How to fix my mistakes?

[Esperanta]

I've been reading lots of topics around here lately and have been finding that I am doing some things wrong with my chin. For example, I'm feeding dried apples as treats and using the wrong type of cage (I think). The cage looks like this, but I'm not using the slide thing and I have the tube resting on the ground so he can run through it. My chin broke the hammock recently and I learned that that kind wasn't safe, so I was wondering what I should do for a new one? Is that cage okay, or should I be using something different? For food I'm feeding orchard grass and chinchilla forti diet, both by Kaytee. I've herd that that's not a good brand, but the pet shop that I buy stuff at is really small and that's the only brand they have for chinchilla food. Also, what kind of water bottle should I be using? For now I have a small plastic one that is usually used for hamsters. All help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[chinnychinchinchilla]

Have you looked through here? http://chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=857
It should give you a good base of information. Look around on here and you should be able to find all the answers you need.
I'm going to answer your questions the best I can, but I don't own a chinchilla yet, still in the research stage. First off no dried fruit of any kind. Theres too much sugar and it can cause bloat. I've looked at that cage before I came to this site. You will need to remove the plastic shelves because your chinchilla can chew the plastic and get an impaction. Also they don't need slides or tubes, they would rather jump. ) Any fabric in a chinchilla cage should be fleece, so of course the hammock should be fleece as well. The best site that I can think of from the top of my head is http://camphorchins.com/ Orchard grass is fine, but a lot of members including myself prefer oxbox brand hay. That feed is not good for your chinchilla. You will probably have to order feed on-line. Glass is prefered for water bottles because chins tend to chew a hole in the plastic ones.
Thats all I can answer, hope i helped.

 

[VolunteerChin22]

Hi there,

Never too late to fix those things! Just glad you have taken initative to move to higher quality and safer products. That cage is ok, in fact I have one for my pet man Samson - couple things to consider - the plastic in the cage poses a hazard if your chin chews it as it can cause an impaction if ingested. I replaced the plastic shelves with wood ones and took out all those tuby things. Also if your chin chews on the plastic they could escape out the bottom. Most people on here prefer either the Ferret Nation 142 or the Critter Nation - keep an eye on craigslist and sometimes you can find them cheap - but I think with some modifications and provided your chin isnt a plastic chewer that cage is fine.

Your hammock should be made out of fleece - you can find instructions on how to make one if you are handy or you can check out the chin classifieds. Several members make all kinds of hammocks, tubes, comforters, etc.

Ditch Kaytee. See if the petstore will order Oxbow or you can order high quality foods from members on here - again check the classifieds - there is a supplier listing at the top. I would make sure you feed timothy hay also as it has a different texture and thus wears down teeth differently than orchard hay. Timothy is generally more stemmy depending onthe cut while orchard is a bit softer.

I would get a glass water bottle if you can - that way no chewing accidents can happen and they are generally easier to clean.

 

[Pleiades]

It's good you're taking some time to learn proper chin husbandry!


1) I'd cut the dried apples immediately. Instead, you can give a dried rosehip, old-fashioned rolled oats, plain cheerio, or plain shredded wheat as a treat- sparingly (like once a week).

2) That cage might be ok if you removed the plastic shelves and put some pine shelves in. It's not too expensive to make them yourself; just search the forums for 'making shelves.' Just try to eliminate all plastic from the cage, and if your chin is chewing the base part, you might have to consider a new cage.

3) There are plenty of people on here who sell fleece hammocks, check the classifieds. I have some from Camphor Chins that I am really happy with. If you can sew at all, it's pretty easy to make your own as well- just make sure it is anti-pill fleece.

4)Food: A good food is really important to chinchilla health. Personally, I would forget going to the pet store to buy food, anyway. It's much cheaper to buy online. :thumbs: And most higher-quality feeds will be cheaper (and fresher!) in the long run than the crap you can buy at pet stores. You might want to do some research and find out if you have a feedstore near you. Some will carry rabbit pellets like Purina Rabbit Chow Show, that are acceptable for chinchillas. (Keep in mind that not ALL rabbit pellets are OK for chins though.)

Some great chin foods are: Purina Rabbit Chow Show, Mazuri, Tradition, & Oxbow. I personally love PRCS- I switched my boys from Mazuri to PRCS and they both gained a lot of weight- one almost 100grams! Plus I can get it locally at a feedstore.

If you can't find a feedstore, check out vendors on these forums. Plenty of people ship feed in flat rate boxes, so it is pretty affordable.

When you switch your chin over from the old feed to the new feed, you may want to do it very gradually. Although, since you're feeding a really crummy food, some people would recommend a cold-switch in that case.



5)A lot of people like Lixit glass bottles. You can usually find these at pet stores, or online. I use them, and have had good success with no leaking or anything.

 

[Pleiades]

Oh, I forgot to mention, Kleenmama's Hayloft is a great place to buy Timothy hay. Her hay is amazing, and you can buy a lot at one time and store it. (It stores rather well in the cardboard box it comes in, as long as you keep it inside somewhere.)

Like food, hay is much more economical to buy online or at a feedstore. Pet stores positively rake you over the coals with their hay prices. (Not to mention how substandard the hay is.)

 

[Idgie]

Good for you to learn and be willing to change things. I had a chin many years ago that I cared for very differently than I do with my current chin, Idgie. And it is because of what I learned from this group. Just keep reading, searching, and asking questions.

 

[Chin_Up_Sunshine]

Welcome

You've come to the right place! :welcome:
You can still use your cage, it just needs a few adjustments. Check out housing and supplies for a a lot of really cool ideas for cage decor. If your chinnie likes the tubes (my did in the old cage, but I traded out the plastic) you can get PVC pipes (6" diameter is probably the best) and cover it in fleece to help prevent chewing. There are some for sale by some of the vendors in the Classifieds if you don't have the ability to make them yourself but if you do there is a "How To" in the housing section just like the hammocks and shelves.
There is also such a thing as a metal guard for your water bottle if you don't want to buy a new one. Your pet store may have it but sometimes you have to get creative when seeking chin proof items. For example, I (and it seems many others) really like the "coop scoop cup" that you find in the bird section, plus a lot of the wood over there is chin friendly (not the rope or plastic though) like the coconut, palm shredders, and the wooden perches like manzanita or grapevine.
Fleece is the most chin-friendly material because it doesn't have any threads for them to chew and swallow which can lead to intestinal problems like blockage. There is a "mini sale" of fleece items from a recent show here. I'd check and see if she has any left.
For treats, if you really feel the need to give them, try plain cheerios, shredded wheat, rosehips or just new and exciting pieces of wood. Chinnies really love apple bark and you can never give too much wood not matter how hard you try. Plus it keeps their teeth filed down and keeps them healthy and happy. I know that I also like to just hand feed my boys food or hay (which seems to be their favourite treat no matter what I try, honestly. Riku is completely uninterested in pretty much any wood or rosehip I give him but LOVES when I feed him hay!)
I hope that helps out. I echo others that supporting the sellers on here is a cheaper alternative to your pet store, plus you don't have to worry about if it's actually safe for your chinnie. A lot of pet store items are marketed to chins, but have a lot of "junk food" in them. Like the dandelion drops whose main ingredient is sugar and the food that is full of dried fruit and nuts which their tummies can't process well. Those kinds of foods are probably why pet stores think chinnies only live 6-10yrs. I'm shooting for a full 20 personally