Chinderella
Member
Hi fellow chinlovers,
I have bad news, my fur ball Mick Jagger went to the vet for his annual check up (I don't know if everyone does this, but because I got MJ in a pet store I've always been super cautious about his health. He's only been sick once, more than a year ago, but the doctor got him some antibiotics and he recovered quickly) and the vet told me that, while MJ is healthy, he has been steadily losing weight to the point where he is almost underweight. Although he is not in the danger zone, the vet told me that if he keeps losing at the rate he is, there could be serious health problems in his future. The vet recommended I invest in a supplement to add to his regular pellets every other day or so.
I've been researching different supplements and the top ones seem to be Animax and Total Enhancer. No one seems to really lean towards one or the other, but if anyone out there has more information about either option, or an additional option that I may have overlooked, I would appreciate it. If you just want to answer this question (Animax vs. Total Enhancer) skip the below. If you think you may have suggestions for other ways to help him maintain/gain weight, please keep reading. I really just want MJ to be happy, healthy, fuzzy, and spoiled. Please help if you can.
This is his current diet, so if you think I'm doing anything wrong or just have any suggestions, I would be so grateful for the help. Money is not an issue when it comes to MJ's health, so don't hold back.
Diet:
Oxbow chinchilla deluxe chinchilla food
American Pet Diner Hay (I alternate between the Timothy Gold, Timothy High-Fiber, and Mountain Grass)
Treats:
I don't have a regular treat system because I try to give him variety (he gets tired of certain treats quickly, he is very picky) but I consider a full serving to be:
Sometimes I mix it up and give him 1 whole rose hip and a few pinches of whole oats or 3 dried goji berries and a few pinches of whole oats, or just a "chip" or two (about the size of your pinky finger nail) of the Mrs. Pasture's horse cookie and pinches of oats and a goji berry...etc.
I may be giving him too many goji berries, which can deter chins from eating their pellet food and hay, but he isn't diabetic and he seems to clear his food dish and hay out just fine. I usually refill his pellets after 2-3 days (his bowl holds about 1/4 cup so he eats about 2 tablespoons a day) and hay I refresh daily because what he doesn't eat he spills and then poops on (#chinchillaproblems #amiright?)
He also has a lot of chew toys, I always give him a variety of pumice and wood and sea grass and peeled willow balls (he loves willow balls, I hate the mess).
This might seem silly, but is it possible he exercises too much? I live in single dorm room with him, so I spend a lot of time observing him/watching him even when I'm not playing with him and he seems normal but, then again, he's also my first chinchilla and I don't know what abnormal would be.
Another factor that could cause his weight loss would be stress. I realize that I haven't chosen the ideal lifestyle for a chinchilla, I'm a university student going to school about 400 miles away from home. MJ is a registered Emotional Support Animal so his presence here is legal. I could not live without him. However, living so far from my actual home means a lot of travel. I try to let MJ stay in my dorm as much as possible because he has a bigger cage here (with friends who I have trained to take care of him) but over longer vacations (winter and spring break) MJ has had to travel in his carrier cage, in a car, for 5-7 hours both ways. This is obviously not ideal for a chinchilla, I do everything that I can to make the ride more comfortable for him. He has a roomy carrier that I lined with the same fleece as his big cage, I put a half chinchiller in it incase he overheats, a mini water bottle, lots of chew toys, and I wrap the carrier in more fleece so he has shade. Despite all my efforts, it is still taxing on him to go through this. I wish he didn't have to, but right now there is not other way.
So if you've made it this far, thank you for your patience and time. You probably understand how much a chinchilla can mean to a person, and if you have any advice please, please, please let me know.
Thank you!
I have bad news, my fur ball Mick Jagger went to the vet for his annual check up (I don't know if everyone does this, but because I got MJ in a pet store I've always been super cautious about his health. He's only been sick once, more than a year ago, but the doctor got him some antibiotics and he recovered quickly) and the vet told me that, while MJ is healthy, he has been steadily losing weight to the point where he is almost underweight. Although he is not in the danger zone, the vet told me that if he keeps losing at the rate he is, there could be serious health problems in his future. The vet recommended I invest in a supplement to add to his regular pellets every other day or so.
I've been researching different supplements and the top ones seem to be Animax and Total Enhancer. No one seems to really lean towards one or the other, but if anyone out there has more information about either option, or an additional option that I may have overlooked, I would appreciate it. If you just want to answer this question (Animax vs. Total Enhancer) skip the below. If you think you may have suggestions for other ways to help him maintain/gain weight, please keep reading. I really just want MJ to be happy, healthy, fuzzy, and spoiled. Please help if you can.
This is his current diet, so if you think I'm doing anything wrong or just have any suggestions, I would be so grateful for the help. Money is not an issue when it comes to MJ's health, so don't hold back.
Diet:
Oxbow chinchilla deluxe chinchilla food
American Pet Diner Hay (I alternate between the Timothy Gold, Timothy High-Fiber, and Mountain Grass)
Treats:
I don't have a regular treat system because I try to give him variety (he gets tired of certain treats quickly, he is very picky) but I consider a full serving to be:
- 1/4 of a Mrs. Pasture's Horse cookie
- 2-3 whole rose hips
- a small scoop of whole oats
- 5-6 dried goji berries
Sometimes I mix it up and give him 1 whole rose hip and a few pinches of whole oats or 3 dried goji berries and a few pinches of whole oats, or just a "chip" or two (about the size of your pinky finger nail) of the Mrs. Pasture's horse cookie and pinches of oats and a goji berry...etc.
I may be giving him too many goji berries, which can deter chins from eating their pellet food and hay, but he isn't diabetic and he seems to clear his food dish and hay out just fine. I usually refill his pellets after 2-3 days (his bowl holds about 1/4 cup so he eats about 2 tablespoons a day) and hay I refresh daily because what he doesn't eat he spills and then poops on (#chinchillaproblems #amiright?)
He also has a lot of chew toys, I always give him a variety of pumice and wood and sea grass and peeled willow balls (he loves willow balls, I hate the mess).
This might seem silly, but is it possible he exercises too much? I live in single dorm room with him, so I spend a lot of time observing him/watching him even when I'm not playing with him and he seems normal but, then again, he's also my first chinchilla and I don't know what abnormal would be.
Another factor that could cause his weight loss would be stress. I realize that I haven't chosen the ideal lifestyle for a chinchilla, I'm a university student going to school about 400 miles away from home. MJ is a registered Emotional Support Animal so his presence here is legal. I could not live without him. However, living so far from my actual home means a lot of travel. I try to let MJ stay in my dorm as much as possible because he has a bigger cage here (with friends who I have trained to take care of him) but over longer vacations (winter and spring break) MJ has had to travel in his carrier cage, in a car, for 5-7 hours both ways. This is obviously not ideal for a chinchilla, I do everything that I can to make the ride more comfortable for him. He has a roomy carrier that I lined with the same fleece as his big cage, I put a half chinchiller in it incase he overheats, a mini water bottle, lots of chew toys, and I wrap the carrier in more fleece so he has shade. Despite all my efforts, it is still taxing on him to go through this. I wish he didn't have to, but right now there is not other way.
So if you've made it this far, thank you for your patience and time. You probably understand how much a chinchilla can mean to a person, and if you have any advice please, please, please let me know.
Thank you!
