HedgeMom
09-02-2007, 05:00 PM
Originally posted on 4/30/03
FAQ Diarrhea
Diarrhea FAQ
Symptoms:
Soft, sticky, squishy droppings. They may smell. In severe cases it can be runny.
Causes:
Bad hay; algae in the water bottle; too many treats; too much alfalfa; ingestion of a foreign substance; bacteria; parasites; Enteritis
Preventions/Treatments:
Bad hay: Hay should be fresh and sweet smelling when you stick your nose in it. It should appear faded green to yellowish beige. Do not confuse hay with straw, which has less nutritional value. Straw is pale white beige all the way through and very dry. It is from a grain plant that has been allowed to mature to seed so a great many nutrients are lost. If the hay smells bad or dusty, if it’s moldy or mildewed discard it immediately.
Algae in the water bottle: While water bottles are essential, they must be kept clean. Algae are tiny plants that grow in water. All they need are sunlight and water with nutrients in it. Tap water has tons of nutrients. Sit it in the sun and it’ll turn green. Long before it turns green it’ll make the walls of the bottle feel slimy. Check the bottle when you refill it every day to make sure it’s clean. Once a week scrub and sanitize the water bottles, stoppers and nozzles or tips. Do not allow the bottle to sit in direct sunlight.
Too many treats: Treats with high sugar content or high moisture content can cause diarrhea. One raisin a day, a raisin size bit of dried apple, a Cheerio are fine. By giving in to the cute, adorable, absolutely precious begging with “just one more” treat, you are killing your chin with love.
Too much alfalfa: Alfalfa is a very rich legume hay. It is much too rich for chinchillas and should be fed sparingly. Timothy, a grass hay, is much more suitable for their digestive systems. To safely switch, gradually mix in a small amount of Timothy into the Alfalfa. Add a bit more Timothy every day or so until the switch is complete. Changing drastically may cause a chin to quit eating the hay.
All of the above circumstances can be treated at home. Treatment is pretty simple. Remove the cause first, then give the chin either a spoon size shredded wheat (NOT sugar coated) or Weetabix cereal. Burned toast is also good. Burned means in the toaster until it’s black and there is no moisture left in it. Dry dry dry. Feed one inch squares a couple of times a day. If it begins with runny diarrhea, remove the pellet and feed only Timothy and water for 24 hours. If there is no change, it’s time to see a vet.
The next four all fall into the medical emergency class. While most people would not say that bacteria or parasites are medical emergencies, in the case of chinchillas, there is little time to spare. They don’t show illness right away and they can fail extremely rapidly. Do not waste time looking for other opinions if you suspect any of the following. It is much better to be embarrassed because you didn’t really need the vet than to be ashamed that you put it off too long.
Ingestion of foreign substance: Chins explore their world with their mouths. If they can get to it, they’ll chew it. If you suspect your chin has eaten something he shouldn’t, see a vet immediately. Plastic, metal or wood can all cause intestinal blockages. House plants can be toxic. The people who owned the house before you may have hidden rodent poison behind the radiators. Always be extremely observant of your chins when they are not in their habitats.
Bacteria, Parasites and Enteritis: Chins are susceptible to most of the bacteria that we are. E. coli and salmonella are just two. Parasites most commonly found in chins are Giardia, Coccidia and Pseudomonas. Cleanliness is paramount to good chin health. Remove soiled food immediately. Keep the bedding clean and the cage clean. Throw away anything you can’t wash or sand. Make sure your water source is sanitary. Do not allow contact between strange chinchillas that haven’t been quarantined. Keep mice and rats out of the bedding, food and cages. Field mice moving into the house for winter can scavenge at the bottom of a cage and bring in dangerous bacteria.
In addition to diarrhea, you may see a loss of appetite, partial paralysis, hunched back from a painful tummy. The chin may cry when you pick him up. It cannot be stressed enough that this requires immediate treatment. There is nothing pet owner can do to intervene. A chin with any of these conditions requires diagnosis and treatment by a professional. Treatment includes anti-protozoal agents, antibiotics and supportive therapy. Even with professional intervention, enteritis is frequently fatal. Parasites are highly contagious. Quarantine of an infected chin is mandatory.
