Small poops - should I be concerned?

[jess32247]

I woke up today to check on my chin like I always do and noticed that her poops were smaller then usual, a noticeable diffrent from her normal sized waste. Should I be concerned at all? About 70% were smaller then usual, there was some normal sized poo too.

She hasn't been eatting well lately, I've been trying to switch her food over but she hadn't taken to it. I gave in and gave her some of her old kind, which has a little bit of a mix too it, so I guess she just pigged out on the mix and got a upset stomach since she hadn't had it in a while. She was making chirping/whineing sounds eariler too, that's when I got really concerned, but hasn't done it since.

Anything I can do to help her? She didn't eat much of her hay last night, so I'm guessing she just ate what she wanted out of her food, and now has a stomach ache or something

Oh one last question, please answer! I ordered Oxbow chin food online, it'll be here within the week, but how should I switch her over to it? Should I keep just hay in her cage until it gets here then offer the new food with hay? I have a feeling mixing them will make it worse since she already has a habit of picking out what she wants, so maybe doing a direct switch will work?

 

[melbur10]

What food is she currently on??

 

[Cuddlebug]

If the old food was a mix with seeds and other stuff in it, I would just switch her cold turkey once the Oxbow arrives. You can add acidophilus to the pellets to help prevent any digestive issues. Make sure that she has plenty of hay available at all times and do not give in to her. She will begin eating the oxbow when she gets hungry enough.

Oh, and the small poos were probably from the food switch since she was refusing to eat the new stuff.

 

[Lillybabe]

You said you were switching her over to a new food and then went back to the mix... what food were you switching her to? Why are you now moving from that food to Oxbow? Is she still being fed raisins and other dried fruits? I agree with the others who said to switch her to the Oxbow cold turkey. Those nut and seed filled foods are very bad for chins. She'll eat when she's hungry. If junk is still offered, she'll hold out for the junk.

 

[jess32247]

If the old food was a mix with seeds and other stuff in it, I would just switch her cold turkey once the Oxbow arrives. You can add acidophilus to the pellets to help prevent any digestive issues. Make sure that she has plenty of hay available at all times and do not give in to her. She will begin eating the oxbow when she gets hungry enough.

Oh, and the small poos were probably from the food switch since she was refusing to eat the new stuff.

Thank you, she's feeling a lot better today and her stools are a lot better too. I'll only give her oxbow and hay once I get it, I know that much! The food she isn't eatting is zu preem, it's far from great and she's barely eatten any of it since I've been offering it, so I'll be switching to oxbow for good, along with hay.

 

[jess32247]

You said you were switching her over to a new food and then went back to the mix... what food were you switching her to? Why are you now moving from that food to Oxbow? Is she still being fed raisins and other dried fruits? I agree with the others who said to switch her to the Oxbow cold turkey. Those nut and seed filled foods are very bad for chins. She'll eat when she's hungry. If junk is still offered, she'll hold out for the junk.

let me explain: The mix stuff was her old food which she has been eatting for months but I've been wanting to switch it, so I got her zu preem which she hasn't touched at all since I've been offering her it. I gave in and gave her the old mix food because she hadn't eaten any of the new food since I fully switched it over (of corse I slowly switched it, the first three nights of only zu preem and hay she didn't eat anything but hay, unlike her) so I gave him and gave her old stuff with the mix, so she probably got a stomach ache or gas from eatting just the seeds in the mix.

I'm getting her oxbow because it's a lot better then the foods I've been giving her, I've been waiting to find a store that sells it but can't (unless I go 45+ minutes to the nearest petsmart hoping they sell it), which I'll be doing today since she finally ran out of old food.

Yes, she still gets her treats once and a while, but that doesn't have anything to do with this. The food she's on now isn't "junk", but it obviously isn't the best, it's all I could offer her until I could find her a better food.

I hope that clears things up for people.. I didn't realize how confusing it was, but to shorten it up she's feeling much better and her stool is a lot better, I'll be getting oxbow and only feeding her that within the week.

 

[Lillybabe]

When I said "junk" I was referring to the mixed food. That is definitely junk. So is dried fruit of any kind. People on her who rescue chins who come with mixed food typically switch the chin over cold turkey. No chin is going to eat pellets when they have nuts and seeds available. It's like giving a small child the choice between veggies or ice cream. Nearly 100% of the time the child is going to go for the ice cream and ignore the veggies. Treats definitely could have something to do with this.

