Chinchilla Community Forums
Chinchillas => Health => Topic started by: LindyLu on November 04, 2009, 01:18:11 PM
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Hi, I am new here. I joined because I need some help/advice from chinchilla experts.
I have 2 chins, both male rescues. Dewey is a 5 yr old standard gray, and Schroeder is a 2 yr old white mosaic.
2 weeks ago Schroeder got diarrhea...it was everywhere in his cage! I have no idea what caused it! He has not been given any excessive treats, nor has anything changed around him to cause stress. I had to bathe him in water to clean him up, he was such a mess! Well the diarrhea stopped after just that one day (a Tuesday)... he seemed tired and not hungry after that, but I figured he'd be okay after some rest and a few dust baths. Well he wasn't eating much, and then the following Friday, there was blood all over his cage, he'd began bleeding from his behind! I called his vet who told me to give him keopectate to calm his stomach, as well as "cat lax"/petroleum jelly to get his bowels moving. I did this. The keopectate certainly stopped the diarrhea (only gave him 1 dose). But the jelly wasn't doing anything.
Schroeder hasn't eaten or pooped in 2 weeks now.
He refuses even raisins, which he used to love on the rare occasion. He sort of nibbles at hay & drinks from his water bottle maybe a single lick a day. I have been force-feeding him. At first I was just force-feeding watered down/mashed pellets. (We use Mazuri). Then I read that orphaned kits should be fed KMR (milk suppliment for kittens) with gerber rice cereal mixed in. So now I force feed a mixture of water/kmr/mashed pellets/rice cereal. He willingly drinks about 3 syringe-fuls (2 ml syringe) a day. But that's it, and he still won't eat anything solid offered to him.
I offered him some yogurt last night and he refused it.
I read I can give pineapple or papaya juice to a chinchilla to help with constipation... figured I could do that through the syringe.... is that okay?
I saw some rabbit lax at the pet shop and considered that as well, but didn't want to buy it/try it until I knew it was safe. Schroeder has been sleepy/lazy...but he DOES get active for a few minutes here and there. On Sunday night I thought he was going to die over night because he was looking so awful...but then early in the AM hours he was running in his wheel! I have been giving him his free run, but he doesn't RUN as much, he just sniffs around and squeaks at me. He also grinds his teeth a lot lately (I've read this can be a sign of pain?)
Help!
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::silly:: Is your vet an exotic pet veternarian that is familar with chinchillas?
Has the vet actually seen Schroeder?
If so, did he do any fecal smear testing?
It sounds like you have some major problems with Schroeder and might loose him if they are not corrected very quickly.
::wave:: Jo Ann
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He IS an exotic's vet... I don't know his actual knowledge of chinchillas. He has seen both my chins once before, and he SEEMED to know a lot. For THIS situation he has NOT seen Schroeder. I had called him and explained what was going on, and the keopectate + petroleum jelly was all he "offered" ...but did not seem overly concerned. He just acted like "oh, that happens...try this" type attitude.
I would like to get Schroeder in to see the vet soon though. It's just such a BUSY place, that his appointment could be days from now - so that's why I wanted to see what else I could do to help in the meantime. Force-Feeding is obviously keeping him alive, but he doesn't seem to be healing.
I guess what I'm most afraid of is driving him the 45 minutes to the vet, waiting in the waiting room a good 30+ minutes to be seen, and then having the vet look at him for 5 seconds and say "let's put him down"...and charge me to do it. Scared of wasting time & money just to have him kill my chin. I guess I feel like IF he is going to die, might as well be in the comfort of his own hammock on his own time.
The sensible part of me says I need to get over it and just get him in before it's too late.
However, like I said, it's a BUSY vet and I can make him an appointment, but it will likely be DAYS from now, and in the meantime....can I give him pineapple or papaya juice? What about the rabbit lax? ....any other options that might help?
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Okay, he has a Saturday appointment...maybe. If I call by 7:15 AM tomorrow (Friday) they "should be able to squeeze him in for Saturday". Poor baby.
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I think at this point if nothing has changed then the vet is the only person who can really diagnose him. Keep us updated and good job with the force feeding. Count his poops everyday too.
