My two new additions...advice/comments wanted!

[e.murphy518]

Hi everybody! So some of you may have seen my post about a week ago about considering adopting a bonded pair of males from someone on craigslist who was moving...well I ended up doing it! I was pretty worried about interrupting the balance that I have with my current bonded pair but I decided to go with my gut and trust the strong bond that I know my boys have and go for it.

The new boys have been in my apartment for an hour and a half now, and I figured I would post to update everyone/ hopefully get some input while these guys get adjusted. First off, they came in a single level cage with a plastic bottom lined with newspaper. The cage is pretty dirty. There were two of the plastic bath houses as permanent fixtures in the cage, a plastic silent spinner and a hammock made out of materials other than fleece. There was no water in the plastic water bottle, no food bowl at all, an empty hay ball, and one hanging toy.

I went out and bought a glass water bottle, a new pine hidey house, a litter pan and food bowl, and a pet safe cardboard tunnel. Luckily it doesnt look like they have even touched any of the plastic on anything but i took out the silent spinner and newspaper and laid down a fleece cage liner, gave them some timothy hay and a tiny bit of alfalfa mixed in, food and clean water.

Now, I have a few concerns. Both chinchillas are much smaller than mine, like two thirds of their size (the previous owner doesnt know more about their age other than he had them for one year and his cousin had them for one year). One chinchilla is terrified and pretty much hides whenever I move although if I sit still he comes out and eats a little and munches some of the wood chews I put in. He looks fine from one i can see (although they both look like they havent dusted in weeks)

The other chinchilla is the one I have the most questions about. He is very brave and comes right up to the cage bars and sniffs at my hands. He has been eating more than his cagemate and much more exploratory, however he has what I believe to be hunchback he has a big arch in his back about an inch behind his head. I don't know anything about this and I would like to know if it has any serious long term effects and if there is anything that I need to do to fix it? My bigger concern with him is that, although he isnt currently drooling, it looks like the fur on his chest/kinda his chin was (this might be a bad explanation) recently wet and dried...I am really hoping its not dried drool indicating malo, and maybe just because he hasnt dusted in so long his fur is all weird? please give me opinions and tell me what else to look for...I will post the best pics I could get since I dont want to try to hold them yet.

Also, I thought I would just say, my chins buddah and bubba definitely realized there were more chins and started getting all hyper and running around, I dont know if they smelled them on me or heard them dusting or what but I thought I would just say they definitely noticed (PS I sanitize my hands every time I go from one cage to the other) , ran all around and then 5 min later calmed down, cleaned eachothers faces and are currently cuddled up adorably sleeping I love them.

OH I will also take any name suggestions into consideration

 

[hownowbrowncow]

Cute guys

The 'hunchback' look often results from a chin not eating/starving, leading to it being very underweight. Malo is definitely something that can cause this and the evidence of drool on his chest is another red flag. Have you noticed him eating hay and pellets? Does he 'powder' his pellets? Show disinterest in chewing 'hard' things? It's possible that he has tooth spurs from and/or root elongation (causes: improper diet and/or genetics)

Another important thing is to make sure that the chins are being quarantined in a different room than your current chins are in for at least a month. Some illnesses are airborn and you don't want to risk the health of anyone.

PS. Cuties!

 

[e.murphy518]

He has definitely been eating pellets and hay quite a lot, way more than the other one who kind of just hides when I come into the room. I am not sure if he is powdering his pellets or not, I have never seen a chinchilla do that so I dont know what to look for honestly, I did notice that he kind of tilts his head when he eats but he is eating either hay or pellets every time I come into the room. And I handed him a piece of wood and he seemed confused at first but immediately started chewing on it. Does this still sound like malo?

and will keep them quarantined for a month

 

[e.murphy518]

Also, I have aspen wood bedding in their litter pan and I dont think they have ever seen bedding before. the more shy chin is now picking up pieces and nibbling.. is that a problem?

 

[e.murphy518]

I just hung a toy with big grape wood hunks on it and they are both going at it like crazy!

