Chin emergency! Diarrhea or blood? Assistance needed!

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Azalea

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Apr 6, 2010
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We just came back from vacation and Zia was being treated for hair-loss around her eye, the treatment was working because I came back home and her hair was back, BUT, I noticed some unknown liquid on the bottom of her cage. It looks and has the consistency of BBQ sauce, but I know for a fact that it's not good. I won't be able to get to the vet until tomorrow morning, so what should I do until then? I am trying to upload pictures but photobucket is not cooperating. Will put up asap.

Her bum was also wet, which I am guessing is from diarrhea.
 
It's possible it's urine. Was it on a bare spot? Chinchilla urine looks like blood. Scares most people the first time they see it. Are you sure it's the consistency of BBQ sauce or just the reddish/orange'ish color?

What was the treatment for the hair loss?
 
Is that a formed poo I see in her anus? It looks like mucousy diarrhea to me. I would take poo in for a fecal, but I would not stress the chin taking it in if it's having solid poops unless the vet requires it for the fecal ( some do, which I think it dumb... but I guess I'm not the vet)
 
It looks like she's just gotten urine that didn't soak into her liner on her. I don't see any diarrhea or any mucus...she's just wet from urine.

Sometimes chinchilla urine takes on a very reddish color because of the fluid level of the chin. It isn't unhealthy, it isn't a sign that anything at all is wrong. Does she have any mushy droppings?
 
@Riven, yes, it is. Ok, I'll call the vet tomorrow and see if they can do a fecal for her, without her being there.

@tunes, the medicine was Neomycin and Polymyxin B Sulfates, Bacitarin Zinc and Hydrocorisone Opthalmic Ointment USP.

@AZ Chins
her poop isn't mushy, but she hasn't been pooping as much as she used to.
 
She may not be making as many droppings because of stress. If she's acting normal and eating and if the droppings aren't runny or mushy, it's probably just urine on her.

The vet gave you a good Opthmalic ointment that will work to kill bacteria and clear up an eye infection. It shouldn't have too much of any impact on the chin's appetite or anything else beyond clearing up the eye. Did the vet say if she had an eye infection?

Sometimes the fleece liners just aren't very absorbent and the moisture can get right back onto the chinnies' undersides.
 
The one on the left looks like urine, but the right one I think looks more solid. I don't use fleece though, so I don't know if maybe it dries like that if it's concentrated...
 
The wet spot is urine. I have no clue what the solid thing is, unless as Riven says, that's what fleece does to it. I use shavings.

I also don't see any wet poo or mucous. I just see poo that hasn't quite made it's way out yet.

I also agree that eye drops should have nothing to do with poo, even if there was diarrhea. If you're worried, take in a stool sample. If it comes back all clear, all you've done is spent a little cash for peace of mind.
 
No idea what it is, but I've never seen fleece do that to urine. Could it be a heat plug or something? All boys so I have no idea what they look like.
 
The Second picture looks to be both urine spots, what your seeing is urine that has just started to soak into the fleece.. You can still see the picture on the fleece through the urine... See how it looks almost... How do I put this...umm bubbly or spotted... That's the fleece fibers ... Take some water put it on fleece watch as it soaks into the fleece.. which takes a while ... At one point it will resemble this just as it has started to soak in...

For peace of mind you could watch for more pee... Perhaps use paper towel for a few hours and check her pee...

And as a thought incase I'm wrong about the fleece, have you tried to play with the 'substance' to see if it really does have an odd consistency? Personally if I were going to have a test done it would be a urine test because it really does look to be urine, both because of size, color and proximity to the other spot that we know is urine... Its more than likely urine...
 
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Thanks for your help everyone. I think I'll take in a stool sample, and if I'm still freaking out then I'll take in a urine. You guys are more experienced than I, so I will take your advice.
 
melbur10 said:
And as a thought incase I'm wrong about the fleece, have you tried to play with the 'substance' to see if it really does have an odd consistency? Personally if I were going to have a test done it would be a urine test because it really does look to be urine, both because of size, color and proximity to the other spot that we know is urine... Its more than likely urine...
Click to expand...

I thought maybe the other spot was a chewed up wood piece that got peed on...or just looks more solid because of the lighting. It definitely looks like urine on something there...If it something solid, it is doesn't look like it came out of a chinchilla.
 
Susan, it does look like a chewed up piece of wood. She did have some red kool-aid dyed sticks the other day, would that be a culprit, or even possible?
 
The spot on the left looks like urine. I see stuff like that on my metal pans (chins dig up their liners) Usually pee gets absorbed by the liner right away, I've never seen anything like that sitting on it.
 
Yeah, I would guess that is a piece of the wood. The one thing is definitely urine and nothing to panic about. I bet Susan is right and the other is peed on wood.
 
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