I know for me, personally when I want to get one of my chins to eat more, I will sprinkle some LIFELINE supplement on his pellets. You can get LIFELINE from Dawnna at
http://chocolatechinchillas.com/_wsn/page6.html
But I suggest not trying anything yet until you hear what the vet tells you. Good luck.
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After seeing Vet UPDATE:
I wasn't told anything I didn't already know. The vet just said he's constipated.
He told me I'm on the right track, I just need to up the amount of petroleum I'm giving him, and also force feed plenty of WATER. He said to not worry about pellets, but offer lots of timothy hay.
The only other option he had was doing a surgery to push whatever is clogging him up through...but of course surgery on chins is very risky, and the vet was afraid he could rupture Schroeder's gut in the process, and end up killing him. He basically didn't know what else to do besides plenty of water and laxative.
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::silly:: OK ... now the last ditch effort that has been known to usually work in the past ... Petramalt, used to help pass fur balls or as a preventative to them, can be used. About the amount of a small pea is usually all they need ... it can be given every month or two as a preventative. You can find it in the cat/dog section of the pet store.
In addition to that, one or two almonds ... normally I will never suggest giving a chinchilla a nut of any kind ... unless it gets to the point that it is with your little one. A lady that I know, did this for her little one ... when it pooped for the first time, after being impacted, the poop consisted of many individual poos stuck together ... it was 3 1/2" long. ::Hairraising:: This little one is still alive and healthy as far as I know. :::grins::
Keep us posted, please.
::wave:: Jo Ann
He said to not worry about pellets, but offer lots of timothy hay.
When a chin is sick it is not unusual for a vet to discontinue pellets and feed hay and water only. When I have to do this, I usually use Alfalfa hay. Most chinchilla pellets are Alfalfa hay based, because it has more nutrients and fat content.
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Petramalt, huh?
I will pick up some of that & some alfalfa hay at the store today.
Thank you! :o)
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::silly:: Yep! It is normally used to help cats pass the fur balls they get from cleaning themselves, but I have used it with my chins on a regular basis. It comes in a tube and is about the same consistency as toothpaste. Don't forget the almonds. One or two is all it should take to help unblock him.
Fluids are also a must ... 1/2 and 1/2 water and Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice.
Keep us posted.
::howdythere:: Jo Ann
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I'm not trying being mean ,but you need a new vet.Keopectate is not safe for chins they changed the formula and it can cause stomach ulcerations only Pet Pectin is safe and should be used very carfully as it slows down stomach
He should have Reglan and or Propulsid to help move his gut along .Hand feedings of CC and exercise.He's grinding his teeth because he's in pain he should have Metacam for that.
The blood is serious.It could be from the Keopectate or from him straining to go poop,which means he may prolaps.Give him nothing with sugar in it (raisins. etc)It can cause his Bactria in his stomach to get even more out of wack.
I have had a chin go though gut stat is and survive.Get the Lifeline that you were told about it's really good stuff!
Your vet is way to old school and hasn't bothered to keep up .The fact he never offered you any of the drugs I wrote about and even suggested something dangerous to your chin is not acceptable.Please try a new vet quick as time is not your friend when it comes to this. As Jo Ann said if he does start to poop it will come out in a sting of small balls stuck tog eather which is called a pearl necklace.Don't let it scare you that's what you want to see.I wish You Luck and will have your boy in my thoughts.Please keep us posted .I know how hard this is.
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Well, the bleeding wasn't from the keopectate because I didn't give it to him until after he bled. I only gave him one dose of that stuff. I was also frustrated my vet didn't offer any more medications or suggestions. But this is the 2nd vet I've tried in the past 5 months, and I'm quickly running out of good options. Seems nobody around here really knows much about chinchillas (thus I wanted to join a forum board where people seem to specialize).
The problem with almonds and other solid foods is that he won't eat them.
On his own he will only eat small (very small) amounts of hay.
Anything else I have been force feeding him.
Today I saw a smear of yellow goop on his cage floor (I use fleece blankets as bedding)...I don't know if it came from his rear or if he vomited up some of the petroleum. So far zero poops though. :::(((
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I am a member of another chin forum too and they have a list of vets.If you tell me what City your from I might be able to help you find a new vet.I know how frustrating it is .My first vet was charged with animal abuse and she worked at very well known animal hospital.Another vet I used in an emergency may have contributed to my first chins death and I found another person who said they went though the same thing with that vet and lost their chin too.
