they would've been sued by now). So hopefully he does the same as your girl did. I'm not sure if it's the dust or the Critical Care that bunched his fur-probably just the combo of the both and his constant rolling, but his fur looks a tiny bit better. I did wipe it last night with a wet cloth, plus his snout cause he got a bunch on there as well. He HATED it! Then he rolled and I put some dust directly on the area myself to get any other moisture out. Now I'm being paranoid and waiting for a cold, but no signs of one yet. He also ate a little of his normal food last night and more of his hay, so some of his poop I checked in his cage is a little bigger than last nights, which was a little bigger than yesterday mornings, so thank God. He's already showing big improvement. If by tomorrow morning he's not eating even more, though, I'm taking him back for x-rays. I'm also getting the baby gas drops today to take care of any gas he may have from the CC and meds. He's been sick llong enough-I just want him to feel better....

 

[mishellyshel]

i wouldnt dust immediately after wiping him down. i also used a comb or pick to run thru his coat to get any clumps out. my vet gave me a metal flea comb to use and it work well too. just be gentle & give him a little treat to keep him occupied, maybe a little apple stick. glad he is feeling better. you are doing everything you can to make sure he is. also sometimes a little extra playtime helps with the gas and getting the gut moving. probably shorter more frequent ones would be good. last one before bed, than give him the dust bath. his fur will have dried a bit by then.

 

[KristinC1983]

Thank you

i wouldnt dust immediately after wiping him down. i also used a comb or pick to run thru his coat to get any clumps out. my vet gave me a metal flea comb to use and it work well too. just be gentle & give him a little treat to keep him occupied, maybe a little apple stick. glad he is feeling better. you are doing everything you can to make sure he is. also sometimes a little extra playtime helps with the gas and getting the gut moving. probably shorter more frequent ones would be good. last one before bed, than give him the dust bath. his fur will have dried a bit by then.

I'll get a comb today as well as the drops. I'll be near Petsmart so I'll stop in there to get a metal flea comb. And he is very happy to get out whenever he can again. He snuck out this morning while I was checking on him and did a few laps around the room before hopping back in his cage, so I'll make sure to let him out a couple more times later, plus the usual playtime/cleaning time, and then right before bed for his dust bath. I LOVE this forum. You all are soooo helpful:kiss:

 

[KristinC1983]

How much of the baby gas drops do I give him?

I saw him today, all poofed up and I believe he has gas. I got the baby gas drops (simethicone) and I want to give them to him asap, but how much do I give? Obviously I can't follow the directions, lol. I'll just give him a drop with his antibiotics untill someone tells me. I don't want to over do it. He is really doing good, though, but now I think he has another hairring, too, so after giving him his meds, I'm going to have to violate the poor little guy. I feel so bad for him. Sooo much at once. After all this is done, he needs a vacation! Aw, or a roll-a-nest to destroy He'll love that!!!!

 

[caiti]

You can give him up to a whole CC (which is usually the entire dropper full) if he is bad off. But for not severe gas, I believe the recommended dose is .3-.4 CC.

I gave Chloe dropper fulls multiple times a day for a few days when she had gas and she did not suffer any adverse effects from it.

 

[KristinC1983]

I gave him .3, but I think its pretty bad, so I'll give him the whole dropper next time-I think it would equal 1 CC. I just didn't want to go overboard and someone tell me on here only a drop. He actually liked it, too. I didn't have to force it on him, though he tried eating the dropper, too, lol. The poor thing must be so mad at me. I had to check him for a hairring after forcing his meds, Critical Care, and cleaning him up a little. Well, the other day I clipped his whiskers for the first time right after force feeding him. And then I just unwrapped his bottom half to do the hairring, cause he wanted back in his cage, so letting him out of the blanket completely would've been a mistake. He does seem to be doing better, though he's still squeeking when he pees and he's still peeing a lot Is that normal? Should I bring him back to the vet for x-rays?

 

[caiti]

I wouldn't worry about over-doing the simethicone. At least that was the impression I was under. Tummy rubs and a sock full of warm uncooked rice helps a lot (well it did with my chin). I let her out 3-4 times a day for 20 minutes and she always pooped when she was out running so that worked well also.

With gas you want to treat it aggressively so it doesn't lead to stasis. This just means you have to spend a lot of time and energy doing the hand feeding, tummy rubs, rice sock, drops and multiple play times for a few days. A lot of which you're already doing, so it's worth it.

I've never dealt with a UTI in a chin but I would think it would be clearing up by now since he's been on the antibiotics for 5 or so days now. Maybe he has bladder stones or another urinary disease. I don't know about the urinalysis and whether these things would have showed up so they may not be a possibility at all. Or maybe the sulfa/trim just didn't quite do the job and he needs another course or another antibiotic. If you get x-rays then you can see exactly how much gas he has, but I'm not certain your vet would recommend x-rays solely for the urinary problem.

Maybe you can call her and talk to her. If she suggests he go on another course of the sulfa/trim then you probably have enough to just go ahead and do that without bringing him in. Or you can just pick up a new med instead of having him examined again. I would call and tell her what's going on and see what she suggests.