Health
Bloat.
(reproduced from a post on CU by Claire D)
When chinchillas become ill one of the first signs is (often) a lack of appetite and constipation or no faeces at all. This can be a result of a slowing down of gut motility (peristalsis), accompanied by an imbalance of gut flora (the ‘good’ bacteria is swamped by ‘bad’ bacteria and possibly yeasts). More often than not, the worried owner will try to get their pet to eat by offering treats, getting the chinchilla to eat anything in the hopes of stimulating healthier eating and encouraging production of faeces by promoting gut motility. Treats are usually high in sugar and even quite sick chinchillas will nibble a raisin or two. Unfortunately an increase in the amounts of pathogenic bacteria as well as an increase in the intake of sugar from treats, and poor gut motion may lead to bloat. The theory behind this is yeast combines with the sugar in the gut and ferments, causing formation of gases. This is then very painful for the chinchilla and can lead to rapid deterioration in general condition and even death.
A chinchilla who has not been eating for a few days is traditionally given some form of high fibre food substitute such as Supreme Science Recovery or Critical Care. This gives the chinchilla’s gut a mass of fibrous bulk which the then distended gut cannot move along due to decreased gut motility. Basically it may be a vicious circle – without food and roughage the gut cannot move food along and goes into ileus (stops moving) and without movement of food the gut builds further gases and undesirable bacteria, leading to pain and a decrease in appetite.
It is possible then, that traditional treatments may not be the best form of help for a sick chinchilla. If the theory proposed is correct then it may be better to give probiotics to promote healthy gut flora and stimulate the appetite for “good foods” rather than give treats which increase the sugar content of the stomach.
Appetite can be stimulated by using apple cider vinegar (1/2 teaspoon in 250ml water) Probiotics contain bacteria which are acid-loving (acidophilus). The inclusion of cider vinegar may inhibit the growth of undesirable bacteria and yeasts in the gut and aid in the production of “healthy” gut flora by creating an acid environment.
Following on from this theory then, a logical proposed treatment for chinchillas who go “off their food” would be:
No sugary treats
Probiotics in the drinking water
Apple Cider Vinegar to stimulate appetite.
Reasonable food intake (good quality hay and pellets)
Supreme Recovery Science or Critical Care if required in the early stages
of illness.
Combine this with gentle stomach massage using a circular motion, and exercise. Immediate action needs to be taken to prevent damage to the intestine.