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[Mannybilly1030]

i noticed this last night i had fed them there pellet food (oxbow pellets) a few hours after i went to check up on them because they kept bouncing around. but i noticed a soft stool so i picked it up and had a slight odor to them. so what went through my mind was take away the pellets and give them more hay, so i did and went to check on both of them today in the morning and there was a slight change. no more odor but some what still soft. so idk if it has to do with the pellets or not but if it is im planning on switching. this weekend too im also planning on cleaning the full cage its self with water and vinegar to kill off any bacteria. i hope it changes but the end of the week. my aunt reffered a homepathic medication she gave her 3 chins that caught a stomach bug called kocci free and cleared up in 10 days. she had gave all 3 flagyl but never worked it got even worse. so she said if it doesnt clear up by saturday shes giving me that. also i am calling the nearest vet friday just in case it still persist to see what he has in mind and what he thinks it is, since all though i cant self diagnose him.

[Mannybilly1030]

ohh and the last time Both had soft stool there stool had small holes. this time it doesnt forgot to add that

[GrayRodent]

What do you mean "small holes?"
When my chinchilla had a problem with soft stools I took him to the vet. They did a stool culture and found coccidia eggs. Coccidia is a very common parasite and is likely the same thing you are dealing with. Giardia is also common and can kill your pets if it is not properly treated.
My veterinarian prescribed Albon and another medication called Panacur to cover all their bases. The combination worked very well but it took about a week. Once the stool was back to normal I discarded all the wood and porous items in the cage and replaced them. It's been over a year now and I haven't had a problem since but was told the problem might come back in the future.
Please do not medicate your pets until you get a diagnosis. Whatever you give them might not play well with proper medical treatment and cause dangerous interactions. If you have given them anything please tell your vet up front.

[Mannybilly1030]

What do you mean "small holes?"
When my chinchilla had a problem with soft stools I took him to the vet. They did a stool culture and found coccidia eggs. Coccidia is a very common parasite and is likely the same thing you are dealing with. Giardia is also common and can kill your pets if it is not properly treated.
My veterinarian prescribed Albon and another medication called Panacur to cover all their bases. The combination worked very well but it took about a week. Once the stool was back to normal I discarded all the wood and porous items in the cage and replaced them. It's been over a year now and I haven't had a problem since but was told the problem might come back in the future.
Please do not medicate your pets until you get a diagnosis. Whatever you give them might not play well with proper medical treatment and cause dangerous interactions. If you have given them anything please tell your vet up front.

yea these little holes were visible in the stool this was in june. but this time theres no hole whats so ever. plus i think it could be the treats i give them. maybe way to often that i am? i give them tea spoon of herbs as treats as a mix(camolmile, lavender, peppermint). maybe i gotta stop that too. but yea im going to call friday if anything dont want to risk it
plus hopefully i can get some money from my parents to buy replacements for there cage.

my dad told me i can sand down the wood on there shelfs, houses would that make a difference? or should i stay with the safer way and get replacements?

and no i havent medicated them with anything yet and if i did i would consult the vet

[GrayRodent]

I recommend to not give chinchillas treats unless there are no signs of health problems. Treats can often cause problems especially in a compromised animal.
For my pet no treats is the rule rather than the exception. Many times he'll let me give him his regular hay or pellets as a treat. If you take a nice big blade of hay from his regular hay pile that can be a treat without it being treat.

[Jasonred79]

Recommend you take some samples of the stool and send it to the vet.

This is also one of the reasons not to get lots of other pets in addition to chinchillas... chins are semi-fragile creatures, and if money is tight, it's probably a good idea to budget in a cash reserve for bringing them to the vet, rather than spending the money on enlarging your menagerie.
There's no point having 5 different pets and you can't afford the time or money to take care of them, much better keep it at 2 pets but you take very good care of them.

[Mannybilly1030]

Recommend you take some samples of the stool and send it to the vet.

This is also one of the reasons not to get lots of other pets in addition to chinchillas... chins are semi-fragile creatures, and if money is tight, it's probably a good idea to budget in a cash reserve for bringing them to the vet, rather than spending the money on enlarging your menagerie.
There's no point having 5 different pets and you can't afford the time or money to take care of them, much better keep it at 2 pets but you take very good care of them.

I contacted my vet and he did recommend bringing 3 stools in. But he said from what i told him it sounds like a minor case of coccidia or maybe from the pellet food being exposed to something. He does own a heard of 7 chinchillas himself so he knows from that too. He also asked me to bring in a baggy of the pellet food with me to see if there was a problem. And i do have the money thats no problem for all my pets there all healthy just have been having trouble with the chins.

[GrayRodent]

The good thing is that coccidia is fairly specific to the species of animal that has it. Giardia on the other hand can infect you and other pets so be careful until you can get a diagnosis. Both are common chinchilla ailments.

[Mannybilly1030]

The good thing is that coccidia is fairly specific to the species of animal that has it. Giardia on the other hand can infect you and other pets so be careful until you can get a diagnosis. Both are common chinchilla ailments.

I have also heard Giaridia is harder to take care of, also the vet said its minor if it was bad to were immediate attention was needed was signs of not eating, playing, mucus or watery poop. But he said its soft which is minor.