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Author Topic: Chinchilla vomited, HELP!  (Read 6437 times)

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lifeisgood.lisha

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Chinchilla vomited, HELP!
« on: November 08, 2013, 03:03:17 AM »

I read in other posts online that chinchillas cant vomit, but Mochi began to dry heave and then a little greenish fluid came up! I put her back into her cage and she seems more tired than usual. Which to me, is a red flag. Granted we did just play for an hour, but still... What should I do? Has your chin ever done this before? I'll be calling the vet tomorrow.

The only thing that I can think of that I've done any different than usual is I purchased her new treats. The contents of it are rose hips, carob pods, puffed wheat, rasins, ground corn, oats, dehydrated potato, heat processed peas, dried mountain ash berries, puffed rice, wheat middlings, veggie oil, calcium proionate (preservative).

She tried the rose hips and the carob pod. The product is not expired, but due to her reaction I don't think i'll continue to feed it to her. Bleh, i'm worried...  :'(
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GrayRodent

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Re: Chinchilla vomited, HELP!
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2013, 06:55:50 AM »

Please call your vet today and discuss it because it could be a symptom of some very serious problems that need immediate intervention. This is very abnormal.
How has her food and water consumption been? And her fecal output in the last three days? Also have you noticed any distension of her abdomen? Also how much of those treats does she get in a day? I don't see anything in there that I think is harmful if taken in small quantities.
« Last Edit: November 08, 2013, 06:59:48 AM by GrayRodent »
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lifeisgood.lisha

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Re: Chinchilla vomited, HELP!
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2013, 02:19:27 PM »

I made an appointment. She is still eating normally, drinking normally, her fur looks good, her teeth look orange like they should. Maybe she just choked a little bit and it was saliva that came out. It was green though, so I'm not sure. She's more perky today, so hopefully she's okay over the weekend until we get in on Monday. I'll just keep a close eye on her and no treats.

This will be her first checkup. Do you have any tips for a stress-free visit? What are some ways I can help keep her calm? I don't want to traumatize her. I just bonded with her not too long ago.
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GrayRodent

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Re: Chinchilla vomited, HELP!
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2013, 02:40:05 PM »

The most important indicators are food consumption and fecal output. I am glad she is eating normally. I think this rules out the most serious problems. If there is no fecal output in any given day that means trouble so keep track of that too.
Also can you describe what you actually saw? Chinchillas cannot vomit but they can choke and cough. I still think an exam is advised. When travelling with your pet keep the cage off the floor of vehicle and cover it with a blanket.
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lifeisgood.lisha

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Re: Chinchilla vomited, HELP!
« Reply #4 on: November 08, 2013, 02:50:36 PM »

I had her in my bathroom. She was running around and investigating when all of a sudden she stopped, stood on her two hind paws, began to make an odd sound with her mouth open moving her tongue back like she was going to throw up and then after about 10 sec of this a little green fluid drooled out of the corner of her mouth. After that she jumped up on me and wanted me to hold her. Almost like she was seeking comfort... After that she was very affectionate and when i went to put her back in her cage she immediately went and lied down on her chinspin exhausted and breathing more heavy than usual.

I'll just keep an eye on her...
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chinclub

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Re: Chinchilla vomited, HELP!
« Reply #5 on: November 08, 2013, 07:00:36 PM »

I'm thinking she might have something stuck in her throat.
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Re: Chinchilla vomited, HELP!
« Reply #6 on: November 09, 2013, 07:18:49 AM »

How is she doing today? Is she still eating okay?
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lifeisgood.lisha

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Re: Chinchilla vomited, HELP!
« Reply #7 on: November 09, 2013, 02:58:40 PM »

She's doing just fine, oddly enough! I have been sweeping her fleece liners every day observing for any changes and there has been none. She's still drinking, eating, and her output is normal. I am so thankful.

I still have an appointment early Monday morning for her. I think it would be good to get a check-up, just in case. This will be her first check-up with me as her owner. She had a previous owner that I got her from off of craigslist back in August.

