can't get my chin to eat ):

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Kaiya

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2012
Messages
8
Location
Clarksville, TN
My chinchilla injured her foot and had to have it amputated. She seems to be recovering well, but we can't get her to eat. We're currently trying to force feed her, but she wont swallow, all the food just spills out the sides on her mouth. It's been like thins for about 2 days. Please help.
 
I have no advice what-so-ever, but wanted to tell you that I hope your chin is better soon...that must be awfully stressful to have her not eating.
 
Is the chin on any pain meds or antibiotics? What are you trying to feed and what is the delivery method? What is the consistancy of the feed? Describe the position of the chin when its being fed? What limb was amputated?
 
ticklechin said:
Is the chin on any pain meds or antibiotics? What are you trying to feed and what is the delivery method? What is the consistancy of the feed? Describe the position of the chin when its being fed? What limb was amputated?
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I have talked to my vet. I work in a grooming salon that also has a vet clinic. They say just keep trying ):. She has an appointment on Monday to be seen again.

She is not on any pain meds right now. They only gave her one dose for the day after surgery. she is onsulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, which i was told was for swelling and to help her not get an infection. given twice a day.

It was her hind right leg that was amputated. We give her the meds, then the food right after to get it over with in one try. We wrap her in a towel, not too tightly, and hold her back to my chest, supporting her hind leg in my right hand and my left hand around her upperbody. I make sure to keep it somewhat loose so i dont hurt her stitches. All the vet told us was to put pellets in water. When it's in the syringe it just looks like dirty water. I asked a couple people if that's how its supposed to be, but they never know.

She will take her meds easily. I wonder if it's because that syringe is smaller? Then we give her her water(food) in a larger syringe. She'll take the meds with no problem, but throws a fit and wont swallow the food. 2/3rds ends up just dripping down her body.
 
I had to force-feed my hurt chin with Oxbow Critical Care because it's more nutritious than watered down pellets, and the applesauce consistency is probably easier to eat. My vet carried it but you can also buy it online. Are you just putting the syringe on the side of her mouth? When I did that a lot of the food would just come out. When I force-fed, I had to put the syringe about roughly a centimeter down my chin's throat, and follow his mouth when he struggled (god i felt terrible doing it). But anyways he's doing fine now as he enjoys the taste of critical care and is eating his pellets again.

I put him on my lap with his back to my stomach and held him by his neck just tight enough so that he can't fit his big head through my fingers. It's also much easier to follow a struggling chin's head.

Personally I think its better to do give the medicine after the force-feed because chin's seem to like the taste of the medicine anyways, and it's like the treat they get for rewarding your chin for handling the force-feed.
 
The chin should be on pain meds. The leg hurts. If a chin hurts it won't eat. Get pain med. and then give the pain med. at least 1/2 hour before trying to force feed. It usually goes better that way
 
They put your chin on an antibiotic. It's to fight infection. If your vet was competent with the amputation, there wouldn't be any swelling. I've never seen more than a modicum of swelling after an amputation.

She needs pain meds. You need either Critical CAre or Essentials for Life. Since you're in TN, I would try contacting Tanya on here and have her overnight you some Essentials for life. My chins like it much better than the Critical Care. It's very fresh smelling and looking. Pellets with water is just mush. I wouldn't eat it either.

For now, grind up the pellets in a blender, add some 100% pure canned pumpkin (not pie filling stuff), and then add just enough water so you can get a thickish paste that will go through a syringe. You need a large opening syringe, like a catheter tip. A little one isn't going to work.

When you go to the vet on Monday, and I seriously stress going today instead, have him give her subcu fluids. IF she isn't eating, I doubt she's drinking. A chin that doesn't drink, will not eat, period. Get her hydrated, get a proper hand feeding formula, and get her eating.
 
My baby Wakka had to have her leg amputated and when she stopped eating I tried the same thing you are doing with the pellets and she would not eat it so I went to the vet and got critical care and the first few days was rough to get her to eat it but I finally found a consistency that she liked she liked hers warm and not to thick. But as for wetting the pellets and getting her to eat them she never would she spit it out all the time. Good luck I hope you can get her to eat soon and she gets better...
 
Nostrils said:
I had to force-feed my hurt chin with Oxbow Critical Care because it's more nutritious than watered down pellets, and the applesauce consistency is probably easier to eat. My vet carried it but you can also buy it online. Are you just putting the syringe on the side of her mouth? When I did that a lot of the food would just come out. When I force-fed, I had to put the syringe about roughly a centimeter down my chin's throat, and follow his mouth when he struggled (god i felt terrible doing it). But anyways he's doing fine now as he enjoys the taste of critical care and is eating his pellets again.

