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[Paigethebabe18]

Hi I'm back, my seven week old baby has soft stool. Completely normal color, circular shaped, just soft. Hes on the same diet the breeder gave him except now he has Oxbox hay and not alfalfa. I don't know if its soft because he just literally weaned from his momma or what? Any input is appreciated ASAP. (My other chinchillas stool is still completely normal BTW, if that helps at all)

[GrayRodent]

7 weeks is kind of early for weaning. Do you have its mother or did you just obtain the kit from a breeder? How long have you had him?
If you have obtained it from a breeder I recommend calling them and explaining the situation.

Also what kind of pelleted diet are you feeding, if any? How much does your kit weigh at this point? How is it acting?

[Paigethebabe18]

Yes a breeder. I messaged him last night and asked, I'm going to call here soon. I have no way to weigh him so that worries me too. I'm unsure of the pellets because the breeder gave me a bag of pellets and supplements and didn't really explain what they where. As far as his behavior he's eating all of his food fine and hopping around the cage, and running in the wheel. Sometimes he hides behind the wheel, but I considered that a little normal sense they do sleep lol and I think that's just where he sleeps.

[GrayRodent]

Sounds good. If you only had him since last night I can guarantee he is stressed. Wait a few days. Do not feed anything but hay and pellets. See if it improves.
If it ever becomes liquidy make an emergency vet visit. Locate a. Good vet ahead of time which is best practice anyway. If no improvement after a week have a fecal culture done to check parasites. I recommend getting a gram scale and weigh him once a day for a week then once a week. Downwards trends indicate trouble.
It is important to get info about your diet. Improper diet can mean big trouble.

[Paigethebabe18]

I just left a voicemail for the breeder. He gave me a six month guarantee if anything goes wrong, but I'd be so upset if anything happens to the little guy.

[GrayRodent]

I had a similar situation with mine but his fecal consistency improved after I had him for two weeks and I didn't think much of it although I suspected it wasn't right. The following year he developed soft stool that was actually sticking to the shelves and staining. A fecal analysis revealed a coccidia infection that responded well to medication about 10 days into the treatment.
With that being said chinchillas get stressed somewhat easily and it takes about 2 weeks for them to adjust to their new home. They tend to go off their food a little and this sometimes causes symptoms. If you are still concerned about something being wrong consider having an exam done for peace of mind.

[Paigethebabe18]

Yes thank you for the help. My older chinchilla had it when I first got him, and I didn't think anything either. It went away and he never had the problem again. So maybe the stress of moving causing it isn't uncommon. But I'm going to wait for the breeder to call and watch him closely just in case.

[Paigethebabe18]

UPDATE I see no wet poops. But I feel like he is suddenly innactive. I don't know if its because he's nocturnal or what. But he seems uninterested in pellets but he eats the supplement, so I gave him a tad more. Does this sound normal?

[GrayRodent]

Please remember that one day does not make a trend. And baby animals will nap numerous times in a day no matter what the species. Chinchillas are not technically nocturnal although they are active mostly a few hours after sundown, sleep late at night, and are again active a few hours before sunup.

I still strongly recommend to withhold any diet supplements until your chin's droppings are normal for at least 24 hours. Make sure he has a constant supply of loose hay in addition to his normal pelleted diet.

[ABC Chinchillas]

Babies need rest. Limit playtime no more than 15 minutes at at time, lots of hay. Most breeders wean at 8 weeks and keep an additional week to be sure they are fine on their own. slightly squishy is something to watch but not something to be panicked about

[Paigethebabe18]

You guys are SO helpful, I know it must be frustrating answering the same questions day by day. I think he's too young for his little stomach to handle the supplement, I just looked at everything in it, and there's things like sunflower seeds and etc. So I think I'm going to clean everything in his cage and try again without the supplement for today and see if there's any differences. Now that I think about it his poops are usually soft after supplement and hard again right before supplement time. I think he's finally used to my house though, every time I open his cage door he hops right in my hand lol. I look forward to building a strong bond with him, I know my other chinchilla was already probably 8 months old when I got him (Pet Store).

[GrayRodent]

Sunflower seeds are absolutely not something you give chinchillas of any age or size. Please don't feed that any more. The fat content may contribute to liver disease.

Do not give your chinchilla anything other than hay or pellets until at least 24 hours of having normal stool. Since your chinchilla is recently relocated I would wait at least two weeks. Even hay by itself is a sufficient diet. There is nothing wrong with withholding treats.

Serious problems can result from this condition if it is not reversed. If it does not improve in a couple of days on a normal diet of hay and pellets you should see a vet and check for parasites. If it is not normal after a week I recommend seeing a vet ASAP.

[Paigethebabe18]

My bad, I was just following the breeders instructions Makes me wonder why that breeder puts sunflower seeds in his supplement mixes....

[BLS Chins]

I would feed only hay until his stools are normal for a day or two. Kits should not be given any treats or supplements until they are 6 months or older. No wheels or play time till then either. I question how reputable your breeder is if they are giving unsafe supplies with their kits. Most good breeders wean at 8 weeks and keep them till 9 weks old to be sure they are doing fine on their own before allowing them to.go to a.new home. I would watch him closely. Kits can crash and burn quickly.