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[DoubleChin]

I did a quick search and this helped me out but I want some more expert advice from the community here. We got 2 chinnies, one is a less than a year old(Jake)and the other(Elwood), well we don't know how old he is. We're the 3rd owners, and he's lived in abusive homes before(the other chin he was with died of starvation and who knows what El has put up with. Most of the time I have to catch them to put them in their cage, my gf is much more patient then I am and will coax them with raisins. The lil guy Jake doesn't seem to mind being handled too much, I've hand fed him rainins in my arms before. El the older one simply hates being handled or pet at all, and will instantly clean himself and bite you if you touch him. He really seems to resent humans.

The other night I caught El and put him away, and the next day my gf noticed he wouldn't come out, or eat, or take treats, and he's stopped pooping, except for these little dot sized poops. He will eat half a raisin, and a little hay, but mostly stays in one corner and it almost looks like he's about to throw up, he has this weird breathing pattern. Not sure if maybe I hurt him? Or he is just old? Maybe a lot older than we thought? Any input is appreciated, I hope I didn't hurt him when I caught him...

[Jo Ann]

     He needs to see a vet a.s.a.p., no ifs ands or buts about it, as in today, if at all possible.

The other night I caught El and put him away, and the next day my gf noticed he wouldn't come out, or eat, or take treats, and he's stopped pooping, except for these little dot sized poops. He will eat half a raisin, and a little hay, but mostly stays in one corner and it almost looks like he's about to throw up, he has this weird breathing pattern. Not sure if maybe I hurt him? Or he is just old? Maybe a lot older than we thought? Any input is appreciated, I hope I didn't hurt him when I caught him...

Not eating, especially turning away from treats, is a sign of illness or injury.
Little to no poop, especially small dry poops, is a sign of illness or injury ... because if you are sick or in pain you tend not to eat or drink as much as normal ... this leads to dehydration, which leads to little or no poop and dry poop.
Inactivity is also a sign of illness or injury.

Now the the part I do not want to go to, but must ...  I don't believe in sugar coating anything ...

The "weird breathing pattern" can be caused from respiratory infection, cold, flu, pneumonia and/or injury all of which can be caused by many things.
"I hope I didn't hurt him ..." leads me to think, you think, you might have hurt him when catching him.  That, unfortunately, is easy to do.  A chinchilla's bones are not as big as toothpicks and much easier to break.  IF you grabbed him around the chest/rib area, there is a good chance you accidentally hurt him.  IF a rib was broken, it could have punctured the lung, resulting in the breathing pattern you may be seeing.  If this is the case, there is little, if anything a vet can do, other than helping him go to sleep.

Please let us know how the vet visit goes.

  Jo Ann

[DoubleChin]

Yea, Elwood was favoring one of his hind legs, it looked like. We don't know if it's an impaction that's buggin him or an injured hind leg. He's been eating hay but not pellets. We are syringe feeding him the oxbow critical care stuff so he gets all his vitamins, he's movin' around. Jake keeps wanting to play with him and he's just like, yea leave me alone. So we'll see how he turns out.

[DoubleChin]

JoAnn, This is Elwood's Mom--I did take him to our exotic vet. No impaction she could feel, his poops are getting a bit bigger. She gave him fluids and B vitamin injection. Sher was unsure if he might've injured his leg, possibly a pulled tendon since he seemed to pull that leg in a little bit. But he does not favor it when he jumps or runs around. He is running a round a bit, but gets tired quickly. We got some oral pain meds, metacam we are giving him in case he won't eat because of pain. We are continuing with critical care forced feedings, which Elwood fights me on! He is still quite active and resisting force feedings, pushing me away and trying to escape the towel. He even bites too! We will continue our therapy and hope for the best. IF things worsen, back to the vet we go!
thanks,

[Jo Ann]

     As bad as this may sound ... thank goodness it was his leg!  I hate to hear of a chin having an injury of any kind, but glad it is the leg and not the lungs ... the lungs are almost always fatal ... the legs tend to heal and/or mend much nicer than some of the injuries that can occur.   

The critical care can also be mixed with a tiny bit of water and formed into little 'footballs' about the size of a raisin.  It's like a treat for them.  I find they will often take these when nothing else will do.       {Mashing a raisin or a tiny bit of Nutri-Cal added makes them a little sweeter and more appealing to your little one.  CAUTION: Do not over do the raisin or Nutri-Cal ... both provide nutrients needed, but both also contain sugar ... something you do not want to over do with a chin.}

Dried or fresh papaya is also a good form of nutrients and vitamins ... my little ones love it.

Fluid intake is a must ... you might want to try a bottle of 1/2 water and 1/2 cranberry juice added to his cage.  This will encourage him to drink and the cranberry juice is also good for the bowels.

Please, keep us posted on his progress.   

   Jo Ann

[DoubleChin]

Elwood update! He's eating almost everything, still not too many pellets, but a few. I just found out that he loves the baby sweet potatoes our vet suggested! He doesn't like the critcal care. I've been giving him meds, including the gas x. He is running around and playing with Jake too. Only problem is still little poopies; he's going ...a lot though, I change his cage daily. I've been syringe feeding him water too. I'll keep an eye on him.

JoAnn, I will try the cranberry water mixture and see how it goes!

[Jo Ann]

   Great!    Sometimes you have to try various things to see what will/can keep them going.  When the digestive tract shuts down, it can be very dangerous.  The sweet potatoes will give him fiber, vitamins, minerals and gas ... I think that's probably why the vet is giving you Gas-X.  Be very cautious, gas can be very bad for/on chinchillas.  Any food that will give humans gas, will give chinchillas gas.

Now that I have said that ... He really needs the critical care ... maybe try a little steamed, mashed, cooled sweet potato mixed in with the Critical Care??? 

Have you tried a very thin slice of carrot?  (about the size and shape of a dime)

I know this may sound really weird, but the poop tells all, it hides no secrets ... especially in chinchillas.  If it is firm, slightly moist and plenty of it, you usually have a healthy chin ... when it is not ... something is not right.       It is an early warning system for owners of these precious little furballs.
 
Oh, if the Cranberry juice does not work, try apple juice ... anything to keep the fluids going into him.   

   Jo Ann