I would watch the chin closely for teeth issues also since chins can maintain weight on a hay only diet when eating enough hay. You could add in slowly some loose alfalfa to help.
Just recently, I noticed he had some wetness around the eyes so I scheduled an appointment with our vet to have his teeth checked out. He was eating Oxbow Timothy hay but didn’t like it too much so I switched to Oxbow Orchard grass and he loves that. He also eats alfalfa cubes.
Total enhancer is crap and should not be used. A chin should not have high quantities of protein. Calf manna is another "pink pellet" that is just junk food going in.
Many people have issues with Mazuri. I would try and get ahold of Tadition (Stackie may be selling it, you can contact her) or Oxbow (Sandi sells it).
I agree Peggy, I don’t trust much from Chinworld… I’ll try and get a little bit of both and see which one he prefers since he’s such a picky little bugger!
i can probably put a small handful in a envelope and mail it to you to try since he is kinda picky. PM me your info if interested. i dont work for them or nor would i be able to be your supplier, i am just doing a favor.
also i would not feed this food exclusively, as i only use it as a supplement and he now eats his pellets. i just kinda kickstarted his appetite.
also i have used alfalfa in the past to jump start eating.
Yeah I’ve read about Beaphar + being used for malo chins and how well it’s worked for them. Hopefully everything checks out with Watson’s teeth or else I’m going to be ordering it for him! Thanks so much for the offer, I’ll PM you right away
If it were me, I'd take the chin in to do a fecal float and test for parasites. If it comes back negative you could try sprinkling some Lifeline or Tanya's Broad Spectrum Supplement on the pellets to see if it inspires him to eat. Does he not like timmy hay?
We have an appt with our vet next week and I requested a fecal float to rule out any parasites and what not already. I'll keep the supplements at a minimum for now, I don't want to introduce too many new foods to him at once - don't need another reason for his GI tract to hate me! He'll eat timmy hay but he seems to prefer orchard grass.
Tanya also has a supplement now that helps with appetite/weight gain. You might contact her and ask her about it.
Yes! I remember talking to you about it when you’d just started using it so I’ll go ahead and give it a try!
If you're interested in sampling her handfeeding formula or the appetite/ weight gain I have a large quantity of both and can send you some. Just shoot me a PM.
Thank you very much for the offer! I’ll send you a PM right away!
Thank you everyone for your input! As it stands I will be taking Watson to the vet next week for a fecal float and a dental exam to see if the wetness around the eyes is malo-related, if so we will be doing a full set of x-rays. I’ll keep you guys posted!
