If your chinchilla has soft pellets that are flattening out when stepped on or are sticking to
objects in the cage he has diarrhea. There are two common problems which usually cause
this.
**1st- look at his amount of treats. Are you giving him raisins or other fruit? If so, stop
them for a few days until the pellets are normal then slowly start back again giving him
less. Make sure he has extra hay and a few less chinchilla pellets while he is overcoming
his diarrhea. Burnt toast is a good cure for tummy upset. The charcoal in the blackened
parts should settle his tummy within 24 hours if it’s a diet problem.
**Another common cause is a dirty water bottle. Water bottles should be cleaned on a
regular basis to control bacteria. If a bacterium does grow in the bottle your chinchilla
will get diarrhea. A good cleaning should solve the problem. Once again extra hay and
less chinchilla pellets for a few days should help. If you use Clorox to clean your bottles,
be sure to rinse very well. Clorox in the water can affect your chinchilla’s fur color.
If neither one of these solves the problem, or if the poop is runny and has a funny smell your chinchilla needs a trip to the vet right away.
Have them do a "wet slide" to check for Giardia.
