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GizmotheChin

GizmotheChin

Christine
Joined
Mar 17, 2012
Messages
38
Location
glassboro and ridgefield NJ
So my chin, Gizmo, is going on 2 years old and has been totally healthy the entire time I have had him until the past few days. It started out with lethargy that I just assumed he exhausted himself running all night/day but now he is no longer eating his hay and pellets and will only chew on willow and apple sticks.

He has gotten "sick" of hay types before, but never his food. He is still drinking, urinating and pooping, but they are very small poops. He looks very sad and is very lethargic and unlike himself.

I have a 24 hour Walmart and am just about to run there to grab some Timothy hay to see if he will eat that. Is there anything else I should grab that could aide in his possibly digestion issues? Or is he just tired from deciding he no longer likes his pellets and hay?
 
if he is lethargic, not eating, and has smaller poop than normal he needs to see a vet immediately!
 
I took him to the animal hospital here which is one of the best and not only were they extremely helpful and listened to me, but they immediately saw what was wrong with him. He has an upper respiratory infection : ( They gave him some fluids since he wasn't drinking and eating and when they brought him back, he seemed to perk up. Then she showed me how to use the antibiotics and also gave me some GI medicine in case he was having some GI tract issues.

Batril Suspension TF
Give .2mL orally every 12 hours for 7 days

Metoclopramide Liguid 15mL (Reglan)
Give 1.3mL orally every 12 hours for 7 days

She showed me how to give him the medicine and surprisingly he likes the taste of them since they are flavored. We brought him home 2 hours later and he sat on my lap for a good 15 minutes while I pet him. After that, he was MUCH more alert and back to his normal Gizmo self.

Once he went back in his cage, he actually ate a small handful of hay and is now resting again. She said the antibiotics could take a full day or two to see the effects but that she didn't hear any fluid or anything in his lungs.

When I asked her how he got the upper respiratory infection when he's not outside and everything is always the same around him, she said someone walking into the room could have "brought something in from outside". I'm still very confused as to how he actually got sick, but I'm just glad I went to the hospital. It was worth the $150 (they forget to charge me $160 for the ER visit and charged $95 for a normal visit instead).
 
URIs can be spread to chins the same as humans, through simple exposure. You may have the virus but be asymptomatic. Washing your hands before and after contact with your chins can be very helpful. Also, don't have contact with them if you are sick.
 
you will need to get critical care from your vet and some syringes to hand feed. he will need at least 60ml of critical care throughout the day. a scale to weigh him is always helpful to ensure he is not losing weight. the antibiotic medication will cause him to not want to eat. it is better to be prepared.
 
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Narcissus, the vet didn't say anything about critical care, just that he would start eating within 24-48 hours after taking the antibiotic. She did say that if he didn't eat by tonight or tomorrow morning, to bring him back for more tests.
 
Ive had to use that antibiotic several times, every time ive used it the chin will go off feed completely. I just believe it is better to be prepared. I have had to hand/force feed my chins EVERY TIME they have been on baytril. I personally think 24-48 hours is way to long for a sick chin to go with out food and water. I start handing the minute I get home from the vet with that kind of medication. Maybe im to cautious, hopefully someone with more expirence will see this thread.
 
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I agree with handfeeding now. He already has lost his appetite and like was mentioned, baytril causes them to go anorexic most of the time. URI chins alone will go anorexic. I myself have had to deal with one and it's not fun. You want them eating ASAP to avoid even more issues such as GI stasis. It won't hurt anything. Until you can get critical care you can mash up pellets and mix with warm water to make them into a slurry.
 
Stackie: I really appreciate the help. I am surprised the vet did not tell me anything about the antibiotic causing a loss of appetite. She gave me that medication for GI Stasis but told me nothing else about Critical Care.

Thank you for the tip about mashing up pellets. I know he's going to hate me but I really don't want him getting sick. He has never been sick before so this is all so new and stressful to me.

How many times a day do I do the handfeeding and with how much pellets?
 
Ideally you want to get at least 60 mLs in him a day if he is not eating at all. If you have a food processor, it is easiest to grind up the pellets into a powder and then mix them with the water. Try to get him to eat as much as you can. I have found my chins take to it better if I mix in a bit of canned pure pumpkin.
 
Last night he started to eat small bits of hay and his poops are getting bigger and he was snacking on some hay today but I had to feed him water since he hasn't felt like drinking any. I don't have a food processor and tried mashing up the pellets myself, but it didn't really go into the syringe so I think I need a bigger one.
 
Until you can get some CC put more water in the 'mashed' pellets and use a syringe that you can get in Walmart (in the baby section for medicine). Spoon the watery mixture in the top of the syringe. fill it, then put in the plunger. You will have to wrap the chin in a towel to get his front legs in and not trying to swat the syringe out of his mouth. He is not going to like it a first but it must be done if he isn't eating well
 
Gizmo was admitted to the hospital this afternoon around 4pm EST. Upon his fourth dose of Baytril, I noticed he was wheezing and having very labored breathing. He also had no poop and only urinated 2x. He had stayed in his hammock all day. When I took him out, he would be fine and jumping around, then seemed to get tired and start labored breathing. Eventually he would curl up next to me and close his eyes. I called the ER and they said he needed to be brought in.

He was declared a "code 1" and rushed back immediately. The dr. told me he had labored breathing with flaring nostrils, but that he was perky so that was a good sign. He suggested admitting him so they could keep him on oxygen, give him the Batril and GI meds, and start him on a CC regiment. It's going to cost about $350/day.

I saw him before we left and he seemed pretty annoyed at how small his cage was, but they gave him a box so he was laying in it. The vet reassured me as I was in tears not to worry because he was really alert and that was an awesome sign and he may even be able to go home tomorrow.

I had to admit him not only out of fear, but because both my boyfriend and I are going back to school/work full time and I am too scared to leave him alone. Being in a hospital with staff 24/7 felt like the $350/day was justified. Everyone there seemed very compassionate and they all love Gizmo because he's so little and cute. I'm just hoping they all help fight. Please pray for him.
 
I went through almost the same thing with my Fred. He had pneumonia and his only symptom that I could detect was loss of appetite and weight loss. He stayed 3 days with the vet get meds and spending some time in a nebulizing tank and then came home. I had to force feed him and give him meds for 10 days. My poor little guy seemed to be getting better and then he suddenly went into seizures and passed away. Keep a close eye on your little one. I hope he does better than Fred did.
 
Everything I've been reading online about other chins with the same thing Gizmo has is absolutely scaring me. He has been healthy and is kept extremely clean and isolated from the outside world. And now I am just so scared I am going to lose him because everything I see online is pretty much that a small percentage got better and the majority passed away.
 
Gizmo made it through the night! He is even feeling better to the point he is barking and trying to bite the doctors and nurses there since they are still force feeding him and giving antibiotics.

They said I could take him home and he "should" be okay, but I opted to spend the extra money and keep him another night just to be safe. In my opinion, still needing to force feed and unsure if he's drinking or not does not make me feel like he is completely better.
 
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