Something wrong or just getting old?

[Godofgods]

Ive been noticing some changes in my oldest chin Chico these last weeks. Individually they didn't seem to big a deal, but now collectively its starting to make me wonder.

(fyi: he lives in a cage with his 3yr old son)

It started with his scratches. He is the only one of my chins that rly likes to be scratched. He will run up to the edge of the cage and get on his hind legs and let me scratch this stomach forever. Been that way for years. But a few weeks ago he started inching away from that. He would come up, but after a few seconds of scratching he would back away. (Not in pain or anything.)

My two boys are really good with using there litter pans. Then i started noticing occasionally pee puddles on the tray when i wake up. Always fairly small (at least compared to my girl in a different cage that wont use the litter pan anymore.) But it is becoming more frequent. This weeks its been each morning.

Then i started noticing that Chico is spending alot of what is normally his awake/up and about time hiding and trying to sleep in his hut. He only seems to come out a little bit anymore.

And the one that really concerns me is there has been a noticeable decrease in the amount of hay being eaten by my boys. But the counter to that is, almost all the pellets are being eaten each night. - His cage has two bowls (2 chins) each bowl gets two healthy scoops with a 1tlbs scoop. And im waking up to either dust in the bowl or just the last few pellets on the bottom.

So im starting to wonder if there is something wrong with my boy.

But on the same note, Chico was passed around from owner to owner to owner before coming to me. So i have no idea how old he is. I only know that he was a full grown adult when i got him back around 2007ish. So i guess he could be anywhere from 7 to 20 years old. Which brings up a related yet separate question as well. Could this all just be because he is getting old? and What does an ageing chin generally seem like or go through? Ive watched many of my pets age in life, but ive never had a chin that was old so im not sure how that progresses.

 

[Newt]

Any change in weight? His behaviour changes do seem a bit odd. Perhaps it's time for a vet check up?

 

[Kansas City Chinchillas]

Have you done a hair ring check on him?

 

[Godofgods]

i haven't notice any change in weight. But i don't have a scale for that now. The last time i did, none of mine would stand still for a second to get an accurate weight anyway. At best it was an estimate.

I haven't done a hair ring check either. With my dad gone now, i don't see myself being able to get that guy still and do the check alone.
He despises being picked up or off his feet. More then a regular chin dislike, he seems genuinely terrified of it. Like a past trauma that's burnt into his mind, type of afraid. But he does clean himself pretty often. Always an interesting sight to turn around and see.

Might schudel him a vet visit anyway. :/

This might be stretching a bit, but could any of that be do to depression? My dad died at the end of October. He worked night shift and when he got home in the early morning the chins were always at the cage doors awaiting him. Getting a little attention and expecally waiting for there twig from him. Now its no longer happening.
Seems a bit far fetched compared to other possibilities i guess, but i don't want to disregard anything.

 

[Godofgods]

i also find it interesting that while the more social Chico is becoming reserved like i mentioned, his son Houdini who is always hiding in the back, wanting nothing rly to do with ppl, is becoming a lot more personable at the same time.

 

[Godofgods]

Most of the stuff i mentioned has started to subside. However i did notice that he all of a sudden stopped using his litter pan and started being on the metal tray; and his pee is unusually sticky.

So i took him to the vet today. The physical examination was unremarkable, everything seemed normal. But he did give me antibiotics for a possible URI.

Label says Chloramphenicol Palmatate 100mg/ml.
Supposed to give him 0.35mls by mouth twice a day for one week.

I jsut got done trying to give him his first does. Needless to say he is well passed being upset with me right now. He did not want to take them. I did notice two things tho that i found interesting, maybe even problematic.

Half way through he opened his mouth and it looked like he was bearing his teeth at me. The way you would imagine a dog baring his teeth and growling at someone.

Also it looked like any time some of it got into his mouth he would use his hand and try to get it out. It wont do much good if it wont take it.

Edit: they also gave him some fluids under the skin while we were there.

 

[ticklechin]

Did the vet compound it with something like orasweet to make it taste better? If it tastes nasty its impossible to get them to take it, call back and ask the vet if they can compound it, taste it yourself, would you eat it? Watch that type of chin, my worst one would growl and show his teeth right before he bit something and would not let go, whatever was near his mouth he would grab-hand, towel, syringe, couch and he would not let go and would bear down hard. I personally dont care for giving antibiotics without a diagnosis since they can cause issues with eating long after the antibiotic was stopped, and the problem of antibiotic resistant bacteria because its given without much thought on part of the vets.

 

[Godofgods]

Im not sure if they compounded it with anything. I just tasted a small little dab of it. It had a slight fruity smell to it. The taste was ok.. for about 2 seconds. That after taste was very strong and nasty for me. Can only imagine what the chin thought.

I have to go back to the vet tomorrow for my ferret to get a melatonin shot anyway. So ill bring that and ask them about it.

Ugh.. after tasting that i cant blame chico for getting upset. I'm surprised he didn't bite me or something. Nasty.

Do the antibiotic resistant bacterias general result from over use of antibiotics or just something that around a lot? This is the first time in the around 6 years ive had him that he has ever been given any.

