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[iSpi]

So I went for a check up for my chinchilla and her then 8 day old kit. Her poop had been a little soft and I saw she had diarrhea once so I made an appointment at a vet that had very good reviews.

The vet said both looked healthy, but the mom just had some gas. She checked some fresh dropping from the pet carrier and said they didn't find anything in it, so there were no parasites.

The vet gave me some medicine as prescribed:
Bene Bac (1 gram everyday for 10 days)
Baytril (.25 cc every 12 hours for 7 days)
Simethicone (Infants' Gas Relief by Well at Walgreens is the brand. .3 cc every 12 hours for 3 days. She is done with this medication as of now)

I'm just worried because the mother chinchilla used to be eager to eat hay and nibble on some pellets while drinking a lot of water, but it seems as if she is sleeping more than anything. I started the medication November 15th when I woke up and it is November 18th meaning it is the end of day 4. She was okay the first 2 days, but now she seems more sluggish. She is grumpy after taking the medicine because I have to hold her and make her take it everyday, but the fact that she isn't eating, drinking, or pooping as much as she used to is a little scary to me. I know she is a bit stressed because her kit is still young (born on November 8th) and because she really doesn't like being held and being made to take her medication, but I don't think this is just stress. I'm going to check tomorrow if she seems any better, but I plan on taking her to the vet tomorrow as well if they can fit me in. I'm just worried that what was recommended for her may be hurting her more than anything. Is there anything I can do or anything I should check for to see if she really is seriously ill now? The kit seems fine and is gaining weight, but as said before the mother is not her normal self. Any experiences with this medicine or any advice on how I check to see if she really is sick would be appreciated.

[GrayRodent]

You should start her on critcal care recovery diet. Today if possible. Talk to your vet about getting the supplies and instructions. Baytril can be very hard on chinchillas, especially when they are already having digestive issues. It can be very dangerous if you don't supplement with hand feeding if your chinchalla goes of its food.

[GrayRodent]

Other thing to note: simethicone is commonly used and is proven to be safe. Use as directed.
Benebac should not be a problem. There is some controversy on its effectiveness. The most imporrtant thing is that the intestines keep flowing.

[iSpi]

Well we took her to the vet, and the mom wasn't getting enough calcium. I heard that they needed calcium, but she seemed okay until now. So she is now off Baytril and is going to take Bene Bac for 2 more days and we were given some Critical Care by Oxbow until she starts eating by herself again. Thank you for your feedback so I could learn more about how to care for my friend!!

[GrayRodent]

I'm glad it's all working out for you. Monitor her eating closely over the next 5 days to make sure the effects of the baytril have completely worn off. Calcium deficiency is actually a fairly common when breeding chinchillas. I'm glad your vet caught that.
Critical care doesn't always have to be force fed. Most chinchillas with lick it off the syringe unless they are very sick.

[iSpi]

I'm sorry to keep asking questions, but I think these are the last ones. I noticed she was eating her bedding (Carefresh) so I went out and bought aspen wood shavings and cleaned her cage out. She started nibbling on that too, and so did her kit who is 13 days old. I read that it's okay because it's just like chewing on their wood toys, but is it really okay? I just want to make sure. Also, because the mom isn't eating a lot the kit isn't getting as much milk,  I heard that if the kit does start to lose weight (she hasn't so far) we can give her some of the critical care too (the vet said this). How much would I give her? I haven't looked too much into it yet, but she weighed 84 grams today. The vet recommended 15 cc of critical for the mom.

[GrayRodent]

Asking questions is what this forum is all about. It's a great learning experience for everyone.
For the kit I don't know. There's probably someone who would be willing to answer that. Definitely consult your vet if any goes wrong. It seems to me that some kind of milk should be given at that age but I don't know.

Because there is only one kit you are less likely to have problems with than if you had two or three. I have a feeling the worst is over as long as there is nothing internally wrong with her.

It's a good call to remove the paper bedding. There is nothing wrong with them nibbling on the aspen. That is one reason why aspen or white pine is commonly recommended.

Also just as a reminder if it's 15cc for a whole day it should be broken up into smaller doses. (such as 5cc three times a day). The idea is to keep a constant flow of nutrients through the bowels.

[iSpi]

Thank you for your replies! This really helps. We were splitting the Critical Care a little, but only to twice a day. She was usually full when we got down to a quarter left. The mom is eating more now since we saw that the hay we put in there isn't all gone, but you can tell it's been touched. The same goes for her pellets and some water. We're not giving her as much Critical Care now because she is eating more of her usual food. The kit also gained 2 grams from November 20th to the 21st. I think she's getting a lot better, and I think changing the bedding helped a lot with that. Thank you for all the replies! You've been very helpful!!

[GrayRodent]

I always like to hear good news. I'm glad your chinchilla seems to be recovering.

[Lori Ramsey Earle]

I don't make it onto the forums very often, so am weighing in kind of late on this thread, but maybe some of my thoughts will be helpful. I'm very puzzled as to why the vet prescribed Baytril, if all your chin had was gas issues, and a bit of soft poo. My chins were never able to handle Baytril, as it's so hard on their gut.(Trimethaprim sulfa was the only antibiotic I ever had any success with). If there are no bacterial issues, why prescribe an antibiotic that will only cause further stomach problems(such as lack of appetite and gut flora imbalances)? The vet's dietary suggestions lead me to believe he/she is confusing chinchillas with rabbits or something...quite bizarre. I would suggest you cast your eye around for another exotic vet, if it's feasible. Do buy a copy of The Joy of Chinchillas, available on the California Chins website. It's a huge help and will give you a lot of info on raising chins. There are other helpful books out there, but this one is a must.
I noticed that a lot of my pregnant chins would increase their water intake the month before and for awhile after birth, and their poos were often big and soft. Usually, this goes away by itself, but if it becomes too messy, I would give acidophilus and make sure there was lots of fresh hay to tempt her. Pregnant moms and new moms love yogurt, which I would feed them via syringe, just to make sure they were getting enough calcium.

[iSpi]

Well I'm glad to have looked at this post again. I will look into buying that book! I'm always willing to look into making sure my chinchillas are happy and healthy, and having a physical copy on how to do so will be nice to have.

[Lori Ramsey Earle]

I always found it kind of reassuring to have a good manual to look at when I had questions. That, along with posting on the forums here, will net you a lot of helpful information. Get as much info as you can before your vet's visits, and then you'll have a better idea of questions you need to ask.