Chinchilla Community Forums
Chinchillas => General Chat => Topic started by: Laura on September 17, 2009, 11:34:56 AM
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My chinchilla has been sick for over a week now he was on an antibiotic and i had him back at the vet yesterday and he was put on another antibiotic. He wont eat or drink now, is there anything i can feed him other than his regular food?
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::silly:: If he is not eating or drinking he is probably going into dehydration and/or is impacted ... neither of which is good.
Impacted is when the digestive tract stops because it has no flora to keep it moving. His bowls get stopped up ... This makes the chin think it is full, and not hungry. The only thing I know of that works, once a chin that is impacted, and there is no guarantee, is to give him an almond or two (This is the only time you will see me suggesting a nut of any kind for a chinchilla.) This happened to a friend of mine chinchilla and when it finally pooped it was all stuck together making a 3 and 1/2 inch long poop.
Antibiotics kill bacteria ... that is it's job ... BUT ... it kills all bacteria the good and the bad. The good bacteria is often referred to a flora. Flora helps to digest the chinchilla's food and keeps the digestive tract moving ... this is a must for all animals, even humans, but especially so for chinchillas. Once their digestive tract shuts down, they can go down quickly.
Please read: Don't let the Cure Kill Your Chinchilla at http://www.geocities.com/jobernstein1949/ACureCanKill.html
Yogurt is good, it can be fed from a spoon or an eyedropper. Yogurt is a milk product and must be given at least 3 hours before or after the dose of antibiotic. Mine like strawberry and blueberry yogurt best. Healthfood stores carry acidophiles, which can also be used.
How old is your chin? Why is it on antibiotics?
::wave:: Jo Ann
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Hi Jo Ann, he has pneumonia, i had him back at the vet on friday he has lost a lot of weight, he is on baytril and another one for his lungs, the vet told me to feed him some baby food with his med and give him baby food 3-4 times a day for two days to try to get his appetite back. He seems a lot better now thank god, he is drinking and eating on his own now so i don't have to hand feed him anymore, and he doesn't seem to be sneezing and coughing as much and is a lot more active. He is on the meds until monday and has a check up in the vet on saturday so hopefully all goes well and he is on the road to recovery :)
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::silly:: Great! That sounds like good news to me. :::grins:: Watch him very carefully ... pneumonia in one so small can be deadly. Make sure he continues pooping regularly and that it is not becoming drier. There should always be moisture in them ... just enough to hold the long oval shape, but not to mushy.
::thumbsup:: As long as he is moving around, eating, drinking, pooping and peeing, he should be in good shape. :blush2:
Keep us posted!
::wave:: Jo Ann
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Thanks Jo Ann,
I will let you know how he gets on on saturday :)
Laura
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He seems a lot better now thank god, he is drinking and eating on his own now so i don't have to hand feed him anymore, and he doesn't seem to be sneezing and coughing as much and is a lot more active.
I am force feeding my chin presently and I was curious as to how long you had to hand feed your chin before he starting eating on his own again?