Wet Poop

[Rob Walker]

Hey guys, Neve has had a little issue starting around Monday morning where I noticed where her poop is coming out mushy and sticks to her butt.

I want to know what causes this and how to treat it because it obviously worries me. 3 local pet stores ran out of my normal Mazurri food, and I had to buy a bag of food from Pet Smart that has all those little treats mixed in (sunflour seeds, etc etc)

I am wondering if this caused it. Poor little thing I've been cleaning her but like a baby every 4-5 hours or so. I heard of something called wet tail, no idea what it is but I hope she doesn't have it because i think it's lethal to them?

I hope I posted this in the right section of the forums.

 

[Sugarmama]

It very well could be the change in the diets. Sudden food changes can wreak havoc on a chin's gastric system.

First thing, pull her feed. Only give her hay. You can give some unsweetened shredded wheat also, it is great for helping mushy poo.

She should have some acidophilus to help settle her tummy, and possibly simethicone (baby gas drops) from all the treats and junk in the other food. She can have up to 3 dropersful per day of the simethicone.

This is not wet tail.

ETA: You should line her cage with paper towel, so you can make sure she's peeing. You don't want a dehydrated chin on your hands.

 

[Essentia]

The food switch to the crappy food most definitely could have caused it. I would pull the food away and toss it. Then just give her unlimited hay until you can get some better food.

On top of giving her only hay I would recommend giving her a small piece of completely black toast, a bit of charcoal (which is kinda how the black toast works as well) or a shreddie. Now, if you feed shreddies as treats it may not do anything to firm up the poo. If her poo is that wet, she is losing a pretty serious amount of fluids so you want to get this under control quickly.

 

[tunes]

If you should run out of food again, next time just give her hay until you can get some. She will be fine on the hay. The abrupt food switch, especially to a crappy food, can really mess with their systems.

If you give shreddies, you'll need to do it several times throughout the day. Activated charcoal you can do twice. Open a capsule and sprinkle the powder on a moistened shreddie. They absolutely go nuts over it, and I have no idea why.

BTW, chinchillas do not get wet tail. That's a hamster illness.

If this doesn't clear up after 3 or so days, then you'll want to get a fecal run at your local vets to make sure it isn't something that needs treated with antibiotics.

 

[Rob Walker]

Thank you guys, I'm going to put him on hay until friday when I buy a bag of mazzuri...anyone know of giant bags I can buy? I only can find the little 5 pound ones locally

 

[Sandi]

I would not get a giant bag of Mazuri for 1 chin. The 5 pound bag that you already get, probably takes around 2 months to go through. If you get anything larger and you don't store it correctly, you will lose nutritional value. Look in the classifieds here, there are quite a few people that sell Mazuri for a good price.

 

[Sugarmama]

How is Neve today? Is she active and alert, and eating lots of hay? Have you given her shreddies or charcoal?

 

[shubbles]

The five pound bag is big for one chin. I have the same thing. I got the bag maybe 3 months ago, not even halfway gone. I also only have one chin.

 

[Rob Walker]

She was doing her happy little barks, until i whipped her butt then she wasn't to happy. I haven't owned shreddies or charcoal but i gave her a small like, square inch of burnt toast. She drinks normally so I assume she's just inconvenienced. I found a pet shop in Poughkeepsie with Mazurri so Friday she'll have her normal food.

Why do people make those cheaper foods, Never would just pick out the bits she wanted and leave the actual pellets...

I may have the pickiest chinnie.

 

[Sugarmama]

Rob, is she still having runny poo? If so, this has been going on for far too long. She's getting dehydrated.

Shreddies are easy to get--any grocery store or even Walmart. Post brand shredded wheat, the spoon size, unsweetened. It's cheap--about $3. She has GOT to get fiber in her to stop this. You will have very serious problems health-wise on your hands if you don't.

And vet bills are lot more expensive than a box of cereal.

 

[Stackie]

The toast isn't enough to actually even help with runny poo. You need shreddies, activated charcoal, and high count acidophilus.

Like it was said, you can get shreddies for cheap.

The longer this goes on, the worse she's going to get: dehydration, and diarrhea causes them to strain when they poo. She could have a rectal prolapse if it gets too bad- when the intestines exit the body through the rectum.

 

[Rob Walker]

Well I got home and I was glad to see about 6 or 7 little pellets, heading out to getsome shreddies. I guess it was the food like all of you said, thank god I'mbuying my mazurri tomorrow after work.

I came home and she was doing her happy little noises, think she's glad her pop doesn't have to whipe her butt, I mean cmon how embarassing is that!

I'll keep you guys posted.

Thanks alot you have no idea how much I apreciate it

 

[Laurie]

Just wanted to say my chins would occassionally have runny poo while on Mazuri. I switched them over the Nutrena Rabbit and for the past year we have had no instances of runny poo at all.