I am glad she's feeling better and her stool is a lot better. However if she has gas, etc. she ought to be taking something for the gas. Gas can quickly lead to stasis. Chinchillas need constant food in their gut. Thankfully it sounds like she's at least eating hay. Sugary stuff like raisins however can also risk stasis. If a chin is already having gut issues I think it'd be wise to not offer any treats at all until the problem is 100% better let alone ones known to cause problems.

I think many of us understand the trouble with finding good chinchilla food. However many have to order online or drive to get decent food. Personally I am lucky to live in a college town and have both Oxbow and Mazuri locally. I think I may have some of the rabbit brands that are recommended locally as well.

 

[Jenn]

you can always buy oxbow online if you don't have it locally. You can do a cold switch. Offer a lot of hay during the transition and don't give in and let her have any of the old food if she doesn't take right to the oxbow. The junkier the current food, the harder the switch can be. Good luck!

 

[melbur10]

I agree completely with every thing mentioned above!
Cold switch. No sugary treats period.
Lots of hay and water available at all times and it would be best to (at the least have on hand) get simethicone (baby gas drops) chins usually love the taste because it's mint flavored so giving it to a chin is like offering a treat they take it easily. 1ml syringe and your good to go!
Watch those poops during the cold switch. Offer acidophilus on top of the food to help with digestion and I would even give simethicone daily through the switch as a preventative.
Like the others mentioned gas build up can get bad fast.

 

[jess32247]

Thank you everyone for the great advice! Unfortunally, I havn't ordered the food online or gone to the store to get it. Leave it to my mom to change all the plans.. she said since theres a petsmart opening sometime (could be another 2 weeks OR two months till it's open), that we should wait to get it. The closst petsmart is a hour and half away which my mom refuses to do drive and get it or order online, which is just great. She's back on her normal food for now, hopefully I can get her to consider ordering online because it's much cheaper then buying in stores.

But in good news, her stool is back to normal again and she's even more hyper and crazy then usual! I'll have to look into the baby gas drops people are suggesting in case something similar happens again, thank you everyoen!

 

[Lillybabe]

Which food is her "normal" food? And didn't you say you'd run out? Also in your post before you said it was a 45 minute drive. PetsMart is also one of the worst places to get Oxbow. Here they want $18.99 for a 5lb bag of Oxbow at PetsMart. I can get a 10lb bag for $14.99 elsewhere. If you order online you could probably get some cheaper. Or you could try Tradition or Mazuri even (which is definitely better than either of the two foods you mentioned) from someone here in a flat rate box. Might be extra room in the large flat rate for toys and such.

 

[rainey]

Have you considered going to a feed store? They sell pellets in larger quantities (10lb , 25lb, 50lb) and you most likely have a store near you that you just don't know about yet. See if there is an Agway or Tractor Supply or something near your town, and maybe your mom would consider taking you there. Then you won't have to pay $19 for a 5lb bag...and can hopefully avoid paying shipping, even though shipping would cost less than it would cost to drive out to that petsmart. You'll have extra pellets of course, and you can donate them to your local animal shelter.

 

[tish1207]

the infant drops work for me almost instantly, just like they do for babies. the first time I gave simethicone (sp?) my chin freaked out and didn't get a whole dropper, but any is great for them...
great idea for using it during switching food as well...

 

[jess32247]

Which food is her "normal" food? And didn't you say you'd run out? Also in your post before you said it was a 45 minute drive. PetsMart is also one of the worst places to get Oxbow. Here they want $18.99 for a 5lb bag of Oxbow at PetsMart. I can get a 10lb bag for $14.99 elsewhere. If you order online you could probably get some cheaper. Or you could try Tradition or Mazuri even (which is definitely better than either of the two foods you mentioned) from someone here in a flat rate box. Might be extra room in the large flat rate for toys and such.

Her normal food is the one with seeds, I had to buy her another bag yesterday because I had almost none left, so I guess she'll be on that for now again. It's a long drive any where because we live far away from everything. the town the petsmart is in is about 45 minutes away, not counting all the trafic there is. Yeah I know what you mean, petsmart is so expensive for food. I was going to order a big bag for like 8-9$ from another store, but she had to change her plan.

Have you considered going to a feed store? They sell pellets in larger quantities (10lb , 25lb, 50lb) and you most likely have a store near you that you just don't know about yet. See if there is an Agway or Tractor Supply or something near your town, and maybe your mom would consider taking you there. Then you won't have to pay $19 for a 5lb bag...and can hopefully avoid paying shipping, even though shipping would cost less than it would cost to drive out to that petsmart. You'll have extra pellets of course, and you can donate them to your local animal shelter.