FAQ Diarrhea
Diarrhea FAQ
Symptoms:
Soft, sticky, squishy droppings. They may smell. In severe cases it can be runny.
Causes:
Bad hay; algae in the water bottle; too many treats; too much alfalfa; ingestion of a foreign substance; bacteria; parasites; Enteritis
Preventions/Treatments:
Bad hay: Hay should be fresh and sweet smelling when you stick your nose in it. It should appear faded green to yellowish beige. Do not confuse hay with straw, which has less nutritional value. Straw is pale white beige all the way through and very dry. It is from a grain plant that has been allowed to mature to seed so a great many nutrients are lost. If the hay smells bad or dusty, if it’s moldy or mildewed discard it immediately.
Algae in the water bottle: While water bottles are essential, they must be kept clean. Algae are tiny plants that grow in water. All they need are sunlight and water with nutrients in it. Tap water has tons of nutrients. Sit it in the sun and it’ll turn green. Long before it turns green it’ll make the walls of the bottle feel slimy. Check the bottle when you refill it every day to make sure it’s clean. Once a week scrub and sanitize the water bottles, stoppers and nozzles or tips. Do not allow the bottle to sit in direct sunlight.
Too many treats: Treats with high sugar content or high moisture content can cause diarrhea. One raisin a day, a raisin size bit of dried apple, a Cheerio are fine. By giving in to the cute, adorable, absolutely precious begging with “just one more” treat, you are killing your chin with love.
Too much alfalfa: Alfalfa is a very rich legume hay. It is much too rich for chinchillas and should be fed sparingly. Timothy, a grass hay, is much more suitable for their digestive systems. To safely switch, gradually mix in a small amount of Timothy into the Alfalfa. Add a bit more Timothy every day or so until the switch is complete. Changing drastically may cause a chin to quit eating the hay.
All of the above circumstances can be treated at home. Treatment is pretty simple. Remove the cause first, then give the chin either a spoon size shredded wheat (NOT sugar coated) or Weetabix cereal. Burned toast is also good. Burned means in the toaster until it’s black and there is no moisture left in it. Dry dry dry. Feed one inch squares a couple of times a day. If it begins with runny diarrhea, remove the pellet and feed only Timothy and water for 24 hours. If there is no change, it’s time to see a vet.
The next four all fall into the medical emergency class. While most people would not say that bacteria or parasites are medical emergencies, in the case of chinchillas, there is little time to spare. They don’t show illness right away and they can fail extremely rapidly. Do not waste time looking for other opinions if you suspect any of the following. It is much better to be embarrassed because you didn’t really need the vet than to be ashamed that you put it off too long.
Ingestion of foreign substance: Chins explore their world with their mouths. If they can get to it, they’ll chew it. If you suspect your chin has eaten something he shouldn’t, see a vet immediately. Plastic, metal or wood can all cause intestinal blockages. House plants can be toxic. The people who owned the house before you may have hidden rodent poison behind the radiators. Always be extremely observant of your chins when they are not in their habitats.
Bacteria, Parasites and Enteritis: Chins are susceptible to most of the bacteria that we are. E. coli and salmonella are just two. Parasites most commonly found in chins are Giardia, Coccidia and Pseudomonas. Cleanliness is paramount to good chin health. Remove soiled food immediately. Keep the bedding clean and the cage clean. Throw away anything you can’t wash or sand. Make sure your water source is sanitary. Do not allow contact between strange chinchillas that haven’t been quarantined. Keep mice and rats out of the bedding, food and cages. Field mice moving into the house for winter can scavenge at the bottom of a cage and bring in dangerous bacteria.
In addition to diarrhea, you may see a loss of appetite, partial paralysis, hunched back from a painful tummy. The chin may cry when you pick him up. It cannot be stressed enough that this requires immediate treatment. There is nothing pet owner can do to intervene. A chin with any of these conditions requires diagnosis and treatment by a professional. Treatment includes anti-protozoal agents, antibiotics and supportive therapy. Even with professional intervention, enteritis is frequently fatal. Parasites are highly contagious. Quarantine of an infected chin is mandatory.