Switching food.

[xBrianx619]

Just have a real quick question! I just introduced my chinchillas Gizmo and Todo and they're doing great! I have gizmos pellets in a separate cage that I put him in when we arent home...but I want to start switching him to what I use for gizmo (mazuri)...He's on Nutrina right now, I guess my question would be...if I slowly mix the mazuri/nutrina to get him used to it, will it hurt gizmo ata ll if he eats the nutrina pellets? What's everyones method to switching?! Thanks again

One more thing, Todo has eaten some of gizmo's pellets, it's been about a day now and he hasn't had any diahrea and has normal solid poopies! Thanks

 

[MyzarandGemma]

What I've heard regarding changing food (and what I plan to do for my boys) is you slowly start introducing. Do an 1:8 ratio, then 1:6, 1:4, 1:2, 1:1, then 2:1, and so on until you are fully switched over. It takes around 10 days and their tummy won't get upset!

I wouldn't introduce Gizmo to a new food if you plan on him staying on Mazuri. I know it's hard, but you should switch Todo over in his own cage and once he is fully switched, you can house them together as brothers forever I would hate for Gizmo's stomach to get upset due to new food or for Todo's to get upset just as he is settling in to his new life!

Good luck and I hope you have more pictures to come, because the ones I have seen are darling.

 

[Cuddlebug]

In a case like this, since we do not want to upset the bonding that has been going on, I would mix the two feeds, half and half, and add acidolphilus to the pellets. Keep them mixed until you run out of the feed you are getting rid of. Both boys should be fine.

 

[xBrianx619]

Thank you thank you thank you for the advice! I'll do that..the feed I got IS a 5 pound bag though, so it'd take a longgg time to use up if i mix it until it runs out...maybe if I used like 70-30 ratio for a week, then 50-50, then 30-70 for a 3rd week? Or could I do it faster than that? Also I put the new chin in his travel carrier when we go out (we don't go out very much or for a long time) and when I go to bed...I'm just paranoid that something bad is gonna happen and i'll walk out to the cage being full of blood and fur the next morning. Am I being TOO paranoid or should I take these precautions for a set amount of time until I feel they are good enough to be in the cage unsupervised? Thanks

 

[Cuddlebug]

The reason I said 50/50 was because both chinchillas could eat without one or the other making a drastic change. Besides, the proportions you just listed would not make it go any faster. In the long run, after 3 weeks, you would have gone through the same amount of food.