Bouncer has questions about her new Chinchilla and his health

[bouncer36]

Hi just popping in to say hi I have a chinchilla name Yoshi I don't know how old he is. We got him on the 6th of this month
I weighed him when I got home and he weighed 598g I weighed him today and he has lost some weight now he is 584g.
Do you think I should take out his wheel for awhile ?


God Is Good And His Love Last Forever

[deguconvert]

Hello there, Bouncer, and welcome to the forum! Technically this is the degu section of the forum, and it also tends to be more active then the chin area, but more has been happening in there over the last few months. If you don't mind, I will copy your thread over there as well, so that you get maximum exposure for your question. I know very little about chins, so can't tell you if that is a good weight or worrisome or not.

I can ask what you feed him, what size is his cage, how is he behaving/does he seem chipper and active or lethargic and sad or showing signs of stress. Did you get him from a pet store, a rescue, or his previous owner?

I say with you, God is Good, and His love endures forever!

[bouncer36]

I feed him oxbow chinchilla food. Oxbow Timothy hay Cage is half of ferret nation It not a ferret nation cage. But I'm going to get a ferret nation cage soon I hope. He seems active all the time. Poop is fine Got him at a pet store. And I don't mind you copy it and put it where this post belong



God Is Good And His Love Last Forever

[deguconvert]

I couldn't seem to find the copy feature, so I just moved the whole thing. But I will keep any eye on your thread.

I think that it would help you a lot to have a look into our foods and nutrition board. This is a fairly short read but chalk full of excellent information . . . deguworld.proboards.com/thread/16425/degu-feeding-guide
Although it is specifically geared toward the health and good nutrition of degus, nothing in there will be detrimental to your chin. I am sure that you will find lots of ideas in there that will help you to augment his food and therefore his health. Chins also need to have access to fruits, although I am not exactly sure what kinds, but I would think things like berries and rosehips would be things you can add to his diet.

I wouldn't take the wheel out of his cage as he needs to have the release of energy and motion that it provides. The size of the cage could be giving him a sense of depression, as it is too small for his physical needs. Chins are frequently put in cages much too small for them, as are degus, and if you look at our cages board . . . here is a link for ease of location . . . deguworld.proboards.com/thread/9396/forums-cage-size-recommendations . . . you will see from our size recommendations that degus need quite a lot of space. Chins, being larger animals, will need even more. You could look at some German websites for chins and get some great information there as well, though you may have to use a translator. How well does he respond to you? Are you able to take him out and hold him?

[natnat899]

I wouldent take out his wheel, it's good if he is active. I have a few questions:

Do you feed him any treats? If so, what treats and how often?

Is he pawing at his mouth more than usual?

Have you noticed if he is actually eating less then usual?

Does he seem disinterested in his food/ treats/ hay?

[bouncer36]

Yes one so far since I got him it was a plain shredded wheat.

He been eating the same

No he doesn't paw at his mouth.

Seems to be interested in his food.


God Is Good And His Love Last Forever

[natnat899]

Keep on weighing him weekly if you can, if he seems his normal self it may just be because the weather is changing, they can be sensitive to these things. Try to offer him a wider range of healthy treats (in moderation of course) and allow him time out of the cage, as they do love to run around!

Keep an eye out for pawing of the mouth, and other signs of teath or health issues. If you are concerned then go to a specialist vet - it's better to be on the safe side!