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[Ladykelia]

Apollo's droppings have been irregular sizes since we've had him (about a month. He is about 1.5 years old). Some are long and some are smaller. I'm attaching a picture of some of the poop that he produced when he was outside his cage today, compared to a dime. They are all from the same half hour time frame. Is this something to be worried about?

[Jo Ann]

   I like to see a human chin parent being so observant!  

As a general rule ... if all is well ... all or most of the individual poos will be the same size, shape and texture ... if their diet is consistant and if they are healthy ... they will usually be soft, but firm ... moist, but not wet or sticky ... normal size, not smaller than normal, and not dryer than normal.  

If the poos get wet and sticky OR smaller and dryer ... get a vet check a.s.a.p.
 
Wet or sticky often leads to diarrhea and other hidden problems that may not yet obvious.  
Dry, small, and fewer in number usually is a warning of dehydration ... usually a major problem for a chinchilla.
Dark brown, almost black is a normal color ... while ... green or yellowish is usually a sign of a digestive problem that can get bad quick.

If they are all moist but firm, normal color, I would not worry ... yet I would keep an eye on it ... this could be a "warning" of something to come.   

Keep us posted of any changes!

    Jo Ann

[Advocate]

My Chico's poos are irregular in size too.  I have just figured that it's a result of how the waste moves down the intestine, since I would imagine that different nutrients absorb at slightly different rates in the system. 

I agree it is always always important to keep an eye on those poos, though!   

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Yes some do look smaller but still look healthy.
Have they been like that a while, or just a day or two?
A new treat or extras can change the look.
I'd give him a little pediolite for a day and see if that changes them back, could be he's not drinking as much as normal. Then for what reason?
They should go back to normal in a few days if it's something he ate.
Keep us posted.

[Ladykelia]

Debbie,
No, they've been that way since we've had him for the last month, but he's a year and a half old. His last owners allowed him to chew on plastic and they also had a small child who fed him who knows what.  I'm also concerned for other reasons. He's not been terribly active in his cage. He runs on his wheel like a little champ, but otherwise he just sits on top of his house all day and most of the evening if he isn't running. I also *think* he is eating less pellets than when we first had him, but he still scarfs down hay. He may just be depressed or lonely (which we are working to remedy). I'm not sure if I'm being overly concerned because we just lost a chinchilla, or if I have a real reasons to fret.

I thought I'd ask about his poop because i always assumed it was healthy, but it struck me that I don't have a lot of basis for comparison. Hermes' poop was always consistent until he started showing signs of illness (he had a bladder stone).

[Ladykelia]

Just an update, My hubby took Apollo to the vet yesterday because he still is sleeping in the open and mostly hanging out in the same spot, and also we thought that he was eating less. It turns out that Apollo is more likely just a weirdo.  The vet examined him and everything checked out so he even gave him an X-ray and found that he did have food in his system (so he is eating) and there didn't seem to be anything else wrong, no blockages or gas bubbles or any other abnormalities. So anyway, we'll continue to keep an eye on him, but at the moment all seems well. His poops are still irregular sizes but i guess thats just the way it is.

[jmdebb]

i know joann has been with chins for many long times years.. so i don't want to go against her,

but i have to ask joann.. i was was taught that they are like that because it depends on when they ate last..  if they just ate not too long ago, their poop will be bigger in size ..etc... or is the other way around...   you know what i mean.. all my poops are different sizes.. they are all about 3-4 years, i think.

jean

[Debbie.nl.ca]

I know what you are saying Jean,
Yes each chin can have different sizes at different times of the day, but each chins droppings should be about the same most of the time.
My females have bigger droppings than most the males, then they are bigger chins. If I give raisins as a treat they may seem a little plumper after.
When Moms are getting ready to deliver I can usually tell how close by the size of the droppings. Many of my females will have tiny dropping for a couple of days before.
It's when you see a change or a big difference in the size of them that you should be concerned.

[chinclub]

How did I miss this thread?  I'm reading it for the first time today.  I have noticed in my herd that small droppings tend to be a sign of not enough hay.  I switched from hay cubes to loose hay and the problem was fixed in 48 hours.   (Not the case with all problems of small poop but certainly something to look at when you are trying to determine the problem) 

[jmdebb]

i must of misread debbie.. oopss.. sorry.. you are right there...

[Jo Ann]

i know joann has been with chins for many long times years.. so i don't want to go against her,

but i have to ask joann.. i was was taught that they are like that because it depends on when they ate last..  if they just ate not too long ago, their poop will be bigger in size ..etc... or is the other way around...  you know what i mean.. all my poops are different sizes.. they are all about 3-4 years, i think.

jean

 If you have gone over many of my threads/responses, you will note I often say/use the words "ususally" , "as a rule", "most of the time", "there are always exceptions to the rule" ... etc.   Rarely is there a rule than can not be broken at one time or another and it still be safe for chinchillas.  I do not always list the exceptions,   because, my posts are usually long-winded enough.  

If you will note, I did say:

As a general rule ... if all is well ...  all or most of the individual poos will be the same size, shape and texture ... if their diet is consistant and if they are healthy ... they will usually be soft, but firm ... moist, but not wet or sticky ... normal size, not smaller than normal, and not dryer than normal.  Stress can also affect a chin's poop.  

There are always circumstances that will change the poop temporarily.  What they eat/drink can effect the poop.  The "condition" {pregnancy} can have an effect on what the poop looks like, as well as illness.  When a chinchilla's healthy poop goes 'down hill' consistently, they do need to be checked out ... as a precaution, if at all possible.  

In the wild, as it is still today, chinchillas will hide an illness, until it is almost taken over.  In the wild, even the smallest signs of illness or injury would allow a predator to have a chinchilla snack. Chinchillas still carry this "natural instinct" with them today.  When an owner realizes a chin is sick, many times, it is already very close to death.  A chinchilla's poop can give you early warning/notice of things that may lay in the near future.

His poops are still irregular sizes but i guess thats just the way it is.

 
     Very good to hear!   I'm glad the vet checked him out.   Better to be safe than sorry.

 Looks like his 'normal' is different than most ...    It never hurts to be aware and keep an eye on something that "might" be a warning of what is to come. 

   Jo Ann