I will check this forum again in about half in hour before I go to bed.
I will have your little guy in my thoughts
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I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Upon further inspection, there IS a mucus type stuff coming from his anus.
I'm now getting more and more irritated that the vet didn't do a fecal smear...he didn't even weigh the chin! He just cleaned off his anus (I had been keeping a dust bath in his cage because of the force feedings he was getting all wet around his chin)...and the dust was stuck all over his anus at the vet. So he cleaned off the chin and "felt" him. Told me his intestines were enlarged (clogged).
That's the extent of his examination.
I offered Schroeder some free run tonight, and he just came and sat on my lap and wouldn't run at all. I decided to go ahead and offer him some more of the KMR milk since that is the only thing he takes willingly and he drank up 4 ml's of that! I put him back in his cage and he walked around whimpering for awhile, then fell asleep in his exercise wheel. Poor thing, he is in obvious pain. :(
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::silly:: OK ... As a last ditch effort, you might want to try this ... take the KMR milk (about 1/4 cup), put it in the blender, drop an almond in and grind up the almond until it can pass through the syringe. Add the Petramalt and Nutri-Cal ... about the size of a pea of each.
His bowels are blocked and full ... his tummy is full because he is not processing his food ... because he does not "feel" hungry, due to everything being full already, he will not eat. If you've ever been severely constipated, you have an idea how he feels.
Everything is backing up from the blockage and causing other things to come into play. When nothing can be expelled, he can not get rid of the poisons in his system. He fills full and is in pain ... both reasons for why he will not eat.
If he were here with me, I would try what is mentioned in the first paragraph ... and ... gently stoke his back and tummy in a downward motion (one direction only) towards his anus. He has to pass this or his whole system will soon shut down. Right now, you are fighting for his life. Sorry to be so blunt, but when it comes to chins, I do every thing I can to help them and will not give up until they do.
You might suggest your vet call Lanni Richey at California Chins ... they do do consulting with veterinarians sometimes. www.cachins.org
Please keep us posted.
::wave:: Jo Ann
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Jo Ann's right he's in a fight for his life.Check the link she gave you . I checked the list on my other forum and It's one of the few states the don't have listed.So I put out an emergency post looking for a vet in your area.We'll get you a good vet one way or another
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I will try that mixture & the stroking.
I need to run to the store to get a food processor though because my blender doesn't chop things that small.
Should I use Nutri-Cal for dogs or for cats? or does it not matter?
I would assume for cats since the KMR is also for cats...?
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I'm still trying to find you a vet.I don't know if there is no on my forum from your area or if they just haven't logged on yet.But I will keep trying.
Please try the link Jo Ann gave you CAchins ,They are a great group
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I ordered the Lifeline, it's being shipped early Monday.
I force-fed the mixture of KMR/petromalt/Nutri-Cal/Almond into him tonight...followed by some water....then rubbed his back and his belly for awhile. His belly was sounding weird...I could hear popping and squishing whenever I stroked it. He laid very still while I did this.
I'm just so frustrated because I called his vet weeks ago, and did everything he told me to do. Then I did my own research and did everything it pointed me toward. Then "talked" to experts online and did everything they suggested. Then had his vet physically see him, and have done everything he asked...and still NO CHANGE.
Schroeder is just not getting better.
He's deteriorating before my eyes. :'(
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He's most likely has some gas trapped too.This might not help,but it won't hurt them.Go buy some simethicone (baby gas relief)Most chin like the taste and will take it willingly.Give him a whole dropper full about4 to 6 hours.
Keep up the gentel rubbing and I know this sounds mean but try to get him to run around some.Exercise helps move things along.
I blame your vet for this,you have done everthing you've been told do.
He didn't test the stool for parasites,he took what may have been a simple problem and made it major problem.
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Heres one my guys found.
Petroglyph Animal Hospital 505 898-8874.
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Thanks for trying Harley ... that's actually my old vet! I took Dewey to him once when I first got him (rehoming had made him start barbering himself) ... and this guy told me to buy another chinchilla...a female. I told him I didn't want to breed. He also told me to feed Dewey lots of "roughage"... (although I read you shouldn't offer chins much more than their pellets, hay, water, and occasional treat). So I was pretty sure he didn't really know what he was talking about.
