This is going to be long, please bare with me.
I'm really stressing out right now and I don't know what to do, I tried posting on the chinchilla subreddit for advice but let's just say reddit is unhelpful and unfriendly everywhere it seems.
My timeline is a little hazy but a few weeks ago I was getting worried about my boy because his stool was looking small. I then noticed he was nibbling on his CareFresh bedding (uninformed decision I made 5 years ago when I was like 15 and never thought to reconsider until now), which he has never done in the 5 years or so that I've had him, so I was extremely worried he might have a blockage, and I removed all the bedding from his cage and I'm never going to give it to him again. Also I stopped giving him treats (plain rolled oats). After a few days things were looking pretty normal and I was relieved. Since he was feeling better and I felt like I could give him treats again, I decided to try giving him rosehips since I had just bought some and I wanted to see if he liked them.
He did, but it seemed like maybe I gave him treats again too soon because he started having issues again and they seemed worse this time. I was really scared he had bloat, his poop was small, and he would make little peeping noises like he was in pain. I had saw online that people would give their chinchillas simethicone/infacol/baby gas drops for gas, so I decided to try that. I started giving him a little bit every night (I would just let him lick the dropper or dip a piece of Timothy hay in it and then let him eat it) while also spending a few minutes rubbing his tummy every night and, again, it seemed like things were mostly normal. The only things that were throwing me off was that his poop didn't look consistent (wasn't always the same size, sometimes normal sometimes small) but was mostly normal looking, and that he'd make peeping noises at night while sleeping like he was hurting. I would rub his tummy around this time and he didn't seem bloated at all. He was still acting and eating normally. I continued to give him infacol at night and it got a bit better.
Things seemed normal again after a few more days and I waited a little longer before trying treats again just to make sure, decided to try another rosehip, immediately things went back to how they were a week or so before. Okay, so I figured maybe rosehips just aren't good for him. I'm not going to give him rosehips anymore. This was about a week ago. Over the past week, I've given him no treats and some Infacol every other night or so and things were, again, looking normal. The only things still throwing me off was the peeping at night while he was sleeping and the inconsistent pooping. Decided I wasn't going to give him any treats still until I was absolutely sure things were good, so he hasn't had any. Last night I noticed he was peeping more than usual but he didn't seem bloated at all, I gave him a little bit of infacol to try and help. I don't know if this caused it or not, but a little bit after that it seemed like things got worse. He seemed bloated and he did not want me to touch his tummy (started getting nippy and pushing my hand away). I thought maybe the infacol hadn't helped yet and maybe he was just tired of me touching him. Decided to sleep on it, usually he seemed like he started feeling better in the morning anyway.
I woke up a little bit ago, and he still seems bloated and in pain from me touching him. I'm worried because it seems pretty bad. I think. The problem is I can't really tell. I mean, as of writing this, he has been eating and bouncing around his cage like normal. He's still pooping, a normal amount I think, but it is smaller than normal. Not tiny but maybe about half the size it should be. Most of it is shaped normally (rounded at the ends) and all of it is a normal color. I'm also really confused because I just took a break from writing this to check on him again and he doesn't really seem bloated anymore and doesn't seem as bothered about me touching his stomach... What's going on? I feel like I'm going crazy...
I know the easiest answer to this is "take him to the vet" but I'm having a bit of a conundrum. I'm catching a flight to California, across the country from me, in exactly a week. I'm staying there for 2 weeks, and the plan was always take him to the vet as soon as I got back. I'm nervous he might die or something while I'm gone, but also I'm not very good at gauging this stuff because I have an anxiety disorder and freak out about things that are small... My dad said maybe I should try taking him to the vet within the week, but I know the vet won't be available because there's only one exotic vet and the appointments usually end up being awhile out. They're also not an emergency vet. Maybe I should try anyway and/or at least schedule one for as soon as I get back... What if I manage to get an appointment and he needs surgery or something while I'm gone? Should I cancel my flight? I've been planning this trip for years and it was pretty expensive and I'm going to be heartbroken about it but I don't know if I'd be able to deal with myself if there was something I could do and I didn't do it... I'm also nervous about what if I do cancel my flight and everything so I can take him to the vet and it does end up being nothing? Then I'm out $600 from the flight alone and I just cancelled the trip i've been planning for years... Does it seem like maybe he'll be okay until I get back?
I bought Critical Care at the same time that I bought the Infacol but I haven't used it since he hasn't had a lack of appetite, would it help if I used it? Is the infacol bad? Am I not giving him enough of it or am I not supposed to give it to him at all?
I have a theory that it's lack of exercise that might be causing it too maybe? It seems like he only has pain and issues while he sleeps at night, he pretty much spends the entire night sleeping in his hammock and not moving much, but then when he wakes up in the morning and starts moving around and eating things seem normal again and there is absolutely no peeping or sounds that make me think he's in pain... He also hasn't got much time outside of his cage lately because I've been having health issues, maybe that's not helping either... I also worry maybe it's just bad dreams causing the peeping noises because when I check on him after I hear him peeping he's always asleep, and I mean really asleep... I'm also not sure it's a blockage because he's still eating and pooping mostly normally...
Sorry this is so long. I just really don't know and I need advice I think... Someone on reddit told me I was overreacting and probably stressing him out by fussing over him so much, and then someone else told me I'm absolutely not overreacting and that I should stay cautious. Genuinely have no idea what's going on, the whole anxiety disorder thing doesn't help either. I might also be on edge because my dog passed away in February and I just don't want to lose another one of my babies so soon. Could the disappearance of my dog and my stress/poor mental health over it also be causing his issues??? Augh... I wish there was an instruction manual...
Any thoughts or advice would help... I'm doing my best, I hope nobody thinks I'm a bad owner or that I'm being negligent...
