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1

Health / Re: *Sigh* Yes another poop question

« on: January 18, 2007, 10:04:42 PM »

When I notice a poo problem, I put the chin on a hay only diet for a day. If that doesn't help, then on the 2nd day I give 2 doses of Kaopectate(.5cc per dose - one in the AM and one in the PM) and continue with the hay only diet. I put some acidophilus powder in with the Kaopectate. A word of caution here: the current Kaopectate available on the shelf at stores/pharmacies now is not the Kaopectate that you should use - its' active ingredient is salicylates. This is harmful for cats - who knows if it is for chins, but there's no need to risk it. You need to find the "old style" Kaopectate, whose active ingredients are Kaolin and Pectin. The easiest way to get this is from your vet, as far as I can figure. Or get a script from your doc and a compounding pharmacy can whip it up. Whatever. Just don't use what is OTC now.
If that doesn't work, then we go to the vets and he checks out a stool sample. That usually pinpoints the problem. But very seldom do we have to resort to that. Alot of times, the hay only diet does the trick.

2

Health / Re: Irritated Eye

« on: January 18, 2007, 09:41:06 PM »

We have a couple of chins that are prone to eye irritation. These chins get their eyes cleaned out with artificial tears after each dustbath, and then for a couple of days afterward. No exceptions. This really has helped them alot. I'd suggest doing that, and also cutting down on the frequency of dustbaths as well. Don't keep the dust pan in the cage all the time, as the dust can get contaminated with urine, etc. That could add to the problem.
Even though this is an intermittent problem, it is an ongoing one, and I think you should take your chin to the vet, and have his eyes examined. There could be an issue here that you're not aware of, and you could get some more definate answers. Your vet might know of a more effective eyedrop, too. Have your vet check your chins molars as well, as this area is not one that we can check out thoroughly at home. Their mouth is just too small for us to look that far back without a scope.
Eye problems are very uncomfortable for a chin, just like for a person. If it is irritating your chin enough for you to consider using an elizabethan collar, I think you owe it to him to consult a vet to help you with your problem solving here.and come up with an effective preventative plan.

3

Health / Re: CLOSTRIDIA

« on: November 26, 2006, 05:32:45 PM »

Joyce,
Since this is a more serious case of stomach problems, you might want to buy some probiotic in capsules at the drug store, and empty the contents of one capsule into the yogurt you feed your chin. It would boost the level of probiotic in the yogurt, which would be helpful to your chin. It might also help to feed the liquid hay/oats drink that I mentioned in a previous post - that would be great for his tummy as well...
One vet site that you might find helpful(I have on several occasions, especially with meds) is Veterinarypartner.com. I did a real quick look on clostridia there - one interesting thing I read was that it's also treated with Flagyl(if you ever need to try an alternative).
So glad to hear your little boy has a great appetite, that's a great signl Wish him bon appetit for me,
Lori

4

Health / Re: CLOSTRIDIA

« on: November 25, 2006, 06:37:01 PM »

Hi Joyce,
I hope your chin feels better soon, he's been thru alot, tummy-wise.
My guess is that you're already doing this, but I'll mention it anyway. This is an example of a time when it's extremely important to supplement with a probiotic daily. Did Lani Richey have any advice for you that might be helpful to mention here, in case others run into this situation? Just curious...
Best wishes for your chin!
Lori

5

Health / Re: Recent Death / Now single chin

« on: October 23, 2006, 06:21:55 PM »

As hard as it is to watch a chin be lonely after losing a cagemate, I feel that it's better to let them adjust to being alone for a bit, before trying out a new bud. New introductions are usually stressful - I figure it's not a good idea to add that to the stress of losing a cagemate. Like Jo Ann, I do think that chins have hearts, and that we should always remember that and care for them accordingly.
Single chins can be happy if you give them alot of attention - make time in your daily schedule for a regular playtime together, etc. Regard this time as a transitional time for your chin and then decide what you want to do in terms of introducing another. In general, I think chins are happier with a cagemate, but I do have one chin that much prefers being a singleton.
Lori

6

Health / Re: Giving Chinchillas "SULFA" for an Infection

« on: September 29, 2006, 06:56:48 PM »

Hi Joyce,
We've used Sulfa Trimethoprim to treat various conditions with our chins over the years and have found it to be very safe and well tolerated. Here's a quote for you from veterinarypartner.com :
"This medication has the special advantage of being able to penetrate into ...infected tissues that usually stop other antibiotics at their surface...it can enter not only abscessed tissue but can penetrate the prostate gland, the blood brain barrier and eye, and treat infections in these locations.
Trimethoprim sulfa is a broad spectrum antibiotic with excellent activity against most gram negative organisms and staph in the skin.This makes it a good choice for skin infections or as a general antibiotic when the actual identity of th infecting organism is not known..."
Often, when we've had a sick chin, it seems like the 2 main options are Baytril or Sulfa Trimeth. If we have a choice, we go with the Sulfa, as it's easier on chin's stomachs. My chins struggle with Baytril(diahhrea,etc) and one of our chins couldn't tolerate it at all. On occasion, we have used other meds such as prednisone, fenbendazole, flagyl, etc. Perhaps we should start a new topic on meds that we've all used and found to be safe for chins. I have seen lists of meds that have been deemed safe for chins, that have been reprinted from vet books, but you know, they've always made me raise my eyebrows, as they include things like Ivermectin, which once almost killed a chin of mine(early days, when I had a less knowledgeable vet).The only list I ever posted was a short bit on things I keep in our medicine cabinet for chins - it wasn't too extensive. Would anyone be interested in doing a med list, going by our experiences? Could be helpful for beginners, and maybe teach this old dog a new trick or two!