I took both chins to my "current" vet about 6 weeks later. At that appointment he was great. Dewey had a cold, and he gave us some eye drops for him - and it was just a wellness visit for schroeder because he had just been rescued. At THAT time he weighed them, he examined them both completely... ears, nails, teeth, penis's, whiskers, everything! He asked lots of questions about their habits, etc. He was awesome.
I have no idea why he is FAILING ME now!! My mom said he is really over-worked, overbooked, and was probably ready to GO HOME that night I took Schroeder in.... but that's no excuse. =(
I am beginning to think there are NO good chinchilla vet's in my area.
UPDATE:
After the mix & belly rub last night, he seemed to have a little more life in him this morning. He was jogging in his wheel, and drinking from his water bottle on his own. Still pretty slow and mellow, but at least he was moving around and TRYING to play a little. I will get some gas drops in him tonight! Thanks! If nothing else maybe it will ease some of the pain.
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I'm sorry we've had no luck finding you a vet.another person said to try and google vets in your area.
I'm glad he's feeling a little better,keep up all the stuff your doing and please keep us posted.
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I appreciate the support and help looking!
I gave him some gas drops tonight and his belly stopped making weird noises. I tried to get him to run, but he wasn't having it. I had him out of his cage, and he was just sitting....so I'd bug him a bit till he jumped away...but he'd only go like 1-2 feet, then stop again. Finally he stopped moving and just allowed me to "bug" him (I was just petting his feet and tail, but he doesn't like it).
Since he wasn't interested in free run, I put him back, and he's currently sleeping in a pile of hay.
He seems to be most unhappy in the evenings. Early AM hours is when he seems most well. Not sure why.
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::silly::
I ordered the Lifeline, it's being shipped early Monday.
I force-fed the mixture of KMR/petromalt/Nutri-Cal/Almond into him tonight...followed by some water....then rubbed his back and his belly for awhile. His belly was sounding weird...I could hear popping and squishing whenever I stroked it. He laid very still while I did this.
The sounds are normal at this point. How often does a chin lay still to be stroked like this? Rarely ever ... it had to feel good to him for him to be still and let you do it ... keep it up. You may want to try the same mixture again and repeat the stroking ... always in one direction only ... towards the anus. The petramalt is to help the poos and any fur balls to pass, the Nutri-Cal is for added nutrients he needs to get into his system. The almond is to get the bowels going. He's in our prayers. :)
I'm just so frustrated because I called his vet weeks ago, and did everything he told me to do. Then I did my own research and did everything it pointed me toward. Then "talked" to experts online and did everything they suggested. Then had his vet physically see him, and have done everything he asked...and still NO CHANGE. Schroeder is just not getting better. He's deteriorating before my eyes. :'(
As frustrated as you must be, please do not give up ... he has already lasted much longer than most under the same circumstances, and it is because he has the will to live and you have the love and patients to try to get him well. Because he has lasted this long, I still believe he has a chance to make it.
After the mix & belly rub last night, he seemed to have a little more life in him this morning. He was jogging in his wheel, and drinking from his water bottle on his own. Still pretty slow and mellow, but at least he was moving around and TRYING to play a little. I will get some gas drops in him tonight! Thanks! If nothing else maybe it will ease some of the pain.
Keep up everything you are doing ... it sounds like he is still trying ... and it seems to be working ... slowly but surely. It is now where I would say there is a 50-50 chance ... early on, I would have said a 20-80 odds against him. Yall are raising the odds every day he lives. He is improving, just keep the faith and give him lots of TLC.
|hugs| Jo Ann
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After his mix feeding last night, he went to sleep in his hammock and stayed there all night, and this morning he was still in there and not interested in getting up to "say good morning".
Dewey was bouncing around, getting his nose up to his bars, looking for his "breakfast" (I give them a small treat in the mornings when I wake for work) ...and Schroeder picked his head up to see me, then lay back down and went right back to sleep.
He's looking awfully pathetic these days. Today (Tuesday) marks THEE WEEKS since he got sick. I am beginning to feel like maybe I am torturing him by keeping him alive. All the forced-feedings, pain, the vet poking at him, he sleeps almost constantly but has no energy to even roll in his dust ...it can't be pleasant.
