My New Rescue Shelter Chin

[xcoronaangel]

I was surfing the LA shelter system looking at their German Shepherds and I came across a chinchilla. I drove the 4 hours round trip to get him this morning. He was an owner turn in yesterday and they stated that he was 6 years old.
I set up the top level of the FN I was going to sell and he has a wheel and all the set up.

But when I picked him up to put him in the cage I could feel every single bone in his body! He is just skin and bones. I looked at his coat and it's in bad shape and the pads of his feet and cracked and covered in scabs.

I wanted some recommendations from you guys on what I should feed him right now to get some weight on him. And some other ideas for his feet ect. My roommate is bringing her shipping scale home so we can get a weight so I can track how he does. (I know he needs a dust bath and there are shaving at the bottom of the cage bc I had to switch my foster rabbit out of the cage quickly. there isnt anymore shavings at the bottom now.)

He is so gentle and he didnt mind that I held him like a baby to take the feet photos or that I was poking around him when I brought him out of the kennel.


Here is his intake photo from the shelter:

My photos:

 

[inzeos]

So full of character he is!

I'm sure a good regiment of TLC with good feed, some treats and a trip to a chin vet would probably spruce him up over time.

Wonder if his previous owner even gave him baths, let alone a consistent diet.

 

[Essentia]

Good food and hay is what will put weight on him the quickest. I would also take the wheel out until he is able to put on some additional weight. You don't want him to burn off all the calories he is taking in.

As for the feeties, I would put some bag balm or vitamin E on them.

 

[cindyv3737]

I'm too much of a newbie to offer advice. However, I do want to say thank you for picking him up. I know he is going to love living with you.

 

[xcoronaangel]

thanks everyone I will take the wheel out when I wake up (I have to sleep at least 3 hours b4 work tonight lol)

I dont see chinchillas that often in the shelter and I told the local shelter staff if they get one to hold it and I would come pick it up but ocac does a "raffle" for exotics so who ever gets picked in the raffle gets them :\

Ill keep everyone updated on how he does.

Oh I also wanted to mention I have a friend who has offered to help foster chins who have lost their homes. I have placed a listing on clist but if you know someone in socal that can no longer take care of their chins and would like to hand them over to us we can take care of them and then find them suitable homes. (some of my senior memebers of GSROC have joined me)

 

[xcoronaangel]

He weights 1 lb 3.1 oz total

 

[inzeos]

1 pound 3.1 oz = 541.475892 grams

I don't think that is such a terrible weight, but others will probably chirp in.

 

[mishellyshel]

he is so cute......thank you for saving him. definitely unlimited hay & pellets for now. vitamin e capsules are good for his feet.
541 grams isnt terrible if he is a smaller chin but i bet with a month or so of TLC that little guy will be up around 700. good luck. did you think of a name???

 

[xcoronaangel]

That might be a sufficient weight for some chinchillas but that’s not a weight that is healthy for this chinchilla. - you can feel all the bones in his ribs and spine so the weight is terrible for him.
I posted the weight so everyone would have a starting point as I try and put some weight on him.
I have read a lot of members say that weights really depend on the chinchillas size ect. I think averaging a weight is like doing that to a human and we all know how off those charts are that they used a while ago.

1 pound 3.1 oz = 541.475892 grams

I don't think that is such a terrible weight, but others will probably chirp in.

 

[Cuddlebug]

Agreed, if you can feel his ribs and spine, he needs to gain weight, regardless of what he weighs now, Just feed him good pellets and hay. It will take some time, so don't expect him to gain a bunch overnight.