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Author Topic: New Owner. Just checking  (Read 881 times)

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rayluckgoo

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New Owner. Just checking
« on: March 06, 2017, 05:37:39 PM »

I teach Animal Science at a local high school and we adopted a Chinchilla, George, a couple of months ago.  No problem with him.  I was so enamored with him that I accepted one as a home pet from a friend that needed to rehome.  George is bright and full of energy and full of life but this new one seemed "sleepy" even at the house she was at.  They brought her to my house and set up her cage the way she "liked" it...including a bowl of nuts, a bowl of dried fruit and a bowl of the Dandelion treats!  Could this "junk food" diet have caused her lethargy? It's been 48 hours with no treats and she seems scared now (which I think is an appropriate response to changing locations etc.)
I have seen her eat hay (horse hay, mixed timothy) and she's been in her pellet bowl which leads me to two more questions. 1)  I've had people tell me that they need the bought Timothy hay bags but I know they've been chemically treated to stay green and I think good quality horse hay is probably better for them...am I right? and 2)  Both of them came with the Tractor Supply brand of pellets (Dumor) and both seem to pick out the colored pieces and leave the rest behind.  Is this okay or should I find them something else quickly?
Thanks

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GrayRodent

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Re: New Owner. Just checking
« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2017, 09:28:24 PM »

Congrats on your new pets. You have certainly come to the right place for information.
There's all kinds of utterly terrible bits of information on the Internet regarding chinchillas and diet.

I can see there's a few things you've got going on that I think you'll want to address.
I'm not too concerned about George but the new chinchilla may need to see veterinarian to have a dental workup and check for liver enlargement/ lipidosis. If both are detected you'll be better off keeping the chins separate because of potential disease.

Chinchillas should be on a diet of plain alfalfa-based pellets plus loose timothy hay. The hay is actually the main diet and the pellets are considered to be supplemental. There are only about 4 or 5 brands that are really proper for them. The best ones are easy to obtain in the US. I'm going to recommend Oxbow Chinchilla Deluxe or Mazuri chinchilla diet. These are time tested feeds that have known to produce very long lived animals. There are others but they come with caveats. TSC will provide Mazuri but you have to special order it. It's a pain but the cost savings are significant for a 25lb bag. And you know you're getting a top quality diet.

Feeds that are a mixture are usually horrible, as in toxic. A chinchilla should live at least 10 years, and with these novelty diets you can't expect much more than 2 or 3. Usually death is from dental malocclusion when it's diagnosed but I think organ failure is a contributor. Chinchillas are prone to lipidosis from oily or fatty diets which have seeds and nuts in them. Sugar is known to cause cavities and you can imagine they'll pick out the sweet garbage, don't get normal wear on teeth, and end up malnourished as well.

Dental problems seem to be the worst for chinchillas. Once they start recovery is very rare, very expensive, requires multiple treatments, and just usually evolves into a sob story and a dead pet. Considering the history behind your new pet I advise getting a dental x-ray and full exam there to make sure you're not dealing with something like that. Lethargy is usually the sign of something very serious but there could be other factors such as its normal routine, as most chinchillas sleep during the day and are most active at night. They can adapt to their owner's schedules though.

As far as relocation stress that is usually a problem that's easily solved. Just avoid a lot of handling for the first two weeks. With any chinchilla that is not well socialized start slow and build up. Read your pet and try to make sure its happy experiences with you outweigh any stress associated with handling.

As far as Timothy hay I really don't think it matters but I know others have arguments to be picky. I'd be surprised if there are additives. If there are it will be listed and I've yet to see that in packaged loose hay. Of course I stay with brands I know such as Oxbow and Standlee.

One thing I have noticed is that moisture can be a problem with hay packaged in plastic and I've learned to open the bag and smell it before I buy it. But lately I've gone to buying large bales and storing the hay in mesh bags because it's so much less expensive. As long as it's green and smells good it's fine.

I'd say find something quickly, doesn't have to be same day or anything, but I think you should change diets soon. I think it might be wise to get a vet exam and keep your pets in separate rooms in case it's something contagious like a respiratory problem. Animals should be kept separate anyway for 3-4 weeks for observation. Because relocation causes stress, an already compromised animal could be in really bad shape. Please be aware of that and make sure you know what's going on.

I'd be glad to ask any questions you have.
« Last Edit: March 06, 2017, 09:35:02 PM by GrayRodent »
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GrayRodent

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Re: New Owner. Just checking
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2017, 09:31:55 PM »

Also I'm going to add I don't really advocate for giving chinchillas treats. It can be done safely if you know what you're doing but it's not really doing them any good. And if you suspect there is any problem with your chinchilla do not give treats. Especially do not give treats to get a chinchilla that is not eating to eat. Use an appropriate recovery diet from your vet and and a proper assessment.
« Last Edit: March 06, 2017, 09:36:38 PM by GrayRodent »
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rayluckgoo

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Re: New Owner. Just checking
« Reply #3 on: March 07, 2017, 04:01:46 AM »

Thank You.  She's acting better all the time so I think the excess treats might have been a big part.  She ate a lot of hay during the night and some pellets.  She's chewing her wood sticks.  She comes to greet me at the cage and is actively investigating me but I don't attempt to handle her at this point. 

I have horses so hay isn't a big issue (just wanted to make sure I could use it) but she came with 3 bags of Kaytee timothy so I'll mix it for now.  I'm still concerned about it because they spray Canadian hay in the field to keep it green so I'm not sure they'd have to put it on the bag because they don't add it.

Just for clarification, George is at school and will stay there, and Shizzee is at home so there isn't any plan to have them in the same place.
I'll order some better food today!  Thanks again.
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GrayRodent

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Re: New Owner. Just checking
« Reply #4 on: March 07, 2017, 11:47:16 PM »

I'm glad to hear that. If your chinchilla is eating mostly hay I doubt there's a dental problem since pellets are much easier to chew.
If you know horses you're already a step ahead. Chinchillas share a lot of the same personality traits but are not quite as touchy. Definitely use your horse's tim. hay. Be super careful about moisture. It wouldn't be a bad idea to store their portion inside the house from fresh bails.

As far as hay choice use your best judgment. I know there's crazy things that go unchecked so I'm not going to say it can't be that way. I used to feed Kaytee hay and have never had any problems.
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rayluckgoo

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Re: New Owner. Just checking
« Reply #5 on: March 10, 2017, 04:43:09 AM »

Good Morning,
She seems to be doing better.  She's running on her wheel and interacting with my dogs.  She's definitely eating hay and just picking at pellets so here's my question....about how much hay should she eat?  I clean up the old hay in the morning and put fresh stuff down and she goes for it/1  She seems to pick out what she likes out of the horse hay and then moves on to the Kaytee hay.  I just don't know if I'm giving her enough.  There is always hay leftover but she loves getting the new stuff.  Thanks
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GrayRodent

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Re: New Owner. Just checking
« Reply #6 on: March 10, 2017, 08:51:12 PM »

Chinchillas will usually waste a good deal of hay and that's just normal for them. They'll usually leave the dry stalky bits. About every day or two I pull that out and start over with fresh hay. Best practice is to give them enough that they won't run out. Same with pellets. For normal healthy chinchilla food they are self-regulating. The pelleted diet will ensure they are getting enough nutrition.
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