I put him on my lap with his back to my stomach and held him by his neck just tight enough so that he can't fit his big head through my fingers. It's also much easier to follow a struggling chin's head.

Personally I think its better to do give the medicine after the force-feed because chin's seem to like the taste of the medicine anyways, and it's like the treat they get for rewarding your chin for handling the force-feed.
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One of the vets recommended LifeLine from Chocolate Chinchillas.com, but they were sold out. Where would I buy Critical Care from?

When we force-feed it takes two people. I hold and my husband feeds. She struggles the whole time so he has to hold her head still. He tries to get her to eat from different angles, but never puts it down her throat. We were afraid she'd puke, but desperate times call for desperate measures, right?

She is in a horrible mood, not that i can blame her. When we open the cage she'll hiss, and sometimes even bark at us as we walk by. It makes me feel so awful that she's so hateful towards us. I hope she can get over it when she feels better.

The medicine does make sense! I thought it was so weird she'd take the meds easily, but not the food. We'll definitely do that!
 
tunes said:
They put your chin on an antibiotic. It's to fight infection. If your vet was competent with the amputation, there wouldn't be any swelling. I've never seen more than a modicum of swelling after an amputation.

She needs pain meds. You need either Critical CAre or Essentials for Life. Since you're in TN, I would try contacting Tanya on here and have her overnight you some Essentials for life. My chins like it much better than the Critical Care. It's very fresh smelling and looking. Pellets with water is just mush. I wouldn't eat it either.

For now, grind up the pellets in a blender, add some 100% pure canned pumpkin (not pie filling stuff), and then add just enough water so you can get a thickish paste that will go through a syringe. You need a large opening syringe, like a catheter tip. A little one isn't going to work.

When you go to the vet on Monday, and I seriously stress going today instead, have him give her subcu fluids. IF she isn't eating, I doubt she's drinking. A chin that doesn't drink, will not eat, period. Get her hydrated, get a proper hand feeding formula, and get her eating.
Click to expand...

I talked to my vet yesterday trying to see if they would see her sooner. I was worried about the drinking as well. I filled the water bottle to the logo so i could see if she'd been drinking, which she hasnt. The vet that works with chins isn't in until Monday ): I'll definitely have to try the blender thing! Is Tanya's name actually Tanya or does she have a screen name I should look up?
 
Lifeline is not a food replacement. It is a supplement in addition to a food replacement. A chin would not survive on just Lifeline. I do highly recommend Lifeline for after surgery and for ill chins though, just don't depend on it to keep her alive as her only food source.

I would be careful about sticking a syringe down a chin's throat. That is just asking for aspiration to occur.

You really need to burrito her. I wish I had a video to show you how I do it. I'll try and break it down as clearly as possible, because I worry about her struggling with an amputation.

1) Lay a thin dish towel across your chest, with one edge about mid-breast on one side.
2) Place her belly down on the dishtowel, close to the edge, so you have lots of towel left over to wrap.
3) Pull the shorter side up around her side, then quickly (and I mean quickly) wrap the longer side around and around until she's covered. You want it to be snug, but not tight, making sure all her limbs are inside.
4) After she's wrapped, and all the extra struggling limbs are secured, if you are right handed, put her between your left arm and your body, kind of like someone holding a football if they are going to run with it (ask your hubby if you're not sure, that's the only thing I can thing of to compare to).
5. Put your thumb on one side of her head, your index and middle finger on the top of her head, and the ring and pinky on the opposite side of the head. Do you and her a favor, practice the hold on a stuffy or a doll or something first so you know what I mean.

It is virtually impossible for her to get away when she is in that hold. I've had some of the meanest, roughest, wenchiest chins in that hold and when I want them to eat, they eat. If you have a struggler, it can be a lot like feeding a baby. More falls out than goes in. Use the syringe, scoop it up, shovel it back in - just like you would for a baby. As soon as you are done, wipe her mouth with a very barely damp washcloth or an unscented baby wipe. That stuff dries and piles up quick, and it is just nasty for them when it does.
 
Just got home from Jazz's check-up! Surprisingly Jazz is doing pretty well. The vet believes she isn't eating because she is pissed at us. The lady who checked us out after surgery was the only one there, and didn't really know what she was talking about, so they gave us the visit for free. She was the one who told us to force-feed if she didn't eat right away, which was wrong according to the vet. Jazz needed time to get back into the swing of things, and her losing a leg, being in a smaller cage, with stuff shoved down her throat just pissed her off so she reacted by barking/hissing at us and not eating.

Now Jazz is back in her regular cage. I was told to watch the food and water intake, but leave her alone for 48 hours to see if she gets over her mood.

I did get in contact with Tanya, but I haven't purchased any critical care yet. Would it still be wise too based on this new information?
 
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