I'm really stressing out right now and I don't know what to do, I tried posting on the chinchilla subreddit for advice but let's just say reddit is unhelpful and unfriendly everywhere it seems.
My timeline is a little hazy but a few weeks ago I was getting worried about my boy because his stool was looking small. I then noticed he was nibbling on his CareFresh bedding (uninformed decision I made 5 years ago when I was like 15 and never thought to reconsider until now), which he has never done in the 5 years or so that I've had him, so I was extremely worried he might have a blockage, and I removed all the bedding from his cage and I'm never going to give it to him again. Also I stopped giving him treats (plain rolled oats). After a few days things were looking pretty normal and I was relieved. Since he was feeling better and I felt like I could give him treats again, I decided to try giving him rosehips since I had just bought some and I wanted to see if he liked them.
He did, but it seemed like maybe I gave him treats again too soon because he started having issues again and they seemed worse this time. I was really scared he had bloat, his poop was small, and he would make little peeping noises like he was in pain. I had saw online that people would give their chinchillas simethicone/infacol/baby gas drops for gas, so I decided to try that. I started giving him a little bit every night (I would just let him lick the dropper or dip a piece of Timothy hay in it and then let him eat it) while also spending a few minutes rubbing his tummy every night and, again, it seemed like things were mostly normal. The only things that were throwing me off was that his poop didn't look consistent (wasn't always the same size, sometimes normal sometimes small) but was mostly normal looking, and that he'd make peeping noises at night while sleeping like he was hurting. I would rub his tummy around this time and he didn't seem bloated at all. He was still acting and eating normally. I continued to give him infacol at night and it got a bit better.
Things seemed normal again after a few more days and I waited a little longer before trying treats again just to make sure, decided to try another rosehip, immediately things went back to how they were a week or so before. Okay, so I figured maybe rosehips just aren't good for him. I'm not going to give him rosehips anymore. This was about a week ago. Over the past week, I've given him no treats and some Infacol every other night or so and things were, again, looking normal. The only things still throwing me off was the peeping at night while he was sleeping and the inconsistent pooping. Decided I wasn't going to give him any treats still until I was absolutely sure things were good, so he hasn't had any. Last night I noticed he was peeping more than usual but he didn't seem bloated at all, I gave him a little bit of infacol to try and help. I don't know if this caused it or not, but a little bit after that it seemed like things got worse. He seemed bloated and he did not want me to touch his tummy (started getting nippy and pushing my hand away). I thought maybe the infacol hadn't helped yet and maybe he was just tired of me touching him. Decided to sleep on it, usually he seemed like he started feeling better in the morning anyway.
I woke up a little bit ago, and he still seems bloated and in pain from me touching him. I'm worried because it seems pretty bad. I think. The problem is I can't really tell. I mean, as of writing this, he has been eating and bouncing around his cage like normal. He's still pooping, a normal amount I think, but it is smaller than normal. Not tiny but maybe about half the size it should be. Most of it is shaped normally (rounded at the ends) and all of it is a normal color. I'm also really confused because I just took a break from writing this to check on him again and he doesn't really seem bloated anymore and doesn't seem as bothered about me touching his stomach... What's going on? I feel like I'm going crazy...
I know the easiest answer to this is "take him to the vet" but I'm having a bit of a conundrum. I'm catching a flight to California, across the country from me, in exactly a week. I'm staying there for 2 weeks, and the plan was always take him to the vet as soon as I got back. I'm nervous he might die or something while I'm gone, but also I'm not very good at gauging this stuff because I have an anxiety disorder and freak out about things that are small... My dad said maybe I should try taking him to the vet within the week, but I know the vet won't be available because there's only one exotic vet and the appointments usually end up being awhile out. They're also not an emergency vet. Maybe I should try anyway and/or at least schedule one for as soon as I get back... What if I manage to get an appointment and he needs surgery or something while I'm gone? Should I cancel my flight? I've been planning this trip for years and it was pretty expensive and I'm going to be heartbroken about it but I don't know if I'd be able to deal with myself if there was something I could do and I didn't do it... I'm also nervous about what if I do cancel my flight and everything so I can take him to the vet and it does end up being nothing? Then I'm out $600 from the flight alone and I just cancelled the trip i've been planning for years... Does it seem like maybe he'll be okay until I get back?
I bought Critical Care at the same time that I bought the Infacol but I haven't used it since he hasn't had a lack of appetite, would it help if I used it? Is the infacol bad? Am I not giving him enough of it or am I not supposed to give it to him at all?
I have a theory that it's lack of exercise that might be causing it too maybe? It seems like he only has pain and issues while he sleeps at night, he pretty much spends the entire night sleeping in his hammock and not moving much, but then when he wakes up in the morning and starts moving around and eating things seem normal again and there is absolutely no peeping or sounds that make me think he's in pain... He also hasn't got much time outside of his cage lately because I've been having health issues, maybe that's not helping either... I also worry maybe it's just bad dreams causing the peeping noises because when I check on him after I hear him peeping he's always asleep, and I mean really asleep... I'm also not sure it's a blockage because he's still eating and pooping mostly normally...
Sorry this is so long. I just really don't know and I need advice I think... Someone on reddit told me I was overreacting and probably stressing him out by fussing over him so much, and then someone else told me I'm absolutely not overreacting and that I should stay cautious. Genuinely have no idea what's going on, the whole anxiety disorder thing doesn't help either. I might also be on edge because my dog passed away in February and I just don't want to lose another one of my babies so soon. Could the disappearance of my dog and my stress/poor mental health over it also be causing his issues??? Augh... I wish there was an instruction manual...
Any thoughts or advice would help... I'm doing my best, I hope nobody thinks I'm a bad owner or that I'm being negligent...