Sticky, moist stools

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ArmyWife

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 13, 2011
Messages
345
Location
New Jersey
I just noticed today that my male chinchilla is starting to have moist sticky stools. I noticed some smushed on one of his ledges and the stools are sticky enough that 4 or more will stick together in clumps. I feed him timothy hay and mazuri pellets and provide fresh filtered water. Could this possibly be giardia?
 
Before thinking Giardia I would recommend pulling the pellets and giving only hay for a few days to see what the poos do. If the poos firm up with only hay it may very well be the pellets.
 
As in he would need a different kind of pellets? He's been eating this brand for a year and a half.
 
That's good to know. I will take out his pellets and continue giving him his hay. Thanks for the advice!
 
It could also clear up completely with just giving him tummy rest. Give hay for 3 or 4 days. If in that time the stool doesn't firm up, get a sample to the vet. If it firms up, reintroduce his pellets. If it happens again, find a better feed.
 
He's still got sticky, slimy stools but it's been almost a day since I pulled his pellets. He seems to be acting fine.
 
I would give the chin .3ml of pet pectillin twice a day for a couple of days and see if that helps, usually does if its not a infection. You can buy it at petco/petsmart in the dog and cat health section and yes it has a dog and cat on it but its fine for chins.
 
My male is back to normal stools with just the hay. But now my female has the same kind of stools. My female had two kits a little more than two weeks ago. I took the pellets out of her cage. Is it ok just to give her hay right now while she's nursing? I'm assuming that it's the pellets and I need to switch to oxbow pellets. Can I switch cold turkey right now? Will the kits stomachs be ok with new pellets? I've been making them the JAGS formula with the pellets. I provide my female with mostly orchard grass hay and then some alfalfa as well.
 
any advice would be greatly appreciated. we're currently dealing with the damage and devastation from the hurricane here in NJ so lots of pet stores aren't open.
 
Mazuri has high protein which can cause loose stools. You can offer your female burnt toast. The charcoal in the toast will help firm those stools up. I do not switch animal's feeds if they are nursing. It is not unheard of for a nursing mom to have loose stools while having kits on them. Lots of hay and burnt toast.
 
My male chin had the same problem after we brought him some new hay - it was meadow hay and his poos got all smushy and he smushed loads into his shelves. We took it away and gave him timothy hay and now all seems to be well.

Hope your chin is ok and wishing you all the best x
 
I just wanted to let everyone know that the stool sample came back positive for giardia. I'm bringing in my male chinchilla tonight to get medication for all of them. We have no power in our house due to the hurricane so I'm not really sure how I'm going to clean their cage with bleach/water but I'll figure it out. I'll have to go to a friend's house to wash their fleece. Should I use bleach while washing their fleece? Do I have to throw away all their ledges (only the male has ledges right now) as well as wooden toys that are on the ground?
 
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