7

Health / Re: Hypoglycemia in Chinchillas

« on: September 24, 2006, 05:23:21 PM »

Deb,
Seems like there could be a relationship between the dental problems and the seizures. Like - perhaps Dakota is more susceptible to hypoglycemia since he's not getting all the nutrients/calories that he needs? The low blood sugar factor sounds pretty treatable with papaya or fruit syrup. (my vet suggested corn syrup, tho the fruit syrup sounds healthier and tastier).
Regarding his difficulty in eating. Here's something to try, which has helped me with my chins when they're ill or having dental problems. Take a clean coffee grinder and fill to the top with alfalfa leaf(weed out the stems). Grind til it's pulverized to a powder(takes maybe 2 minutes, seems like forever!). Put it in a bowl, then grind up the same amount of oats(i.e. a coffee grinder full) to a powder. Mix the alfalfa powder with the oat powder. Take 2 teaspoons of this and mix with water til it's a syringe-able liquid. My chins love this stuff big time. I also add a 1/4 tsp nutritional shake mix to beef it up - that's optional, but very helpful to a sick chin.  This alfalfa/oat mix would only be a no-no if a chin was not used to alfalfa - if they're only eating timmy hay, it could be too rich.
Just a thought, let me know if you try it...
Take care,
Lori

8

Breeding 101 / Re: Super Chinnie Mom

« on: August 09, 2006, 07:04:39 PM »

Joanne,
I don't know what that's called...how about uterine overload?!
I was wondering, can Toofie eat hard foods at all?
Last, but certainly not least ~ will keep the little one in my animal prayers...she's in good hands,
Lori

9

Breeding 101 / Re: Kits and weight gain

« on: August 08, 2006, 03:57:55 PM »

Hi guys,
JoAnn had asked about the soy shake mix that I use(for myself, as well as for chins). What I use is called Spiru-tein, manufactured by Nature's Plus. The ingredient list is long, so I won't print it here. You can find it on their website (www.naturesplus.com). I can't say enough good things about this mix - it's incredibly nutritious. Every chin I've given it to has loved it. I often mix it with powdered alfalfa, which is a helpful drink for chins that are under the weather, especially chins that have just had dental work done...
I buy the vanilla flavor, but you can buy it unflavored. I tried the fruit flavors, but they were kind of yucky. You should be able to find this at any health food store, as it's been around for about twenty years. They have it in small sample packages if you want to try it out. Actually, now that I think about it, I think you can sign up on their website to get a free sample. Let me know if you ever try it!
Lori

10

Breeding 101 / Re: Kits and weight gain

« on: August 04, 2006, 04:48:01 PM »

Joyce,
Congratulations on your first kits!
Concerning their weight, the Joy of Chinchillas says that kits can lose up to 10% of their body weight in their first week. After that, look for a weight gain of approximately 20 grams per week. If they aren't gaining this much, then you would want to supplement.
If you know of a liquid that Mia likes, try diluting it with water and then syringe feeding her. I've had success doing that with yogurt and the soy shake mix I use.
lori

11

Health / Re: Heat Stroke here! Good out come

« on: July 15, 2006, 06:14:34 PM »

Debbie,
So sorry to hear about Dakota's experience. I haven't had experience with heatstroke with my chins but I do have some feedback for you concerning holding a chin that's seizing...
I nursed one of my chins, Cody, thru 2 years of epilepsy(of unknown origin - they call it idiopathic). It's a long story that I won't go into here, but due to that, I did sit out many seizures with Cody. Some of his seizures were quite severe, others were milder. At that time I wasn't working, and I was able to keep a real close eye on him, and usually could see the signs of a seizure coming on. He was quite smart about it, as well, and would always leave his sleeping ledge and come down to the bottom level of the cage before a seizure. The minute I saw something wasn't right with him, I would bring him out of the cage and wrap him loosely in a soft towel, and we'd go snuggle til it was over. If he was starting to convulse when I found him, holding him actually decreased the convulsing. It's like each convulsion would start another convulsion, unless he was being held. And I was not holding or restraining him tightly - but apparently it was enough to calm his muscles.
This is in direct contrast of any advice I'd ever seen concerning how to care for a chin that's having a seizure (ie don't touch them - let them go thru it and come out of it naturally). But time and time again, I went thru this with Cody and holding him was what worked best at calming him down. Trying to treat his epilepsy was done totally by the seat of my(and my vet's) pants, and I had to learn to trust my instincts. We actually found a teeny amount of phenobarbitol very helpful, and it reduced his seizures to about 1/ month. He was a truly great chin, and was probobaly one of the most playful chins I've ever had. He passed away about a year ago and we still miss his antics in the animal room...I would definately recommend holding a chin during an episode like Dakota had. If there was anything wrong or inappropriate about it, you would know right off. Anyway, this is long winded after all, but feel free to email me if you want more details. One of these days I'll write an article about it, as I never really found anyone else who had a chin with idiopathic epilepsy. I do hope Dakota doesn't have any more. PS, he looks like a good kisser!
Lori