Constipation, Diarrhea & Bloating-

Diarrhea- You will notice runny and soft stool on the cage floor when your chinchilla has diarrhea. Diarrhea can be caused by a number of different factors such as stress, moldy hay, bacteria in water, too many treats, too much alfalfa hay and not enough timothy hay, or frequent changes in environment. If the diarrhea lasts more than a few days contact your vet. If your chinchilla has diarrhea a lenghty amount of time, it can become dehydrated, which can be fatal. To help your chinchilla out when it had diarrhea give it a bit of pedalite, & either some EXTREMELY burt whole wheat toast, shredded wheat, or any other bran type of cereal *without sugar!*

Constipation-
You will notice very hard, dry, teardrop-shaped, and stinky stool on the floor of the cage. Constipation can be caused by overfeeding, too many treats, wrong diet, not enough exercise and worst-case scenario, an obstructed intestine. If you think you have figured out the problem, you need to fix it to prevent this from recurring. Give your chinchilla 1-2 raisins, alfalfa cube, and make sure it is drinking plenty of water. You may also give some fresh papaya or apple juice just in case there is a hairball obstruction in the intestine. If stools do not go back to normal within a day or two contact a vet right away. If your chinchilla is dehydrated you need to get fluid in them ASAP, pedalite will help! If a chinchilla is horribly constipated it can cause a bowel to become prolapsed. This requires immediate medical attention.

Bloating-
Your chinchilla will really puff up, and you will notice mucous like stool on the floor of the cage. Your chinchilla will need a supplement of acidophilus. Your chinchilla will also require more exercise, outside the cage, at more frequent intervals. Feeding Tums can also help this problem.

Any of these problems can be brought on by food change, cage change, too many treats, or other stress related factors. If any symptoms occur for more than a few days get Vet. care at once!