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[Mannybilly1030]

Earlier today i had bought them both a new hide away and i gave them both a treat (Goji Berries)
So a while ago i went to check up on them and they were jumpy as usual chachi popcorns a lot and chunky is the fiesty one doesnt like to be petted or anything. But i notcied smushed poops so i said in my mind please dont let this be mushy poop...and surely it was so i started panicking and everything but them i remember i gave them a treat so i think this happend awhile back to but i didnt pay no attention because here poop went back to normal but this time i noticed it. I smelled the bag and it smelled like strong Smell like if they werent good. So i kept panicking and i cant really afford a vet visit until next monday :/. There poop is mushy, looks moist, dark brown or like brown. But mushy so im really worried im gonna have some Really sick chin(s). I gave them More Hay i give them Kaytee Timothy Hay and Oxbow Pellets and i refilled there bottle with slight cold water because they like it cold lol.

So if theres ways i can avoid this getting worse other then a vet visit please tell me because i want them better asap! My dads keeping a look out on the their poops and my grandma is too.

Oh yea i forgot there not watery, not sticking to there fur, or they dont have a smell either. There just mushy and thats it really.

Please help in some sort of way

[GrayRodent]

I've had a similar thing happen to me and I waited a couple of weeks before I took mine to the vet. In my case he had coccidiosis which is a common parasitic infection that responded to medications in about five days. It was diagnosed with a simple stool culture and the veterinarian was surprised that a very low count on the slide would cause those symptoms. It did get to the point where it was smearing and sticking to his fur. My instructions from the vet was to replace all the wood shelving and thoroughly clean the cage. I only did towards the end of the course of antibiotics to make sure the meds were in effect before I did that.

I recommend that you wait a week anyway and watch for changes. If it gets sticky and stains things in the cage while you are waiting for the vet don't panic. If it gets runny then you will have to go the vet or you might lose him.
I don't know much about the safety of goji berries. Any berries that you give a chinchilla must be thoroughly dried. I recommend withholding all treats until the problem clears and you get a diagnosis.

If you are given antibiotics make sure you keep close track of their food and water consumption. Antibiotics can cause a chinchilla to completely stop eating and drinking. If this happens and you don't syringe feed within 48 hours it is almost always fatal. Please discuss this with your vet if your chinchilla is prescribed antibiotics and if he doesn't bring it up first.

[kageri]

You don't need to worry that much.  They aren't going to drop dead from a day or 2 of soft poops.  Stop giving treats and make sure there is nothing stressing them.  Keep an eye on them and take them to the vet if it gets any worse or does not clear up.  They may just need to adjust to the goji berries or you might have to find something else to feed them.  Sugar free cereal goes over well and is less likely to cause digestive upset.  We have cheerios and some wheat cereal from the natural and organic foods section of our grocery store.  There are also sticks, rosehips, and rose buds or petals that are safe to give daily.

[Mannybilly1030]

I've had a similar thing happen to me and I waited a couple of weeks before I took mine to the vet. In my case he had coccidiosis which is a common parasitic infection that responded to medications in about five days. It was diagnosed with a simple stool culture and the veterinarian was surprised that a very low count on the slide would cause those symptoms. It did get to the point where it was smearing and sticking to his fur. My instructions from the vet was to replace all the wood shelving and thoroughly clean the cage. I only did towards the end of the course of antibiotics to make sure the meds were in effect before I did that.

I recommend that you wait a week anyway and watch for changes. If it gets sticky and stains things in the cage while you are waiting for the vet don't panic. If it gets runny then you will have to go the vet or you might lose him.
I don't know much about the safety of goji berries. Any berries that you give a chinchilla must be thoroughly dried. I recommend withholding all treats until the problem clears and you get a diagnosis.

If you are given antibiotics make sure you keep close track of their food and water consumption. Antibiotics can cause a chinchilla to completely stop eating and drinking. If this happens and you don't syringe feed within 48 hours it is almost always fatal. Please discuss this with your vet if your chinchilla is prescribed antibiotics and if he doesn't bring it up first.

Yes thank you i emailed a exotic vet a few miles away from my house and he said if i doesnt progress by wednesday to show up to his office. He's specialized in Chinchillas, Ferrets, Sugar Gliders, Hedgehogs, and he said Parrots. So i have seen reviews on yelp and 40 out of 46 reviews are all good. The 6 complained because of the waiting room and the noise in the office but that really doesn't matter. I did text my dad after i got off school and he said there stools look better so I'm hoping they stay that way i am actually going to stay with my grandma today due to her having chemo and feeling really nauseous so my little brother is going to check on them both and examine there stools (hes 13) so yea he does know about them to so he will call me when he does. And i know its because of the treats i give it to them way to often and I'm considering doing that 2 a week now

[Mannybilly1030]

You don't need to worry that much.  They aren't going to drop dead from a day or 2 of soft poops.  Stop giving treats and make sure there is nothing stressing them.  Keep an eye on them and take them to the vet if it gets any worse or does not clear up.  They may just need to adjust to the goji berries or you might have to find something else to feed them.  Sugar free cereal goes over well and is less likely to cause digestive upset.  We have cheerios and some wheat cereal from the natural and organic foods section of our grocery store.  There are also sticks, rosehips, and rose buds or petals that are safe to give daily.

