Runny Stools (Chinchilla)

linus · 12-31-2003, 01:10 PM

Well.............i do not know how it happened or why it happened...........the other 2 chinnies are fine and they have all eaten and drunk the same thing...............
linus has had diarrhea for 24 hours now.........it is wet poops.........that a slightly green in color and they stink.............i thought she was better yesterday as I did not see any poops but then i found out she eats them as she poops them out....unless there are too many...........she will not eat burnt toast.....or oats ...just a little hay...she drinks lots of water....and i am giving her some plain white yougurt as well......i am aorried about her....i want to take her to the vet but we have oodles of snow outside, and the vet closes at noon today.........and tomorrow they are closed as well....i now that what i need is a stool sample but i can't get that in until the 2nd..........
so until then i need some advice...........
anything else i can give her? someone told me to get some diarrhea drops from the pet store and try them????....to me that is like an adult taking imodium which is not really that great ......and it only prolonges the diarrhea...as the bug does not get a chance to pass.
she is happy.........moving about.......but her bottom looks sore and soiled..........any suggestions

petart pam · 12-31-2003, 01:25 PM

Oh no...and it would have to be on the snowiest day of the year! I wish I could help you out some way! How are the roads in Abby this morning...ours are terrible!
Have you tried calling the Gladwin Vet. Clinic?... maybe they are open longer today and they are probably closer to you. Dr. Edwin is really good.

Solarsis · 12-31-2003, 01:41 PM

Oh no Heidi! Poor little linus

Can you at least get some vet advice over the phone? The only thing I can think of is making sure she gets LOTS of fluids. I'll be keeping you and linus in my thoughts. I hope she recovers well

neuroleptical · 12-31-2003, 02:19 PM

The hay eating & water drinking are good things. There is not much else you can do right now. My thoughts are w/ you linus.

linus · 12-31-2003, 02:20 PM

yes pam i called that clinic......and they close at noon today..........our roads are terrible and the reason i am not going out.......barry is at work with the 4x4 truck.......the doc also said he could not prescribe andy medication unless he sees the animal......silly if you ask me as alll he will see is a soiled bottom...what he really needs is a stool sample.....but i guess they need to make their money some way right?

Solarsis · 12-31-2003, 02:55 PM

Heidi I found some more advice or you. I paid a visit to cachins.org and here is what they suggest other than taking your chin to the vet:

Quote:

give the chinchilla some "Children's Kaopectate". Cherry flavor seems to be most favored. Pour some into a teaspoon, and let your chinchilla lap up as much as it wants. If one or two doses in one or two days does not cure their diarrhea, try some yogurt with a little Metamucil. Mix about 1/4 teaspoon into an ounce of yogurt and give to your chin. If this does not help, and the diarrhea persists, have a longer exam by the vet including a complete blood count. Sometimes Coccidia does not show up under the microscope, yet can still cause anemia due to the internal hemorrhaging it causes.

While this is going on, switch your chinchillas to a Basic Diet: only Pellets and Hay and a lot of water. You need to replace the fluids your chinchilla is losing. You might want to put some Pedilyte into the water for electrolytes. Weigh your animal daily. If it is losing weight, then switch to alfalfa and grind up pellets and some calf manna and mix with baby food (fruits seem best, oddly enough) into a soft mush and get your animal to eat it.

In case you don't know cachins.org, it is run by Betti Cogswell who has been doing chinnie research for many years. She used to be a nurse form what I remember and began studying chinnies about 25 years ago. She helped me a lot with getting Tinsel on medication when we discovered she was epileptic. I would not hesitate to follow her advice

Brandy · 12-31-2003, 03:17 PM

i dont have any advice, but I hope Linus gets better Heidi

ckane · 12-31-2003, 03:34 PM

I have used the children's kaopectate and it works very well. I would not give the chin any pellets. Lots of hay, water, and acidophilus.

petart pam · 12-31-2003, 03:59 PM

I was going to suggest the pedialyte as I use it often with my gliders and the vet told me it is always good to use with any small animal with diarhea

Candycane · 12-31-2003, 05:29 PM

Just a warning...Kaopectate has changed its formula to include an aspirin derivative. I know that aspirin can be deadly for cats and dogs so I would make sure that the new ingredient (bismuth something...the same thing used in Pepto) is okay for chins.

Other than that, take away the pellets and feed only hay and water. You may want to offer another bottle of 50% pedialyte and 50% water if the diarrhea persists.