Long, curved poop with pointed ends?

[llough]

Hi everyone,

My chinchilla will be three months old on Aug. 4 and I've had her for three weeks. Yesterday I noticed she started having these unusual longer, slightly curved poops with pointy ends (not like POINTY, pointy, but definitely less round). They are still the same dark color and are moist. Could this be constipation? Everything I've read about constipation says that the poop would be round, small and hard, but this doesn't seem like diarrhea to me at all. I gave her Petromalt last night, in case she had a hairball, and this morning I changed her water to plain water (I was putting a small bit of the liquid vitamins from ChinWorld in it), in case she didn't like the taste and wasn't drinking. She is still eating pellets and hay, but I don't think in the quantities that she used to. She's also more lethargic - she will still come out to play, but usually she wants to stay out forever, and yesterday she actually hopped on my hands to go back in her cage and this morning she hopped around a bit and then settled down behind a box. She's also been using her Chinchiller ALOT, even though it's the exact same temp. and humidity in my apartment (I have a digital thermostat). Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[Rickman]

With a good quality pellet, chins don't need vitamins! What are you using? Are you giving treats? If so, what?
I'm very leary of things produced "for chins" as they're usually produced for "giant profit", and unnecessary!
I've never had a chin with "hairballs" in 10 yrs. and 200+ chins - toss the Petromalt!
Get some LifeLine from chocolatechinchillas.com if you want to spend money on something good for your chin!
Get back to us after a week without the additives, or treats - I'll bet she's fine!

 

[luneseulepiec]

eeesh, ditch the petromalt. >_<

 

[llough]

Hm, I will have to check which vitamin when I get home. I would have stayed home with her today but I have to pass an exam or i'm pretty sure the dean of my medical school will kick me out. I'm giving her Mazuri pellets (is that good?) and Timothy Hay. I will definitely get rid of the Petromalt and vitamins. I'm not giving her treats right now, except maybe a small piece of shredded wheat or a few oats once or twice a week because I thought you weren't really supposed to give chinchillas under six months treats? I am so relieved to here that she is probably ok! I think I've just been an anxious new chinparent recently, especially when she's a baby.

 

[Sugarmama]

Usually pointy ends indicate dehydration. I would stop the treats completely--especially the shredded wheat, because all that fiber and lack of hydration is going to make things worse.

I'd make sure the water was very fresh, and mark her water bottle so you can see how much she's drinking. If you want to know that she's peeing okay, you can line the cage with paper towels.

 

[Laurie]

I haven't known chins to get hairballs. The only animals I know that get hairballs are cats. I was not happy with Mazuri. I switched my chins to Nutrena Rabbit Pellet and have not had any issues since the switch. Before the switch every so often Bobo and Leonard would get soft poos. Chins really need nothing other than quality pellets and hay and fresh filtered water--that's it. Treats are not necessary to their well being at all, although it makes us feel great to give them treats!
During the warmer weather I don't allow my chins out for playtime. Nope I do not do it. They do not need the added stress at all. And honestly chins do not die without playtime. They don't need it either. Again, it is something that we find enjoyment it. If they shelves and ledges to leap on and a wheel to run on they never even need to leave their cage. Whenever you see lethargy in a chin that is not related to recent playtime or perhaps a bit of warmer weather it is cause for alarm. If you feel poo issues still exist I would pull the pellets altogether for a couple of days and feed timothy hay only to see if it fixes itself.

 

[Dolyphinm]

Some chins have loose or soft poos on Mazuri, and some do just fine on it.

 

[NOLA Chins]

Poos 'can' have pointy ends without problems. If they are long, moist and black I wouldn't worry too much if all other functions are normal. Keep an eye on the situation.

Chins can get hairballs- our vet removed it from a chin, I saw it, even have a big glossy picture of it. Common? No, I would say rather extremely rare. But possible.

My chins get out for regular playtime all year around. But we have A/C.

 

[llough]

Thank you so much! I recently am switching my chinchilla over from Mazuri to Oxbow pellets (another thread on here recommended it). She seems to be back to normal now, which is so wonderful! What would you guys usually do for dehydration/constipation other than to pull the pellets?