 

[ticklechin]

Its becoming a problem in the animal world, vets and pet parents both are guilty of wanting to try something, so toss a antibiotic at it, problem is the "bugs" are now getting resistant to it and we dont have a whole lot of choices in antibiotics for chins. That and the nasty side effects that "big guns" antibiotics can produce in chins.

 

[Godofgods]

well his pee has become quite sticky. When i see it and go to clean it up its usually to stuck in to the metal try to get up with a paper towel alone. I have to wet it and wash it down. And that's not after all that long of a time.

Other then a URI what other things could it be?

 

[akane]

There are a few antibiotics they can give a long lasting shot for instead. I'm not sure what would be safe for chins but that's usually what they do when we have problems with a rabbit or especially a bird.

Resistant bacteria happen when you use an antibiotic that is not fully effective against it or quit an antibiotic before all the bacteria are dead. The ones that survive develop immunity to that antibiotic and possibly all similar ones. We often hit rabbits with 2 antibiotics when there's a proven illness for that reason. We want to make sure it's wiped out completely and many small animals like rabbits develop very thick drug resistant pus.

 

[ticklechin]

There are no good choices IMO in long lasting shots of antibiotics in chins, they are all formulated for dog/cat metabolism. If someone out there can name one, do so.

Google antibiotic resistant bacteria and this is the answer you get on the goverment websites and the .EDU websites as far as to why bacteria are resistant. Overuse.

Why are bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics?
Antibiotic use promotes development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Every time a person takes antibiotics, sensitive bacteria are killed, but resistant germs may be left to grow and multiply. Repeated and improper uses of antibiotics are primary causes of the increase in drug-resistant bacteria.

While antibiotics should be used to treat bacterial infections, they are not effective against viral infections like the common cold, most sore throats, and the flu. Widespread use of antibiotics promotes the spread of antibiotic resistance. Smart use of antibiotics is the key to controlling the spread of resistance.

 

[Newt]

Sticky pee might mean particles in the urine. Perhaps excessive calcium in his diet? Just a speculation.
If the vet could express a urine sample to check under the microscope, that would help.

EDIT: or dehydration? Is he drinking enough?

 

[Godofgods]

as far as i no he is drinking normally. Hard to be exact cause he shares the house with his son.

I went to the vet today to get my ferret his melatonin shot. I asked him about the antibiotic for my chin. He said the manufacturer compounds it. But it switched them and gave me Bactrim Syrup. (at least thats what the label says) We will see tonight how he reacts to this.

 

[Godofgods]

Well i gave him the meds yesterday. He was not to thrilled with me. I doubt many chins would be. Considering my guys not just dislike of being picked up, but flat out pathological fear of it.. yea, not to thrilled.

But we got through it. Once he calmed down and drank the stuff it went decently. He tried to escape a few times, but that only got him placed back into the position all over again.

Tonight was a bit better. He didn't try to escape as much. Seemed like he got the idea that the faster he drinks this stuff the sooner it would be over. But he was making grinding noises off and on during the feeding. And for a little while after he was back in his cage.

But no barring of teeth, and no trying to scrap out his mouth with his paw. This stuff does not have nearly as strong of a taste or after taste. So im sure he is glad for that.

 

[ticklechin]

Its good practice to taste anything med wise, even probiotics before you give it to them, if you would not eat it, they wont and since they are so smart, it can become difficult to give them anything if they think its going to be nasty.

 

[Godofgods]

and since they are so smart, it can become difficult to give them anything if they think its going to be nasty.

aint that the truth. It didn't take long for my chin to catch on to what times hes getting his meds and the preparation going on out side his cage right before hand. So he know when its coming, and hes never thrilled.

He still resists a bit during the feeding, but its not to bad. I think part of him might understand the benefit of cooperation. Since the first time i burritoed him to give it to him. He hated that. The next time he was pretty much just laying on his side in the burrito wrap. Then just laying on his side on top of a towel. And now hes pretty much just standing there on his hind legs on top of the towel. The more he cooperates the more he is able to stand up normally and not be placed on his side or his back, which he hates.

Is it normal for them to make a lot of grinding sounds during this?

 

[ticklechin]

They can, especially when feeding critical care, its a foreign taste/texture so they want it gone from the mouth, once they become accustomed to it they stop.

 

[Godofgods]

he is pretty used to taking the meds now. He gets the idea. The bad part is he is also knows that he has to be picked up for it to happen. While he is ok to manage with meds, he is seriously defensive about being picked up. He is hiding very well in his large hut where i cant get to him. I'm having to take the shelf down some to be able to remove the hut to get him to leave it.

The part that has me concerns me is when he runs out, and usually to a corner, he will get defensive and act like hes going to spray you. But so far he hasn't. And im not sure if its because he just hasn't or if he is unable to. - It started with him not using his litter pans and going on the shelf. Last few days ive noticed that i haven't seen much pee on the shelf anymore. And its kinda hard to tell if its because hes using the pan again, or because hes not going.

 

[ticklechin]

Males for the most part just dribble when they think they are going to spray, if they produce anything at all. It seems like females have some extra bladder somwhere inside that they store spray and can do it again and again and again. My tripod would get up on his hind legs, do the hip thrust thing and squat would happen.