I have one chinchilla, Theodore, in a cage by himself for a few weeks. Yesterday, I bought a brother and sister and put each in their own cage. They came from another household and I have noticed that their poop was soft, short and round. I read that burnt toast can help. However, they didn't eat it from my hand so I crumbled it in with their food and hay hoping maybe they would get a little bit. I am not sure what the other family fed them so they are eating Carefresh Complete, Sunburst Gourmet Blend, Timothy Hay, and Timothy Hay bites broken up in their food dish. They have been getting fresh water. Is their anything else I can try if they do not get better in the next few days? They both seem fine. Running around and playing. They don't seem any more tired during the day than my Theodore.
Burnt Toast
- Thread starter dblair410
- Start date
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Both of those foods (Carefresh complete and Sunburst Gourment Blend) are NOT good foods for chinchillas. I've never even heard of feeding Carefresh complete, and the Sunburst has too many additive things like the vegetables and stuff. Chins don't eat vegetables, dry or fresh! There are 4-5 foods considered the best. The 2 I've heard the most about are these (Each image is linked to their description on Amazon, so you can click them for more info.):
Usually rabbit or any other small animal food is considered bad... I believe the exception to this statement is Manna Sho Pro rabbit food. You want a high quality alfalfa-based pellet without a bunch of added stuff. Chinchillas tend to pick out the "goodies" and ignore the actual pellets. So a good quality pellet and fresh Timothy hay should both be fed freely (allowing your chins to eat as much as they want too). A good brand of Timothy hay is:
I'm sure someone will reply if I got something wrong
LY Chinchillas has a great write-up that can be found here.
~ Tina
Both of those foods (Carefresh complete and Sunburst Gourment Blend) are NOT good foods for chinchillas. I've never even heard of feeding Carefresh complete, and the Sunburst has too many additive things like the vegetables and stuff. Chins don't eat vegetables, dry or fresh! There are 4-5 foods considered the best. The 2 I've heard the most about are these (Each image is linked to their description on Amazon, so you can click them for more info.):
Usually rabbit or any other small animal food is considered bad... I believe the exception to this statement is Manna Sho Pro rabbit food. You want a high quality alfalfa-based pellet without a bunch of added stuff. Chinchillas tend to pick out the "goodies" and ignore the actual pellets. So a good quality pellet and fresh Timothy hay should both be fed freely (allowing your chins to eat as much as they want too). A good brand of Timothy hay is:
I'm sure someone will reply if I got something wrong
LY Chinchillas has a great write-up that can be found here.~ Tina
Well first of all any chin that has a sudden diet change can end up with a bit of wet poop due to an upset stomach. It can take time for everything to sort out when giving a new food. The burnt toast is more to help stop diarrhea, and it used in a very tiny amount. A better option is to just pull the pellets and give hay only for a few days. A change in environment can also cause the poo to be off, so give them at least a week to settle in.
Second stop feeding the chins the junk food, a chins diet should be high quality pellet only food and hay. Good brands of pellets include, oxbow, tradition, mazuri, and some rabbit foods. The added junk in both the Carefresh and the Sunburst food can cause gut issues, along with a whole bunch of other health issues down the line. Chinchillas are not designed to eat fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, or animal products (eggs, hide, meat, bone, milk, etc) they are strict grass herbivores (certain herbs and plants in small amounts are ok, as treats).
Another possibility is that they are sick, so hopefully that are quarantined in another room from your current chin. A common cause of wet poop if you (or the previous owner) give them tap water can be a parasite called giardia (which needs meds to clear up). However the fact that the poops are small and round could also be a sign of a partial blockage and/or constipation. If the poops don't normalize within a day or two or they change for the worse (no poop, wetter poop, smelly poop, or blood or mucus in the poop) I would bring them into the vet to get checked out.
Acting fine doesn't always mean nothing is wrong, chins are great at hiding illness until they are at death's door.
Second stop feeding the chins the junk food, a chins diet should be high quality pellet only food and hay. Good brands of pellets include, oxbow, tradition, mazuri, and some rabbit foods. The added junk in both the Carefresh and the Sunburst food can cause gut issues, along with a whole bunch of other health issues down the line. Chinchillas are not designed to eat fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, or animal products (eggs, hide, meat, bone, milk, etc) they are strict grass herbivores (certain herbs and plants in small amounts are ok, as treats).
Another possibility is that they are sick, so hopefully that are quarantined in another room from your current chin. A common cause of wet poop if you (or the previous owner) give them tap water can be a parasite called giardia (which needs meds to clear up). However the fact that the poops are small and round could also be a sign of a partial blockage and/or constipation. If the poops don't normalize within a day or two or they change for the worse (no poop, wetter poop, smelly poop, or blood or mucus in the poop) I would bring them into the vet to get checked out.
Acting fine doesn't always mean nothing is wrong, chins are great at hiding illness until they are at death's door.
