I didn't feel this post should go into the emergency section as I'm fairly certain it isn't an emergency at least yet. It's been ages since I've posted... I'm a bad chinnie momma. My girls have been doing well for a while now. They are both over 700 grams. Recently however Trixie developed some loose stools. I noticed it immediately and knew it was only one chinchilla because it was spread evenly throughout the cage with regular poos mixed in. The poops are a very light brown and are a bit squishy.
For those who do not know my back story (and most may not as I haven't posted in forever) I have two standard grey females. They are sisters and are about a year and five months old. I have had them since they were just under 8 weeks old. Both have been happy, healthy and steadily gaining weight since I got them. However, they've tapered off a bit in weight which I assume is normal at this age.
On Friday night I had my nephews stay the night. They are five months, two years, and five years old. They were here overnight and until about 6 pm Saturday evening. They are well, boys. So you can imagine this was a bit of an environmental change for the girls. I am hoping and praying the change in poos is due to this change. I noticed the odd looking poops Sunday and immediately cleaned up poos and separated the girls to figure out who was producing them.
I also weighed both girls. I fear my weights aren't extremely accurate as I had to put them on a scale in a cardboard box (with plenty of holes of course) in order to weigh them. When they were younger I could get them to sit on the scale for long enough to get a weight now they refuse to behave. Trixie is 708 grams and Pixie 750. There has always been a bit of a gap between the two girls with Pixie being a bit larger.
My concern is a think there has been a bit of weight loss in both girls. They look a little smaller/less fluffy. However, I wonder if some of that could be due to the increased humidity in summer. I was also led to believe chinchillas go through a bad hair time period? I see more shedding and weird loose fur than I did when they were younger. I have gotten them into the vet for tomorrow but I am already seeing normal poops from Trixie mixed in with the abnormal ones. Could the change just be stress? Trixie has always been a bit more high strung than Pixie. I believe they are both eating and drinking normally. I have had them separated since yesterday afternoon so I can keep an eye on Trixie. If the vet check comes back good should I wait to put them back together? Anything I should be concerned about with that? They've been together since the day they were born.
For those who do not know my back story (and most may not as I haven't posted in forever) I have two standard grey females. They are sisters and are about a year and five months old. I have had them since they were just under 8 weeks old. Both have been happy, healthy and steadily gaining weight since I got them. However, they've tapered off a bit in weight which I assume is normal at this age.
On Friday night I had my nephews stay the night. They are five months, two years, and five years old. They were here overnight and until about 6 pm Saturday evening. They are well, boys. So you can imagine this was a bit of an environmental change for the girls. I am hoping and praying the change in poos is due to this change. I noticed the odd looking poops Sunday and immediately cleaned up poos and separated the girls to figure out who was producing them.
I also weighed both girls. I fear my weights aren't extremely accurate as I had to put them on a scale in a cardboard box (with plenty of holes of course) in order to weigh them. When they were younger I could get them to sit on the scale for long enough to get a weight now they refuse to behave. Trixie is 708 grams and Pixie 750. There has always been a bit of a gap between the two girls with Pixie being a bit larger.
My concern is a think there has been a bit of weight loss in both girls. They look a little smaller/less fluffy. However, I wonder if some of that could be due to the increased humidity in summer. I was also led to believe chinchillas go through a bad hair time period? I see more shedding and weird loose fur than I did when they were younger. I have gotten them into the vet for tomorrow but I am already seeing normal poops from Trixie mixed in with the abnormal ones. Could the change just be stress? Trixie has always been a bit more high strung than Pixie. I believe they are both eating and drinking normally. I have had them separated since yesterday afternoon so I can keep an eye on Trixie. If the vet check comes back good should I wait to put them back together? Anything I should be concerned about with that? They've been together since the day they were born.
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