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[Harleychin]

Yes,my chin survived.He was 4 months old when he got sick and he'll be 3 years old on 11-31.You'd never be able to tell to look at him now He's my little trouble maker and quite the clown.We actually bonded while I took care of him.He knows how much I love him.
An x-ray will show poo,gas bubbles and it should pick up plastic too.That's how my vet confirmed my guy had gut ststis
You going have to be proactive,google vets in your area call and tell them whats going on ask about the meds I listed above and x-rays.I had hand feed around the clock,give meds and fluids.
My vet is so great,she had me call in every day to give a report on him.
If he were stronger I'd suggest a railroad to me and I'd take him to my vet and take care of him for you.If you want to try just let me know.I can't get your little guy out of my head.
I'm going to pm you my cell number if you want to talk please call me.I understand

[LindyLu]

Railroad? You can put a chinchilla on a train without it's human? Where in the US do you live? I'd get him to you if I could. He needs a good vet! Nobody here seems to know enough about chins to help him. The 2 vets that have seen my chins are possibly the only ones who know anything about them at all...and they don't know much! I tried calling a bunch of places, but most told me they don't do chinchillas.

I'm not sure of his strength exactly. He does sleep almost constantly...but sometimes he surprises me and starts jogging in his wheel - or this morning he dove out of his cage while I had the upper door open (ferret nation...probably a good 3.5 feet high!) He's never tried that before, not even when he was healthy & frisky! I don't know if he couldn't see straight or lost his balance, or if he was really going for it! (Thanks Goodness he landed on padded carpet!) I thought maybe he wanted to run awhile, but then he didn't run. He just fell asleep in a ball on the floor. It's such a roller coaster! Some moments he's looking awful and pathetic and I think he'll pass any minute. And other moments he's hopping around, drinking his own water bottle, interested in what I'm up to....and I think he must be on the mend! Then back to looking awful...and so on and so on...up & down! But I guess he won't really be doing any better until he poops. I've never wanted him to poop so much before now.

[Harleychin]

The rail road is made up of chin owners and lovers who will help drive a chin across country.If I can get one organized some one would pick him up drive what they can and pass him off to the next person and so on till he get to me.
I'm in ST. Louis MO. Do you want me to start asking if anyone can help get him here?

[Harleychin]

If you are willing to meet a person half way from Tuscon they will pick him and take him to  their  vet.This is very good rescue and they will take great care of him.This would be less stressful than bringing him all the way to me.

[LindyLu]

That's a lovely offer...but I don't really have time to travel right now.
My life is pretty busy. I just got married late September, still dealing with all the name changing and settling in.
I work over 40 hours a week as a Professional Nanny...I am basically raising a set of triplet girls that will be 2 years old on the 20th of this month (been with them since birth).
My husband started a new Teaching position just a month before our Wedding, and he's still settling into that...also works over 40 hours.

I give my chinchillas as much attention as I can in the mornings/evenings/weekends - but still I often feel like it's not enough. I don't know how I could ever squeeze a day of travel into the mix at this time....although I greatly appreciate the offer!!

To be honest, I had actually been looking to re-home Schroeder about 2 weeks before he got sick. I wasn't trying to sell him for money or anything... I was just worried that I wasn't giving him enough attention. I tried to get someone in my family or friend circle to take him in & love him... but I was very upfront about his needs (about free-run every day, air conditioning, their sensitive nature, large cage, etc)...and it turned everyone off to him (they hoped he'd be a low-maintenance cuddly pet, I guess). It wasn't that I wanted to get rid of him, I was just concerned. Dewey is easier... he's box trained, doesn't chew on anything, is well behaved during free run (where he has run of the entire house). He doesn't LIKE a lot of attention. But since the 2 boys don't get along, I have to do everything separate and keep them apart...and it sucks up more time that way. I feel like my husband ends up getting "the short end of the stick" because whenever I am home I'm all about the chins, and he's alone. It's hard, ya'know? I love both chinchillas...but rescuing Schroeder wasn't part of "the plan" (I was actually just wanting to purchase a CAGE from some dude on Craigslist, but when I saw the living conditions, I felt awful, and offered $100 for Schroeder). Anyway, all that said, you understand why I don't have much TIME in my life. And now I'm giving even MORE time to try and help Schroeder get healthy again. Adds more stress to an already stressful situation. I just wish nobody had to suffer/sacrifice. Sucks.

[Harleychin]

If you don't want him the people at the rescue would keep him,give him vet care,nurse him back to health and find him a good home.

[LindyLu]

It's not that I don't want him. I do want him. I love him. I just felt like I wasn't giving him as much attention as he deserves, since my time was so torn between Dewey, my DH, the triplets, and everything else going on in my life. Now that he's been sick, he's gotten plenty of attention....and I feel like it's my husband who is getting "neglected".

