Does chin poo smell?

[pinkpiggy1989]

I have 5 chins, and I've never noticed any smell coming from their poo, except for the one I just recently got a few days ago. I was holding her on my chest while I was sitting in the chair and noticed a bad smell that I thought was her fur but its actually coming from her poo. None of my other chins' smells. Is this normal? Could it have anything to do with her being nervous? I just got her 3 days ago. :err:

 

[leni]

What does it look like? None of mine have stinky poo. Their urine has an odor but I thought their poos were supposed to be odorless.

 

[pinkpiggy1989]

It looks almost normal. I did noticed they were a little 'wet' feeling almost? Not soft or mushy, but there was a bit of moisture on them. My others usually have dry, odorless poo so I'm just a bit concerned. I know poo is one thing that may indicate illness.

 

[Luci]

typically, a healthy chins poop will be odorless. what is the consistency of the poop?

it could be an intestinal bacteria that is making the poop smell bad.

 

[CrazyForChinchillas]

I would take it to the vet, if you haven't already for a check up just to make sure it is doing well.
The only time one of my chinchillas droppings had odor was when he had Giardiasis. It was soft also. He was treated and it cleared up, but we had to wash everything in his cage...ledges, etc.

 

[alli713]

If you smell the poop is that what smells? I know that's kind of gross smelling the poop, but I just wanted to make sure it wasn't her making the scent. Chins do have a scent gland and sometimes when scared they make a smell, it's hard to describe though.

 

[pinkpiggy1989]

If you smell the poop is that what smells? I know that's kind of gross smelling the poop, but I just wanted to make sure it wasn't her making the scent. Chins do have a scent gland and sometimes when scared they make a smell, it's hard to describe though.

Yeah, I know all about that glad, haha. Yes, grossly I did smell her poo and that is the problem. I'm kind of wondering her being nervous in a new environment could be to blame? I've only had her for 3 days. And when I hold her she lays calm but with each stroke as I pet her, she shivers as if shes scared?

Also, the woman I got her from said she did have a kit(about 3 weeks ago) but that the kit did not make it? So I'm thinking it could be stress related?

 

[pinkpiggy1989]

Des everyone think this sounds like Gardia? Is there ANY way it could have to do with stress??

I was reading that Gardia causes odor, and runny poo. Her poo is not runny, but I can smoosh it in a paper towel?(if that makes sense) I was trying to get some poo from one of my other chins but OF COURSE they don't want to poo. THIS HAS TO BE A FIRST! But it also said she wont eat or drink, but shes doing that fine.

I'm really leaning towards the stress, because so much has happened to her in the past few weeks and then being thrown into a new environment. Is there anyway stress could cause any of her symptoms?

 

[GorillaJTA]

It sounds like a nervous poop to me. If her poops are consistently solid and this is an incidence only when you hold her, then I would think nerves before disease.

 

[ticklechin]

Poo with a foul odor usually means a infection of the intestinal tract and should be seen by a vet.

 

[pinkpiggy1989]

It sounds like a nervous poop to me. If her poops are consistently solid and this is an incidence only when you hold her, then I would think nerves before disease.

I'm really not sure. I have found several mushy poops in her cage as well. Should I wait it out and see how things go for a few days? I'm just worried of anything spreading to my other chins. And I REALLY do not have the money to be able to afford a vet right now. :/

Also, the smell is not an un-godly awful odor, but its not pleasant either.

 

[GorillaJTA]

If it is not an isolated occurance, then I would get it checked out and separate her from your other chins.

 

[Claire D]

I'm really not sure. I have found several mushy poops in her cage as well. Should I wait it out and see how things go for a few days? I'm just worried of anything spreading to my other chins. And I REALLY do not have the money to be able to afford a vet right now. :/

Also, the smell is not an un-godly awful odor, but its not pleasant either.

Without wishing to be rude .......

Why did you take on another chin if you can't afford a vet for her? She is quarantined completely away from your other chins, yes?
Did the breeder you got her from tell you what caused the death of the kit & when it died (how old was it)?

