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Health / Utterly Lost, Weight loss
« on: March 06, 2014, 09:15:19 AM »
I have had both of my chinchillas, Blue and Gus, for close to two years now. Two boys, both very active. Recently I have noticed that my quieter male, Blue has lost weight. He isn't lethargic (actually is still super active), he isn't drooling, his fecal matter looks normal, and he is still eating and drinking, but he is definitely losing weight.
My question is: is it possible that my dominant male, Gus, is starving him? They have two food bowls, two hay nets, and two water bottles in separate parts of the cage. The cage itself is six feet tall by three feet wide by two feet deep, with several different platforms and plenty of room for the two of them to jump and get away from each other if needed. I have had issues with my dominant male chewing the whiskers of my submissive male before, but I need to know if something to this extent is a possibility.
I'm hesitant to separate them if that's not the case. Either way, my little boy is losing weight and I'm a little at a loss as to what to do.
There is one vet in the area that takes chinchillas, and he looked at my boys once as a general checkup when I purchased them, but I'm not sure if he will know either.
Please help!
My question is: is it possible that my dominant male, Gus, is starving him? They have two food bowls, two hay nets, and two water bottles in separate parts of the cage. The cage itself is six feet tall by three feet wide by two feet deep, with several different platforms and plenty of room for the two of them to jump and get away from each other if needed. I have had issues with my dominant male chewing the whiskers of my submissive male before, but I need to know if something to this extent is a possibility.
I'm hesitant to separate them if that's not the case. Either way, my little boy is losing weight and I'm a little at a loss as to what to do.
There is one vet in the area that takes chinchillas, and he looked at my boys once as a general checkup when I purchased them, but I'm not sure if he will know either.
Please help!