The LIFELINE should arrive Wednesday or Thursday...I'll give that a try... but if Schroeder isn't doing better by next Tuesday, perhaps I should consider putting him to sleep.
I'm so torn in which is worse...giving up on him & allowing him to die.
Or fighting to keep him alive to live a life of pain/misery. :'(
I wish I knew what was actually wrong. I don't even know if he got a parasite, or if he swallowed something he shouldn't have, or if he just has an real bad hairball... no clue.
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I know your vet did you wrong,but is there any way you would trust him to do x-ray?
An x-ray might be able to tell whats going on inside (gas,an object).An E-Hospital might be able to do it for you to,but most are unfamiliar with chins.So if they agree make them tell you how they'll do it.
Any poo yet?If he does poo call your vet and say you want it tested.You should be able to take the poo with out having to take your chin in,but you want it fresh as possible
You'll want to know for your other chins sake.
It takes a long time to recover from gut statis.
I know how you feel ,I've been there and I cried like a baby.
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No poops yet ... just clear-yellow mucus stuff leaking from his anus.
My vet never offered an X-Ray... he offered a colon surgery in which they would go inside and SEE what's in there...but said because he's so small, the surgery could rupture his gut & kill him.
Would an x-ray pick up anything? I mean, doesn't it only really view bones? If he swallowed a piece of plastic, would it even show up on the x-ray? I'm sorry, I'm just tired of dumping more and more money into things that aren't helping him. It's so upsetting. Especially when I look at him laying there with only a quarter life left in him. :(
Did your chin make it through?
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:) You know Schroder better than anyone. Ultimately, it has to be your decision one way or the other. I have seen some pull out of it when I thought there was no chance, and others who were lost that I thought would make it. With the condition he is in at this point, unless he passes something very soon, the odds will again be against him.
I would not go for the surgery either ... Has he suggested an enema solution? (I think I'm grasping at straws at this point ... you and he have tried so hard.) Has any one out there tried this or knows someone who has?
Regardless of the decision you make, know yourself, that you have given Schroder every chance there is to be given and that you are not to blame no matter which way it goes. Most people would have given up long ago. Some things are just meant to be and others are not. But there is a reason behind it all, even if it does not comfort you now, it may at a later date. Schroder's situation may help other owners understand just how dangerous being constipated is for a chinchilla. They may see many of the options that are available because of this thread/post. We do not normally think of being constipated as being life-threatening, but for a chinchilla it is.
Please keep us posted.
::wave:: Jo Ann
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I feel so sad for all you and your little furball are going through :hugs: It's just the worst, and my thoughts and prayers are with you. There is nothing worse than watching them like this, and you and he will know in your hearts when enough is enough.
He's one tough little chinchilla that's for sure.
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He's still alive this morning, but still no improvement. He's beginning to look a little hunch-back because of all the weight loss. I fed him his mix, and set him down to run....but he doesn't run. He just sits there. I put him back in his cage, and he hopped into his hammock and was sound asleep in seconds. Hopefully the lifeline arrives today.
Thanks for all the prayers, thoughts, advice, etc.
I hope that his situation might help someone else.
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Yes,my chin survived.He was 4 months old when he got sick and he'll be 3 years old on 11-31.You'd never be able to tell to look at him now He's my little trouble maker and quite the clown.We actually bonded while I took care of him.He knows how much I love him.
An x-ray will show poo,gas bubbles and it should pick up plastic too.That's how my vet confirmed my guy had gut ststis
You going have to be proactive,google vets in your area call and tell them whats going on ask about the meds I listed above and x-rays.I had hand feed around the clock,give meds and fluids.
My vet is so great,she had me call in every day to give a report on him.
If he were stronger I'd suggest a railroad to me and I'd take him to my vet and take care of him for you.If you want to try just let me know.I can't get your little guy out of my head.
I'm going to pm you my cell number if you want to talk please call me.I understand
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Railroad? You can put a chinchilla on a train without it's human? Where in the US do you live? I'd get him to you if I could. He needs a good vet! Nobody here seems to know enough about chins to help him. The 2 vets that have seen my chins are possibly the only ones who know anything about them at all...and they don't know much! I tried calling a bunch of places, but most told me they don't do chinchillas.