 

[Cuddlebug]

He sounds like he is eating just fine. When a chinchilla crumbles (powders) its food you will find small pieces and/or powdered pellets in the bowl and even next to the bowl. they do this because they want to eat, but when they try to chew it hurts so they spit the food out again. There is a chance that the matted fur is due to a temporary problem the chinchilla had that is now gone. He may have had something stuck in his teeth or mouth and was able to get it out himself. As long as he does not begin drooling again, I wouldn't worry about.

When the chinchilla is chewing on sticks and wood, that is a good sign.

Most chinchillas will take a nibble or two of the bedding when it is fresh. It won't hurt him. They rarely eat it.

 

[hownowbrowncow]

Aspen is fine for them to chew on, so it kiln dried pine, so no worries on that front, just watch that they don't start eating the fleece You'll know if the chin is powdering his pellets if you see pellet powder in the bottom of the food bowl (it looks like the dust at the bottom of a pellet bag). It's possible that the head tilting is because he is avoiding chewing on one side. The only way to tell if he has tooth problems for sure is to have a vet thoroughly examine his mouth and potentially take a full set of head x-rays (<--the only way to check for root elongation). If it's just spurs, those just need to be trimmed and can potentially be kept at bay. Root elongation is another matter.

That's awesome that they are loving all the chews that you got them Hurray!

 

[e.murphy518]

okay, then he definitely hasnt been powdering it. I really hope that he doesn't have malo. he is such a sweet guy. and I only noticed that head tilting a few times. Now when I see him eat he looks just like my other chins. I don't see any powder in the bowl, just bunch of full pellets and some that are bit off and have been thrown back down but my others do that to so I think thats ok?

Another question...they came with a plastic bag full of pellets with no label and when I asked the guy what kind it was he said "I dont know just some kind of pelleted food I got from pet supplies plus"...The pellets are longer than the ones that come in the Oxbow essentials bags I buy but other than that they look the same. I mixed half of what they came with an half oxbow together....do you think that is ok? They didnt come with much and I dont know what it is so I cant get more :/

I feel so bad for them the more shy guy just discovered the water bottle and drank for SO long. I feel like they havent had adequate food or water or attention for a long time.

 

[hownowbrowncow]

Switching the pellets over to Oxbow (and not going back to whatever bulk feed that he got at the store) is a good idea. Some people recommend sprinkling acidophilus (I think I spelled it wrong) on the pellets to smooth the transition, particularly when making a straight switch when a person is unable to use (because it's unsafe for chins) or doesn't have the chins previous food.

 

[e.murphy518]

Where could I get that from and what form does it come in? Just a powder?

 

[hownowbrowncow]

You can find it at any pharmacy, if it's not on the shelves than you can ask a pharmacist. It comes in capsules (people take it as a supplement sometimes for digestion) and you just open the capsules and sprinkle it on the food.

 

[e.murphy518]

Also, as far as the hunched back goes, should I get something to supplement his food that could make him gain weight?

 

[hownowbrowncow]

Weigh him everyday for the first while to see if he is losing, holding steady, or gaining weight, then make a plan going from there. Some might suggest supplements like lifeline to be added to his diet to give him a boost, but I don't have experience using it so I'm not sure on that one. Maybe someone else can chime in? If he's losing weight I would get some critical care into him to help him get to a healthy weight and also get him to a vet (if he's consistently losing weight something else could be the matter and he might not be getting as much food into him as he appears to be)

Edit: When weighing, be sure to do it at the same time every day to get the most accurate reading as a chins weight can fluctuate throughout the day based on when they last ate, drank, peed, etc.

 

[e.murphy518]

Okay, thank you so much for all your help. I will pick up some acidophilus and a scale tomorrow and hopefully someone comments as to whether lifeline (or something else) should be supplemented! I really appreciate your advice

 

[hownowbrowncow]

Also with the scale, make sure it's digital and measure in grams! Good luck, I hope he's gaining weight and that they both turn into healthy happy pudgers!

 

[becky12883]

As long as he's eating the pellets and hay, I wouldn't stress him out with weighing him everyday (maybe just once a week). Critical Care is for supplementing calories not adding weight. It will take many months to put healthy weight on these guys. There are some supplements that you can get to try to help put weight on, but they are just supplements, not replacement for pellets. I rescued a deaf hunchbacked anorexic chin this past August and he is just starting to put noticeable weight on. I can barely feel his ribs now, I was so excited when I realized lol. I have been giving him a small amount of supplement mix, that I got from a breeder, since October. I've posted about him on some other threads, his name is Dale Earnhardt if you want to look at the other posts.

