Chinchilla Stretching Weird, But It's Not Bloat!

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BoCo_Chinchilla

New member
Joined
May 30, 2019
Messages
1
Location
Boulder, Colorado
Hello! This is my first post about my chinchilla and I am just out of answers! I explain everything below, but basically he’s stretching like he’s bloated, but it’s periodic (days or weeks apart), happens out of no where, his diet hasn’t changed and everything else is totally normal with him.

I’ve had my chinchilla (the second one I’ve owned) for 6 years. He's a super affectionate male mosaic chinchilla (named Raffael), and a couple months ago I moved from New York City to Boulder, Colorado (drove cross-country) and he did great! No problems at all!

*Quick background note: The breeder where I got my first chinchilla like 20 years ago told us that Timothy hay isn’t good for chins (which according to basically everyone, is wrong). But I never gave any to Raff.*

The vet here in Boulder said Timothy hay would be good for him, so recently I gave him a small amount of Timothy hay just once, and about a day later he started stretching out all weird. He would push his stomach downward and stretch his back legs out, and sometimes roll onto his back and stretch, and twist his body around.

I know this usually means the chinchilla is bloated (Tympany) however he was still eating normally, peeing and pooping normally, and had no change at all in his energy or overall behavior. And he stopped after about a day or 2.
I talked to my vet on the phone, but he couldn’t diagnose it, and he said it wouldn’t really help to bring Raff into the office because he’s all normal except the stretching.

I stopped giving Raff the Timothy hay immediately, and the stretching stopped for a couple weeks, but periodically he starts again! It's painful for me to watch cuz he looks super uncomfortable, but he doesn’t make any kind of pain noise, he’s perky and jumping around, and it doesn't hurt him at all if I rub his stomach or play with him same as I always do.

I have barely changed his diet or treats throughout his whole life, so there is no reason he should be bloated. And when I listen to his stomach it’s not making any popping or cracking noises that I read could come with Tympany.

I am totally out of answers, I have no clue why he’s stretching like this so randomly, so if anyone else has experienced this please let me know!!
Thanks, I appreciate it so much!!
 
Stretching can also be a sign of gas or even pain. He could be getting gassy but is able to sort it himself through stretching.

I find it odd that the breeder would say timothy is bad for chins, unless they were being fed a timothy based pellet, then you should be feeding alfalfa primarily. Timothy is actually the best hay to be feeding it's the most balanced and is most chin's primary food. So if you don't feed timothy hay what kind are you feeding him? Also what are you feeding for pellets? I know you said you haven't changed anything but perhaps poor/improper diet has caught up with him?
 
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