need advice on chin not eating consistantly

[mishellyshel]

the chin Chilly, who i have been trying fostering & trying to rehome has me stumped.
first of all she is extremely grouchy and kinda evil. she makes the loudest noises and kacks at me constantly.
over the holidays i noticed that she stopped eating, the next day i gave her fresh food and checked for poop....they were very tiny. so i started handfeeding her. she would not eat any pellets, hay or even shredded wheat but she would eat a goji berry. it was quite an ordeal as she does not like to be handled AT ALL. after one session of feeding she started pooping, hand fed her the next day and then she was back to eating. i also gave her syringe of lifeline and some cisapride.

all pooping & eating back to normal.

until last night....she did not eat her shredded wheat and didnt eat her pellets. i have 2 bowls in her cage. one on top level with herbal mix and beaphar and the bottom of cage has a pellet/beaphar mix. a big bowl of alfalfa hay every day and no treats except the shredded wheat. i decided to try the goji berry again and she ate it. if she doesnt eat by tonight, i will bust out the syringe again. i just cant figure out why she eats for 2 weeks and then stops. i have had her since the spring and unable to rehome her...but she has always been pretty cranky but this is the first time she stopped eating.
did i mention she is cranky?? she just seems to hate everyone. i am at a loss what to do. does anyone has any suggestions on what to do and why she just randomly stops eating?? how can i make her life less stressful. i have a blanket covering part of her cage cause the other chins were stalking her.
also if anyone has experience with moody girls and would like to help me arrange a railroad, i would love to rehome her. she does not exhibit any signs of illness. no drooling, swiping or eye tearing. but when she goes through her fit of repeatedly kacking at me, she then does this yawn thing like as if all the kacking hurt her. and she doesnt do this every time. i only noticed when she is extremely aggitated. any help would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Tanya]

Michelle, you can try using skullcap; it's used for acute cases of anxiety or nervous tension related to a traumatic experience. The key, however, is to identify the cause of aggression. Maybe she is territorial; maybe she is afraid that you or chins are going to hurt her.

I'd put her in a smaller cage (she may feel more secure) and keep the cage in a separate room. You covered part of her cage, but she can still feel the presence of other chins next to her, so it can be contributing to the problem.

When does she display aggressive behavior (when you enter the room, put food in her cage, etc.)? If she makes that loudest noises and kacks at you when you or your hand is in front of her, she may think that you are an intruder that attempts to evict her. But she does not want to lose her territory by avoiding confrontation, so she is trying to defend herself and her cage. She puts a lot of effort as she is a solitary female (she may feel more vulnerable), and she probably loves living in your house )

Loss of appetite can be a reaction to stress.

 

[mishellyshel]

thanks Tanya! i am going to have to pick up some of that and some linden flowers as well. i do have chamomile that i will add a little extra to her mix tonight.

i dont know what her deal is. i responded in another thread....but she has been with me since march and the only change was Christmas!

she doesnt like when i put my hand in her cage that is for sure. she sits in her hammock like a sniper on lookout and as soon as i open the door to clean up and replenishe her stuff she is on high guard and starts kacking and just getting very upset. i move quickly and eithe quietly or i try to speak with her calmly. someone previously suggested i put my hand in there as a fist, so she doesnt try to bite me and isnt very threatened and that has worked pretty good. my fiance always says "why is she so mean to you....all you do is love her and take care of her" lol thats my job and i guess she just doesnt like her boss!