They aren't stressed its actually gonna be 3 weeks i have both chins with me and they love the area there not anxious or stressed really anymore. Its the treats for sure, the food or hay isn't molding or expired and the water is refilled everyday and the fleeces in there cage are washed every 2 weeks. I need to buy another set so i don't use the same ones over and over again. And yes the goji berries have a quite a bit of sugar so im thinking its that. But i do want to give them cheerios now sounds healthier and not as dangerous lol thanks and yes i will take them or my dad will take them. My dad was nervous too because he fell in love with them to lol. Hes not a rodent person but he loves them now

[GrayRodent]

Definitely discontinue treats, and wait at least 7 days for it to clear up. If it does not clear up after 7 days or gets worse I recommend a vet visit for a stool culture. If it is a problem with the food both chinchillas will be affected. soft stools can lead to other problems if it is not managed properly. Although it's nothing to panic over it is not something that should be ignored. And even sugar free treats that are safe to give chinchillas every day can be harmful if too many are given. At least that is my take on it.

[Mannybilly1030]

Definitely discontinue treats, and wait at least 7 days for it to clear up. If it does not clear up after 7 days or gets worse I recommend a vet visit for a stool culture. If it is a problem with the food both chinchillas will be affected. soft stools can lead to other problems if it is not managed properly. Although it's nothing to panic over it is not something that should be ignored. And even sugar free treats that are safe to give chinchillas every day can be harmful if too many are given. At least that is my take on it.

Hi and yea i did read about that and today i cleaned there cage and the mushy poops arent mushy or moist the way they were there a little bit more hard and no holes spotted anymore my brother said before they had holes they did look moist and the poops would stain the paper towel now they dont and they arent as mushy as before but they dont brake like they use to so there is an improvement theres none on his bottom there isnt sticking anywhere like how i did see before they werent stinky either so im hoping he's getting cleaned out.

[GrayRodent]

How's your chinchilla now?

[Mannybilly1030]

How's your chinchilla now?

He was better but i notice when he stresses out he comes down with mushy poop. He has it again but im giving him a lot of hay and refreshing both there water bottle. His activity level is the same. Eats and drinks the same. No changes but the poop. He is stressed out because my cousins come in the room making noise when i tell them not to but hes recovering the poop is getting its color back we just have to work on the moistness and the mushiness. But improving little by little i have to speak to my family to not come in the room there in.

[GrayRodent]

I think these symptoms are consistent with coccidiosis or possibly another similar type of infection. I recommend discussing this with your veterinarian and having a stool culture done.
Unfortunately the treatments will introduce a bit of stress because chinchillas do not like to be syringe fed medicine but I think it is important for your pet's long term health. It should have cleared up by now.
Here is a series of posts that logs my experience with this in detail that might help you.
http://www.chinchillaclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,4308.0.html

[Mannybilly1030]

I think these symptoms are consistent with coccidiosis or possibly another similar type of infection. I recommend discussing this with your veterinarian and having a stool culture done.
Unfortunately the treatments will introduce a bit of stress because chinchillas do not like to be syringe fed medicine but I think it is important for your pet's long term health. It should have cleared up by now.
Here is a series of posts that logs my experience with this in detail that might help you.
http://www.chinchillaclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,4308.0.html

The hay seems perfectly fine my other chin eats it with no poo poo problems. Both my chins have same eating patterns, same water intake, close to same activity one is more mellow then the oter due to age but its just chachi with the poop problem i will have to speak with my dad about havig his poop tested i would not want a very ill chinchilla

[Mannybilly1030]

I think these symptoms are consistent with coccidiosis or possibly another similar type of infection. I recommend discussing this with your veterinarian and having a stool culture done.
Unfortunately the treatments will introduce a bit of stress because chinchillas do not like to be syringe fed medicine but I think it is important for your pet's long term health. It should have cleared up by now.
Here is a series of posts that logs my experience with this in detail that might help you.
http://www.chinchillaclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,4308.0.html

Wait quick question how would you describe sour hay if you smelled it? Yea ik sour but how else could you tell? I think my hay is sour and might have gotten chachi ill again

[GrayRodent]

In my case I didn't smell any difference in the poop. The fact that it is mushy and has not cleared up in three weeks by itself warrants veterinary treatment. The fact that it smells is actually a worse symptom that is associated with giardia infection which is dangerous if it is not treated and can lead to permanent damage. You won't know what it causing it if you don't get a stool culture done. If the stool culture returns a negative result I still recommend medicating in case anything got missed. If the hay is sour and the other chinchilla is not being effected that also indicates there is something wrong that the other chinchilla does not have.

The best way I can describe sour hay is that it smells damp and musty. Fresh hay smells sweet and pleasant and bad hay smells bad and can, but not always, have a strong smell. It doesn't smell like fresh hay. If the hay is moldy you can sometimes see it. If you have visible mold then it probably smells pretty bad though.

[Jasonred79]

So how are the little ones?

Would think that if you had sour hay, they'd BOTH get mushy poop, so maybe it's some internal problem. Virus/ germ/ worm/ etc.

[Jasonred79]

... how are you chins now?