If the female had a kit 3 weeks ago which did not survive & she now has mushy poop she needs vet - now.
She needs to be checked for faecal problems & also needs to be thoroughly examined to make sure she has not retained or picked up anything from the pregnancy.

 

[pinkpiggy1989]

Without wishing to be rude .......

Why did you take on another chin if you can't afford a vet for her? She is quarantined completely away from your other chins, yes?
Did the breeder you got her from tell you what caused the death of the kit & when it died (how old was it)?

If the female had a kit 3 weeks ago which did not survive & she now has mushy poop she needs vet - now.
She needs to be checked for faecal problems & also needs to be thoroughly examined to make sure she has not retained or picked up anything from the pregnancy.

The woman I got her from didn't take out the hammock in the cage, and she would lay in it for hours and leave the baby on the ground. She said the kit only lived for 2 days, because the mother was ignoring it(which I think would have been prevented if she removed the hammock).

Yes, she is separated.

And her poo is mushy, but it doesn't smear? I checked some poo from one of my other chins, and his appeared to be the same, but no shine, and no odor. When I said hers had a 'shine' its not like oily, just moist? ***EDIT: I did 'mush' one of my male chins poops, and smelled it, and it did have the same odor to it? Is poo supposed to be !00% odorless? I can't smell it unless its close to my face. When it noticed hers, she was sitting on my chest.***

I also know, that she wasn't fed the best diet. She was fed several blueberries/cranberries/raisins daily. And I didn't ask, but while I was picking her up I didn't see any hay available in any of the cages, nor did I see bags laying around anywhere? Maybe a poor diet could be the problem? She was already on Mazuri(which is what I use as well) so I've added timmy and alfalfa hay to her diet as well. And a single oat per day as a 'treat'.

 

[pinkpiggy1989]

I also just sent an email to her previous owner, and she said that she noticed right after she gave birth her poops were lighter and softer. She believes its the stress from birth and then losing the baby. She said she would give her a plain mini wheat and it would make everything solid again.

 

[Claire D]

This would be the same breeder who fed this poor chin a crappy diet & who probably allowed the kit to die because she could not be bothered to remove a hammock from a cage, yes?
If she cannot provide proper diet & husbandry for a pregnant chin & then for the kit who needs it's mother to feed it, then I have to ask why you would listen to her advice over this forum?

The chin should see a vet. It could be diet but why take the risk? If you want to mess with home treatments then it is, of course, entirely your decision.

 

[starleomach]

The chinchilla needs a vet, even with moms having smooshy poop the day they give birth (usually just that day) it does not smell. Smelly poop is a sign of a bigger problem. She needs a vet,. If you can't pay for a vet you should not take on more animals

 

[Cuddlebug]

Just a quick note: stress can weaken the immune system, causing the animal to to become ill. So, yes, stress could be the cause, but that does not mean that the animal is not sick. Take her to a vet, please.

 

[Anna]

Des everyone think this sounds like Gardia? Is there ANY way it could have to do with stress??

I was reading that Gardia causes odor, and runny poo. Her poo is not runny, but I can smoosh it in a paper towel?(if that makes sense) I was trying to get some poo from one of my other chins but OF COURSE they don't want to poo.

Two of my chinchillas have had Giardia and it wasn't runny. It was larger than usual, slick, like you mentioned and it squished easily. With Furby he would step on it and it would squish and get everywhere, and it did smell a little bit. The point it, you can't tell without a Giardia test. It's extremely communicable and you shouldn't be handling one after the other without thoroughly washing your hands, let alone have them near each other. They don't get better on their own, you need to take the chinchilla to the vet.

 

[ticklechin]

If you can't afford a vet visit-and this is a basic exam visit not something earth shattering like a surgery, then you are not doing your chin right, you are responsible for the care of your animals and to withold a vet visit and aquire more chins in the mean time is not cool. Newbie owners should never self vet, IMO, it takes experience and a good working relationship with your vet to do it in some cases, and frankly self vetting foul odored poo is irresponsible since it often requires testing and antibiotics.