pyometra....again???

I'm so sorry your chin is going through this.
Hope she gets well soon.
Here is some info.Vaginitis is an irritation of the vagina. It may happen independently or with Metritis. When it happens independently, there maybe many causes, anything that can cause irritations, wounding. Rarely it can happen indirectly due to cold surface that touches the area or ingestion of very cold water, but then it's usually metro-vaginitis. Vaginitis can be caused by entrapment of wood chips or other bedding material in the vagina, causing a foreign body reaction. If you use shavings replace them with fleece liners at least for now.
Treatment starts with washing the area ( tepid water injections, comfrey extract mixed with warm water or mild astringents into vagina) 2-3 times daily (comfrey extract once daily) and lubricating.
Peeing can be painful, constipation maybe present and there is lot's of itching, so chins lick the area a lot. The temperature of the canal is increased, walls are dry.
Often vaginitis come with Metritis, inflammation of the uterus. "Chinchillas with metritis may have anorexia, agalactia, abnormal gait, high fever, swollen discolored vulva, and a malodorous, mucopurulent vaginal discharge. Kits are at risk of infection through contact with infected discharge. Early detection and treatment are essential because affected females can develop a severe, fatal septicemia with sudden deterioration and death. Oxytocin induces uterine contractions and expulsion of mucopurulent debris. The reproductive tract can be irrigated with an antiseptic solution, followed by sulfathiazole in mineral oil, using a small rubber catheter to deliver the solution into the uterus. Appropriate systemic antibiotics should be administered and general support provided." from http://merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/171509.htm
What color is discharge, is it smelly?
To treat Metritis Homeopathic Veterinarians recommend blue cohosh, white dead nettle, goldenseal and echinacea.
Be sure to add probiotics (highest count you can get, 50 billion is good).Probiotics should be given approximately 2 hours after the antibiotics.

I told her to contact Angie so she can speak with a vet who may be experienced in this particular illness. I figured better than us guessing at something we've never experienced ourselves.

Good info Tanya.

Tanya: the discharge is white and has no smell. It has the consistency of hand-lotion. She doesnt seem to have any problems peeing, though poops are smaller than usual...maybe due to the meds? Im giving probiotics with every Critical Care feed. And yeah I know that CC comes with antibiotics, its just that import regulations into NZ mean that CC has to be irradiated before coming into the country, thus killing off all the probiotics. I have no idea what MAF (the folk who control import biosecurity) expects will come crawling out of the CC package....maybe they think there's no acidophilus in NZ?? It would be funny if it wasnt such a pain in the backside...
Thanks for the info

Tunes: I got your PM, thanks. I've requested a copy of Jasmine's records, when they arrive I'll contact Angie and give her the details.

Just an update, Jasmine bit her wound and did a little bit of damage, so the collar had to go back on
We're giving her 2 x 2 hrs a day free of the collar, with close supervision. The wound is healing really well though. Back to the vets on thursday for her follow up...

Since report says that her uterus had no inflammation of the womb lining or sign of diseased tissue, but she still has S. aureus, your chin can have Vaginal Staphylococcus Aureus.

Yes, S.aureus can cause vaginitis. Your vet prescribed Marbofloxacin, it's used in veterinary medicine under the trade names Marbocyl and Zeniquin. It has an adverse effect on developing bones and joints, so it's not prescribed for young animals.Is usually effective against most Gram-negative bacteria and against some Gram-positive bacteria, including Staphylococcus.

S. aureus is hard to eliminate, it has become resistant to many commonly used antibiotics . Unfortunately not all cases respond to treatment. I know the cases when after many teatments with antibiotics it still persisted and was worsening. It's noticed that Goldenseal root increases antibiotics effect on S. aureus. http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/History/2008/Projects/J1401.pdf

Maybe associated with hypervitaminosis A. Feed should not be very high in vitamin A. How much Vitamin A is in your pellets?

Change dust often, Staphylococci may survive for long periods in dust. Keep the cage clean, spot cleaning should be done daily.

I hope Marbofloxacin clears it, but if it does not, I strongly recommend to try oregano oil ( and immune-enhancing herbs).Oregano oil has been found to have extremely effective properties against Staphylococcus aureus. Showing a higher effectiveness than 18 currently used drugs. And it's safe for chins.

Hi guys. Jasmine seems to be much better. We havent seen any discharge for four days now, though she still has another four days of Marbofloxacin, just to be sure.
She's regained her appetite and has been feeding voluntarily! As a result she's gained back the weight she lost, and even put another 5g on top of that! Poops are looking almost normal again, and Jasmine is back to her feisty self heheh.

Tanya: she's not dusting at the moment because of her surgical wound, and I'm changing the cage liners about 3 times a day.

Back to the vets at the end of next week....I'm pretty hopeful now that we've got control over this. Phew! Thanks so much for all your help and well wishes guys *big hugs* to you all
:grouphug:

Wonderful news! I'm so glad to hear Jasmine is felling better!

That's excellent news, Amanda. Go Jasmine.