I'm not sure of his strength exactly. He does sleep almost constantly...but sometimes he surprises me and starts jogging in his wheel - or this morning he dove out of his cage while I had the upper door open (ferret nation...probably a good 3.5 feet high!) He's never tried that before, not even when he was healthy & frisky! I don't know if he couldn't see straight or lost his balance, or if he was really going for it! (Thanks Goodness he landed on padded carpet!) I thought maybe he wanted to run awhile, but then he didn't run. He just fell asleep in a ball on the floor. It's such a roller coaster! Some moments he's looking awful and pathetic and I think he'll pass any minute. And other moments he's hopping around, drinking his own water bottle, interested in what I'm up to....and I think he must be on the mend! Then back to looking awful...and so on and so on...up & down! But I guess he won't really be doing any better until he poops. I've never wanted him to poop so much before now.
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The rail road is made up of chin owners and lovers who will help drive a chin across country.If I can get one organized some one would pick him up drive what they can and pass him off to the next person and so on till he get to me.
I'm in ST. Louis MO. Do you want me to start asking if anyone can help get him here?
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If you are willing to meet a person half way from Tuscon they will pick him and take him to their vet.This is very good rescue and they will take great care of him.This would be less stressful than bringing him all the way to me.
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That's a lovely offer...but I don't really have time to travel right now.
My life is pretty busy. I just got married late September, still dealing with all the name changing and settling in.
I work over 40 hours a week as a Professional Nanny...I am basically raising a set of triplet girls that will be 2 years old on the 20th of this month (been with them since birth).
My husband started a new Teaching position just a month before our Wedding, and he's still settling into that...also works over 40 hours.
I give my chinchillas as much attention as I can in the mornings/evenings/weekends - but still I often feel like it's not enough. I don't know how I could ever squeeze a day of travel into the mix at this time....although I greatly appreciate the offer!!
To be honest, I had actually been looking to re-home Schroeder about 2 weeks before he got sick. I wasn't trying to sell him for money or anything... I was just worried that I wasn't giving him enough attention. I tried to get someone in my family or friend circle to take him in & love him... but I was very upfront about his needs (about free-run every day, air conditioning, their sensitive nature, large cage, etc)...and it turned everyone off to him (they hoped he'd be a low-maintenance cuddly pet, I guess). It wasn't that I wanted to get rid of him, I was just concerned. Dewey is easier... he's box trained, doesn't chew on anything, is well behaved during free run (where he has run of the entire house). He doesn't LIKE a lot of attention. But since the 2 boys don't get along, I have to do everything separate and keep them apart...and it sucks up more time that way. I feel like my husband ends up getting "the short end of the stick" because whenever I am home I'm all about the chins, and he's alone. It's hard, ya'know? I love both chinchillas...but rescuing Schroeder wasn't part of "the plan" (I was actually just wanting to purchase a CAGE from some dude on Craigslist, but when I saw the living conditions, I felt awful, and offered $100 for Schroeder). Anyway, all that said, you understand why I don't have much TIME in my life. And now I'm giving even MORE time to try and help Schroeder get healthy again. Adds more stress to an already stressful situation. I just wish nobody had to suffer/sacrifice. Sucks.
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If you don't want him the people at the rescue would keep him,give him vet care,nurse him back to health and find him a good home.
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It's not that I don't want him. I do want him. I love him. I just felt like I wasn't giving him as much attention as he deserves, since my time was so torn between Dewey, my DH, the triplets, and everything else going on in my life. Now that he's been sick, he's gotten plenty of attention....and I feel like it's my husband who is getting "neglected".
Still no change in him. Although I ran out of the KMR milk and decided to make his new mix just water, petromalt, and nutri-cal.
He stopping willingly taking the milk supplement anyway. He doesn't WILLINGLY take ANYTHING now. I couldn't get the almonds small enough for the syringe and they kept clogging it. What about almond oil? Is that just made of almonds?
The LIFELINE should arrive in todays mail.
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::silly:: I'm not sure if it is the oil or the fiber of the almond, or a combination of both. You might want to use a marble rolling pin, or even the side of a straight glass glass to ground it even more. Then, try mixing ground almond in the Petramalt and/or the NutriCal and try putting it just inside his mouth with your finger or a Popsicle stick. Then offer him the milk or water to help wash it down ... just a little at a time ... giving him breaks in-between. As you can tell, I've just about tried it all. The almond is the only thing I have found that works, after everything else tried as failed. If you find any thing that does work, please post it ... I will add it to my arsenal against clogged poop lines. ::)
Keeping our fingers crossed and prayers going. Please keep us posted.
