Furby Super Thin, Not Eating

[Anna]

He's doing it again. He just won't eat much, he had to be hand-fed, and even though he loves the CC he won't take more than 10-15 ccs at a time. He's just getting thinner and thinner even though I'm trying to pump him full of food. I'm so frustrated, i just want him to get better.

 

[Lillybabe]

Some chinchillas are harder than others to get Critical Care into. You may have break it up into like 5-6 feedings to get enough in. It's important you get at least 60 ccs in him a day if not more to maintain weight. If you want him gaining you might have to do more than that. Some people have to wake up every 2-3 hours and feed their chinchillas around the clock like an infant. I don't know his histroy... why is he not eating? Are his teeth an issue? What's the vet's advice?

 

[cindyv3737]

Have you tried adding pumpkin?

 

[mishellyshel]

have you tried another feed.......like essentials for life?? www.fuzzieskingdom.com
tanya sells a lot of different supplements.

also you can try to grind up the pellets and mix with a little canned pumpkin or baby food squash to get the consistancy less lumpy. i always mixed my ground up pellets with ground up lifeline and canned pumpkin but would use baby food squash in a pinch. sometimes i would also grind up some rosehips to get that flavor in there.

sometimes you just have to accept the fact that the only way your chin is going to maintain weight or thrive is by daily feeding. sometimes you have to do this until you figure out what is going on. i hand fed richie for well over a year and it took a while to wean him off. eventually he starting eating on his own. but i offer him lots and lots of choices in his cage. he gets oxbow, beaphar plus and herbal mix, alfalfa hay, hay cubes, several type of wood sticks and then various treats in moderation. and if i notice his weight drops, i would mix up some essentials for life and crushed pellet and syringe feed him.

 

[momenteller]

Is he on pain meds at all for his injuries? Maybe he is in pain. Did he have xrays taken to be sure there were no internal injuries?

I've never had to feed CC (thank goodness!) but I offer Tanya's EFL as a treat, and the girls practically rip the spoon out of my hands. Its worth a try.

 

[ticklechin]

Did the chin ever get blood work done?

 

[Anna]

I had his blood drawn, and when I got the callback from the vet she said that the blood "didn't reveal anything" neither did his stool. He seems to have a heart murmur though, I don't know if that could contribute to his lack of health. EFL, huh, yeah its worth a try. He's weird about critical care. He eats it and then stops, after a couple ccs. It's really really hard to hold him still, and get his mouth open after he's decided to stop eating it.

 

[Anna]

Well, now this is odd. I put a bowl mixed with some fruity bene-bac, blackstrap molasses, ground up pellets, apple-banana CC and now he's eating it up right out of the bowl. I hope this keeps up. If not I'll cram some via syringe.

 

[AZChins]

Maybe try a little b-12? I use that with chins that don't seem to have an appetite and it works pretty well. They have liquid b-12 and sublingual tablets that you could grind up and give him in his critical care. Just an idea...

 

[Anna]

Maybe try a little b-12? I use that with chins that don't seem to have an appetite and it works pretty well. They have liquid b-12 and sublingual tablets that you could grind up and give him in his critical care. Just an idea...

I have some of the sublingual tablets, should I grind up a whole one? Or half?

 

[mishellyshel]

i find you gotta try everything and then everything again! they may like something for a week or so and then all of a sudden......not so much! than you switch it up. its definitely a process with some of these little guys. one thing for sure.....furby is going to be very clingy with you and demand your attention like never before. Richie is SO needy. he actually cries when he hears my voice. this am i went over to his cage, opened the door to see if he was ok and he hopped right into my arms! i dont even have to burrito his to feed him. he sits in my hands and takes the syringe like its his job.

 

[AZChins]

Anna - You could give him half or whole and see how he likes it.