Help Me.

[Christina Noraas]

My dad's family has two chinchillas that I gave them last winter, and I have been trying to explain to them that they're not suppose to have fruit, vegetables, or nuts. Basically they just think that I'm harping, but they just won't listen to me so I would like that others on here will explain to them in ways that maybe I haven't really been able to succed in doing, I've tried explaining that chinchillas can't digest sugars and get bloat. They just tell me well when they start looking sick we'll take them to the vet and they'll be alright and they just don't seem to understand that just will not suffice if they're going to have happy healthy chins.

They are also feeding them these healthy bites, which are I'm sure just caked full of sugar and have seeds and nuts on them, and I said they cannot have these, these are bad for them. At first they said that this website suggested it for them and when I pulled it up to confirm that they were going to the right website, no one really came to the computer and then they said that the vet said it was okay for them to have it. I then tried explaining that not all vets are masterminds at chinchilla care, and many think that they have the same dietary needs of a rabbit.

So help me and the chins out, please.

 

[Ash]

Unfortunately, if they don't want to listen, they're not going to. You've suggested this forum, and if they're unwilling to take the initiative to get proper advice, there's not much else you can do. If you can't get the chinchillas back, you unfortunately have to accept you did the best you could in educating them, and pray for the chins.

 

[Dawn]

If their improperly caring for them and potentially harming them by feeding them an improper diet to the point your looking for others on forums to back you up so they'll possibly listen I'd be taking them back (chinny nap them)...just sayen.

Better to do that than watch them possibly be killed.

 

[Sdo9396]

I think it's sad when people think that what they're doing is right and ignore those who have spent countless hours researching on how to properly care for animals. It really irks me! Why would people continue to give them unhealthy things when they've been warned of the consequences? I just don't understand...

Anyway, maybe you can give them some healthy treats to give to their chinnies and they'll realize that they enjoy those just as much as the unhealthy stuff and possibly cut out the junk?

 

[3CsMommy]

If you can't appeal to their good sense, hit them in the wallet. Usually, people who don't want to learn to do it right think their way is best because it's "not expensive". Often, they couldn't be more wrong. First, figure out the cost of a box of shredded wheat (Hint, $4 at the most). Then figure out the cost for an identical weight of the junk treats they're feeding. Then add on some vet bill figures from people here who have had chins bloat, and factor in for lost sleep and possibly lost wages if they actually take the chin to the vet.

 

[ticklechin]

Emergency vet visit for bloat 165.00, x-rays 85.00, reglan 21.11 propulsid 23.90 metecam 15.60 buprenex 36.99, critical care 19.99, hand feeding syringe .50 and about 40 hours or so of hand feeding and massage and run around time, maybe repeat above once or maybe the chin dies but that can be the cost of feeding crap.

 

[3CsMommy]

Almost $900 + lost work for feeding fruit and seeds? Against a $4 box of cereal? Even I'm surprised at that figure and I knew the safe route was going to be cheaper before Dawn's numbers!

 

[ticklechin]

That was the cost for one chin ( three had to go to emergency) for my dumb a$$ move of feeding a rabbit cookie that had no ingrediant list to my chins a few years ago, it was from a rabbit rescue so go figure.

 

[CTChin]

I blame the darn companies that make that crap. Because they are sold in pet stores, people think they HAVE to be o.k. I recently got back a couple of my chins, that are now older babies, from a lovely couple due to allergies. They took wonderful care of them but was surprised to see in their bag of goodies that came with them, 4 cans of chinchilla fruit and nut treat. I gave them "the" talk at the time of the sale. I kept it short and simple...basically bad diet ='s death , with some mention of bloat and tooth decay, and it didn't work. Thankfully, I don't think they fed them much.