:P Jo Ann
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Got the Life Line... gave him his first dose mixed with water & honey. I will dose him again in a few hours... we'll see how he's doing tomorrow.
His most recent "symptom" is a watery eye with a white goop. I started giving him drops...the meds the vet gave me for Dewey when he had a watery eye. Hope that's all right. I figure at this point it sure can't HURT anything. :-\
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Should I continue he Petra-malt & Nutri-Cal now that I have the Life Line?
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Got the Life Line... gave him his first dose mixed with water & honey.
Why are you mixing the LifeLine with water and honey? How much honey are you putting in it? How much is your little one eating of the LifeLine mixture? How often? What else is he eating/drinking?
His most recent "symptom" is a watery eye with a white goop. I started giving him drops...the meds the vet gave me for Dewey when he had a watery eye. Hope that's all right. I figure at this point it sure can't HURT anything. :-\
A chinchilla with a watery eye could have the watery eye for a number of different reasons. Giving one medication without the vet finding out if he has the same problem is not a very good idea. What was wrong with Dewey? If he does not have the same problem as Dewey, yes, it could possibly hurt the situation even more.
Has he pooped yet?
Is he eating/drinking anything willingly yet?
Is he in a cage by himself or sharing a cage with another chin?
::wave:: Jo Ann
May I raise a question, please? Your first post was on Nov.4th at which time you posted your chin, Schroder, had had diarrhea on October 21st, then you gave him a dose of kayopectate to stop the diarrhea and he has not pooped since then. I have never heard of a chinchilla that could go 4 weeks without pooping and still be alive. You have also stated, Nov. 10th, "No poops yet ... just clear-yellow mucus stuff leaking from his anus." (a sign of infection) "He's beginning to look a little hunch-back because of all the weight loss." (a sign of dehydration) Now, he has a watery eye with a white goop? This is a miracle chinchilla if there ever was one ... I do not know of another chin that could go through all this and still be alive. Do you have a 'magic' that is keeping him alive ... if so, please share it. :)
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Because that is what the Life Line information said to do. I only mixed it with honey once though because my honey supply has crystalized and won't mix.
He's taking 1/4 tsp Life Line twice a day ...like it says to do.
The eye drops helped and his goopy eye went away. His eyes look good now.
Still no poop. Still not WILLINGLY taking anything. In fact, he used to run TO ME whenever I'd open his cage doors, and now he runs AWAY because he knows I'm gonna force feed him.
He is in his own cage. I only have the 2 chins, and they do not get along. They have always been caged separately.
This morning I tried a mix of papaya juice and psyllium. That helps ME when I'm constipated. I also gave him some water.
If there is still no change by the middle of this week (remember, Tuesday will mark 4 weeks he's been ill) ...then I am going to look for a vet nearby to put him down. There is just no quality of life left, he's miserable and he's not getting better. :o(
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I think Schroeder may pass away tonight. He's gotten considerably weaker over the past 24 hours. This morning when I was force-feeding him, he was basically laying limp in my hand. So much of what I pushed into his mouth (via syringe) dripped back out because he didn't even have the strength to swallow.
This evening he is asleep in his dust house with his face in the back corner. I can see him breathing, but he has NOT MOVED AT ALL in hours. Even when I opened the cage doors, he didn't even pick up his head to look at me. I don't have the heart to grab him out and force more food/meds down his throat.
Tomorrow marks 4 weeks since he got sick, and there is just no quality of life left. I've been keeping him alive with force-feedings just so he could be miserable. I've come to peace with allowing him to pass. Nobody (not even vets) knows what to do for him, or even what's wrong for that matter.
:'(
I wish I KNEW what was wrong, what caused it, so I could warn others. But at least I got to enjoy him for a few months while he was spunky & outgoing. My husband always said Schroeder was the only 1 of my pets that "had a soul". (He thinks all my other pets are gothic). I will miss him. May Angels lead you in, Schroeder Lee.
I'm just grateful Dewey is doing fine; fat & happy as ever.