I'd say give them a couple days to settle in and watch to make sure they are eating, drinking, peeing and pooping normally before taking any drastic actions. Half and half for the food should be fine and slowly cut back on the mystery food.

Are you planning to get them a new cage soon?

I'm sure they are in much better hands now. Congrats on you new additions

 

[landrk11]

They are very lucky to have you now!. They do look like they could use a good bath and some loving.

They look about the size of my little girl who is going on 1 year old. Once you are able to pet them you will be able to see if they are just small or if they are underfed as well.

Sounds like the little one could be skittish because the poor thing has been bounced from home to home. From your post it sounds like you love your chins and wouldn't have taken them if this was not going to be their permanent home.

They really sound like they need you.

Because you don't know much about their history you may want to make a vet appointment to have them checked out. If nothing else it will give you piece of mind.

Take care and keep us up to date on their progress.

Congratulations

 

[e.murphy518]

As long as he's eating the pellets and hay, I wouldn't stress him out with weighing him everyday (maybe just once a week). Critical Care is for supplementing calories not adding weight. It will take many months to put healthy weight on these guys. There are some supplements that you can get to try to help put weight on, but they are just supplements, not replacement for pellets. I rescued a deaf hunchbacked anorexic chin this past August and he is just starting to put noticeable weight on. I can barely feel his ribs now, I was so excited when I realized lol. I have been giving him a small amount of supplement mix, that I got from a breeder, since October. I've posted about him on some other threads, his name is Dale Earnhardt if you want to look at the other posts.

I'd say give them a couple days to settle in and watch to make sure they are eating, drinking, peeing and pooping normally before taking any drastic actions. Half and half for the food should be fine and slowly cut back on the mystery food.

Are you planning to get them a new cage soon?

I'm sure they are in much better hands now. Congrats on you new additions

It makes me feel very optimistic knowing that your little guy is improving, I will definitely check out the other posts you have made about him! I am really looking forward to seeing him get better, my hope is that his hunch will disappear at least a little bit and that they will both fill out. I am definitely going to give them at least a week to settle in so that I don't stress them out by picking them up right away.

I want to look into supplements to give him in addition to his food. I have noticed that their poops essentially look normal but a little bit flatter than my other two chins, any idea what that could be from?

As for the cage, yes! I am getting them a Ferret Nation 182 just like the one my other two have so that they have plenty of space to jump around Thanks!

 

[e.murphy518]

They are very lucky to have you now!. They do look like they could use a good bath and some loving.

They look about the size of my little girl who is going on 1 year old. Once you are able to pet them you will be able to see if they are just small or if they are underfed as well.

Sounds like the little one could be skittish because the poor thing has been bounced from home to home. From your post it sounds like you love your chins and wouldn't have taken them if this was not going to be their permanent home.

They really sound like they need you.

Because you don't know much about their history you may want to make a vet appointment to have them checked out. If nothing else it will give you piece of mind.

Take care and keep us up to date on their progress.

Congratulations

I love my chins so much, they will definitely be with me forever I am sure you're right, the skittish one is probably the way he is because he has been moved around so much and I feel like his previous owners definitely didn't spend much time with them. They also had a death ball so I doubt they got much out of cage playtime with actual human contact I will look for an exotics vet that has a lot of chin experience and after they get settled in I will try to make an appointment!

 

[tunes]

Tanya at Fuzzy's Kingdom has supplements for general health, stress relief, and weight gain. You might check her site and see if she has something to offer.

I agree - if the chin you suspect is having an issue is eating, chewing on hay and toys, and holding steady on his weight then the odds of it being malo would be much lower. I've seen chins with wet chests because they hang all over their water bottle when using a ball and tip type, and the ball gets stuck up in the tube.

I also would not bother weighing every day. That's a lot of stress on a new chin. The once a week suggestion would be better. A chin's weight can fluctuate by day, regardless of when you weigh them, but if you do weekly weigh ins that should give you a reasonable chart of his weight. I do recommend weighing kits once a day at the same time, but that's a bit different than an adult chin.