1st Chin Vet visit & sticky medicine

[Lulilac]

Okay, so maybe I was over reacting.

On Friday morning I came down to say good morning to my chinchillas. I noticed that Barnaby hadn't eaten any hay AND that the oats I'd scattered over his Oxbow kibble the night before were still there. That was strange, becuase B is usually an oats vacuum cleaner. When he refused his breakfast yogurt treat, I started to get really worried. I tried to give him an oat but he was not interested. I know its a big deal when the little monsters won't eat. Also, I'd bee thinking he was pretty skinny compared to my other chin.

So, I called around to some vets and was referred to a vet clinic that had expertise on Chins (I hadn't found one yet). I looked at their site and they had pretty detailed info about the care of chins so I thought they'd be okay. Also, the first check up visit was FREE so I thought, well, this might be traumatic for Barnaby, but better be safe than sorry.

So, I trundled him into his carrier. He was NOT happy. The carrier wiggled quite a bit. He calmed down by the time we got there.

So, vet looked at B and said he was a handsome chin and that, though smaller than the average chin (she sees a lot of obese chins!), he wasn't too skinny and looked healthy. She felt his tummy and said there didn't seem to be any hardness or antying there so it was okay. Then, she took him out of the room to examine his teeth which she said looked really good. His temp was normal.

So, then she asked if I wanted him tested for infection and for kidney/liver stuff and she gave me an estimate. The tests would cost $200 but I said sure, since the consultation itself was free and I wanted to be sure.

20 minutes later she comes back his him wiggling like crazy in his carrier. She said he fought them all the way and they coudln't get a blood sample. Since they weren't able to test him, I didn't have to pay for the exams so that was good.

She gave me a small vial of pink sweet liquid and a, um, squirter thing and told me to give him the medicine twice a dailly. It was nice to leave the vets having only paid $10 for the medicine. I'm sure this won't happen again.

So, later I tried to squirt the medicine into B's mouth. Um, yeah. There is just one of me and I only have two hands and it didn't go well. Poor Barnaby now has sticky stuff in his fur on one side of his mouth and on the top of his head. How do I get that out? Do I just cut the affected hair? Or will it wear off after several dust baths? Do I try to comb it out?


I ended up giving him the meds but squirtiing a drop on my finger which he happily licked off. He seems to be eating better now. I gave him a few oats yesterday evenign and they were gone this morning and I think he ate some of his Oxbow kibble. He really does not find the kibble very apetizing. He did gnaw on a few strands of hay as well. His poop was very small & there wasn't much of it after the visit, but there is more of it now. It is still small compared to my other chin's poops though.

So, there you go. My first chin vet visit. What should I do about the sticky stuff? Also, is it normal for chins to only eat a few little kibbles here and there? He doesn't like the Oxbow. I just stopped giving him Charlie Chinchilla because I knew its not the best for him, especially since he was only eat the potato chip things. I game him bits of it for a while there as treats but now he is off CC completely. Maybe this is why he staged a hunger strike.

 

[Stackie]

Do you have a scale? If not, you should get a gram scale (you can find them in the Walmart food aisles) and weigh him to see if he is losing weight. You say he is skinny, can you feel his ribs? Is he noticeably smaller?

As for the medication, it sounds like the vet is just blindy treating something that she doesn't even know if it is there. You need to tell us was the medication is called. I'm guessing SMZ/TMZ as it is the only pink medication I have gotten. However I wouldn't be giving a medication just because. It sounds like the vet didn't know much of what to look for. SMZ is an antibiotic that is generally given if there is an infection present, and nothing here screams infection nor did the vet find anything from what it sounds. I would understand if gut motility drugs were prescribed.

There can be several reasons for a chinchilla going anorexic- impaction, bloat, injury, illness, etc. If he doesn't start eating more on his own very soon you will need to start handfeeding Critical Care. If a chin does not eat, the GI system can begin shutting down (called stasis) and it is a very painful and life threatening condition. Red flags should go up if he stops pooping and eating altogether and you will need to find a vet who knows what to look for. It could be that he's off the Charlie Chin, could be something else. Generally chins will boycott a healthy feed for awhile if their treat filled junk food is taken away, but they will not stop eating to the point that they go anorexic if nothing else healthwise is causing it.

Also, nix the yogurt drops. They are not safe for chinchillas. They can not process dairy and contain sugars that are unhealthy for the bacteria in the chinchilla's gut. Sugary treats have also been linked to dental caries (cavities).

 

[Lulilac]

Metoclopramide

The medicine she perscribed is Metoclopramide. It is a clear liquid with a pink blush to it. He is meant to get .02 millileters twice a day and she marked the exact place on the syringe. The syringe didn't work so well for us and resulted in a slightly sticky chinchilla who is now happily licking his dosages off my finger.

On Saturday, the vet called me to see if B was eating okay. She said that if he wasn't, I could hand feed him some pea baby food - not carrot or any kind of fruit. The fibre in the baby food might help him. What do you think of that advice?

Good news is that the pile of hay I left on his shelf this morning is mostly gone. I checked, and he didn't push it overboard out of the cage or on to his cage floor. So, he must have eaten it! Also, fatter poops are in evidence. Should I still dose him the Metoclopramide? And, what should I do about the sticky fur?

Would it be okay for him to get a cherrio (maybe half a cherrio) every morning to replace the unhealthy yogurt treats? He likes them.


Lu :dance3:

 

[Sandi]

Absolutely do not feed him pea baby food! Not enough fiber and TOO much sugar in it and would make his condition worse.

Metoclopramide is a gut stimulant. To clean up the medicine off his fur you can use a baby wipe or moisten a towel with a little bit of warm water and then dry him up and offer a dust bath.

 

[Stackie]

As Sandi said, the Meto. is a gut stimulant so good thing she's not just treating with an antibiotic. That's why we ask that everyone be as specific in their posts as possible. )

Also like Sandi said, no on the pea baby food, for the reasons she stated. If he's not eating, like I said, he needs Critical Care. However it sounds like he is eating. Keep an eye on his intake and output levels. How long did she prescribe the Metoclopramide for?

A cherrio would be much better than the yogurt drops. Just remember to practice moderation when giving any treat, even the healthy kinds.

 

[mishellyshel]

there are some days that my chins do not eat all their food or hay. and the next day that same chin eats everything. im not saying there is nothing wrong with B, but sometimes they are just being their independant selves and do things on thier own time.

i like to give my boys 1 small treat a day. because when they dont eat that treat i know to keep my eye on them. good options that can be alternated are 1 cheerio or 1/2 of an unfrosted shredded wheat, 1 rose hip or pinch crushed, 1 small pinch old fashioned oats.

When I am administering meds or handfeeding and it gets on their fur, i usually just moisten a paper towel and wipe. for more stubborn liquids i have diluted a drop of baby shampoo and used that on a washcloth, followed by just a wet cloth to wipe any residue.

 

[Lulilac]

Thanks

Barnaby is supposed to take the medicine twice daily for five days. He does seem to be eating and pooping better now. Perhaps I was overreacting, or he was just being stubborn because I wasn't giving him his beloved Charlie Chinchilla. At least I've found a good chinchilla vet for the future.

Baby wipes or a moist paper towel are in B's immediate future! I thought I'd have to cut the tips off the fur that got sticky. He looks pretty dopey now with a crusty dollop of sticky stuff on his noggen. I'm sure he will be happy to be clean and gorgeous once again.

I will still be keeping an eye on him and his input/output.

Lu