Health
Other Internal Parasites
While no research has been done on intestinal parasites in chinchillas, they probably have their own version of the usual list available to the rest of us, e.g. round worm, pin worm to name but two. Chinchillas have been found to have had cryptosporidium, coccidia, and giardia. These three parasites cause diarrhoea, and can be the cause of low weight gain in younger animals.
Cryptosporidium : this parasite can cause disease in a chinchilla that is already immunosuppressed (such as found when the animal is stressed or suffering from concurrent disease). It causes diarrhoea with blood, malabsorption and weight loss. Cryptosporidium is becoming more common in water supplies in some parts of the world. Disease transmission again is by the faecal-oral route. The eggs shed in the droppings are immediately infective. Diagnosis is performed by microscopic examination of the droppings. Treatment is with albendazole or fenbendazole. The chinchillas cage should be cleaned and sterilized (a blow torch can be used to scorch the wire and shelves to aid in sterilising), any porous cage accessories or shelves should be removed and thrown away or destroyed.
Coccidia : healthy chinchillas may carry small numbers of coccidia, but in situations of poor husbandry, concurrent disease and stress this parasite can multiply and cause disease. Transmission is by the faecal-oral route. Symptoms of infection include weight loss, diarrhoea (often with blood) and dehydration. Diagnosis is performed by microscopic examination of a fresh faecal smear as unsporulated oocysts (a stage in the life cycle of the parasite) are shed in the faeces. The infection can be treated with sulphonamides , fluids, warmth and high nutrition foods. The cage must be sterilised (a blow torch can be used to scorch the wire and shelves to aid in sterilising), and any porous items in the cage thrown away. Food bowls and water bottles must be cleaned in boiling water. Flies can also spread the infection, so care must be taken to control their numbers.
Giardia : this is a flagellate protozoan that attaches itself to the intestinal lining. The method of transmission is faecal-oral, oocystes (a stage in the parasites life cycle) are ingested and travel to the intestine where they replicate. The giardia trophozoites are triangular shaped with a large sucker underbelly which attaches to the inner wall of the intestine. Infection therefore causes malabsorption in the intestinal tract. Chinchillas normally carry low numbers of giardia species without showing disease. But, stress, a dirty cage, contaminated water supply or concurrent illness can allow these protozoans to proliferate, and cause clinical disease. Clinical signs of infection may include increased appetite, followed by depression, diarrhoea, and collapse.
The chinchilla passes large wet mucoid droppings. There is fur loss a decrease or worsening of body condition. It can be identified by microscopic examination of a fresh faecal smear, NOTE the dropping must be inspected within minutes of being passed by the chinchilla, droppings several hours old are useless. Treatment is with metronidazole (flagyl). However, metronidazole has been associated with liver failure in chinchillas, and it may be preferable to treat giardia with antihelmintic drugs (worming preparations - do not use ones sold in your local supermarket, see your vet). Albendazole can be given at a dose of 50-100mg/Kg body weight daily for 3 days, or fenbendazole (panacur) can be given at a dose of 50mg/Kg or 0.5ml/Kg body weight daily for 3 days, allow 5 days before repeating the process if necessary (the vet should check a faecal sample before repeating the treatment). However , albendazole has been linked to bone marrow toxicosis in cats and dogs so this is not a benign treatment !!! Some anorexia has been noted in chinchillas during treatment, so ensure the chinchilla does eat, in severe cases where the chin refuses to eat it may be necessary to hand feed with one of the Replacement feeds found in the Replacement Feeds Section. Antibiotics (usually baytril) are normally also given in combination with these worming treatments.
To help in recovery, provide fluids, warmth and high nutrition foods such as those found in the Replacement Feeds section. The cage must again be cleaned and disinfected (a blow torch can be used to scorch the wire and shelves to aid in sterilising). I would recommend using a probiotic (see Health section) to help replace normal gut flora as the antibiotic will also kill bacteria normally present in the chinchillas intestine.