I'll keep you posted and let you know how the appointment goes on Monday ::)
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lifeisgood.lisha

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Re: Chinchilla vomited, HELP!
« Reply #8 on: November 11, 2013, 04:34:24 PM »

So the verdict is, she's fine! Horrary!
I guess she might've just slightly choked and that was that. It hasn't affected anything, it just scared me that night. Thankfully nothing serious happened. I don't think you can exactly Heimlich a chinchilla... Other than that she handled the check up well.

The vet recommended me getting her timothy hay from the local feed store instead of Petco and try mixing it with other grasses like barley, oat or brome. Also to decrese her intake of the Mazuri pellets and supply more hay than the pellets. I live in Oregon where we don't get much sun, she also would like me to either get her a UV bulb or set her cage outside for a period of 8-12 hours a day. She also noticed some redness on her hind paws, which can either be from the wire ladders or the fleece she said... So I need to invest in some better ledges as well as putting some lotion on her paws for awhile. So... new food, increased exercise, UV light, keep an eye on her feet!

Do you have any recommendations as far as good places to get new ledges and other types of liners that might be better for chinchillas? I like the fleece because it's easy clean up... but if there's something that'd be better for her I'd be willing to do some extra work.

 ::silly::
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Re: Chinchilla vomited, HELP!
« Reply #9 on: November 11, 2013, 06:16:10 PM »

UV light would be great, but I don't recommend setting the cage outside.  In the winter, chinchillas are VERY susceptible to respiratory infections from drafts.  Standing cold air is fine, but drafty , windy cold can be deadly.  And, of course, in the summer over heating is a big issue. :)
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Re: Chinchilla vomited, HELP!
« Reply #10 on: November 11, 2013, 08:24:25 PM »

I'm so glad to hear your pet is healthy. I was also very concerned that something may have been lodged in its throat.

UV light is an interesting idea. In fact our vet (at the time) recommended one for our African Grey parrot and sold us one (and not at a good price). It actually caused artificial sunburn on our bird's face, which, on a Grey, is not covered by feathers. At first we thought it was a reaction to a probiotic they put him on at the time, but it happened several times afterwards and it was very funny looking.

We later looked it up and discovered that as long as his diet was good he didn't need it, and that the artificial light could actually be harmful because the UV emission can be way too high depending on the bulb's construction and cause skin damage and cataracts. And, because there are no regulations, there is no way to know how much light was output so we stopped using it.

As far as chinchillas go there is only one exposed area on them, their eyes, that sunlight can reach, and they are animals that in nature hide under rocks during the day and sleep and come out only when it is dark to avoid predators. I am not saying what you should or should not do but I hope you find this information useful.

As far as hay goes if it looks green and smells fresh you are good to go. Hay that has been sitting on the shelf too long will not be green. Hay that smells damp, or even the slightest bit off, should be replaced immediately and without question. I learned that the hard way this year. I always open the bag at the store and smell it before I buy it. If it is off I take it to the counter and point it out. Around here moisture is a problem no matter what store you get it from.

Wire ramps or wire shelves in the cage are bad news no matter what. Chinchillas get tangled up in these and break their legs and feet. I see reports of this regularly on these boards. Use solid white pine boards cut to size and mounted to minimize gaps. Chinchillas don't need ramps since they can jump straight up and prefer that. They can be tilted downward so the mess falls towards the inside of the cage. Once you install a couple of shelves you should see improvement on the foot pads in a two or three weeks. I had a chinchilla that rested on wire shelves before I bought him. It took about two months before I noticed improvement but he also had a habit of sleeping on the wire floor. That changed once I removed the wooden hut he liked to sleep under and then he preferred the shelves.

It actually is ideal to vary hay grasses, although, for other things, it is best to not vary your pet's diet. When you switch pellets try to switch gradually over two weeks if you can.

You can Heimlich a chinchilla like you can a rabbit. I'll leave it up to you to search on that one because it's a precarious maneuver that is difficult to do safely.
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