tiffyskaar
Well-known member
So I searched the forum about Equine Senior and so far i've read that it just helps chins gain weight and supplements calorie intake? It's not good to feed them that as a staple along with hay, right?
Equine Senior Food
- Thread starter tiffyskaar
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3CsMommy
My babies Rock!
Generally it's a treat or supplement, not a staple.
tiffyskaar
Well-known member
Okay.. Whats the nicest way to tell someone that? Haha. I'm thinking about buying a kit from some folks and they are feeding that and timothy hay cubes.
3CsMommy
My babies Rock!
Here's what I'd say: "I'm sorry, but I won't be buying the kit because the diet you're feeding it isn't adequate. You're setting him/her up for health problems down the road, that I would have to pay for, b/c it's eating too much sugar and not enough calcium. Chinchillas need a staple diet of alfalfa pellets and timothy hay and filtered water. Kits shouldn't have any sugar, like the molasses in the Equine Sr., until they're over 6 months old. Here's a website you can visit to read up on proper chin diet. (Hand them the url here.) Good luck with the baby."
My first rule of pets is: DO NOT buy an animal from someone that doesn't understand its basic husbandry. You are not saving that animal; you are encouraging them to make and endanger even more animals.
I know it sucks, especially when it's a baby, but the only way to make the point of "Do it Right, Stupid, or don't do it at all!" with most back yard and uneducated breeders is to hit them in their wallet. However, I often don't give a hoot about "nice" when it comes to people that can't do a simple Google search and ask a few questions, so ymmv.
My first rule of pets is: DO NOT buy an animal from someone that doesn't understand its basic husbandry. You are not saving that animal; you are encouraging them to make and endanger even more animals.
I know it sucks, especially when it's a baby, but the only way to make the point of "Do it Right, Stupid, or don't do it at all!" with most back yard and uneducated breeders is to hit them in their wallet. However, I often don't give a hoot about "nice" when it comes to people that can't do a simple Google search and ask a few questions, so ymmv.
RDZCRanch
RavenousDeadlyZombieChins
Most chinchilla pellets have cane molasses as an ingredient. Equine senior is an adequate supplement. If the person thinks it's fine because it's given to senior horses, it's used in senior horses to keep them gaining weight, so even in horses it is a SUPPLEMENT.
You can just tell her that you don't feel comfortable buying a chinchilla from someone who does not know the proper diet of a chinchilla. No matter how much experience she has, research says otherwise.
You can just tell her that you don't feel comfortable buying a chinchilla from someone who does not know the proper diet of a chinchilla. No matter how much experience she has, research says otherwise.
tiffyskaar
Well-known member
Okay, so even switching the kit if I got it it would be too late and there would be health problems later?
I'm so glad I posted this and got responses. I would have gotten the kit and then experienced problems. I will tell them in the nicest way possible. I was starting to wonder since Equine = horses and obviously their food is not made for chinchillas. They said they got the kits from Trinity from Purple Sage Chinchillas and that that's what she was feeding her chins so they just kept them on it. Now I don't know if this is true or not but it would seem to me that Trinity wouldn't feed them that since she is an experienced breeder. They said it was convenient for them because they can buy it at a local Cal-Ranch and Mazuri was too expensive to ship (which it is not, i've ordered mazuri for my previous chin all the time). It's starting to sound like all they want is their money and to get rid of them once they are ready.
I'm so glad I posted this and got responses. I would have gotten the kit and then experienced problems. I will tell them in the nicest way possible. I was starting to wonder since Equine = horses and obviously their food is not made for chinchillas. They said they got the kits from Trinity from Purple Sage Chinchillas and that that's what she was feeding her chins so they just kept them on it. Now I don't know if this is true or not but it would seem to me that Trinity wouldn't feed them that since she is an experienced breeder. They said it was convenient for them because they can buy it at a local Cal-Ranch and Mazuri was too expensive to ship (which it is not, i've ordered mazuri for my previous chin all the time). It's starting to sound like all they want is their money and to get rid of them once they are ready.
ticklechin
Well-known member
I give it to my dental chins, its a soft pellet and they like it as a snack, they get a few pellets a night.
RDZCRanch
RavenousDeadlyZombieChins
It's not going to cause health problems, but it's not the best. The reason not to get kits from them is so that you aren't supporting their misinformation. The more they sell, the more they breed.
tiffyskaar
Well-known member
Gotcha. Thanks guys for all the info i'm so glad that I have experienced chin owners I can ask questions to!