I've never heard of any feed stores where I live, we are pretty out there. I'll keep looking for them though, I know we have a tractor supply store but I'm not sure if it's sold there. I'll look online at TS and see if I can find anything! The reason she didn't want to buy online was because of the shipping. Appartently, $10 for shipping a 10pound bag of food and some hay is "too much" lol, doesn't seem like much to me. I deffiantly will donate extra to a shelter, it would take a single chin forever to eat a 10 pound bag of pellets all by themselves!

 

[Lillybabe]

Why is your chin back on the one with the seeds?! Even the worst quality pellet you could get would be better than one with seeds. I'd recommend Zu Preem or even Kaytee pellets over a pellet and seed mix. This is very bad for your chins health.

As far as 10 lb bag of food goes. Your chin can probably eat 10 lbs of food in 3-4 months. My little malo guy even went through about a 2.5lb bag a month. So 10 lbs really won't last you that long. When donating was mentioned they meant the 25lb or 50lb bags. 10lbs is definitely an okay amount for food as the food is good for 6 months or so if it's kept dry and sealed.

 

[jess32247]

Why is your chin back on the one with the seeds?! Even the worst quality pellet you could get would be better than one with seeds. I'd recommend Zu Preem or even Kaytee pellets over a pellet and seed mix. This is very bad for your chins health.

As far as 10 lb bag of food goes. Your chin can probably eat 10 lbs of food in 3-4 months. My little malo guy even went through about a 2.5lb bag a month. So 10 lbs really won't last you that long. When donating was mentioned they meant the 25lb or 50lb bags. 10lbs is definitely an okay amount for food as the food is good for 6 months or so if it's kept dry and sealed.

Because I have nothing to feed her! Why would I make her eat only hay until I can get the food, when she's been totally fine on the pellet stuff she's on now? I just want to get her a better quailty pellet, but really have no where to get it as of right now. The stuff she was refusing to eat was Zu Preem, trust me I've tried getting her on it. Kaytee is horrible, the only kaytee I feed her is hay, and that stuff is pretty crap to be honest.

My single chin takes about 2-3 months to eat a small 3 pound bag, 10 pounds would last her a while. And I could very well donate some of the food since it would take her a while to eat, donating a couple pounds of it really wouldn't make a diffrence since the 10 pound bag alone is so cheap.

But yeah, I'll see if I can get my mom to order the stuff online. She keeps insisting on buying it at Petsmart, but theres no promise that they will even have it in stores. There's a Petsmart being built about 30 minutes away, but that might take another two months to finish.

 

[Lillybabe]

As I stated in my previous post... even Zupreem or Kaytee is better than what she's currently on... which is potentially life threatening to a chinchilla. How long did you try to get her to eat the Zupreem? Unless it was the only food she had access to for a week I do not think you can really know if she'll refuse it completely. She'll eat when she's hungry. Hay has much of the things they need for their diet and they can live on it for a while and be quite healthy. You are telling me that Kaytee is crap when you're essentially feeding your chinchilla a diet not even fit for a bird which can have seeds and nuts. What's your definition of "fine"? How much does she weigh? How much could she potentially weigh? Has she had xrays? Blood work?

A healthy chinchilla ought to be eating roughly 2 tablespoons of pellets per day. I find it surprising a 3 pound bag lasts you 2-3 months. That means she's eating only a pound a month... 1/4 a pound a week... That's not much food. I am not trying to be a pain but just because something hasn't killed an animal yet doesn't mean the animal is "fine". Smaller poops and even wet poops are fairly normal for a food change. Without seeing the poops it's hard to judge if they are even normal for a chin to begin with. Why would your mom agree to allow you to have a pet if she's not willing to provide it with decent food? If you go to the Oxbow, Mazuri or Tradition website you ought to be able to find information on carriers near you. I know Oxbow in particular has a location search where you can find the closest place that sells Oxbow. Without knowing your city I can't help you try to locate anything.

Edit - I just looked at the old thread. I did not realize ZuPreem had veggies in it. It's just as bad as the one with seeds then. At least Kaytee which is not a high quality feed... is just pellets.

 

[jess32247]

As I stated in my previous post... even Zupreem or Kaytee is better than what she's currently on... which is potentially life threatening to a chinchilla. How long did you try to get her to eat the Zupreem? Unless it was the only food she had access to for a week I do not think you can really know if she'll refuse it completely. She'll eat when she's hungry. Hay has much of the things they need for their diet and they can live on it for a while and be quite healthy. You are telling me that Kaytee is crap when you're essentially feeding your chinchilla a diet not even fit for a bird which can have seeds and nuts. What's your definition of "fine"? How much does she weigh? How much could she potentially weigh? Has she had xrays? Blood work?

