Huge belly

[Cuddlebug]

I have a little rescue here that I have had for about a month. She is 4 yyears old, the daughter of a fur chewer. the previous owner claimed to have been a breeder for the last 16 years, but she did not have the least idea of how to keep the chinchillas' cage clean or that you should not breed rescues. Anyway this little girl has a huge, squishy belly, but I can clearly feel her ribs and spine. The belly appears to fluid. She was fed Mazuri with calf manna mixed in at a 2:1 ratio. The belly is coming down slowly and she is starting to fill in between the bones. We are at a loss here as to explain what is going on. I am hoping a lower protein diet will help her. I feed PRCS with weekly supplements from Ryerson's. Any suggestions or ideas?

 

[Dreamlite]

Fluid in the abd can be caused by several things. Salt content, kidney issues, heart problems, leaky gut syndrome..... if it is improving with diet change and it didn't seem to affect her activities I wouldn't be too concerned at this point

 

[Cuddlebug]

Thanks. She seems to be doing well. Her appearance is still frightful - she chews her fur which makes her thin body and big belly more apparent, but she is such a sweet little girl. It breaks my heart every time I look at her.