Still no change in him. Although I ran out of the KMR milk and decided to make his new mix just water, petromalt, and nutri-cal.
He stopping willingly taking the milk supplement anyway. He doesn't WILLINGLY take ANYTHING now. I couldn't get the almonds small enough for the syringe and they kept clogging it. What about almond oil? Is that just made of almonds?
The LIFELINE should arrive in todays mail.

[Jo Ann]

   I'm not sure if it is the oil or the fiber of the almond, or a combination of both.  You might want to use a marble rolling pin, or even the side of a straight glass glass to ground it even more.  Then, try mixing ground almond in the Petramalt and/or the NutriCal and try putting it just inside his mouth with your finger or a Popsicle stick.  Then offer him the milk or water to help wash it down ... just a little at a time ... giving him breaks in-between.  As you can tell, I've just about tried it all.  The almond is the only thing I have found that works, after everything else tried as failed.  If you find any thing that does work, please post it ... I will add it to my arsenal against clogged poop lines.      

Keeping our fingers crossed and prayers going.  Please keep us posted.

   Jo Ann

[LindyLu]

Got the Life Line... gave him his first dose mixed with water & honey. I will dose him again in a few hours... we'll see how he's doing tomorrow.
His most recent "symptom" is a watery eye with a white goop. I started giving him drops...the meds the vet gave me for Dewey when he had a watery eye. Hope that's all right. I figure at this point it sure can't HURT anything.

[LindyLu]

Should I continue he Petra-malt & Nutri-Cal now that I have the Life Line?

[Jo Ann]

Got the Life Line... gave him his first dose mixed with water & honey.

Why are you mixing the LifeLine with water and honey?  How much honey are you putting in it?  How much is your little one eating of the LifeLine mixture?   How often?   What else is he eating/drinking?

His most recent "symptom" is a watery eye with a white goop. I started giving him drops...the meds the vet gave me for Dewey when he had a watery eye. Hope that's all right. I figure at this point it sure can't HURT anything.   

A chinchilla with a watery eye could have the watery eye for a number of different reasons.  Giving one medication without the vet finding out if he has the same problem is not a very good idea.  What was wrong with Dewey?  If he does not have the same problem as Dewey, yes, it could possibly hurt the situation even more.

Has he pooped yet?

Is he eating/drinking anything willingly yet? 

Is he in a cage by himself or sharing a cage with another chin?

   Jo Ann

May I raise a question, please?   Your first post was on Nov.4th at which time you posted your chin, Schroder, had had diarrhea on October 21st, then you gave him a dose of kayopectate to stop the diarrhea and he has not pooped since then.  I have never heard of a chinchilla that could go 4 weeks without pooping and still be alive.  You have also stated, Nov. 10th,  "No poops yet ... just clear-yellow mucus stuff leaking from his anus." (a sign of infection) "He's beginning to look a little hunch-back because of all the weight loss."  (a sign of dehydration) Now, he has a watery eye with a white goop?  This is a miracle chinchilla if there ever was one ... I do not know of another chin that could go through all this and still be alive.  Do you have a 'magic' that is keeping him alive ... if so, please share it.   

[LindyLu]

Because that is what the Life Line information said to do. I only mixed it with honey once though because my honey supply has crystalized and won't mix.
He's taking 1/4 tsp Life Line twice a day ...like it says to do.

The eye drops helped and his goopy eye went away. His eyes look good now.
 Still no poop. Still not WILLINGLY taking anything. In fact, he used to run TO ME whenever I'd open his cage doors, and now he runs AWAY because he knows I'm gonna force feed him.
He is in his own cage. I only have the 2 chins, and they do not get along. They have always been caged separately.

This morning I tried a mix of papaya juice and psyllium. That helps ME when I'm constipated. I also gave him some water.

If there is still no change by the middle of this week (remember, Tuesday will mark 4 weeks he's been ill) ...then I am going to look for a vet nearby to put him down. There is just no quality of life left, he's miserable and he's not getting better. (

[LindyLu]

I think Schroeder may pass away tonight. He's gotten considerably weaker over the past 24 hours. This morning when I was force-feeding him, he was basically laying limp in my hand. So much of what I pushed into his mouth (via syringe) dripped back out because he didn't even have the strength to swallow.
This evening he is asleep in his dust house with his face in the back corner. I can see him breathing, but he has NOT MOVED AT ALL in hours. Even when I opened the cage doors, he didn't even pick up his head to look at me. I don't have the heart to grab him out and force more food/meds down his throat.
 Tomorrow marks 4 weeks since he got sick, and there is just no quality of life left. I've been keeping him alive with force-feedings just so he could be miserable. I've come to peace with allowing him to pass. Nobody (not even vets) knows what to do for him, or even what's wrong for that matter.
 
I wish I KNEW what was wrong, what caused it, so I could warn others. But at least I got to enjoy him for a few months while he was spunky & outgoing. My husband always said Schroeder was the only 1 of my pets that "had a soul". (He thinks all my other pets are gothic). I will miss him. May Angels lead you in, Schroeder Lee.

I'm just grateful Dewey is doing fine; fat & happy as ever.