Chubby Chin

I have 2 chins, Dusty and Eeyore. I've had Dusty for a year and Eeyore for the past 3 months. Dusty has kept a healthy weight but Eeyore has just been getting fatter since I got him. I've been giving them Kaytee Gourmet food and timothy hay since I got Dusty, Dusty has never had a problem. Eeyore rarely eats the hay, and he'll pick the colored pieces out of the food bowl, eat only those, then knock the pellets on the ground to make the bowl empty. I got a new bowl that attaches to the side of the cage now so he can't do that anymore. He's still fat though. They have a big cage, wheel, and if they both have the same everything, why is one so fat and the other okay? Should I try a new food, is there a diet chin food someone can recommend? and what if my healthy one doesn't like it?

Thanks!

Kaytee is not a healthy brand of food, which is probably why he is gaining weight. Chins cannot digest sugar and that's what those colored pieces are. I would switch their food to Oxbow, Mazuri, Tradition, Manna Pro Sho/Pro, etc... Something healthier. Any brand with nuts, seeds, colored bits, etc... is unhealthy for them.

Remember to gradually change the food, otherwise you could end up with a sick chin.

I usually feed mine Mazuri, and if you live near a Tractor Supply, you can get a huge bag of it! Just put some in a resealable bag and freeze the rest. Lasts for a long time, and isn't too pricey. Plus it's good quality food. Before I got my first chinchilla I had heard bad stuff about Kaytee, so I just avoided it. They say it's high in fat, and that's probably why your little guy is getting chubby! hope that helps.