A healthy chinchilla ought to be eating roughly 2 tablespoons of pellets per day. I find it surprising a 3 pound bag lasts you 2-3 months. That means she's eating only a pound a month... 1/4 a pound a week... That's not much food. I am not trying to be a pain but just because something hasn't killed an animal yet doesn't mean the animal is "fine". Smaller poops and even wet poops are fairly normal for a food change. Without seeing the poops it's hard to judge if they are even normal for a chin to begin with. Why would your mom agree to allow you to have a pet if she's not willing to provide it with decent food? If you go to the Oxbow, Mazuri or Tradition website you ought to be able to find information on carriers near you. I know Oxbow in particular has a location search where you can find the closest place that sells Oxbow. Without knowing your city I can't help you try to locate anything.

I've been feeding it to her for months with no problem at all. Pretty much since I've had her. It only has a little mix to it, nothing like a 50/50 mix, much much much less then that. I don't think you realize what I'm talking about in the first place, so how can you tell me what I'm doing is "wrong"? I've tried getting her to eat that zu preem for literally weeks, she hasn't taken to it at all, so I switched it back to her old food since she's been totally fine on it other then getting upset when she ate to much of it. The diet I am feeding her is fine, like I said before, I really don't think you understand what I'm talking about. If she was having problems with it, don't you think I notice and change it right away? She hasn't had any vet checks or weighing, I plan on taking her to a vet within a few months. So yeah, go ahead and rant about that for me and tell me how "bad of a owner" I am for that too.

She eat's enough, trust me. The bags just last her a while, she is far from starving or hungry. The poops were smaller then usual, I know what her "normal sized" ones are like and when they are off or smaller then usual. My mom does provide decent food, the stuff she's on now is fine, I just want to switch it to a better quailty. She has a lot of other things on her mind right now, I've been asking her to consider ordering online which I'm sure she'll agree to once she has time to think. The food she's on now was my decision, the only proplem is where to get it since she doesn't want to order online as of right now. I've already went on the Oxbow website to look up stores that sell it, and guess what? No stores around here besides the ones 45 minutes away, not counting all the traffic and stuff.

Lillybabe, ever since I joined this site it feels like I havn't gotten a very nice welcoming from you. I've been really stressed lately about things, to the point where I feel like I'm just going to break down and give up like I have in the past. Please have a idea where I'm coming from. I am very thankful your helping me like you are, but like I said I'm already very stressed. My chin is fine on the food she is now, I will be changing it as soon as I can, but not sure when that will come. Hopefully this week, but at most it could be another few months. I'm sorry, I just need to get some sleep and I'll feel better tmw. I hope you aren't offened or hurt, but I probably deserve a slap in the face anyway.

 

[AZChins]

Awww....Jess!! Your post makes me sad. I hope that you aren't too sad and stressed. Don't worry...everything will be fine!

If you pay for the shipping, I'll send you some food for your chin. Zupreem isn't really all that awesome...so I'd be happy to send you some Mazuri to try out.

I hate that you have to drive 45 minutes to get food. I know that feeling, since I am about that far from anywhere where where I live. PM me if you need help with supplies. Most of the time I can make it cheaper to get good food even if it has to be shipped in...

Just don't be stressed and sad! I want you to be happy and enthusiastic about your chinchilla!!

 

[Lillybabe]

I am sorry you feel stressed about the situation. Chinchillas are a lot of work. I had a little guy for 5 years. He was fed awful food before I got him, mishandled, and who knows what else. I got him from the local humane society so I did not know anything about his prior living conditions. I watched him die. That, is stressful. I put thousands of dollars into him. To get him the best vet care possible, the best food, etc. I do want you to feel welcome but at the same time it hurts me and others here too when we see people who just will not listen to good advice. I have never called you a bad owner. You are here which is better than many. Your chin isn't in a tiny hamster cage. You don't have her living outside, etc. Those are bad owners.

However, I've explained several times why the food you are feeding is dangerous. You say you tried for weeks to change your chinchilla over... yet in the other thread you say her first day on 100% new food was the 21st. That is only a week as of today. Even when you switch from one good food, to another good food, as people often have to do, a chinchilla might snub it for several days choosing to only eat hay.

I am not trying to upset you and I do hope you are able to find good supplies for your chinchilla. I only bring things up because I care about you and your chin. It is heartbreaking to lose a chinchilla. Even with my girls, I cry all the time for my little guy.